Penn & Teller: Technology has morphed the magic act
From USA Today – SAN FRANCISCO — Leave it to Penn and Teller. Ask the fabled magicians about the impact of technology on their craft, and you’ll get answers as wonderfully disparate as the tall and garrulous Penn Jillette and the short and mute-on-camera Teller.
“There’s no doubt the Internet has made magicians better technically,” booms Jillette, 59, in town Tuesday with his partner to be honored at Sketchfest, the annual comedy festival.
He explains that in magic’s early days, secrets were passed down through mentors. “Now, the entry-level price is an Internet connection and a deck of cards,” he says. “You can teach yourself this stuff (through online tutorials), so what we’re seeing in terms of close-up and sleight of hand is breathtaking.”
Teller, 66, focuses his lens on the topic differently…