Are you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?
- Zain A Blade
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Are you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?
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So, I guess no. I don't believe that it isn't a trick.
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I'll start with the question in the title:
Wikipedia (and I'm in agreement with them) defines art asAre you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art). So, I would say that, yes, sword swallowing is an art according to this definition.a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
The Google dictionary defines "trick" as
anda cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.
(https://www.google.co.jp/search?rlz=1C1 ... dobs=trick). Based on this definition, sword swallowing could really fall under either category. If it's true, honest sword swallowing then it's just entertainment. If it's not actual sword swallowing, and the performer has every intention of passing it off as real sword swallowing (I'm not accounting for comedic acts here), then it is absolutely a deception.a skilful act performed for entertainment or amusement.
So, if Duke is actually swallowing swords, then it could be considered an art and a trick. Granted, I think this particular performance being considered art could be debatable. However, if Duke is pretending to swallow swords with the express intent on deceiving his audience into believing he's doing the real thing, and not for comedic purposes, then it's just a scheme.
As for your question posed in the body of your post,
, it is in fact a skill that can be taught and learned. This Wikipedia page even gives a brief history on it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_swallowing). You can even Google the performance and read other sources about it. That said, Vg345 is absolutely correct. Sword swallowing is extremely dangerous and can result in injury, sometimes fatal. The Wikipedia page I linked above briefly covers injuries too.Do you believe that sword swallowing is a practice that can actually be taught and learned?
P.S. I only reference Wikipedia, because it offers brief reading and sources for further perusal in one is so inclined.
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I liked your post a lot, as you definitely picked apart the questions, and provided your own definitions, which would help a lot in answering the question. Personally, I'm convinced that it is both an art and a trick – like you said, one has to practise to perfect it, which makes it art; it is also a trick in which to amuse and awe the audience. Thus, I would rather call sword swallowing a performance, in which the performer practises and showcases that effort of that practice in a bid to captivate the audience.PlanetHauth wrote: ↑03 May 2018, 06:26 I believe your question in the title of the post and your question in the body of your post are two different questions, so I'm going to treat them as such.
I'll start with the question in the title:Wikipedia (and I'm in agreement with them) defines art asAre you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art). So, I would say that, yes, sword swallowing is an art according to this definition.a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
The Google dictionary defines "trick" asanda cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.(https://www.google.co.jp/search?rlz=1C1 ... dobs=trick). Based on this definition, sword swallowing could really fall under either category. If it's true, honest sword swallowing then it's just entertainment. If it's not actual sword swallowing, and the performer has every intention of passing it off as real sword swallowing (I'm not accounting for comedic acts here), then it is absolutely a deception.a skilful act performed for entertainment or amusement.
So, if Duke is actually swallowing swords, then it could be considered an art and a trick. Granted, I think this particular performance being considered art could be debatable. However, if Duke is pretending to swallow swords with the express intent on deceiving his audience into believing he's doing the real thing, and not for comedic purposes, then it's just a scheme.
As for your question posed in the body of your post,, it is in fact a skill that can be taught and learned. This Wikipedia page even gives a brief history on it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_swallowing). You can even Google the performance and read other sources about it. That said, Vg345 is absolutely correct. Sword swallowing is extremely dangerous and can result in injury, sometimes fatal. The Wikipedia page I linked above briefly covers injuries too.Do you believe that sword swallowing is a practice that can actually be taught and learned?
P.S. I only reference Wikipedia, because it offers brief reading and sources for further perusal in one is so inclined.
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I agree. The way it's described in the book seems real and why wouldn't the author tell us if it was a trick? Still, I did find it a little over the top that he used 5 swords.meadhbh wrote: ↑03 May 2018, 08:44 I would imagine that when sword-swallowers begin training, they probably don't use sharp swords to start off with, in order to prevent the risk should something go wrong. Then, once they're able to do it successfully, the likely move on to real swords. Even so, it seems incredibly dangerous.
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Thank you for your kind words! I thought it important to define art, because not everyone agrees on one single definition for it, or don't always agree on certain things being considered art. I figured giving a definition I agreed with would help others better understand what I was trying to say.gen_g wrote: ↑03 May 2018, 09:43I liked your post a lot, as you definitely picked apart the questions, and provided your own definitions, which would help a lot in answering the question. Personally, I'm convinced that it is both an art and a trick – like you said, one has to practise to perfect it, which makes it art; it is also a trick in which to amuse and awe the audience. Thus, I would rather call sword swallowing a performance, in which the performer practises and showcases that effort of that practice in a bid to captivate the audience.PlanetHauth wrote: ↑03 May 2018, 06:26 I believe your question in the title of the post and your question in the body of your post are two different questions, so I'm going to treat them as such.
I'll start with the question in the title:Wikipedia (and I'm in agreement with them) defines art asAre you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art). So, I would say that, yes, sword swallowing is an art according to this definition.a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
The Google dictionary defines "trick" asanda cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.(https://www.google.co.jp/search?rlz=1C1 ... dobs=trick). Based on this definition, sword swallowing could really fall under either category. If it's true, honest sword swallowing then it's just entertainment. If it's not actual sword swallowing, and the performer has every intention of passing it off as real sword swallowing (I'm not accounting for comedic acts here), then it is absolutely a deception.a skilful act performed for entertainment or amusement.
So, if Duke is actually swallowing swords, then it could be considered an art and a trick. Granted, I think this particular performance being considered art could be debatable. However, if Duke is pretending to swallow swords with the express intent on deceiving his audience into believing he's doing the real thing, and not for comedic purposes, then it's just a scheme.
As for your question posed in the body of your post,, it is in fact a skill that can be taught and learned. This Wikipedia page even gives a brief history on it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_swallowing). You can even Google the performance and read other sources about it. That said, Vg345 is absolutely correct. Sword swallowing is extremely dangerous and can result in injury, sometimes fatal. The Wikipedia page I linked above briefly covers injuries too.Do you believe that sword swallowing is a practice that can actually be taught and learned?
P.S. I only reference Wikipedia, because it offers brief reading and sources for further perusal in one is so inclined.
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- PlanetHauth
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Sword swallowing doesn't "reorganize" anything in your body. The sword goes in the mouth, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. Then it's pulled out.
Here are some links to websites discussing sword swallowing, if you or anyone else is interested.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_swallowing
https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com ... lowing.htm
http://www.swordswallow.com/faq.php
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