According to TikTok, magicians are so back. (Ahem, where did magicians go, exactly? We, of course, know that they’ve always been here!) A recent article in Cosmopolitan reported on the phenomenon, however, and apparently adults in their 20s and 30s are discovering that magic is cool, actually.
The Cosmo article describes how TikTok is currently capturing “the disarming and very entertaining beauty of the ongoing party magician renaissance,” and in addition to having some embedded TikTok clips showing magicians performing in various apartments, it features 24-year-old Nadav Roet, who was invited to Cosmopolitan’s office to perform some magic (and mentalism) of his own.
“Kids get to wonder all the time,” Nadav, who also hosts a show called The Bluff, told Cosmo. “At that age, we’re allowed to be in awe, but as adults, not so much. When magicians come to a birthday party or an event, they get that feeling again.”
The writer of the short piece also includes this ode to magic, which sells the art better than many magician websites I’ve seen: “All the full-body reactions recorded prove that no AI slop or mindless doomscroll can replicate the thrill of a well-executed, in-your-face illusion. And if you’re trying to plan a party where people get off of their phones and actually talk to each other, including a magic show will get the job done.”
The article has also made the rounds in the magic community. “What I didn’t anticipate was the virality of the interview,” Nadav told THE EYE via email. “At the time I’m writing this, it has 18.4k shares on Cosmopolitan’s Instagram. Many of my magician friends said people have been sending them the article nonstop…. It was incredibly meaningful to me how many magicians—friends or strangers, and even some of my biggest heroes in magic—reached out to congratulate me and said they loved the piece.”
Photos courtesy of Nadav Roet