New Kangol hats don’t technically count as toys, but the donation is welcome. (Photo by Scott Harrison | Retna)

Well, we suppose it’s inevitable. Some people just can’t accept the True Meaning of Christmas is drinking spiced liquor, string absurd amounts of lights and buying us an Intellivision, and insist on making it all about giving. Too many Peanuts specials if you ask us. But anyway, George Wallace is jumping on this “hand off stuff to the needy” bandwagon by holding a toy drive. Bring two new, unwrapped toys to the show at the Flamingo Dec. 1 through Dec. 12 between 6 and 10 p.m., and you can score a free ticket you can use until Dec. 16. Donations benefit HELP of Southern Nevada.

Magician Mac King is spreading his holiday cheer with Spread the Word Nevada Kids to Kids with a magic show and storybook reading at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Henderson Barnes & Noble. When is someone going to stand up to this crass anti-commercialism and remind us all what the season is really about?

By Jason Scavone

Why a bear? Because why not a bear, that’s why.

Mac King celebrated his millionth audience member yesterday by giving Pearl Lee of New Paltz, N.Y., a prize package that included a two-night stay at Harrah’s, dinner for two at The Range, a spa treatment at Harrah’s, the Mac King Magic in a Minute kit, and a meet-and-greet.

You wouldn’t think they could do a spa entirely in plaid for the promo, but you’d be wrong. That’s something you could probably live with if you close your eyes, but it really is a problem when they ditch the Enya for their soundtrack and put on bagpipe music.

By Jason Scavone

Two things we now know about Mac King: He is short, and he has been to a place where the Olympics were held.

Harrah’s own practitioner of prestidigitation, their lord of legerdemain, the in-house high priest of hijinks and hocus pocus (Jesus, we can’t believe we really Don Kinged it that long) Mac King was in Beijing for the 24th Annual World Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques Championships July 26 to July 31.

Cool, but two questions:

1.) The international magic society is French? Are there even any famous French magicians? Not even the guys from The Prestige are French.
2.) HOLY CRAP, CHINA IS TRAINING AN ARMY OF MAGICIANS. We’re completely boned if we ever have to go to war and they’re making all our tanks disappear, and then drinking milk out of a rolled up newspaper after they totally made that milk vanish a second ago.

There were more than 2,000 magicians from around the world competing for the title of World’s Best (They’re magicians, not good-title-makers, OK?). King was there as a guest performer, his first stint at the championships since a 2000 trip to Portugal.

So wait. If you’re a magician, you get to travel the world for international competitions and you get the ladies in a panty-dropping mood like all the time? Or just one of those things.

Incidentally, the contest only had one American included over two broad categories, which means we can only conclude it’s only roughly as important as the World Cup or reading — you know, other things the rest of the world enjoys that we all secretly resent.

By Jason Scavone

That is plaid-on-plaid crime right there.

Magic magazine — which, for real, has the best ads we’ve ever seen in a magazine, including one for something called a “naked zombie ball,” and we’re pretty sure we’re in violation of the Alliance of Magicians for even mentioning it, but screw it, it’s not like we were getting booked at the Rio or anything — has named Mac King the funniest act in magic today.

The Harrah’s magician beat out fellow local acts The Amazing Jonathan, who came in third, and Penn & Teller, clocking in at No. 7. It’s OK, P&T. We’ll still obsessively watch Bullshit! anyway.

By Jason Scavone