London Jones is a 9-year-old from Calgary, Canada who’s an aspiring magician. She had an important question to ask, so she wrote to her heroes, Penn & Teller: 

Excellent question, London. Why aren’t there many girls in magic? Penn recently shared his thoughts on the subject in an article on CNN, but also had a pretty straightforward reply for London. “One of the reasons there’s so few women magicians (is that) the magicians didn’t let them into the magic clubs. It’s a really horrible thing. If they did let them in, it was really a boys’ club atmosphere,” he explained. 

Magic is becoming more welcoming to women and girls, but there’s still a huge problem with representation. The vast majority of magicians you see performing are white men, which can convey the message that magic is only for white men – a message the magicians themselves know isn’t true. Seeing performers like Jade, Eric Jones, Shin Lim, Misty Lee, Richard Turner, and Mahdi Gilbert helps newcomers understand that magic is for everyone. 

We here at GeniiOnline want to do our part to make the world of magic a welcoming place for anyone who wants to join it, including little girls like London. One of the easiest ways to do that is through representation, letting people see themselves in the art and entertainment they consume. So without further ado, please enjoy the magic of London the Magnificent.