Overview
Plot
Penn & Teller, the archly comic masters of misdirection, question cherished beliefs in this daring series, examining palm readings, TV psychics, Feng Shui, Ouija boards, and the line between perception and reality.
- Directors
- Eric Small
- Cast
- Teller, Penn Jillette
- Country
- United States of America
- Genre
- Comedy, Documentary
- First aired
- 2003-01-24
- Studios
- Buggs and Rudy Discount Corporation, Wolper Productions
Episodes
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Episode 1 Talking to the Dead A look into the practices of popular psychics of today reveals how those who claim to be in contact with the dead are actually performing an age-old trick called "cold reading."
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Episode 2 Alternative Medicine A look at chiropractic medicine, reflexology, magnet therapy,and a trip to an alternative medicine fair that ends in a "sting" operation at a crowded mall.
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Episode 3 Alien Abductions This show features three days spent at a UFO convention and a visit to an alien abduction group therapy session. It also explores the psychological explanations, and the influences of pop culture, on the typical abduction story.
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Episode 4 End of the World A look at "The Sky is Falling" people from Nostradamus and his misinterpreted quatrains, to the "Left Behind" publishing phenomenon, to various crackpot rapture groups. Also featured is a survivalist who has converted 40 school buses into an elaborate underground compound that he and his friends will escape to when the bombs start dropping.
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Episode 5 Second Hand Smoke / Baby Bullshit We'll go to a hearing in NYC, where the dangers of second-hand smoke, and legislating human behavior, is being hotly debated and stage a hidden-camera sting that shows just how rabid people are about this topic. Also, a look at smart videos, teaching babies to read, the "Baby Whisperer," and the baby product industry that preys on guilt ridden parents with money to burn.
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Episode 6 Sex, Sex, Sex This show checks out penis and breast enlargement products, techniques and myths. Also aphrodisiacs: do they work? Expect some graphic and jaw-dropping visuals.
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Episode 7 Feng Shui / Bottled Water Penn & Teller put three Feng Shui home consultants to the test and feature a visit to a Feng Shui hairstylist. Also, the craze of bottled water is a national obsession but tap water is usually safer for you, and often better tasting too. Using a hidden camera, we'll take a look at the obsession.
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Episode 8 Creationism This episode takes a look into a Georgia school board debate about whether or not they should teach what's in the Bible about the creation of living things.
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Episode 9 Self-Helpless Motivational speakers, books, videos, relationship seminars, do they really help? We'll take a look. Also, the popular motivational activity of firewalking - which is no more dangerous than walking across hot sand at the beach - is debunked.
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Episode 10 ESP We'll attend a class in "remote viewing," a form of ESP that is all the rage. We'll test the teacher and the students to reveal that the "hits" they get are so vague, it's all nonsense.
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Episode 11 Eat This! Penn & Teller will try to prove that many diet products and diet claims are complete nonsense. Also, a look at the obsession with products that claim to be healthier for you such as organic foods, fat free foods, etc.
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Episode 12 Ouija Boards / Near Death Experiences There's a physiological explanation that debunks it all. We'll switch the letters around on the board and see how the "spirits" like that! Also, the "tunnel of light" and what it really is when coupled with a look at the Oklahoma centrifuge study that created NDE-like results.
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Episode 13 Environmental Hysteria Here Penn & Teller explore the truth behind fears about global warming, air quality, water quality, acid rain, species extinction, and take a look at Greenpeace's activities.
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Episode 1 P.E.T.A. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is against all forms of medical testing involving animals - regardless of the potential benefits to human beings. PETA supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild. It's enough to make a vegetarian eat meat!
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Episode 2 Safety Hysteria We're being told that, in order to keep us safe, we need everything from anti-terrorism gas masks to paper toilet seat covers. Crime rates are going down, not up. You're four times more likely to get struck by lightning than to be violently killed at school. And, once and for all, cell phones don't give you cancer!
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Episode 3 The Business of Love Romantic love - it's a fantasy akin to believing in Santa Claus. Here's the truth - the first blush of love is a chemical reaction. And, like all drugs, it wears off after a while! We'll look into the myth of monogamy, and the industry mining for people looking for love and relationships. That comprises just about all of us, folks!
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Episode 4 War on Drugs America is waging a massive war on its home soil, a war it is losing. Our country spends $20 billion a year in drug enforcement, but the illegal drug industry is thriving. Should we even be waging this war, when alcohol is legal and pushed every night on network TV? By criminalizing drugs, we just turn non-violent citizens into criminals. And medicinal uses of marijuana are being blocked by crusading moralists yelling "family values."
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Episode 5 Recycling Here's the truth: recycling is garbage. The recycling industry creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because it's cost ineffective, and is completely unnecessary. Contrary to popular belief, our landfills are not running out of space - we have enough room to last for thousands of years! So how did the bullshit of recycling get started?
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Episode 6 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? We take on the most sacred of sacred cows: The Bible! We'll reveal the many discrepancies and contradictions in THE GOOD BOOK. Why all the confusion? Shouldn't anything that is "divinely inspired" be crystal clear? Did Noah build an ark big enough to hold all those animals? Did Moses part the Red Sea? Did Jesus even exist? Tune in to find out!
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Episode 7 Yoga, Tantric Sex, Etc. The New Age is a marketeers dream. From aromatherapy dishwashing liquid to yoga to crystals, herbs and tarot, we're swallowing it all! Join us as we travel to the Mecca of New Age, Sedona, Arizona, where we'll chant, sing, and seek a higher consciousness from hill to dale to parking lot. And stay for our big climax! They say Maui's the place to achieve a cosmic orgasm while holding a tantric pretzel pose. Watch out! It's a flying vortex!
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Episode 8 Fountain of Youth The good news: we're living longer. The bad news: the older we get, the more we're made to feel that there's something wrong with that, and so we make futile efforts to turn back the clock. Wacky diets, worthless creams, Botox, Collagen, lipo, plastic surgery... none of it will stop the advancing years, except in your own mind! Aging is inevitable. Get used to it.
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Episode 9 Death, Inc. We're afraid of death. But all of us have to face it at least once, and maybe more if someone we care about happens to die on us. But what are we so freaked out about? We'll show you that, yes, even with death, there's much to laugh about. As we know, the only thing to fear is fear itself... and having to sit across the desk from funeral director intent upon selling us an airtight, waterproof vault!
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Episode 10 Profanity A whole show on words and the power we give them, focusing on the latest actions of the FCC and other anti-profanity groups. The First Amendment is under attack. Hey, what country do we live in?
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Episode 11 12-Stepping There's no proof that AA or any other 12-Step program is any more effective than going cold turkey, doing things in moderation or getting medical help. And there's a debate raging whether alcoholism is even a disease! The quasi-religious 12-step groups have America brainwashed into believing that a higher power will take care of everything. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?!
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Episode 12 Exercise vs. Genetics Exercise Schmexerise. Here's the shocker: the power of genetics determines your body type. Throw away all those fitness machines, gym memberships and exercise manuals, the size and shape of your body was decided the moment you were conceived. A look at the huge amount of bullshit behind the exercise industry. Gym memberships, fat-burning, muscle-building supplements, exercise tapes and equipment - we're fair game... and so are they!
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Episode 13 Hypnosis There are some topics that are complete nonsense, and there are others, like Hypnosis, that combine an element of truth with a generous helping of bullshit. We'll go under the "spell" and show you just where the bullshit lies. The bottom line: you never give up control when under an hypnotic spell. But you will give up your money to smooth-talking hypnotists who claim they can enlarge your penis or achieve the ultimate orgasm. When they count to ten, hold onto your wallet and run for the door!
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Episode 1 Circumcision Finally, an episode that will make every man feel regret, cringe with pain, and grab their genitals. What would make the male sex react like this? Two words - snip and chuck. If this alone doesn't make you cringe then this will: when your foreskin was removed thirty percent of your sexual pleasure went with that little piece of skin. Ouch! We'll examine the historical, religious, medical and ethical arguments associated with circumcision. And we'll have a little hidden-camera fun with the topic, as well. After all we are talking about dick!
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Episode 2 Family Values There's a hysteria in America. A hysteria about what's become known as "the traditional family" and the desperate urgency to "save" it. And this rallying cry is not just coming from right wing conservatives and religious groups in the Red States (although, they're doing their share of tub-thumping.) The media (advertisers) and the government also have a vested interest in perpetuating the traditional concept of family: mother, father, two kids, dog and picket fence. But this hysteria is ignoring a key fact, the "traditional family" is bullshit. The traditional family structure may be for some, but it isn't for everyone. Shouldn't we stop trying to jam square pegs into round holes? Isn't it time for "Bullshit" to redefine the definition of "family?"
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Episode 3 Conspiracy Theories Conspiracies have been around for as long as there have been people to plot them. They are everywhere! In the age of the Internet, rumors circulate at the speed of a mouse click. Millions of people have lost trust in our scientific, military, and government establishments, so they seek to find the "truth" themselves. This leads to shadowy rumors of world domination, corruption, and evil plots behind every corner. We will look at some of the more current and sinister conspiracies. Did a missile shoot down TWA Flight 800 and did President Clinton try to cover it up? Was 9/11 plotted by rogue elements of our own government in cahoots with Al Qaeda? Both of our Presidential candidates were members of a secret organization that's rumored to be running the world. And then there are the favorite conspiracies that refuse to go away, who killed JFK or Princess Di? Did we really land on the moon?
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Episode 4 Life Coaching Today, it's hip to have a therapist. In fact, you're really "in" if you skip doc's diagnosis and head straight to a "Life Coach" for motivation. The training of psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health "professionals" does little or nothing to make them better equipped as counselors or therapists. We'll reveal the bullshit that Freud made famous, and we'll find out what the experts think about the degree to which drug therapy is being used. Is it really helping? Or, are we over-medicating our way to an unknown future. We'll expose the truth behind the lucrative mind games industry, tracing its history to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. We'll weave our way through all the trends in psychobabble, including the latest scam, life coaching. We'll catch coaches in action as they celebrate International Coaching Week with an array of events and activities. To top it all off, we'll create our own psychotherapist and thread him throughout the show. Skip the therapy & coaching, talk to a good friend and take some notes during this episode of Bullshit!
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Episode 5 Holier Than Thou To most of the world, highly revered figures such as Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama are larger-than-life symbols of love, peace and charity. But how much of our perception of "sainthood" is built on hype and not facts? This episode reveals the dark side of the so-called enlightened ones and delves into why we're so susceptible to buying into their bullshit.
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Episode 6 College College degrees will lead us to future happiness, enlightenment, fun, preparation for life, a fulfilling job, as well as national prosperity. At least, that's what we've been told and sold. That's brochure bullshit! Been to a college lately? Rather than beacons of enlightenment, colleges have become bloated 400 billion dollar a year corporations, islands isolated from the real world, treacherous minefields where free speech and individual liberty often get trampled. And not only that, but going to college offers no sure path to an enriching life…or even a blue-collar job!
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Episode 7 Big Brother Has our surveillance society made our lives more convenient? Has it succeeded in deterring crime and terrorism? Are the watchers just a bunch of incompetents as prone to distraction as the two bit rent-a-cop security guards at your neighborhood mall? Have the freedoms guaranteed us by the Constitution become just another load of Bullshit? In this episode, we'll watch the watchers and discover what role human nature plays in data mining and surveillance. We'll unveil the latest, and scariest, technologies and prove just how easy it is to get the goods on anyone - even you. Security? Freedom? There's bullshit on all sides!
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Episode 8 Hair The business of hair is a billion dollar industry. People who don't have it, want it. People who have it in the wrong spots, want to get rid of it, or move it to other areas of their anatomy. Hair unites the genders. We're all obsessed with it. From the tops of our heads to the nooks and crannies down below, we'll get into every vain detail…and every sweaty crevice. Styling, waxing, shaving, cutting, extending, replacing…even one of the greatest magic tricks of all time - Johnny Thompson's comb-over technique! And that's no bullshit!
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Episode 9 Gun Control Many Americans will fight to the death to defend their right to bear arms. They say guns don't kill people - people kill people. A well-armed citizenry prevents crime. If the weak carried weapons, crime would go down. For gun control advocates, it's all heresy - guns don't belong in the hands of everyday citizens. Guns kill people. Period. Guns in homes get into the hands of people who shouldn't have them - children and criminals primarily. Fasten your seatbelts and put on your ear protectors. It's going to be a bumpy and noisy ride as we take on the facts, the stats and the truth to find out who's dishing up the bullshit on our episode about Gun Control!
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Episode 10 Ghost Busters It's scary to know in today's Age of Enlightenment, the world's fascination with the "paranormal" is at an all-time high. And where there are gullible believers, you can bet there are hordes of "experts" lurking, ready to sell something to them. We will delve into the realm of the "spirits" and take a look at the revived interest ghost hunting. We'll spend time with so-called parapsychologists as they track ghosts with their new-fangled, pseudoscientific equipment. Will they find something? Yeah, right! We'll show you how some of them bullshit themselves as much as their clients as they try to get to the bottom of nonexistent mysteries.
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Episode 11 Endangered Species In over 30 years, the Endangered Species Act has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, but it has saved next to no endangered species! Its major accomplishment? Lining the pockets of environmental lawyers who know how to manipulate it for huge fees. And it's an excuse for a governmental land grab. We'll meet activists on all sides - from passionate believers who'll do anything to enforce the ESA, to a strong-willed, good-natured lady in a wheelchair who's homeless. The ESA won't let her build on her suburban lot in a neighborhood surrounded by houses and within rock throwing distance of a WalMart Supercenter! ESA our ass! Here's the simple fact: human beings and industrialization are not the sole impetus for extinction and if you hear anything different… it's bullshit!
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Episode 12 Signs From Heaven The Virgin Mary...or a grilled cheese sandwich? Just a recent example of the public's willingness to believe ordinary statues, icons, relics pictures, stains on tortillas, and burn marks on a piece of greasy white bread are signs from Heaven. Bullshit! We'll examine the way preachers, faith healers, psychic researchers, and everyday folk continue to prey on those who pray. And we'll talk to scientists, historians, philosophers, and literary figures that will explain why humans are wired to attribute meaning to random patterns and events. We'll also show you how easy it is to find people who will find God wherever they look...even if it's in a photograph of...headcheese.
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Episode 13 The Best Penn and Teller skewer our pursuit of "the best" in everything, from neighborhoods to electronics to automobiles to spouses, and demonstrate how such rampant consumerism is a race designed so that the runners never win.
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Episode 1 Boy Scouts The Boy Scouts of America restricts scout membership and leadership opportunities to homosexuals and straight males who DON'T believe in God. According to the BSA, atheists and gays don't make good scouts or good role models. If the Boy Scouts of America were a privately funded group, it could discriminate against and hate anyone it damn well wanted to. But the Boy Scouts of America is dependent upon Federal, State and local government handouts. So, the BSA and their intolerance… are BULLSHIT!
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Episode 2 Prostitution Everyone knows that prostitution is practiced throughout the land. Where it is legal - in only a few Nevada counties, prostitution is vigorously regulated and monitored by the State of Nevada Health Department. The women submit to compulsory medical tests for STDs. No one is forced to work as a prostitute. Pimps don't exist. HIV has never been detected. The women earn regular paychecks and tips. Some even get vacation and sick days. And they pay taxes! It's BULLSHIT that it's illegal for two consenting adults to have sex with each other!
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Episode 3 The Death Penalty We understand the feelings of rage felt by crime victims and their families. But - studies show there is no deterrent effect to State executions. And, DNA evidence has exonerated 122 men formerly on death row! If we're killing inmates to satisfy a primitive emotion, if we can't be sure the criminal is guilty as charged, and we have ways to keep someone locked up and out of circulation for life and for less cost, why does our government still support the archaic, primitive, cruel and costly BULLSHIT known as the Death Penalty?
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Episode 4 Cryptozoology BULLSHIT tours Inverness, Scotland, the home of the Loch Ness Monster, with two "cryptozoologists" who try to lure the mythical giant of the deep to the surface... with a bag of fish guts. Later, we investigate the latest mysterious Bigfoot footage posted on the internet. In between, we check in with some credentialed scientists for their take on the bullshit "science" of Cryptozoology. Will our scientific experts conclusively debunk the existence of mythical creatures? Here's a hint: Crypto means "hidden" while zoology stands for the study of animals. Put them together and what do you get? BULLSHIT!
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Episode 5 Ground Zero It has been over four years since the worst terrorist attack on American soil and the only reminder is a big gaping hole in the middle of New York's financial district. Disgruntled family members of the victims want to memorialize the fallen, big corporations want to get back to business, local residents remain concerned over the health risks of living and working nearby, and politicians blather on, afraid of making politically incorrect moves. Everyone it seems is angling for a piece of the multi-billion dollar federal government pie to rebuild the site. BULLSHIT! takes on the fight for Ground Zero from street level to New York's towers of power.
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Episode 6 Pet Love BULLSHIT takes its cameras inside the world of extreme pet lovers where we'll meet reptile enthusiasts, show-cats and their owners, and a man who claims to have revolutionized veterinary medicine. We'll visit a woman who shares her home with 25 cats and an artist who creates pet memorials that will blow you away. We'll even get all scientific and figure out why we are biologically attracted to puppies and kittens. Finally, we'll get to the bottom of the diseases our four legged, fine-feathered friends are spreading, like West Nile Virus and Monkeypox. Go ahead love your pet if you feel like it. But c'mon, let's draw the line at rubbing noses and swapping saliva... Now that's doggy BULLSHIT!
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Episode 7 Reparations Slavery, the slaughter of Native Americans (and the confiscation of their tribal land) and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II are three tragedies from this nation's past. However, are those who suffered as a result of these government policies, deserving of money - lots of money? They're called "reparations" and like the Indians and the Japanese before them, today many African Americans think the Federal Government (meaning Mr. And Mrs. Tax Payer) owes them money because their ancestors were once slaves. In this episode, BULLSHIT goes inside the reparations movements and uncovers the truths about the internment of Japanese Americans, Indian Casinos and the Federal Government's long history of correcting the historical wrongs associated with its institutional racism.
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Episode 8 Manners According to a recent poll, 8 out of 10 people in the US think Americans are ruder today than any time in history. Is that even possible? Are we really ruder and less well mannered? On this episode of BULLSHIT, we'll find out that our contemporary ideas about manners date back about 120 years to the Victorian period, a time when there wasn't indoor plumbing an people used to urinate in the street, we'll meet an etiquette expert who knows which fork to use when eating salad and visit with a stripper who puts the entire issue of manners into perspective. Saying "please" and "thank you" are good social lubricants and help you avoid getting beat up... the rest of manners, are pretty much BULLSHIT.
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Episode 9 Numbers They say numbers don't lie, but in the hands of the media, politicians, pollsters and salesmen, numbers can be downright subversive. BULLSHIT meets the author of Damned Lies and Statistics - he tells us how numbers are craftily manipulated based on political affiliation and agenda. The numerically ambiguous world of Vacation Time Shares leaves our undercover operative dazed and confused. We also take street cons to Las Vegas - a town built on Numbers - and reveal how readily most of us can be cheated. And we look into the bullshit behind political polls, gambling odds and state lotteries. Source: http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/prevepisodes.do?episodeid=s4/numbers
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Episode 10 Abstinence BULLSHIT goes on the prowl for virgins! We meet women - and men! - who are saving themselves for marriage. We find out -what the hell for? Then, there's sex education! We find out if it is helping them screw…or screwing them up. And we get really revved up about teaching abstinence only! We meet an expert who encourages multiple sex partners before settling down. He has proof that sex reduces stress and it releases endorphins that make us feel good. The cherry on the top of our cherry is a visit to a masturbation clinic. Now we're talking sex education! We'll also meet up with the former US Surgeon General, Dr. Jocelyn Elders. She was fired for advocating masturbation as an alternative to sexual intercourse to prevent STDS, and that's BULLSHIT.
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Episode 1 Obesity Penn & Teller reveal truths about the Obesity epidemic. A visit to an Obesity conference exposes the uncomfortably cozy relationships between the medical establishment, the diet companies and the weight loss industry. An advocacy group for overweight people tells us about the hardships and discrimination brought about by their weight. Plus, the first-ever Penn & Teller 'Fat Guy Olympics.'
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Episode 2 Wal-Mart Penn & Teller expose America's love/hate relationship with Wal-Mart. We look at the good and bad sides of the biggest employer in the US. We challenge the director of the documentary, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," we reveal union efforts to smear Wal-Mart, we meet a chronically unemployed young mother in Chicago to see how her life changed when Wal-Mart came to town and we look for the silver lining behind third world sweatshops.
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Episode 3 Breast Hysteria Penn & Teller look at women's breasts and society's response to them. In New York City, we meet a young mother who inadvertently tested corporate tolerance for breast-feeding in public. Further south, in Daytona Beach, Florida, we meet a woman who challenged the rights to flash her breasts in public. We also meet a breast cancer survivor who is not a supporter of those ubiquitous Pink Ribbons. And, down in the valley of porn, we find a topless porn star/mother of two who philosophizes on the benefits of the La Leche League.
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Episode 4 Detoxing Penn & Teller expose the truth behind our supposedly toxic insides. We find out about "colonics" and those "cleansing" diets including today's diet darling, the "Neera Super Cleanse." An actual Parasitologist - a scientist who studies parasites - tells us the truth about the parasites among and within us. A visit to the world's largest inflatable walk-through colon rounds out the episode.
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Episode 5 Exorcism Penn and Teller battle the forces of evil when they witness three modern-day exorcists performing their demonic casting-out duties, then pay a visit to the "Black Pope," the leader of the Church of Satan.
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Episode 6 Immigration The blizzard of bullshit surrounding immigration melts when Penn and Teller spend some time with the "Minutemen," a militia group dedicated to preventing illegal border crossings, while illegal immigrants demonstrate their fence-jumping techniques.
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Episode 7 Handicap Parking What's not to like about the Americans with Disabilities Act? After all, it is supposed to improve life for the handicapped. Penn and Teller interview businessmen and women, along with some handicap advocates, who say that the act is a huge asset to greedy lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits against whole towns, claiming that the businesses are infringing the rights of the handicapped. The end result is that fewer handicapped people end up getting hired, and hence the ADA defeats its own purpose. Penn and Teller claim the act is far too broad, and individual businesses, not the government, should be able to dictate who they will cater to.
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Episode 8 Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore is usually seen as a symbol of American pride and ingenuity. In an episode that will have American patriots enraged, Penn and Teller interview a native tribesman who sees the monument as a symbol of American sacrilege and imperialism, while Penn and Teller themselves say it is little more than an elaborate tourist trap envisioned by a white supremacist.
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Episode 9 Nukes, Hybrids & Lesbians Penn and Teller explain the necessity of nuclear power in modern society, advocating that it is both cleaner and safer than the alternatives such as coal. Advocates from the pro-nuke side and anti-nuke side are interviewed. Along the way, they debunk the myth of hybrid car fuel efficiency by having two lesbians take a road trip across southern california.
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Episode 10 Anger Management Penn & Teller look into Anger Management classes and venting.
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Episode 1 War on Porn In the sixth season premiere, Penn and Teller look at the "War on Porn",a crusade by various special interest groups to restrict free speech and regulate the Internet.
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Episode 2 New Age Medicine Penn and Teller take a skeptical look at New Age medicine and its outrageous, unsupported claims of healing despite a heap of evidence that it doesn't work.
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Episode 3 NASA In episode 603, it's time to take a closer look at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a government agency that spends scads of taxpayer money to achieve what private industry might be able to do more profitably and efficiently.
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Episode 4 Dolphins In episode 604, the cultural mumbo jumbo regarding dolphins is exposed, including New Age-style beliefs about the animals' evolutionary superiority (bunk, say dolphin experts) and the nonsense about dolphin "energy" believed by many.
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Episode 5 Sleep, Inc. In episode 605, the magicians think twice about the high cost of getting a good night's sleep due to the ever-growing industry of sleep product hawkers trying to convince consumers that a special pillow, mist machine or pill will deliver a magical rest.
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Episode 6 Being Green In episode 606, Penn and Teller consider the popularity of the "green" movement, a largely bogus and hypocritical philosophy that links sanctimonious politics to an "ethical" lifestyle while doing little or nothing to actually create a healthier ecosystem.
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Episode 7 Sensitivity Training In episode 607, the mind control courses known as sensitivity training are dissected and their roots in political correctness, an increasingly litigious culture, and the suffocation of free speech, are finally exposed.
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Episode 8 Stranger Danger In episode 608, our contrarian hosts argue that the world's never been safer for children, but you'd never know it in our culture of fear, toxic toys and even anti-anxiety medication for kids.
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Episode 9 World Peace In episode 609, Penn and Teller go on a logic spree with their argument that the utopian ideal of world peace is dangerously naive and out of sync with human nature.
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Episode 10 Good Ol' Days In episode 610, the sixth season finale, the merry myth-shatterers puncture the nostalgic but unrealistic tendency of humans to long for an idyllic past - one that, in truth, never really existed.
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Episode 1 Orgasms On the season seven premiere, Penn and Teller expose the 'Bullshit' behind the people who market and exploit other gullible people by treating them with unorthodox methods to achieve orgasms. Featuring undercover at a 'sex class', interview with the inventor of a 'remote control' orgasm machine, and other segments.
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Episode 2 Astrology Millions of people believe their destinies are determined by the positions of the sun, moon, and planets. Penn & Teller follow two astrologers as they dole out advice - for a price.
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Episode 3 Video Games Politicians and other alarmists claim that playing violent video games leads to teen violence. Penn & Teller attempt to debunk that theory by handing over a real semi-automatic weapon to a nine-year-old to see if playing video games will turn him into a human killing machine.
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Episode 4 The Apocalypse The world will end on December 21, 2012 - that's according to a growing legion of doomsayers who follow the primitive Mayan calendar. The duo follows a pair of investigators to ancient Mexico to explore the mysterious "Mayan Prophecy".
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Episode 5 Lie Detectors Polygraphs are used in thousands of investigations and job screenings. Can a machine really detect whether someone is lying? Penn & Teller will meet people whose lives were ruined by the faulty tests.
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Episode 6 Organic Food Penn & Teller examine the organic food industry to determine if it is, in fact, more nutritious, and better for the environment.
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Episode 7 Taxes Penn and Teller visit Congress to discuss the bullshit which is America's complex, unfair tax system.
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Episode 8 Lawns Penn and Teller investigate the lawn care industry, talk to a man whose unkempt lawn landed him in prison and visit a neighborhood where only one strain of grass can be grown.
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Episode 9 Stress Penn and Teller take a skeptical view of stress and how the modern man feels the need to "cure" what should be considered a normal, everyday part of life.
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Episode 10 The Vatican Penn and Teller take on the secretive inner world of The Vatican, the holy city of Catholicism and home of the Pope. Due to outcries from the public, this episode was not included on the DVD release of Season 7.
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Episode 1 Cheerleaders In the Season Eight premiere, it's as all-American as apple pie, but cheerleading is also responsible for 65% of all catastrophic female sport injuries, with competitive coaches, fanatic parents, and a multimillion dollar industry concerned with its bottom line.
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Episode 2 Fast Food Hold on to your cheeseburger! Public Health agencies, food activists and special interest groups have launched an all-out war against fast food restaurants. Should the government really be spending our tax dollars to regulate what, where, and how we eat?
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Episode 3 Martial Arts Thanks to centuries of Eastern mystique, the martial arts may appear spiritual and special. The mischievous magicians take a more skeptical look at a bunch of guys in pajamas breaking boards with their feet and overweight housewives learning to "defend" themselves.
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Episode 4 Teen Sex Every generation worries about teen sex, but today's parents are more hysterical than ever. The duo will look at the drastic measures adults are taking to combat the perceived dangers of teenage promiscuity, "sexting," and gay-straight alliances.
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Episode 5 Easy Money Everyone wants to get rich quick, but are multilevel marketing schemes really the answer? Penn & Teller reveal the truth about direct-sales companies that market everything from sausages to sex toys.
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Episode 6 Area 51 Is the government hiding alien spaceships? Follow a team of UFO hunters on an overnight expedition in search of mysterious aircraft flying above a secret military facility known as Area 51.
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Episode 7 Criminal Justice Is America's criminal justice system weighed down with bad science, ineffective methods, incompetence and corruption? Penn & Teller set out to reveal that the only thing scarier than crime is America's war on crime.
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Episode 8 Old People According to Penn and Teller, America's seniors are stripped of their dignity thanks to ongoing stereotypes about old people. They investigate the widespread beliefs that old people can't drive, don't have sex, and smell bad.
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Episode 9 Self-Esteem Research has proven that self-esteem-building does not work. However, misguided parents, coaches and social workers are using this flawed technique to create a generation of narcissistic losers who believe that they are "special."
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Episode 10 Vaccinations In the Season 8 finale, vaccination is considered modern medicine's greatest weapon against disease but thanks to pseudo-science and public gullibility, the debate over vaccination safety rages on.
Plot
Warning: spoilers
Penn & Teller: Bull! Plot and Cast
Penn & Teller, the postmodern bad boys of magic, host this daring original series that challenges widely held cultural beliefs. With archly comic flair, the masters of misdirection explore topics from palm readings and TV psychics to Feng Shui and Ouija boards, offering an eye-opening analysis of the middle ground between perception and reality.
Did you know...
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Goofs
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