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Episode 20 – Cold Reading
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I get the feeling that you are the type of person to scroll down to the comments and read them, but not leave a comment 😉
Great podcast, Paul. I always enjoy your content!
One thing that I have done for a long time that I think is a fun way of adding cold reading bits into a stand-up/stage/parlor show is creating moments where I deliberately insert apparent psychological subtleties that I use to stimulate moments of cold reading. Or at least what appears to be cold readings anyway.
For example, one of my signature routines involves a chair test. Without going into the entire routine (which may be coming out in printed form soon), I will say that during the selection process of envelopes and chairs, I have a fun interaction with the three participants where I give some fun “either/or” selections for them to name out loud before they select an envelope. In other words, instead of just telling a spectator to select an envelope and then sit down (like in many chair tests), I ask each spectator (one at a time) to name out loud one of two objects–“Ketchup or…Mustard?” or something like that (I have several of them based on the type of person I think I’m dealing with. For kids I select superheroes or something like that). Without mentioning it, everything they are offered to name out loud has a predominant color in the minds of everyone: ketchup is red, mustard yellow, the Incredible Hulk is green, etc.
I want them to select Ketchup because I am trying to get them to select a RED object that will be revealed moments later. If they do on the first go, great. If not, I say “that’s interesting and present another “either/or” scenario, make a joke, etc. I also begin spicing it up with readings based on their answers. “You seem like a cheeseburger kinda guy instead of a hot dog guy…” I have crafted it so that I really can’t lose if the “readings” aren’t spot on, but if the readings hit, well even better. If they don’t, no matter what, in the end the color of the object they mention last matches what’s in their envelope, on the bottom of the chairs, etc. It always gets whispers from the audience and a huge reaction at the routine’s conclusion. Things like “Remember he chose ‘ketchup’ and his chair had the “red” thing…” Etc.
In other words, when scripting out a routine I simply recommend building in some verbal subtleties that you can control to a large degree and use in addition to /and or to replace moments of “reading” as necessary. Even when virtually none of it hits, you still blow their minds in the end when your sure-fire outcome happens because it appears as though you’ve trudged your way through to mental victory.
Hope that makes sense.
Super glad you enjoyed the podcast 🙂
Very nice integration. I think that throwing in these kind of questions when a decision is needed on the participant’s part and apparently tell you something about them (or influence them) adds a lot of depth to performances.
Actually, like ketchup, it stops things from feeling dry 😉