Magic Castle Membership Application Rejected for Honesty About Skill Level

The Magic Castle, Hollywood's exclusive private club for magicians, has rejected the membership application of amateur magician Dennis Card after he described his skill level with what the review committee characterized as 'an unprecedented and ultimately self-defeating degree of honesty.' Card's application, which requires a detailed description of the applicant's magical abilities and experience, included the following self-assessment: 'I can do about seven card tricks, four of which work reliably. My coin vanish succeeds approximately 60 percent of the time. I own a set of linking rings but have never linked them in front of another person because I can't do the key ring transfer without looking. My close-up mat has a stain from when I spilled coffee during a French drop. I have been practicing magic for three years and would describe my overall ability as adequate.' The review committee, which evaluates applications based on demonstrated skill and commitment to the magical arts, met to discuss Card's submission for what one member described as 'the shortest deliberation in Castle history.' 'In thirty years of reviewing applications, I have never seen one that actively argues against the applicant's own admission,' said committee member and Castle resident magician Dorian Sleight. 'Most applicants embellish. Some fabricate. This man attached a video of himself dropping a coin during a retention vanish and captioned it here is a representative example of my work.' Card has expressed disappointment but not surprise. 'I thought honesty would be valued in an organization dedicated to the art of deception,' he said. 'Apparently not. Next time I'll lie about my French drop, which, ironically, would make it the most convincing French drop I've ever performed.' The Castle has encouraged Card to reapply after additional practice, noting that his 'refreshing candor would be welcome once accompanied by even modest technical improvement.' Card has enrolled in a beginner's magic class at a community center, where he has been told his coin vanish 'has potential.'