Ok ok,
I don’t think anything competes with a magic act for humiliating entertainment value. What is the point of the magician? He comes on, he fools you, you feel stupid, show’s over. You never know what’s actually happened. It’s never explained.
And that’s kind of the attitude the magician seems to have as he’s performing. It’s like, “Here’s a coin. Now it’s gone. You’re a jerk.” Sometimes they ask you to blow on it. There’s something mature adults like to do, blow on a deck of cards.
I also love that little pretend look of surprise they do when the trick works. Like, “Oh, I didn’t know that was going to happen myself. I even amaze me.”
Cheers.
ps: Magic my a$$.