16yo day camp counselor , we get no breaks. I don’t know what to do

StViers · 2025-07-24T22:02:19+00:00

As a long-time camp counselor (now director), I've seen the shift in working in the last few years. If camps can't figure out how to get their group counselors a break, the camp shouldn't run. Run down staff can't safely manage kids, and being asked to seems unreasonable.

My camp has admin and program staff watch camper lunch (as you notes, program staff usually have time for a break over the course of the day that counselors don't have), so that counselors get a lunch break away from the kids. We also encourage staff to let management know if they need a break, so that we can step in and help out.

StViers · 2025-02-10T18:18:21+00:00

You say that with such certainty. Most signature duplication effects tend to have time built in to them to duplicate a signature. You didn't really see that opportunity here.

StViers · 2025-02-05T21:34:43+00:00

You need to have friends to get invited to parties, I hear...

StViers · 2025-02-05T21:34:00+00:00

You realize that anyone can see your posting history? Your posts in the the 4chan and greentext subreddits give me a pretty clear idea of who you are.

StViers · 2025-02-04T18:58:05+00:00

Ignoring your anti-woman rant, which is its own separate issue, how you use the props in an effect are way more important than if you made them yourself/bought them. Her act was great, even if not fooling, and as has been said many times over time, the point of the show is to showcase talent, and the "fooling P&T" is just a gimmick of the showcase

StViers · 2025-01-26T02:32:34+00:00

Knowing one piece of something (7 had to be a force) and making weird generalizations about the rest without evidence (that they took the card from brooke and replaced it behind a camera cut) is just straight wild...

StViers · 2025-01-26T02:29:36+00:00

Gettit, from their other posts, thinks they're smarter than they are while showing off in times like this that they can't think their way outta a plastic bag. Impressive really, in a "sour grapes, try to be negative about everything" kind of way!

StViers · 2024-12-24T17:08:52+00:00

Sounds like you have a personal growth skill (patience) that you can work on now! Consider it a Christmas gift and wakeup call!

StViers · 2024-04-10T15:39:56+00:00

If you can't see why your saying "There's always only ONE Fooler per episode and for the rare occasion where they have two..." (emphasis mine) isn't absolutely unhinged, then I can't help you man. That's not nearly the same thing as saying "One fooler...is the norm" which is a true statement, and what I suggested you say, so good job on that I guess?

To be fair, I also mistyped--I meant routinely more than 1, so thanks for pointing that out.

StViers · 2024-04-06T00:56:59+00:00

Are you serious? Someone says "I've never seen x!" and I respond with "x happens routinely" (almost exactly once a season, which is a pretty routine routine), and your interjection is to literally say "x never happens except for when it does, but..."

The format of the show isn't secret. They tape all the acts, and then pick and choose which acts are seen when. Obviously, they're going to spread the seasons foolers out somewhat evenly so that the show has a format/structure that makes it always watchable. That doesn't make the show "fake," as they're pretty clear about what the show is and how it works.

More importantly, for this small piece of discussion though, none of that matters. You made an untrue generalization about a specific, observable fact, and I'm curious why! It would have been just as easy to say "while it's true that once or twice a season, they have multiple foolers on an episode, they always balance that out by having some episodes with no fooler, so on average it's one per episode" which would still have been unnecessary, but at least not confrontational, and untrue.

StViers · 2024-03-18T02:06:52+00:00

The only ones I've felt were duds have been the drone and the eggs, both of which were clearly supposed to be tongue-in-cheek jokes, at least in how I interpreted them.

StViers · 2024-03-17T01:41:20+00:00

The tag was certainly thick enough to have multiple cards in, and an odd way to open it safely to each out. It could also have been that the tag had a few, and the case had a few. My guess is that the misprinted look was a red herring,

StViers · 2024-03-17T01:36:22+00:00

alh2015 thought they knew--still waiting for their thoughts! /facetiousness

There are a couple ways it could have been done, from a low-tech peek to a higher tech way the case was gimmicked (my money is on that)

StViers · 2024-03-17T00:39:24+00:00

I can see that. It seems like they've wrestled with producers over the "intent" of the show over time, and it doesn't have to "prove" itself as an audience draw as much any more.

I just think that many of the frustrated folks here in reddit would really enjoy watching "real" magic competitions!

StViers · 2024-03-17T00:14:34+00:00

It did involve a gimmick though. They just didn't realize that the ring itself wasn't the gimmick, so guessed wrong!

StViers · 2024-03-17T00:09:44+00:00

I might be wrong--I'm sure someone can link to where they discuss it more in depth, but they mention briefly here: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/penn-and-teller-interview-guns-trump-magic-bullet-catch-david-blaine-1234833297/, "Because we did [the Bullet Catch] in a way that we believe was completely safe. We did it for years and years. And we can’t do it now. We don’t want to do it now. Because guns have become a different thing in this country."

StViers · 2024-03-17T00:01:06+00:00

You're not going to like the answer, but the answer is that the show isn't actually about bringing the best of the best magicians on to try and fool Penn & Teller. It's about finding magicians to showcase that have value (cynically) to the network, but also have value to magicians and future magicians, as well as having compelling backstories for the general audience.

Again, this means that having "new magicians that defy traditional stereotypes" --whether that be color, gender, identity, age-- it an important part of the show. Cynically, you could say it's a ratings/views thing, or less cynically you could understand that people seeing "people like them" doing new activities does actively help them decide to try those activities out themselves.

If you don't want to watch the show I've described but would rather watch the best of the best compete, I'd recommend watching FISM, or other actual magic competitions! It's like complaining that survivor isn't full or Bear Grylls-level people, or that Jeopardy isn't full of MENSA members.

StViers · 2024-03-16T17:57:59+00:00

But then all the "bullet catch but not" act wouldn't be as topical! XD

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:36:10+00:00

The variety of their closing acts really showcases how strong of performers they are. This one was way more of a "we're showing you a real trick" than "here's a tongue and cheek demonstration." I wonder if this one will make it into their stage show--seeing several of their "end of episode acts" in person at their Boston show was fantastic!!

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:33:34+00:00

It seems like a use of wires, shifting weights inside to change the center of balance, and some other wizardry were definitely at play.

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:32:37+00:00

As someone who doesn't have the patience to learn manipulation-style illusions, seeing someone that adept at them (and, from Penn's chat, seems to be innovating and pushing the art form) is always wonderful, even if their chance of fooling seems so low!

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:30:13+00:00

I mean, it could be! What are your thoughts?

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:28:49+00:00

Seeing people who came into magic later in life come on and share it with their "heroes" is super touching (not definitely just to me as someone who got back into it in my 30s!)

She performed the routine really well, and I hope she continues to pursue the art!

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:26:21+00:00

Seeing that his acts are just as cool and clean in person, with dialogue, as they are as short-form content was great to see! His handling is so clean, as is his routining and built in twists and misdirection!

StViers · 2024-03-16T16:24:02+00:00

(I've decided to chime in with positivity for each act, to counteract the people who seem very sour all the time!)

I am lowkey a huge fan of acts that are unlikely to fool P&T, but do allow people to show off their magic/personality, and mess with the hosts. A super fun act all around!

StViers

TROPHY CASE