Hello.
The world sucks, but there is joy. Absurd joy. Siegfried und Joy.
No, that isn’t a typo. Siegfried and JOY.
The magicians from Berlin are kind of a one-trick pony and nobody seems bothered by that. It isn’t really even magic. It’s the suggestion of magic, the thrill of possibility.
It’s so absurd and ridiculous and simple, and I can’t get enough of it.
They take their disappearing act on the road—literally. You’ll see them in their Tiktok or Instagram videos dressed in their flashy matching outfits and star sunglasses, holding up a gold curtain on a street, a subway, by the Eiffel tower, outside of a restaurant, anywhere. With one of them on either side of the curtain, they shake and fluff the curtain, building up tension for the viewer. Or perhaps one holds the curtain in front of the other.
In most of the videos, this is perfectly matched to the crescendo of Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back (the TikTok versions can’t have Celine for trade agreement reasons).
When the curtain is pulled away, the reveal is not a miraculous disappearance, but the butt of someone running away or hiding behind a tree. Or the two men switching places. Or two women coming up the stairs from the underground. Or a group of students sneaking away. Or a bus pulling into a bus stop.
It’s childish. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. It’s hilarious.
It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
The joy is contagious. Everyone involved, from the viewer IRL, passersby, and social media viewers is in on the joke. I dare you to watch any of their videos and not break into a grin.
It’s joy for the sake of joy.
And it’s also easy to replicate.
Spend a few minutes watching their antics today. You’ll feel better for it. Yes, the world will still suck, but maybe just a little less.
Brilliant. Even Jim, who was skeptical, laughed out loud.