--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern American magic, late 20th century…" description: "\"Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is tremendously disrespectful of the audience.\" — Penn Jillette" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png" --- # Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is… ![“Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is tremendously disrespectful of the audience.” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png) > “Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is tremendously disrespectful of the audience.” [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern magic often disregards audience respect, treating spectators as props rather than participants. **In simple terms:** Magic disrespects audiences. Key Takeaway Respect the audience. Themes respect audience performance ethics Mood critical reflective Type advice commentary When to use this quote - stage shows - television specials - live events - magic workshops Key Concepts showmanship viewer engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can performers honor audience agency? - What changes would improve respect? A Different Perspective Audience disengagement can diminish impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) ## Related quotes > [A masterwork. A particularly American magic realism that touches the heart of race and childhood in our country; it's 100 Years of Solitude for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-kushner/a-masterwork-a-particularly-american-magic-realism-that-touches-the/) [Ellen Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-kushner/) > [There is this tremendous amount of arrogance and hubris, where somebody can look at something for five minutes and dismiss it. Whether you talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/there-is-this-tremendous-amount-of-arrogance-and-hubris-where/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > ['Christian' used to be a throwaway word. People didn't used to use it much. People didn't start self-labeling or getting labeled Christian until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/christian-used-to-be-a-throwaway-word-people-didn-t-used-to-use-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [There are roles I have said no to, but for different reasons. And, I never talk about those because I feel it's disrespectful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/there-are-roles-i-have-said-no-to-but-for-different-reasons-and-i/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [“If you feel disrespected leave in silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-hoechlin/if-you-feel-disrespected-leave-in-silence/) [Jordan Hoechlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-hoechlin/) > [I'm disrespectful towards authority. I think the prime minister of Ireland is a gobshite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/i-m-disrespectful-towards-authority-i-think-the-prime-minister-of/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [And I think the most important thing is I never am or at least I hope to never be disrespectful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-thomas/and-i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-i-never-am-or-at-least-i-hope/) [Justin Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-thomas/) > [I am quite prepared, if we can do it without any disrespect to the Crown of England, to bring our titles to the marketplace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-laurier/i-am-quite-prepared-if-we-can-do-it-without-any-disrespect-to-the/) [Wilfrid Laurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-laurier/) > [Hire disrespectful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/hire-disrespectful-people/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [It seems disrespectful to me to see ladies in church in very short skirts or skimpy, sleeveless tops. I would imagine that it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/it-seems-disrespectful-to-me-to-see-ladies-in-church-in-very-short/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction-so tremblingly respectful of states and statesmen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-mountain-of-history-books-under-which-we-all-stand-leans-so/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [What I've learned about that word is context, where the world is coming from - in the era the film is set, it obviously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-james/what-i-ve-learned-about-that-word-is-context-where-the-world-is/) [Stephan James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-james/) > [Wow. Some people are so disrespectful and rude. You don't even know me...so why say something so hurtful?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-jenner/wow-some-people-are-so-disrespectful-and-rude-you-don-t-even-know-me/) [Kendall Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-jenner/) > [I'm only disrespectful when disrespected. If you show me true love you getting it right back and that's real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-only-disrespectful-when-disrespected-if-you-show-me-true-love-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was not disrespectful to Valencia in any moment and I did not say anything that was out of this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordi-alba/i-was-not-disrespectful-to-valencia-in-any-moment-and-i-did-not-say/) [Jordi Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordi-alba/) ## More by Penn Jillette > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) [Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## More 20th century quotes > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free. We sent a generation to college. We cultivated the most educated workforce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-thrived-in-the-20th-century-because-we-made-high-school-free/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I've studied the lives of the 20th century's great businessmen and concluded self-confidence was instrumental in all their success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/i-ve-studied-the-lives-of-the-20th-century-s-great-businessmen-and/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [The great wars of the 20th Century made it into the worst Century ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/the-great-wars-of-the-20th-century-made-it-into-the-worst-century-ever/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [That is very different from how it used to be in the 20th century. Media was very one way. There's a small little industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/that-is-very-different-from-how-it-used-to-be-in-the-20th-century/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [If you look back on the history of the 20th century, the 19th century or even to the ancien régime of the 18th, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/if-you-look-back-on-the-history-of-the-20th-century-the-19th-century/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Up to the 20th century, we can say that this whole period was an Earth epoch, 'Earth' meaning the riches of the earth, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/up-to-the-20th-century-we-can-say-that-this-whole-period-was-an-earth/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/an-interesting-thing-about-new-zealand-you-know-literature-is-that-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [The Warmth of Other Suns is a sweeping and yet deeply personal tale of America's hidden 20th century history - the long and difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-warmth-of-other-suns-is-a-sweeping-and-yet-deeply-personal-tale/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) Browse all 672 20th century quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is tremendously disrespectful of the audience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Penn Jillette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/modern-american-magic-late-20th-century-magic-is-tremendously/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "20th century" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/modern-american-magic-late-20th-century-magic-is-tremendously/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/penn-jillette-1046_20th-century_modern-american-magic-late-20th-century_1060988.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Modern American magic, late 20th century magic, is tremendously disrespectful of the audience.” — Penn Jillette", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Penn Jillette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Modern American magic, late 20th century...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/modern-american-magic-late-20th-century-magic-is-tremendously/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/modern-american-magic-late-20th-century-magic-is-tremendously/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```