Abstract
Magic is a performance art that allows us to experience the impossible. We present data from a questionnaire-based study that examined how the liveness and social and physical proximities of a magic performance affects people’s enjoyment and how this relates to other forms of entertainment. We found moderate to strong evidence to suggest a preference for magic performances that were live to when they were presented on video, but this preference for live performances was also found for dance, theatre, visual arts and sport, but not for film music and comedy. People’s enjoyment of live magic correlated positively with all other forms of entertainment except music at home, film on TV and sports on TV. Watching magic on TV correlated positively with all the other forms of entertainment except live dance, live music, live plays, film on TV and at the cinema. Regression analysis showed that people’s reported enjoyment for live and video magic was influenced by different factors. Enjoyment for live magic was negatively predicted by watching stand-up comedy and sports on TV. Live stand-up comedy, live sport and live dance and film at the cinema all contributed positively to people’s enjoyment of live magic. Watching magic live was the strongest predictor enjoyment of watching magic on TV, followed by stand-up comedy on TV, dance live, dance TV, sport TV play TV, sport live, and film on TV. Live dance and sports were negative predictors, implying that increase enjoyment in these forms of entertainment predicted lower levels of enjoyment of magic on TV. Our findings suggest that the enjoyment of magic operates independently from other art forms such as visual art and music. This indicates that existing aesthetic models developed for those domains may not fully account for the mechanisms underlying the appreciation of magic. We also examine how physical proximity influences reported enjoyment, revealing a consistent preference for live performances, alongside a marked aversion to magic performed over Zoom. Additionally, our study explores the frequency with which individuals engage with magic, showing a strong preference for non-live formats. Our findings offer initial insights into how environmental and social factors shape people's enjoyment of magic and its connection to other art forms
| Original language | English |
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| Specialist publication | The Journal of Performance Magic |
| Publisher | University of Huddersfield Press |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 20 Apr 2025 |