Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t

[Emma]

I'm a huge fan of this show (the title is censored for obvious reasons). I've been a fan of Penn & Teller for years (especially Penn Jillette) and this is by far the best show they've ever done.

If you're not familar with Penn & Teller or their act, they are a pair of magicians (Penn -- who is loud and immensly tall, and Teller -- who is small and never speaks) who are famous for their gory twists on common magic tricks, often making it look like something has gone horribly wrong. For example, one of their famous tricks is having an audience member pick a card and place it back in the deck. Penn proceeds to spread the cards all over a table, explaining how Teller is going to blindfold himself and stab the correct card. However, Teller stabs Penn through the hand instead. But, while Penn is screaming bloody murder, he holds up his hand and the correct card is impaled on the other end of the knife. They also seperate themselves from most magicians by explaining how they do their tricks to their audience.

Another aspect of their shtick is the debunking of psychics, who both hate with a passion because of how they use many of the same tricks as them to take advantage of people. Bullsh*t is an expansion on this, and it is essentially the two of them (along with a killer research team) finding a target (PETA and the taboo of swearing, for example) and presenting their arguements against it. It's won quite a few Emmys and is great because you might completely agree with them one moment and have the oppisite reaction the next. Whatever the case, it's a simply great show.

Google Video has many of their episodes online for free (just search for 'Penn Teller'), although there is profuse swearing (which is kind of obvious, look at the title) and some episodes contain a lot of nudity. But still, it's a great show. I highly reccomend it. *goes to watch some*

[Cheesecake_Recipe]

One of the finest TV shows these days.

[Kzinistzerg]

I have found that very few of the things I have seen them say in that show I disagree with.

[Mac]

I normally love them, but the episode on college they did was pure crap. Of course you need college. You need it in order to go onto other stages of your life. I have never disagreed with them until that episode.

[Cassini90125]

I normally love them, but the episode on college they did was pure crap. Of course you need college. You need it in order to go onto other stages of your life. I have never disagreed with them until that episode.

With all due respect, I never went to college, and I moved on to the next stages of my life just fine, thank you. It was quite an adventure getting there, too.

[Emma]

If that's true, Cassini, I'm sure you'd love the episode. It can be found right here (again, don't click on it if your offended by coarse language).

And honestly, when it comes to college (as well as a lot of other things), my opinions are very similar to P&T's. They advocate going to college if you want to go into a certain field that requires a degree or if you simply love to learn. But they do think that people going to college simply because it's there and they're told it's required to succeed is, well, bullsh*t . After all, Penn Jillette never went to college, and look how he turned out.

[Mac]

Yes well you normally don't need a college degree to be on tv. Just ask Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson. lol But for those of us who aren't talented in those area's and need more money in our lives, we need college.

[Emma]

Penn is actually an esteemed author (both non-fiction and fiction) and columnist for many publications (New Yorker, for one) in addition to being a preformer. If you ever get around to seeing their stage show, which Penn & Teller both write themselves, and they preform their Flag Burning trick you'll see that they are both remarkably intellegent men.

You can also catch the trick on an episode of West Wing, which actually had an exchange relevant to this disscussion:

Penn Jillette: What if we burned a flag, not in protest, but in celebration of the very freedoms that allow us to burn a flag - the freedoms that everyone who has ever worked in this magnificent building has pledged to preserve and protect? <-- most of this was taken directly from their stage show
Josh Lyman: [taken aback] Did you go to law school?
Penn Jillette: No, clown school. <-- and that, amusingly enough, is true. The only college Penn ever attended was Barnum & Bailey's Clown College

By the way, don't think I'm trying to attack you or anything. I just think that you don't need a college education to be a success. Just ask Bill Gates.

[Kzinistzerg]

Well, you need to have knowledge. It dosn't matter how you acquire it... Just college generally presents a well-made array of information made to be easily absorbed and fairly complete.

I do want to see their other stuff.