Why is poor crediting acceptable on DVD?

Whether we like it or not, DVD is fast becoming a major learning media for magicians.

I'm not going to get into the whole 'Which is better, books or DVD' debate. But it does worry me that there's a huge double standard when it comes to crediting.

If a magician puts out a book and he forgets a credit or he credits something incorrectly, it's like a cardinal sin and it doesn't take long for magicians on forums and many of the bloggers to start yelling 'Crucify him'.

So why doesn't the same apply to DVD's?

Jay Sankey on his "very best of" DVD's credits the Slop Shuffle to Herb Zarrow! No one says a damn thing.

Richard Osterlind doesn't credit a peek he uses at all, and when someone asked about it on the magic cafe he replied that 'He forgot during filming'. I don't actually have a problem with that expanation and Osterlind certainly shouldn't be crucified for that, I'm sure it's a nightmare remembering to cover all the aspects of an effect in a shoot.

That's just two examples, I could give you dozens more.

An answer...

I think the producers of these DVD's should be somewhat accountable for the content and for the crediting. Why didn't someone pick up on Sankeys little mistake and simply put a title on the foot of the screen to correct it? And surely the same could have been done with the Osterlind piece. And if all else fails, and something got missed, it wouldn't cost the DVD producers more than a dime to have a small insert card printed that goes in future runs of the DVD which lists credits.

Now that a lot of new material goes straight to DVD and is not likely to ever see print - isn't it important for the sake of magic history to ensure correct crediting on DVD as well as in books?

If it's not important then let's quit bitching when someone screws up in print. It's a double standard and it's stupid.

MW.