The Public's Perception

[Aaron Gregg]

I've seen this poster up in Money Marts (cheque cashing and payday advance place in Canada) for years and finally got a photo of it. I know a lot of people don't think professional juggling is much of a job but it's quite something to see written down, framed, and put up on the wall.

The irony was that I took the photo minutes after depositing a lovely paycheck from a gig. Incidentaly the gig was for a rather surprising client - Revenue Canada (our version of the IRS).

Any thoughts on what people think of professional jugglers?

- Aaron Gregg
(successful person, or at least that's what my mom says when I'm crying)

[Stretch]

Juggling for $

What a great prop for your show. The book I mean, not the flaming shirt. Make up a book out of foam core or something similar with that title : " Juggling for Dollars" and use it to introduce your show.

Alternative titles: An idiots guide to juggling for $

The dummy's guide
the intelectual's guide
the politician's guide
the used car salesman's guide
The priest's
The Enron Executive's guide

Have fun!

[le pire]

Why do you care what people think?

[Aaron Gregg]

Because

It's not about my self esteem or worth as a person, it's about practical issues. I care what people think for a few reasons.

1. When I worked as an engineer, US immigration was more than happy to let me travel to the US. Having a job that some see as dodgy cost me $400 a few months ago. I'm planning to go to the Damento juggling festival in Sacramento and am pretty damn nervous.

2. Not everyone, but a lot of people become rather insulting when I tell them what I do for a living. Sure it can be funny sometimes but at others it is quite uncomfortable - i.e., when I don't want to get into a debate. Once I had to tell a guy who was raggin on me at a dinner party that I had two university degrees - he seemed shocked and shutup about it.

3. When I was single I was known to occasionally talk to women I didn't know. Professional Juggler was usually not what they wanted to hear. Now you can say "if they don't like your job then they're not someone you want to meet anyway," but frankly I'd often like to meet them.

4. I have a meeting with the new government body that is taking over control of the tourist area in town that includes our only pitch. It's only a guess but I think if they respected our line of work a bit more they might consider us larger stakeholders in the tourism industry. I'm under exactly the same license system as alcoholic guitarists that are occasionally removed from pitches by cops. That's gotta have an impact.

But please Etienne, don't think that I lay awake in the middle of the night wondering what people think - that's never been terribly important to me. It's just that as an engineer the public had such faith in my profession that they let me sign the back of passports (along with ministers, doctors, and principals) and now people think I can't support myself.

Of course it's great meeting someone from a town like Edmonton - where they have very successful street fests - and they say "Wow, I go to the fringe every year, you guys are amazing." When my best friends new girlfriend says "well it's good to do something fun before you get a real job" I have to roll my eyes.

Glad to hear you don't care Etienne,

[Stretch]

grin when you say that!

"I'm a juggler!"
"I'm semi retired"
"I'm on an extended sabatical"
"I'm in the fund raising business"
"I'm doing anti - gravity research"
"I'm a full time tourist"

"social lubricant specialist"

"I'm in the tourism entertainment business"
"imagination fabricater"
"I'm a mesmirest"

"I own an entertainment business"

Tell your tourist council that you know someone, that's me, who is making his 2nd trip to the NZ busker fest, and his 3rd trip to OZ to see the buskers. And the kite festival, and other events. On my own
dime. If they want the entertainment equivilant of a StarBucks on every corner, then, sure run the jugglers out of business.

Strictly speaking they ought to put you on the payroll.

[Evan Young]

"I'm a variety entertainment contractor"

[le pire]

Thanks for the clarity, Aaron.

I know what you mean about crossing borders and watching their face when you explain you're an entertainer. I've got plenty of stories about this, just like everyone else on this forum.

Personally, I don't expect a general public to "respect" what we do and I don't really resent them for their point of view. In fairness, I don't really understand their lives of two kids, football, beer and a 9-5 job.

A few weeks ago I performed a standing ovation show to an audience of about 1200 on a cruise ship. Later that evening I was recognized by a couple of passengers from Denver who had seen the show and wanted to compliment me and all that. Then the husband asked me if I was performing so that I could have a free vacation. He was shocked when I told him I was paid. He then asked how much work I did per week. I told him two shows and he was aghast.

"So you work 90 minutes a week?!!??!"

Now, you and I both know this is not true, more like 90 hours, but I didn't want to explain all this to him. I didn't want his respect, I was going to have some fun. I just said "that's right. I work 90 minutes a week, I have passenger status, a nice cabin with a window to myself, my fiancee is here on the ship with me - free of charge , and I go snorkling and scuba diving and relax in the caribbean while everyone else freezes back in Boston."

"Well I work sixty hours a week," he said defiantely.

"Yeah, well maybe you should have learned to juggle. Have a nice vacation, I hear it's getting cold back in Colorado."

heh heh heh

Generally speaking, unless I get recognized, I simply don't tell people what I do for all the reasons you stated. Or worse, they want you to do a show. Family reunions are great for this (hey, do that trick! do that trick! or you get stuck with all the kids) If I do tell people, I tell them proudly because I am. I'm not going to debate someone about what I do because there is no debate. We are essential contrbutors to society and have been since the dawn of civilisation.

Oh, and I never said I didn't care, I simply asked why you care what people think.



etienne

[NYSB_Craig]

(I met you in Montreal)

le pire is right on the fact that truly, "who the fuck cares" aspect, but, I admire you in the way that the "who the fuck cares" doesn't impact your performance. Hopefully, (and I think that everyone could agree with me) at least one person per performance cares about what we are doing. In fact, that's what makes us $$. People need entertainment in their lives, and, thank your god, that's why we became performers in the first place. Secondly, I don't disagree with Etienne...it is fucking cold here in Colorado.

[Aaron Gregg]

It's hard when you can't hear inflection

I misunderstood you etienne, it's just that when people say "why do you care?" it's often with an insensitive tone. If anyone wants to see just how little I care you can come with me to my old University for 'club's days' where all the university clubs sit behind tables and solicit new members. I've been pressuring our members to post a sign saying "Juggling, no longer the geekiest club on campus - check out the medievil club" but no ones buyin it.

I chose this line of work (which is of course surprising to many non-performers) and take the good stuff with the bad. It must be hard for someone to begin performing if they care a lot about what people think. You always suck when you start and I find you just have to put up with it for a few years, then you only suck every third show.

Oh, and about those flowery terms like social lubricant specialist: whenever I offer something other than juggler they always ask more questions - what does that mean? what kind of entertainer? where do you work? what kind of performing? And like Etienne doesn't have time to explain how many hours a week he works I can't be bothered to answer all the questions so I just cut to the chase.

You are damn right Craig (I remember you very well, which is strange since I was on my 6th beer when we started talking in Arthur), some people in the audience do care about what we're doing and are very appreciative. But as Etienne's cruise ship example so clearly illustrates, the public's respect doesn't come from our performance so much as from what they believe we put into it. Even though the guy on the ship loved the show he still didn't think Etienne was worth paying a lot - because he thought it was only a two-hour a week job.

Thank god street audiences can't multiply very well.

[Stretch]

Re: grin when you say that!

"Oh, and about those flowery terms like social lubricant specialist: whenever I offer something other than juggler they always ask more questions - what does that mean? what kind of entertainer? where do you work? what kind of performing? And like Etienne doesn't have time to explain how many hours a week he works I can't be bothered to answer all the questions so I just cut to the chase."

I'ts all in the delivery. Grin like a banshee, and when they start asking questions, Tell them you don't want to spoil the surprise and invite them to you next show. Or mention the shows you have done in far flung locations.

And remember "you can never be a prophet in your own land".

Also, strictly speaking you are a "business owner". People usually respect that if you present it in that fashion.

And there is nothing wrong in yanking their chain - gently - to expand their creative thinking and imagination.

Clown Leon Mcbride does a fantastic show that he insisits is "nothing". Of course his "nothing" has you falling off your chair in tears.

"So you work 90 minutes a week?" Man, I don't work at all, all I do is play. Work is too much like work! Besides, I'm alergic, etc.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

[jester]

The Picture

I think the picture Aaron talks about is flattering to jugglers.

The point of the picture is that while some often think anybody could "beg with fire torches" it isn't an easy way to make money.

The guy in the picture is running before he can walk and he is unwittingly setting fire to himself. The premise of the advert is "stick to what you are good at and get an expensive short term loan instead."

The picture confirms what we already know deep down, Fire Juggling is not an easy way of making a quick buck.

So I like the picture and the advert. There are some real twats out there, no insurance, no act, on the street, giving us all a bad name. That's why a lot of us put a lot of thought into the look. A look that says "Actually I'm not surf dude drawing state benefits and begging for dope money." We have a look that says "I'm a proffessional, not drawing state benefits, so stay, watch, enjoy and you'll want to pay me."

[Scot Free]

just for kicks

you should go back to that Money Mart tell them you are a juggler and ask for one of those "Payday loans".

[jester]

.

[scot]

Who cares what people think? What an awesome question.

Maybe if you cared what people thought and you had a good show, you wouldn't have to work 90 hours a week to get stupid gigs.

I care what people think because I want folks to come to my show, I want kids to understand that they too can have a life that doesn't hang waiting for retirement.

there are other reasons, but I've got two gigs I didn't work to attain. bye.
Scot

[Ivan Bellari]

i care

i really do care what people think of the show and to a lesser degree what they think about me....

i take pride in my show ( solo ) and in the AshCircle shows and i like to think that i'm doing something usefull, and fun , and different...

i get really frustrated when people ask me "no really what do you do for a living?" hell i breathe fire.. thats what i do .. and i try my hardest to entertain people...

i've seen ettienne's show, and the NYSB's show and i think that you guys care too.. if you didn't your shows would suck.. and they dont ...

here is what i don't care about.. those nay sayers who think what we do is not legitimate entertainment, and those people who consider street busking to be one step above begging for change... and even worse .. those performers who add credibility to the image of a money grubbing street performer... or those performers who do little to offer great performances...

there are people who are not worth the effort to punt them into hell...

but for the rest of the world..

i care