Why Aren’t There Female Magicians?

March 23, 2013 in Daily Bulletin

Around five percent of all magicians are females writes Ashley Fetters. She explored some theories as to why so few choose to take up the trade:

  • Magicians normally get there start early as young kids with a magic kit as a present. Boys are more likely to get this as a gift than girls.
  • Magic is essentially a puzzle and like math and science seems to attract more boys than girls.
  • Male clothing – with its more baggy jackets and large pockets – is better suited for the art of deception.
  • Women also have smaller hands, on average, than men – and large hands are useful for obscuring the audience’s gaze from, say, a deck of cards.
  • Magic unlike other forms of entertainment is best viewed in a live setting. Until relatively recently it was expected for women to stay at home and constant travel wasn’t a realistic option.

Read more about the role that the inquisition played, what women would likely appreciate about magician’s conferences, and some of the more notable female magicians over here.

Source: The Atlantic

Via: Marginal Revolution