Contact juggler opinions on "Fushigi"

I have no problem with the kind of advertising you just described. I also love that quote to death now Also, I rediscovered my glowsticks and have found I can magically do a lot of wraps, so let practice begin! Hopefully, or I forget about it again.

for one: this should be in SD or Technical (but maybe wouldn't receive as much responses).

for second: this ad is actually a fusion of "homeshopping TV" and one of the best examples of USAmerican bulls I witnessed.

It's the attempt to brand an entire (juggling) artform and I'm confused to the point where they "debated at great length regarding making reference to "contact juggling" but i am still concerned that the very name itself diminishes the perceived beauty of the art." Like the name "FUSHIGI!" wouldn't...

It's much like if I would make a million "balls on strings", invite some good spinners, make a video and call the stuff "Tomsons (balls on strings)" - debating making references to "Poi" but being 'concerned that it would diminish the perceived beauty of the art (of making money)'...

My advice would be to make a counter-video and post it on YouTube, informing people about contact juggling, how much practice it requires and how many decades it is already around for. Best would be to find someone who can shout as loud and tacky as this guy.

Aye I should have put it in SD, hence the "hey mods" holler.

As far as making a counter video goes, I'm not sure how effective that would be. This guys sounds like big brass. The commercial will be airing on mtv, espn and other networks apparently.

I would be less upset if all he was marketing was "Fushigi" brand acrylics but yes, you're right, it does seem like he's trying to re-brand contact juggling. (Which to be fair is a re-brand of Dynamic Manipulation). However, I don't think his intention is to re-brand the art and I'm sure he did not set about this venture to offend anyone. He probably had no idea there would be such a reaction from the contact juggling community. From his posts on cj.org he seems willing to at least talk to people. Time will tell if he makes any changes or not

not sure about that.. Google "Fushigi" and all you get is the Manga comic series... when getting deeper into it, the FB group turns up with only one discussion thread.. or it's further pointing at the discussions in the juggling forum/ HoP here.

Not sure why you feel that "these guys are big brass" and what exactly you mean by that. I say: Never underestimate the power of a community...

That came up when I was discussing this thread with a friend. Maybe some people who would have never tried it otherwise will take a shot at it only because it's marketed as fun and easy. And some will be disappointed or frustrated, but maybe it wasn't for them anyway (no judgment on that; I just recognize that people have differing priorities on where to put their time and effort). And maybe some people will really get into it who would have never tried it to begin with if it hadn't been so presented. I also think for as many people as it might attract to the art form, it might also drive some away who might have been interested if it had been cast in a different light (if it had been made to seem more serious and more creative, or some such).

In the long run, I think the whole thing is pretty harmless. I don't think we're going to see contact juggling balls being a new fad as a result (though I can't say I'd complain too much if they were), and I think it will continue to appeal to the same people it would have appealed to anyway. My main objections are I think A) an aesthetic one against the tackiness of the campaign, and B) that I think skill toys should make people happy and I wouldn't want a campaign like this to inadvertently pervert that end (though it may not).

I really, really hate the 'magic gravity ball' slogan, but thinking about it, I can think of a few +es and -es if it does take off..

+ potentially more people getting into it, some of whom will hopefully do New and Exciting things,
+ second hand acrylics from the people who buy 'em, realise it's hard, and give up (Durbs, where did you hear they were polycarbs? Everyone on .org who was involved in the ad was saying they were decent quality acrylics..)
+ I will suddenly become an Old School Experienced Person, rather than a pretty rubbish newb,
- People who just see the ad and believe the 'it's so easy!!!!' message are going to be that bit more difficult for performers to impress (oh, he just got one of those magic balls, that stuff's real easy). Could make a big difference for those (not me) who actually get paid for their skills,
- Only things which come into fashion can go out of fashion,
- It's a really stupid sounding name, which I would prefer not to have to hear very often.

The website says "The Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball is made of solid poly resin plastic"
I guess acrylic is poly resin too, so might've got this mixed up.

Ah. thought you might be a secret double agent there, accidently letting slip more than you should.

Guess I'd better put down the pitchfork...

and I got to revise my earlier thoughts...

it's just a tacky TV ad and by dragging it across all discussion boards it might receive a lot more attention than it is worth...

Maybe this was their real marketing strategy....

Bah! Foiled! Or maybe I'm secretly a Fushigi spy...



This http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/09/prweb2956834.htm

He may not be saatchi and saatchi but this ain't the first thing he's done.

the only thing about it that makes me mad is that they say its "easy" and when people get the product they are going to be extremely pissed. Does it even have any dvd with it at all? Thats ridiculous. If they tried to do it with poi I think people will realize "buttholes... this isn't gonna be easy" before they even buy the product. Tricky people.

I believe the Ad does show it as coming with a DVD. At least they don't just hand you the ball and expect it to be easy.

What’s funny if I had seen that advert before I started contact juggling I would of shied away from it. In my mind It just makes it seem cheep and tacky.

They are acrylic, with a metal core... Actually quite a cool ball IMHO. It (theoretically) stops the whole lens effect...

There's a rather long (and for a while, heated) discussion about Fushigi on .org regarding this.

My opinion is that Fushigi is a concept like Sphereplay which already exists for CJ, the Yoho toys for poi, diablo, devil-sticks, etc, or Moose with yoyos... Mass production and marketing is generally inevitable if someone thinks they can make money out of it. It's a pity the guy who saw this and decided he could make money out of it, owned a rather successful infomercial company...

Firstly let me say. Yes, the infomercial is abhorrent and an insult to Contact Jugglers.
But...
I personally feel that once the heat dies down it could be a relatively good thing...
Yes... There are going to be a heap of children who will get their Fushigi realise it's not a "Magic Gravity Ball", throw it across the room and probably kill the cat or break something...
But for the many that give up there will be a whole new demographic of younger children who are introduced to Contact Juggling from an earlier age (rather than David Bowie in skintight pants for most of our generation), and more Contact Jugglers/Circus Folk, generally isn't a bad thing...

Now in the case of things like diablo, poi, and Devil Sticks, Yoho have done their bit for the manipulation arts by introducing people who perhaps would never see these art-forms to people who might've never got an opportunity to try it out and have gone on to work up to a higher level, I myself started with Yoho Poi and Devil-sticks then got the urge to move on to better equipment, learn new moves and find the spinning/juggling community.

It's my hope that Fushigi will go the same way; like the Yoho products the ball does come with an instructional DVD teaching the basic stills and movements for CJ. From there hopefully the new group of people who pick up the Fushigi ball will practice, persevere and join us in expanding the art.

I will say that yes, it can help expand the art. But... Fushigi...? I just can't take it seriously like that. It's insulting. It skims (and scratches) the surface of what is truely a deep and difficult subject, and gives it a childish name... I can't even begin to take it seriously without lowering my ideas and standards of juggling and art. If they had sold it with different wording and an actual idea of what it is/at least referenced the art form of contact juggling that has been around longer than that company as been alive, then itd hold more credibility... But... "magic floating ball" is just insulting.

^^This is exactly my point and no one I know seems to get why it's insulting.

"Magic floating ball"? I thought thats how contact juggling worked!

I assume that this type of response is what is so insulting.

I wonder what their instructional DVD is like...

MNS: I think the issue is that the ball is sold as being magic, so people now assume it is a gimmick, rather than skill.

Precisely what the video there illustrates. Its a young girl talking about the product and yet seems to think its magic.. and if its not magic its probably strings, magic or some other kind of total gimmick.