Michael Kras
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The Heckler Stopper MethodThis morning on a coffee high I had an intriguing idea... I thought of a great way in which a magician could avoid potential hecklers. This idea works in two ways, but allow me to explain.
If you are asked to perform, act as though you are in a hurry, you have a tight schedule, you are pressed for time, anything of the sort. Despite this "fact" you proceed to show them a trick on two. What does this create?
Considering it is more obvious on a psychologial level that you are doing them a favour and inconveniencing yourself, potential hecklers are less likely to actually bother you and let you continue. However, if a heckler breaks through this barrier, you can also use this excuse to pack up and leave without looking like a jerk yourself.
Despite the fact that it's really the heckler's fault that a magician prematurely ends a performance, people will sometimes believe the magician is being a jerk and stopping because typically, a lot of magicians will simply pack up and continue on to something else. However because of the method described above, you can use that as an excuse as well.
Simply say: "It's apparent that you are unappreciative of the time I have taken to show you some magic, so I will finish now."
You're off scot-free.
What are your thoughts on this?
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Michael Kras
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Any thoughts on this?
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BrianMillerMagic
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Apparently not 
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Michael Kras
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surely the great Brian Miller must have SOMETHING to say!!
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BrianMillerMagic
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Banana hammock.
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Michael Kras
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Should've expected that
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BrianMillerMagic
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Your approach is assuming that you are frequently performing impromptu for random people, or doing "street magic" as you like to insist actually exists. The easiest way to avoid the heckler confrontation in these situations is...don't do them! Restrict your performances to times when you want to perform, not when others want you to. Performing as though you're in a hurry or acting inconvenienced does not send a pleasant message to anyone, and is likely to antagonize hecklers rather than dissuade them. My thoughts.
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Michael Kras
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Well of course you wouldn't be a jerk about it when acting busy!
Street Magic DOES exist!
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BrianMillerMagic
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Ohhhhhhh - you're right! Street magic does exist! It's when young punks walk up to random people, who are busy going about their day and are by no means looking for entertainment, and ask creepily, "Do you want to see some magic?" only to be told one of these three:
"Buzz off!"
"Get out of my way!"
"Are you an idiot?"
My bad. 
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Michael Kras
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No no no no that's not it at all! I'm talking about the art of busking and spontaneous acts of magic that peak the interest of onlookers. I never randomly ask on the streets.
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Michael Kras
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No no no no that's not it at all! I'm talking about the art of busking and spontaneous acts of magic that peak the interest of onlookers. I never randomly ask on the streets.
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BrianMillerMagic
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If you're going to talk about busking, then say 'busking' instead of 'street magic.' Makes everything clear.
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Michael Kras
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OK, Brian, I'll level with you... I do not say Street Magic in reference to it being it's own artform. I say it simply in the context of the performing conditions, performing stand-up and close-up out in public.
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BrianMillerMagic
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Fair enough sir 
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Reuben The Great
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I have a comment.
I specifically remember ME telling you this on the bus MIchael if I'm not mistaken, after I had experienced that, and after I had recently wrote my ebook on the school magician.
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Michael Kras
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And I specifically remember me explaining this to you a few months ago in gym class.... it's an idea I had while watching the episode on Seinfeld where George avoids doing work at the office by acting impatient and annoyed whenever someone came into his office to give him a specific responsibility. I cannot recall you saying this to me at all Reuben.
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Liam
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one very usefull heckler stopping method that is discussed on "the ultimated workers" is to open with something no one will figure out.
Something like Dr Strangetrick.
If at the very beggining you establish that you have crazy skill and that the methods will be invisible, people calm down and stop looking for them.
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Michael Kras
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I find that to be a bit arrogant, correct me if I'm wrong and I've simply misunderstood, but coming out right off the bat and saying "I'm the best performer alive, you'll never catch a thing" will not only likely push the spectators away, but drive them to actually look for the method and sleights.
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Liam
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you misunderstood
you dont walk up and say "i'm to good you wont see anything"
you just do an amazing trick in wich a method is impossible to find, so they just wont try
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Michael Kras
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I understand, so it is more implicit... I actually tend to do that a lot, I always open with a very clean no-palm card to pocket that starts off looking like sleight of hand, but the spectators can burn your hands with the selected card for the last phase and it STILL vanishes and cleanly goes into the pocket, with sbsolutely no sleights or funny moves. There are also some exceptionally powerful self-workers I use a lot from Steve Beam's Semi Automatic series.
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