Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

Speaking of bullshit, that's kind of what this show is. Not that it's bad-- it's good entertainment. But less critical viewers will need to be reminded that it's entertainment, not thorough scientific research.

While Penn and Teller do sometimes offer scientific research to bolster their arguments, the tend to present it in a manner that contradicts the purpose of serious investigation. I take issue with the way they enter their investigations with the assumption that something is "bullshit" and how they subsequently mold every piece of information that becomes available to them to reinforce their pre-determined conclusion. A real investigation would not involve them going into their research with the determination to prove it a fraud; it would involve a suspicion which they either prove or disprove after careful examination of the evidence.

I feel that the show manipulates your judgments by doctoring evidence, cutting and pasting phrases out-of-context, repeatedly showing loaded footage, making dismissive commentary without backing, relying on 'straw men' to win arguments, calling people "assholes" for having differing opinions, creating irrelevant "experiments" whose outcomes, at first glance seem to corroborate their point, but upon re-assessment, are not logically congruous with the evaluations you will make based on them (in other words, the experiments are misleading).

P&T essentially bully the viewer onto their side by creating an atmosphere in which you will feel dumb if you disagree; their ridiculously biased presentation ensures it. I'm not saying that most of the stuff they take on isn't bullshit, but their methodology is more akin to "Inside Edition" than, say "BBC News"; it's like a sloppy email forward, filled with ad-hominem attacks and hot-headed rhetoric, not a well-researched feature article. If it seems funny, well-intentioned, and consumer-advocatory, it is; but it's also manipulative and intellectually dishonest, at least for something that you given to understand is an unbiased documentary. That, in and of itself, should be a good reason to watch with caution if you're trying to get anything out of it besides entertainment.

Showtime's recent series 'Bullshit!' garners widely-varying responses from viewers-- it has fanatically devoted fans as well as those downright offended by it. Abandoning Penn & Teller's usual material, dispelling myths surrounding magicians and magic, 'Bullshit!' is based on the duo's more serious beliefs. With episodes critiquing beliefs many people hold dear to their hearts, such as religion and environmentalism, 'Bullshit!' is an excellent show if you're looking for more than just the same old sensationalist garbage on television. Using a satisfying blend of humor and journalism, 'Bullshit!' is entertaining and informative. ****

This is one of the most interesting shows I've ever seen. OK, so the portrayal of some of the issues is a bit biased, and it does descend into ad-hominem with worrying frequency, but it gets two very important things right: it's thought-provoking, and it's funny. So, although many of the arguments given seem watertight enough to me, if it's a fair and rigorous exploration of the issues that you're after, you're going to be disappointed; however, if you want to be introduced to new, intellectually-stimulating topics in an entertaining way then it's just what you're looking for. Oh, and they do have a talent for picking the funniest nutters imaginable when they're choosing their interview-fodder.

Hilarious stuff.

"Bulls***", on Showtime, investigates things from the pop culture (like feng shui, bottled water) and reveals that they are, indeed, BS. There is also a bit of a candid camera element to them, making sure that the people look as stupid as possible.

e.g. They filled up fancy looking bottles with hose water and gave them what sounds like fancy names (like Aqua de Culo, which means "butt water" in Italian)...and people at a restaurant raved about how clean and tasty the waters were, as opposed to tap water.

Penn's cynical commentary is also hilarious. Him and Teller do a great job with this show.

How can this be? Not only does America finally get a skeptic-oriented cable show, but one hosted by Penn and Teller! The joy was almost too much for me, especially since the first episode was about communing with the dead, a scam enjoying a huge surge in popularity.

The opening dialogue by Penn was sometimes a bit shaky, but I suspect he'll adapt to the format soon enough. The series will hopefully continue to do what the first episode did: show the methods by which mystics and pseudoscientific opportunists take advantage of people in need.

Finally, I was impressed that the show managed to walk the line between skepticism and cynicism, never falling into the simple close-minded denial of the latter. There certainly is anger and sarcasm from the narrators/hosts, but nothing too terrible.

This is a funny show that is entirely relevant. I now have something to counter the pain of Dennis Miller's show being canceled. Watch a few of the episodes and decide for yourself.