Brian Brushwood Explained

Brian Brushwood
Birth Name:Brian Allen Brushwood
Birth Date:17 January 1975
Birth Place:Fountain Valley, California
Medium:Live, television, IPTV, MP3
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:University of Texas at Austin
Genre:Magic (illusion) YouTube
Subject:Confidence tricks
Fire eating
Spouse:Bonnie Brushwood[1]
Notable Work:Scam School
Weird Things
Night Attack
Cordkillers
Hacking The System (with Jason Murphy)
Modern Rogue (with Jason Murphy)
Website:Brian Brushwood: Bizarre Magic

Brian Allen Brushwood (born January 17, 1975) is an American magician, podcaster, author, lecturer, YouTuber and comedian. Brushwood is known for the series Scam Nation (previously Scam School), a show where he teaches the audience entertaining tricks at bars so they can "scam" a free drink. The show also claims to be the only show dedicated to social engineering at the bar and on the street. In addition to Scam Nation, Brushwood co-hosts the podcasts Weird Things with Andrew Mayne and Justin Robert Young, Cordkillers with Tom Merritt, and Great Night with Young. Brushwood was also a regular guest on the This Week in Tech podcast. Brushwood performs his Bizarre Magic stage show across the United States and is the author of six books. Brushwood also co-hosted a YouTube show along with Jason Murphy called The Modern Rogue. Brushwood has appeared on national television numerous times including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CNN and Food Network.

Biography

Brushwood was born in Fountain Valley, California.[2] As a child, Brushwood received a magic kit on Christmas Day one year.[3] During his time as a student at the University of Texas at Austin, Brushwood rediscovered his interest in magic, performing his first paid shows by filling in for another magician whose schedule was too full. This interest in magic led Brushwood to perform a 45-minute magic show as his senior thesis.

As an undergraduate, Brushwood attended Rory Coker's pseudoscience class which introduced him to scientific skepticism.[4] Coker mentored Brushwood for his senior thesis and has invited Brushwood back as an alumnus to help demonstrate concepts in his class.

Brushwood graduated from the Arts degree Plan II honors program at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997. After graduation, Brushwood married his wife, Bonnie, and began testing video games for Rockwell Semiconductors, followed by a career at Dell where he designed high-end computer systems. During his time at Dell, Brushwood moonlighted as a magician on Wednesday nights at The Electric Lounge in Austin, Texas, while The Asylum Street Spankers took their break. In 1999 Brushwood was offered a raise at Dell and realized he wasn't following his passion, so he made the decision to quit working at Dell and to start performing his Bizarre Magic show full-time.[5] [6]

When a television deal fell through, Brushwood decided to look into Internet broadcasting where he would be able to have more control over the product and process. After filming several episodes of Brian Brushwood: On The Road, Brushwood got the idea for Scam School. He originally intended to produce it independently but eventually sold the idea to Revision 3 and the first episode aired on April 6, 2008. Revision 3's location in San Francisco required Brushwood to travel to California to shoot episodes of Scam School, usually a dozen at a time due to travel expenses. In October 2008, one of Brushwood's childhood heroes, Richard Garriott, performed a magic trick he learned from Scam School while he was aboard the International Space Station.[7] When Discovery Digital Networks purchased Revision 3 Brushwood used it as an opportunity to move production of Scam School from the San Francisco Bay Area to Austin, Texas, where he currently lives with his wife and three children.[8]

Repertoire

Stage show

Brushwood started his professional stage show in 1999[9] and now performs 100–200 live shows each year on college campuses across the United States.[10] His Bizarre Magic show combines old sideshow stunts, mind reading, traditional magic and comedy.[11] Conversations with audience members after performances inspired Brushwood to develop his Scams, Sasquatch, and the Supernatural lecture in 2004.[12] [13] Its content was derived from the pseudoscience course Brushwood took as an undergraduate and covers paranormal topics and how to detect fakes. Brushwood's Social Engineering: Scam Your Way Into Anything Or From Anybody lecture was initially developed for the 2009 South by Southwest Interactive panel with the same name.[14] [15]

In the September 3, 2010, episode of the Point of Inquiry podcast, host Karen Stollznow asked Brushwood about myth debunking in his various shows. Brushwood responded,

Hair

Brushwood's signature hairstyle was modeled after Guile from Street Fighter II[16] and took nine minutes to set up. It was maintained with pomade and beeswax. Brushwood stated he could sleep on it without the style being disturbed, and that it was low maintenance. Episode 23 of Brushwood's web series Brian Brushwood on the Road is a demonstration of how the style is created.[17] Brushwood retired the hairstyle in 2012, citing his age and television projects as reasons for its discontinuation. As of March 7, 2018, Brushwood sports a short fringe parted to one side, complemented by a neatly trimmed beard of modest length.[18]

Mr. Happypants

Mr. Happypants is a voodoo puppet that makes appearances in Brushwood's stage show and podcasts. Brushwood thought it would be fun if the character had a cute name but turned out to be mean, intending to come up with a better name later. While Mr. Happypants started off as a mean character he eventually evolved into pure evil and speaks through Brushwood with the assistance of a voice distorter.[19] The first reported appearance of Mr. Happypants' evil incarnation during a stage show was in the comedy competition at a Texas Association of Magicians conference.[20] Mr. Happypants' podcast debut was in Episode 6 of Brushwood's web series Brian Brushwood on the Road.

Television

Brushwood's first national television appearance was on the April 18, 2000, episode of The Roseanne Show talk show where he performed the trick of shoving a nail in one eye and having it pop out the other.[21] Brushwood has appeared twice on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where he performed the "human crazy straw"[22] and his "spinning cups" routine.[23] Brushwood appeared in a segment on Anderson Cooper 360° where he taught Sanjay Gupta "the human blockhead".[24] In CNN's Life Beyond Limits Brushwood taught Gupta how to eat fire.[25] Brushwood also discussed eating fire on Food Network's Unwrapped,[26] and appeared on Paula's Party where he ate fire and helped make a s'more brûlée.[27] Brushwood has also appeared on Debra Duncan,[28] The Jenny Jones Show,[29] Unscrewed with Martin Sargent,[30] Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge,[31] and Ricki Lake.[32]

Brushwood starred, with co-host Jason Murphy, in Hacking the System that premiered on February 27, 2014, on the National Geographic Channel.[33]

Internet broadcasting

ShowDescriptionPremiere
Scam Nation
Brushwood explains magic, street cons, scams and entertaining tricks so watchers can "scam" a free drink off their friends.April 6, 2008
Weird ThingsHosts Brushwood, Justin Robert Young and Andrew Mayne discuss supernatural and strange reports in the news. News reports are often introduced by Andrew Mayne presenting scenarios where his co-hosts must respond to the events of a report as Mayne reveals an increasing amount of detail. Weird Things airs live on DiamondClub.TV and Twitch on Monday afternoons.October 19, 2009
CordkillersHosts Brushwood and Tom Merritt, along with producer Bryce Castillo, discuss weekly news related to cord-cutting, including television, movies and streaming devices. It is a successor to Frame Rate, which was also hosted by Brushwood and Merritt, and aired on TWiT.tv until 2013. Cordkillers airs live on DiamondClub.TV and Alpha Geek Radio on Monday nights.December 23, 2013
Great Night
A comedy podcast hosted by Brushwood and Justin Robert Young, featuring announcer Brett Weaver and producer Bryce Castillo. It is a successor to NSFW, which was also hosted by Brushwood and Young, and aired on TWiT.tv until 2014. Great Night airs live on DiamondClub.TV and Twitch on Tuesday nights.March 4, 2014
The Modern RogueBrushwood and Jason Murphy together teach what they describe as the three pillars of a Modern Rogue. Each episode focuses on one of the three pillars, teaching their audience the ways of the warrior, gentleman, and scoundrel. It is a spiritual successor to Hacking the System after the latter show's cancellation by National Geographic Channel. The Modern Rogue premieres on YouTube on Fridays.December 14, 2015
World's Greatest ConA narrative podcast in which Brushwood explains the hidden stories behind the most audacious con jobs, swindles and heists in history. Season 1 tells the story of Operation Mincemeat, also known as "the con that fooled Hitler." Season 2 tells five different stories of cons involving TV game shows.June 7, 2021

MP3

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fidelity of Presence (Brian Brushwood). Capital. Dan Benjamin and 5by5 Productions LLC. July 29, 2014. September 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808064406/http://5by5.tv/capital/8. August 8, 2014. dead.
  2. Book: Junior, Ed. Variety Acts: Gaining Respect . 2005 . AuthorHouse . Bloomington, Illinois . 1-4208-4598-5. 15–19.
  3. Web site: Brian Brushwood Live Video Q&A with Full Circle Magic. Full Circle Magic. Brushwood . Brian . October 29, 2014 . YouTube. October 2, 2015.
  4. Web site: Scam School . Skepticality.com . July 28, 2014. June 30, 2009.
  5. Web site: Stanton . Mike . Brian Brushwood's bizarre magic wows audience . KStateCollegian.com . August 29, 2012 . August 20, 2013.
  6. Web site: Between the Pages With Author and 'Bizarre Magician' Brian Brushwood . Becknell . Vanessa. Huffingtonpost.com . April 12, 2012 . August 20, 2013.
  7. Web site: Magic Tricks in Space. Scam School. YouTube. July 29, 2014.
  8. Web site: UT alumnus shares secrets behind magic tricks on YouTube channel . Walsh . Katie . dailytexanonline.com . October 20, 2015 . January 7, 2018 . December 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181205135533/http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/10/19/ut-alumnus-shares-secrets-behind-magic-tricks-on-youtube-channel . dead .
  9. Web site: Whitney. Daisy. On the Horizon: Brian Brushwood. TVWeek. Crain Communications Inc.. June 22, 2009. August 7, 2014.
  10. Web site: Saunders. Richard Saunders (skeptic). Richard. Episode #100. The Skeptic Zone. July 27, 2014. September 17, 2010.
  11. Web site: Tran. Quan. Bizarre Magic: Brian Brushwood. YouTube . July 27, 2014.
  12. Web site: Podcast #205 – June 16th, 2009. The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. August 1, 2014. June 16, 2009.
  13. Web site: Scams, Sasquatch, and the Supernatural Full Lecture. YouTube. August 11, 2014. October 29, 2012.
  14. Web site: Scam your way into anything! (Brian's SXSW panel part 1). TestTube. Discovery Communications, LLC. May 27, 2009. July 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141014100325/http://testtube.com/scamschool/anything/. October 14, 2014. dead.
  15. Web site: Scam your way into anything panel (part 2), plus bonus Q&A!. TestTube. Discovery Communications, LLC. June 4, 2009. July 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141014100328/http://testtube.com/scamschool/anything2/. October 14, 2014. dead.
  16. Web site: Too Long; Didn't Listen Episode 68 – Character Genders and Death. MMO Reporter. August 1, 2014. October 3, 2013.
  17. Web site: Crazy Videogame Hair in 9 Minutes – Ep 23 BBOTR. YouTube. July 29, 2014.
  18. Web site: Magical Miracle Dice!. YouTube. March 8, 2018.
  19. Web site: Episode 1. BBLiveShow. July 29, 2014. January 1, 2009.
  20. Web site: Episode 6 – Brian Brushwood on the Road. YouTube. July 29, 2014. October 16, 2006.
  21. The Roseanne Show . CBS . April 18, 2000.
  22. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . NBC . November 26, 2001.
  23. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . NBC . March 26, 2009.
  24. Anderson Cooper 360° . CNN . May 5, 2004.
  25. Life Beyond Limits . CNN . May 9, 2004.
  26. Atomic . Unwrapped . Food Network . February 27, 2006.
  27. Fire and Ice . Paula's Party . Food Network . September 14, 2007.
  28. Debra Duncan . ABC . June 21, 2001.
  29. Jenny Jones . NBC . October 15, 2002.
  30. Unscrewed with Martin Sargent . Tech TV . August 18, 2003.
  31. Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge . WB . October 12, 2003.
  32. Ricki Lake . Sony Pictures Television Distribution . November 19, 2003.
  33. Web site: Neill. Johnny. Interview with Brian Brushwood from 'Hacking the System'. The TV Dudes. July 29, 2014. February 26, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150111161043/http://thetvdudes.com/index.php/features/misc/100-featured/interviews/195-interview-with-brian-brushwood-from-hacking-the-system. January 11, 2015.
  34. Web site: 2002 Convention Fort Worth. https://web.archive.org/web/20141016151144/http://www.taom.org/2002-convention-fort-worth/. dead. October 16, 2014. Texas Association of Magicians. August 2, 2014.
  35. Web site: Brian Brushwood. Secular Student Alliance. July 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140810164008/https://www.secularstudents.org/speakers/BrianBrushwood. August 10, 2014. dead.
  36. Comedy Albums. Billboard. July 28, 2014.
  37. Comedy Albums. Billboard. July 28, 2014.
  38. Comedy Albums. Billboard. July 28, 2014.
  39. Comedy Albums. Billboard. July 28, 2014. 2014-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20140826054401/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2013-11-16/comedy-albums. dead.
  40. Web site: Podcast Award Winners 2005–2014. July 7, 2016. December 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131210230028/http://www.podcastawards.com/index.php?option=pastwinners. dead.
  41. Web site: 11th Podcast Awards Winner Announcement . July 7, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140527093834/http://www.podcastawards.com/ . May 27, 2014 .