Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

I've been a skeptical atheist for a while, now. It is great to have a show that, at the very least, confirms that I am not alone out here.

Penn and Teller are also skeptical atheists, so no one should be expecting an expose of religion to turn into an episode on the religious conversion of the duo. I don't understand many of the reviews here, suggesting that "thoughtful debate" should be the order of the day on this show. The show is called "Bullshit!" for a reason. You can count on any topic presented here as being something to be taken apart, limb by bloody limb.

The methodology they use is appropriate to their subjects. I personally hate PeTA and other extremist groups like them. The show about PeTA focused on the hypocrisy in their actions, since what they essentially offer is an extremist opinion, not science. PeTA euthanizes animals? PeTA gave financial support to convicted arsonist Rodney Cronado? PeTA vice-president Mary Beth Sweetland uses animal-based insulin, despite PeTAs firm stance that animals are "not ours to use—for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, or any other reason"? Holy cow!

The show about AA took a hard look at the success rate of the program, as well as focusing on the religious-based nature of the program itself, calling into question whether or not it is right for courts to order folks into it.

The debate on evolution vs. creationism being taught in public school was fascinating. The point being made, lost on many, was that creationism, "intelligent design", or any other theory that involves a divine creator is religious in nature, and therefore has no place being taught in public schools. What was seen as the outrage was that the prevailing majority religious viewpoint was being pushed to the front as a fact that all, regardless of religion, were going to be taught. This is as offensive as bizarre attempts to round off the value of pi by legislative coup.

Holistic/alternative medicine is a huge business in my home state. I know a lady who has used these remedies to help her back. I've known her for ten years, and she's been a strict adherent to these methods for at least that long. Her back has hurt for ten years, and it still does, today. There is no science at all on the side of the vast majority of these remedies. Some were even shown on this show to be aggravating to the conditions they were supposed to treat. Basic anatomy classes will show that there are no chakra points on the body, or any reflexology nerve pathways in the foot.

The main thing the guys want to get across is to use some common sense. Think critically about these kinds of things. Look at them from all angles. If a group of people offer an extremest and absolute point of view, but make exceptions for themselves, ASK WHY! If science is being trampled by religion, ASK WHY! If someone wanted your money to sell you a car, you'd have it checked out first, right? Do the same with anything holistic and/or psychic. Dig. Find some real answers. ASK WHY! And if someone wants to take your freedoms away, say NO!

When it comes to matters of opinion, Penn and Teller are not shy about their own. But they don't condescend the audience, telling what opinions they SHOULD have, just asking them to question the opinions and beliefs they DO have. Opinions and beliefs that can stand up to critical thinking deserve to be held on to. Those that can't are bullshit. That's the whole point of the show.

I do hope that the show returns soon. It's still at the top of my Tivo list, though an episode has not aired in months.

And if either of you guys read your own reviews, check it out: The two men who founded "Exodus International", a Christian "gay conversion" group ended up leaving the organization and their wives for each other. Please do a show about this!

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.

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. ****

Wow. This should be mandatory viewing for the entire human race. Con men of all stripes hate this show, and with good reason. If enough people see it, they'll be out of business. To re-cap the first season: Bottled water is the same as tap water. Your penis can't be enlarged. "Intelligent Design" isn't. ESP -an old con debunked 10,000 times over. When will people learn. As for "talking to the dead" -these people deserve prison.

And already in the 2nd season we've seen that PETA is a terrorist organization.

Of course, I already knew a lot of this stuff, but Penn and Teller do a fine job of presenting the truth with humor.