clark

I just watched the first Penn & Teller: Bullshit! episode on Showtime. It was awesome. They showed why talking to the dead is bullshit, and basically demonstrated how to do it and why it is harmful. They even paid homage to the recent South Park satire of John Edward, the "biggest douche in the universe".

I'll be seeing their show again live next month. I want to be like them when I grow up .

If you liked it, or even if you just think you'd like it , please e-mail Showtime at [email protected] to thank them for bringing this type of programming to us.

THOUGHTfully Yours,
Clark

[corrected e-mail address]

kwigibo

whether i'll ever get to see it remains to be seen, but the fucking showtime site is "intended for american audiences only". what the fuck is that about?

livius drusus

Here's a link to the Bullshit! homepage. For those of us who missed it yesterday (or rather in the wee hours of today), reruns are on Thursdays at 10:00 pm (schedule).

Word of warning: if you click on the link for next week's show on Alternative Medicine, be prepared for one of the most disgusting pictures of all time. I was gaggingly incapacitated for a good 5 mintues after stumbling on it.

Hubble head

I want to see them if they're in Vegas when I go. But "the douche bag" John Edward (and now there are two new John Edwards on the boob-tube!!!) deserves a more extreme form of public humiliation. Glad to see him beat up again.

Shadow Wraith

This is one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Comedic and serious all at the same time, not to mention one of the best names for a show I've ever seen. Finally a show on a major non-educational cable network devoted to debunking pseudoscientific and paranormal claims. They're supposed to be debunking creationism in one of the episodes. I can't wait. TV needs more shows like this. Maybe one day we'll see CFI or CSICOP doing their own TV shows.

Oddly enough, my fundie mom enjoyed the show (the only cussword she hates is "goddamnit"; others are fine to her - go figure). She despises psychics as well, but her attitude will probably change when P&T start up on religious topics.

trunks2k

Of course I am without Showtime. Anyone taping it?

BigJim

Dammit, I was hoping it wasn't going to be good. Now I'll have to pony up an extra $10/month and add Showtime to my satellite package.

Gregg

I just hope if they do a show on global warming, like I heard they were, they don't dismiss this theory as "bullshit." While it hasn't been "proven," global warming is by no means a fringe theory--large numbers of scientists accept it and there is solid science and data behind it. Actually, those "scientists" that reject it out of hand tend to be rather fringe themselves, or else beholden to corporate interests.

The Web site says this:

A "pro-science" person would not dismiss the possibility of global warming caused by industrial pollution as "bullshit," even if he's not sure of it himself. But perhaps Penn & Teller plan to trash the other side. On the other hand, there's this from a Q&A on the site:Whether that was a reference to the global warming episode remains to be seen.

Gregg

clark

I would withhold judgment of their show on global warming until actually viewing it. That said, there is considerable debate within the scientific community about it.

Last year, one of the best speakers we had at our local humanist group was an Ivy League educated physicist from UNLV whom I found due to his contributions to the Quackwatch site. His talk was about the portrayal of science in popular culture and one of his topics, after explaining the success of reducing the hole in the ozone through reducing CFCs, was global warming. He presented the claims of both sides and then gave his opinion. He basically said "the jury is still out". He advocated reasonable, responsible environmental policies, nothing like what a Limbaugh would argue but not as "doomsdayish" as some extreme enviromentalists. To me it was a very refreshing talk as it wasn't someone who gave one side of an issue, like someone from a cause organization or someone on talk radio, but an attempt to provide a balanced evaluation.

Anyway, I'm sure the Penn & Teller show on global warming will piss people off regardless of how they do it, as will each episode in the series. I think the show is great regardless of this, due to the questions it brings up. As an anti-smoker, I fully expect to be pissed off at their episode on second smoke, but I'm OK with that .

THOUGHTfully Yours,
Clark

clark

They have a pretty permanent show at the Rio in Vegas. The great thing is you can meet them and talk to them after the show. Penn appreciates a good Jesus joke, and will gladly autograph "Fuck God" on your shirt, forehead, etc. upon request . Tell him you're with the Internet Infidel forums. Tickets are a bit pricey, but reasonable compared with other Vegas shows. See their website, www.pennandteller.com.

THOUGHTfully Yours,
Clark