On the last episode, skeptic Richard Saunders talked about treating those who claim they have psychic powers with respect and the level of rational argument that critical thought demands. Magician Paul Zenon has a very different technique. Unafraid to call bullshit when he sees it, Paul has been involved in multiple lawsuits from mediums furious with his sarcastic mockery of their work. On this week’s episode, Paul talks about his work as the father of street magic, his one man show about the life of Harry Houdini’s second-in-command Jim Collins, as well as legal action, psychic fraud and bar bets.
Paul first came to my attention with his late nineties TV specials Turning Tricks. After decades of theatrical, larger than life TV magic, Paul was the first magician to bring close up magic down to earth, performing incredible magic up close and personal on the streets of London. Without him there would be no Criss Angel, Dynamo or annoying guys in bars trying to pick up girls with card tricks. So thanks for that Paul.
Nicholas J. Johnson is a Melbourne magician, author and collector of scams