Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
Showtime (ended 2010)
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Season 8
- Ep 10Vaccinations8/12/10
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. - Ep 9Self-Esteem8/5/10
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." - Ep 8Old People7/29/10
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. - Ep 7Criminal Justice7/22/10
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. - Ep 6Area 517/15/10
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. - Ep 5Easy Money7/8/10
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. - Ep 4Teen Sex7/1/10
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. - Ep 3Martial Arts6/24/10
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. - Ep 2Fast Food6/17/10
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? - Ep 1Cheerleaders6/10/10
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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Season 7
- Ep 10The Vatican8/27/09
Penn and Teller take on the secretive inner world of The Vatican, the holy city of Catholicism and home of the Pope. - Ep 9Stress8/20/09
The hosts take a skeptical look at stress and the modern attitude toward "curing" what was once considered a normal part of everyday life. - Ep 8Lawns8/13/09
Penn and Teller dig up the truth about the lawn care industry, visit a man who was imprisoned for having an untended lawn, and find a neighborhood where a certain type of grass is mandatory. - Ep 7Taxes8/6/09
A visit to the halls of Congress in search of a legislator willing to discuss America's complex, unfair tax system yields interesting results. - Ep 6Organic Foods7/30/09
Penn and Teller examine the organic food industry to determine if it is, as many claim, more nutritious, and better for the environment. - Ep 5Lie Detectors7/23/09
Polygraphs are used in thousands of investigations and job screenings, but can a machine really detect whether someone is lying? Penn and Teller meet people whose lives were ruined by faulty lie-detector results. - Ep 4The Apocalypse7/16/09
Penn and Teller follow investigators to Mexico where they probe the mysterious, doomsday "Mayan Prophecy" that the world will end on exactly December 21, 2012. - Ep 3Video Games7/9/09
The duo debunks the theory of politicians and other alarmists that playing video games leads to teen violence by handing over a real semiautomatic weapon to a nine-year-old video game player to see if he becomes a human killing machine. - Ep 2Astrology7/2/09
Millions of people believe their destinies are determined by the positions of the sun, moon, and planets, so Penn and Teller follow two astrologers as they dole out advice - for a price. - Ep 1Orgasms6/25/09
In the seventh season premiere, the myth-busting magicians meet with the inventor of a remote-control orgasm machine, take a lesson from a sex coach, and observe a demonstration of how to unleash one's "inner erotic rock star."
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Season 6
- Ep 10Good Ol' Days8/21/08
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. - Ep 9World Peace8/14/08
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. - Ep 8Stranger Danger8/7/08
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. - Ep 7Sensitivity Training7/31/08
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. - Ep 6Being Green7/24/08
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. - Ep 5Sleep, Inc.7/17/08
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. - Ep 4Dolphins7/10/08
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. - Ep 3NASA7/3/08
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. - Ep 2New Age Medicine6/26/08
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. - Ep 1War on Porn6/19/08
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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Season 5
- Ep 10Anger Management5/24/07
Penn & Teller look into Anger Management classes and venting. - Ep 9Nukes, Hybrids, & Lesbians5/17/07
Penn & Teller cover the dangers of nuclear power, whether hybrids are substantially fuel efficient and lesbians are just thrown in for fun. - Ep 8Mount Rushmore5/10/07
Penn & Teller look into the history and manipulation in the history of Mount Rushmore, as well as rabid patriotism and whether Americans will willingly sign away their right to free speech. - Ep 7Handicap Parking5/3/07
Penn and Teller look into the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in 1990 by the first President Bush. - Ep 6Immigration4/26/07
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. - Ep 5Exorcism4/19/07
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. - Ep 4Detoxing4/12/07
An interview with a parasitologist who spills the truth about the parasites that live inside us and a visit to a life-size walkthrough colon round out a skeptical inquiry into the allegedly cleansing process of detoxifying. - Ep 3Breast Hysteria4/5/07
The magicians get a firm grasp on America's fascination with the female form by visiting with a young mom who inadvertently tested corporate tolerance for public breast feeding and a breast cancer survivor who is not a fan of the pink ribbon campaign. - Ep 2Wal-Mart3/29/07
Penn & teller explore the reasoning behind Wal-mart protesters. This episode includes trips to rural towns that have just acquired a Wal-mart to show the economic growth and employment improvements as well as to Penn's hometown where a local resident persuaded the town not to get a Wal-mart. They interview a range of people from local nut jobs to politicians who are in favor of jobs (just not Wal-mart's), and unionizers. Lastly they also interview a person who created an anti-Wal-Mart documentary. In this interview they go further in depth with allegations of sweat shops, employee benefits, and employee pay. and of course there are naked women.moreless - Ep 1Obesity3/22/07
The Obesity Myth, tackles Americas obesity epidemic and examines who really is orchestrating the war against weight.
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Season 4
- Ep 10Abstinence6/5/06
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 screwor 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.moreless - Ep 9Numbers5/29/06
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: Showtimemoreless - Ep 8Manners5/22/06
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 and 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.moreless - Ep 7Reparations5/15/06
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.moreless - Ep 6Pet Love5/8/06
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!moreless - Ep 5Ground Zero5/1/06
Penn & Teller take a look at the fiasco that has taken place in the last 5 years in planning to rebuild the "Ground Zero" area. - Ep 4Cryptozoology4/24/06
Explains the science and trickery involved with animals people have believed to have sighted, such as Lochness, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, etc, along with hoaxes people create to increase belief. Also explains why it is impossible for such animals to exist. - Ep 3The Death Penalty4/17/06
Explains why the death penalty is inhumane along with the different types of execution that existed for many years, the process of lethal injection, and the execution of the Crips founder, Stanley Tookie Williams. - Ep 2Prostitution4/10/06
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!moreless - Ep 1Boy Scouts4/3/06
Since the early 90s, The Boy Scouts of America, which is partially funded by tax-money and uses public schools as meeting halls, has been largely run by the Mormon church, and has banned homosexuals and atheists from being members. 4 people are interviewed: An eagle scout who wrote a book praising the boy scouts, a man who was kicked out of the boy scouts for being gay, a lady who sued the boy scouts and a gay activist trying to make the boy scouts change their ways. Finally, a group of straight kids and a group of gay kids compete in folding flags, tying knots and putting up a tent.moreless - Ep 1The Boy Scouts4/3/06
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Season 3
- Ep 13The Best8/1/05
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. - Ep 12Signs From Heaven7/25/05
Penn & Teller take a look at how people seem to see religious symbols with in all kinds of object for example doors and grilled cheese sandwiches. - Ep 11Endangered Species7/18/05
The magicians take a hard look at the fight to save endangered species, an expensive and fruitless exercise to preserve critters that may already be on the road to extinction through natural selection; also, examining the Endangered Species Act. - Ep 10Ghost Busters7/11/05
They've often been accused of being other than normal themselves, but Penn and Teller diligently set about debunking the world of paranormal ghosts, spooks and phantoms - and those who claim they can detect or exorcise such flights of fancy. - Ep 9Gun Control6/27/05
The fearless hosts tackle the facts, the stats, and the truth to find out who's right in the raging controversy over the Second Amendment and gun control. - Ep 8Hair6/20/05
Penn and Teller feather their locks, trim their bangs and set off to explore one of the most ego-challenging subjects of all: hair, and the billion-dollar-per-year industry spawned by those who want to change it, want to shed it, or just want to grow it back. - Ep 7Big Brother6/13/05
A look at how the Land of the Free has been transformed into a surveillance society where citizens are photographed, X-rayed, sound-recorded, spied upon, measured, tracked, indexed and archived 24 hours a day. Who is watching the watchers? - Ep 6College5/30/05
A look at college education, viewed by many as a must for those looking for success. In reality a $400 billion-per-year industry driven by fear and more interested in espousing leftist dogma than in learning. - Ep 5Holier Than Thou5/23/05
The guys take on Mother Teresa, Gandhi and the Dalai Lama to reveal the truth about the so-called enlightened spiritual leaders. - Ep 4Life Coaching5/16/05
Are new-age therapists just spouting psychobabble? Penn & Teller take on people who call themselves "Life Coaches". Are they really helping people or just offering their services for over inflated prices. - Ep 3Conspiracy Theories5/9/05
Explores the growing belief in conspiracy theories, which stems from the lack of trust in government leaders. Also the ease of the internet to instantly spread those theories around the world. - Ep 2Family Values5/2/05
Explores the family structure that is reported on by the Media and politicians that a traditional family must be a Father, Mother, Two kids and a Dog. - Ep 1Circumcision4/25/05
This episode examines the historical, religious, medical and ethical arguments associated with circumcision.''''Special guest experts include:''''Mark Reiss: Himself- Vice President, Doctors Opposing Circumcision''Shmuel Boteach: Himself - Rabbi, author''William Stowell: Himself - Restored foreskin recipient''Marilyn Fayre Milos: Herself - RN, Executive Director of NOCIRC''J. Steven Svoboda: Himself - Attorney's for the Rights of the Child''Dr. Paul Fleiss: Himself - Pediatrician and Author''Dr. Edgar Schoen: Himself - Expert in Infant Circumcision''R. Wayne Griffiths: Himself - Cofounder and Executive Director of National Organization of Restoring Men''Lynda Otis: Herself - NOCIRC of Solano County, California''Dr. Elizabeth Lyster: Herself - OB/GYN''Yvonne K. Fulbright: Herself - Sexologist and Authormoreless
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Season 2
- Ep 13Hypnosis9/2/04
While there is some truth to the power of hypnosis in helping patients relax and focus mentally, Penn and Teller explore the more outrageous claims of hypno-charlatans that assert they can enlarge the size of male genitals and achieve other impossible results.''''Special guest experts and guest stars include:''CJ Johnson (Himself-Stage Hypnotist)''Dr. Mike Stower (Himself-Hypnotherapist)''Wendi Friesen (Herself-Clinical Hypnotherapist)''Dr. Linda Reid (Herself-Primary Care Physician at UCLA)''Cindy (Herself-Panic-Anxiety Disorder Sufferer)''Joline Jaffe (Model in penis enlargement scene)''Shera Pollins (Model in penis enlargement scene)moreless - Ep 12Exercise vs. Genetics8/26/04
Penn & Teller interview various fitness gurus such as Clack Bartram and Tamilee, and catch them in contradictions, in order to prove that genetics is really more important than fitness.''''Guest Experts and Actors Include:''''Dr. Nil Elatrash (Himself-Orthopedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Specialist)''Clark Bartram (Himself-Author and Trainer)''Dr. Cedric Bryant (Himself-Chief Exercise Physiologist/Vice President Of Educational Services for the American Council on Exercise)''Ryan Murakoshi (Himself-Personal Trainer)''Tamilee Webb (Herself-"Buns of Steel" spokesperson)''John Abdo (Himself-Inventor of several infomercial fitness products, including the AbDoer and Instant Abs)''Wendi Cooper (Herself-CEO of C Spot Run Entertainment)moreless - Ep 11The Bible: Fact or Fiction?5/6/04
Noting its contradictions and implausibilities, the boys question the reliability of the Bible as a true historical record.''''Special Guest Experts include:''Dr. Paul Maier (Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University)''Michael Shermer (Publisher of Skeptic Magazine and Director of The Skeptics Society) - Ep 1012-Stepping8/19/04
The hosts step into the debate between those that espouse the efficacy of 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and those who assert that there is no proof that such programs are any more effective than seeking traditional medical help. Also: is alcoholism really a "disease?"''''Guest Experts featured in this episode include:''Wally Paton {Founder- Back to Basics)''Jim Christopher (Founder and Director- SOS)''Ben Wizner (ACLU Attorney)''Jeffrey Schaler (Author of "Addiction is a Choice", Psychologist and Asst. Prof. at American University)''Lloyd Vacosky (Director- Assisted Recovery)''Dee-Dee Stout (Substance Abuse Professional, Recovered Alcoholic and Drug Addict)''Skip Davis (Recovering Alcoholic)''Dr. Lance Dodes (Author of "The Heart of Addiction")''Mike Jones (Piano player for Penn and Teller, Formerly overweight)''Steve Mack (Legal Researcher)''Sue Ellen Calderwood (Assisted Recovery Member)''Dr. Samuel Walker (Physician)''''moreless - Ep 9Death, Inc.8/5/04
Penn and Teller face their fears to deal with the subject of the impending demise that awaits us all - and the efforts of a highly profitable industry of death to profit from it.''''Special Guest Experts Include:''''Father Henry Wasielewski (Priest)''Darryl Roberts (Author, Profits of Death)''Toni Pallet Riss (Breast Cancer Patient & President, Death Becomes You)''Mary Roach (Author, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers)''David Kessler (Death Care Expert/Writer)''John Segall (Trans Time Inc.)''Dark Rose and Donald (Vampires)''Mony Vital, Ph. D (Believes Himself to Be Immortal)''Robert Bryce (Author, Journalist)''Karen Leonard (Consumer Advocate)''Wallace Sampson (Editor-in-Chief, Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine)moreless - Ep 8Fountain of Youth5/20/04
From nutty diets to expensive facial creams that don't do anything, the magicians blow apart the efforts by those who are living longer than ever to turn back the clock, whether they are lining up for Botox injections or extensive plastic surgery.
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''Special Guest Experts include:
''Dr. Renee Garfinkel: (Clinical Psychologist)
''Dr. Dean Edell: (Medical Journalist)
''Richard Linnett: (Reporter, Advertising Age Magazine)
''Dr. Ron Kennedy: (Anti-Aging Specialist)
''Paula Begoun: (Consumer Expert, Author)
''Dr. S. Jay Olshansky: (Professor of Public Health, U. of Illinois at Chicago)
''Dr. Edward Schneider: (Dean of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University Of Southern California)
''Cindy Jackson: (Human Barbie)
''Miles Kendall: (Himself)
''Dr. Rod Rohrich: (President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the U. Of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center)
''Dr. David Rahimi: (Dermatologist and Plastic Surgeon)
''Dean Parmelo: (Salad Lover)moreless - Ep 7Yoga, Tantric Sex, Etc.5/13/04
From yoga to crystals to herbs, New Age crap is everywhere. The hosts gleefully expose the B.S. of Tarot Cards, then travel to the Mecca of the New Age movement: Sedona, Arizona, where they chant, sing, and unsuccessfully seek a higher consciousness.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Mark Wexler (Tarot Test Reader #1)''Sasha Lessin (Tantric Sex Instructor)''Alma Lopez (Tarot Test Reader #3)''Reginah Perlmutter (Tarot Test Reader #2)''Jim Underdown (Investigator, Center for Inquiry West)''Beth Shaw (Yoga Fit Training Systems Worldwide)''Tim Porter (Scientist/Professor of Physics, Northern Arizona State University)''Suzanne McMillan-McTavish (Sedona Heart Center)''Pete Sanders (MIT Honors Grad, Author, Scientific Vortex Lecturer)''Janet Lessin (Tantric Sex Instructor)''Rick Ross (Cult and New Age Researcher)''Otis Sherrington (Herbalist)moreless - Ep 6Profanity8/12/04
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?''''Special Guest Experts for this episode include:''''Ginny Foster (President, Hush-Up.Com)''Jim Lafferty (The Traditional Values Coalition)''John Morse (President and Publisher, Merriam-Webster Dictionary)''Jim O'Connor (Author)''Robert Corn Revere (First Amendment Attorney)''Ron Collins (Author, The Trials of Lenny Bruce)''John McWhorter (Linguist)''Mancow Muller (Radio Talk Show Host)moreless - Ep 5Recycling4/29/04
Exposing the reality behind recycling, a supposedly pro-environment activity that in actuality creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because it's cost ineffective, and is completely unnecessary because, contrary to popular belief, our landfills are not running out of space.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Amanda Enclade (Recycler)''Neil Seldman (President, Institute for Local Self-Reliance)''David Wood (Executive Director, GrassRoots Recycling Network)''Daniel Benjamin (Professor of Economics, Clemson University)''J. Winston Porter (Former Assistant Administrator, EPA)''Angela Logomasini (Director of Risk and Environmental Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute)''Joe Howard (Information Officer, Sanitation District, Los Angeles County)''Kreigh Hampel (Recycling Coordinator, City of Burbank)moreless - Ep 4War on Drugs4/22/04
Penn and Teller examine the ongoing drug prohibition (the war on drugs), "Voodoo Pharmacology" (clips from the film Reefer Madness and "this is your brain on drugs" commercials are used as examples), and the theory of medical marijuana.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Lester Grinspoon, M.D. (Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus, Harvard Medical School)''Jane Weirich (Medical Cannabis Advocate, San Fracisco Bay Area)''Irvin Rosenfeld (Federal Medical Marijuana Patient)''Keith Stroup (Marijuana Advocate, President of NORML)''Jacob Sullum (Senior Editor, Reason Magazine)''Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Sheriff, Maricopa County, Arizona)''Richard Stratton (Editor in Chief, High Times Magazine)''Nick Hentoff (Criminal Defense Attorney, Phoenix, Arizona)''David Evans II (Executive Director, The Drug Free Schools Coalition)''Robert Weiner (Drug Issues Strategist)moreless - Ep 3The Business of Love4/15/04
Penn and Teller explore the concept of romantic love - a fantasy akin to believing in Santa Claus - and expose the truth that love is a chemical reaction that, like all drugs, wears off after a while. Also: the myth of monogamy, the internet and physical dating industries, and love advice books.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Dr. Julia Hare (Psychologist)''Dr. Trish McDermott (V.P. of Romance, Match.com)''Dr. Helen Fisher (Anthropologist / Author)''Sherrie Schneider (Author)''Dr. David Barash (Professor of Psychology, University of Washington)''John Gray (Author)moreless - Ep 2Safety Hysteria4/8/04
Penn and Teller examine the hucksters that tap into hysteria over personal safety to make big bucks from such products as gas masks, paper toilet seat covers and cell phones - while the average person is four times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be killed violently at school.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Laurene Mascola (Chief of the Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services)''Katrina Miller, MD (Doctor)''Paige Anderson (Car Model, Test Subject)''Dr. Edward Hotchkiss (Internal Medicine Specialist/General Practitioner)''Peter Hart (Media Analyst, FAIR)''Ben Wizner (Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union)''Cyril Houri (Co-founder/Chief Operating Officer, Safer America)''Dr. Sam Milham (Former Chronic Disease Epidemiologist)''David Ropeik (Risk Analysis, Harvard Center)''Shelly Kalnitsky (Founder and President, Waveshield)''Steven Milloy (Adjunct Scholar, CATO Institute)''Dr. Michael Thun (Epidemiologic Research, American Cancer Society)''Joshua Wright (Test Subject)moreless - Ep 1P.E.T.A.4/1/04
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (P.E.T.A.) plays on our compassion for other living things while laying a trap to turn the tables on us: P.E.T.A. is against all forms of medical testing involving animals-regardless of the potential benefits to human beings...it's enough to make a vegetarian eat meat!''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Jackie David (Public Information Director of City of LA Animal Services Department)''Dennis Prager (Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host and Columnist)''David Martosko (Research Director, Center for Consumer Freedom)''Pamelyn Ferdin (Former Actor, Animal Activist with Animal Defense League)''Dr. Jerry Vlasack (Member of Animal Defense League Los Angeles)''Dr. Steven Best (Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy, University of Texas El Paso)''Gary Yourofsky (PETA advocate, Official Orator for PETA)''Dr. Ray Greek (President of Americans for Medical Advancment, former PETA Supporter)''Tee L. Guidotti, MD, MPH (Professor of Medicine and Public Health, George Washington Univeristy Medical Center)''Brian Levin (Director, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism)''Ingrid Newkirk (Founder of PETA [stock footage])''Patti Strand (President of National Animal Interest Alliance)''Jerry Greenwalt (General Manager, LA Animal Services)''Rodney Adam Coronado (Member of A.L.F, Sea Shepard, and Earth First Movement)''Patty Wood (Survivor Through Animal Research)moreless
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Season 1
- Ep 13Environmental Hysteria4/18/03
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. They also examine the idea of blindly joining up for causes, such as environmental ones, without getting all the pertinent information first.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Julia Butterfly Hill (Tree Hugger, Author)''Jerry Taylor (Director of Natural Resource Studies, CATO Institute)''Bjrn Lomborg (Author)''Patrick Moore (Ecologist; Founder and Former President of Greenpeace)''Ross Gelbspan (Environmental Journalist)''Kate Loewe (Global Justice Activist; Organizer, Rainforest Action Network)''Nina Fascione (Vice President, Defenders of Wildlife)moreless - Ep 12Ouija Boards / Near Death Experiences4/11/03
In this episode of Penn and Teller: Bullsh**! the guys take a look into the world of ouija boards and how people are fooled into thinking they are really contacting spirits. They show how easy it is to move it without realizing that you are the one doing it yourself! There are no spirits here!
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''Also featured is the concept of Near death experiences, or NDEs. P&T examine how the chemicals in your brain are really performing all the magic and expose the scumbags making money off them.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''James Whinnery, MD, PhD (Manager, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center)''Christian Day (Elder of Salem Witchcraft)''Molly Stewart (Salem Ghost Tour Guide)''Loren Pankratz, PhD (Psychologist)''Jan Price (Author)''Raymond Moody (Author)''Shawn Porier (High Priest of Salem Witchcraft)''Sandra Mariah Power (High Priestess of Salem Witchcraft)''Christof Koch, PhD (Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology at Caltech)''Frank Manis (President, Greater Hollywood Paranormal Society)''John Price (Author)''Barry Beyerstein, PhD (Psychology Professor, Simon Fraser University)''Robert Murch (Ouija Collector, Designer of Cryptique)moreless - Ep 11Eat This!4/4/03
In this episode, Penn and Teller offer you a new diet-that you don't eat until the show is over. Sounds like bullsh**? Well it is and so are many health products that claim will make you a healthier person and loose weight. Such as the Hollywood diet, where you don't eat anything for 48 hours except for water and the Hollywood diet shake. Penn and Teller take a look into this diet and see one person's weekend on it.
Also in this episode, Penn and Teller take a look into the movement to ban genetically engineered food, even though it may produce more food for the poor and may even make it healthier.''''Special Guest Experts include:'' ''Fred Anderson (Dieter)''Charles Margulis (Greenpeace Spokesperson)''Leah Walton (Regional Organizer, Greenpeace LA)''Terri Lomax (Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University)''Robyn Anderson (Dieter)''Laura Fraser (Author)''Phillip Barnett, MD, PhD (Endocrinologist)''Norman Borlaug (Agricultural Scientist, Nobel Prize Winner)''Juliano (Raw Foods Chef)''Alex Avery (Director of Research and Education, Center for Global Food Issues)''Simon Harris (Field Organizer, Organic Consumers Association)''Carolyn Katzin (Nutritionist)moreless - Ep 10ESP3/28/03
On this episode of Bullsh**!, Penn and Teller take a look into the world of ESP and how much bullsh** it really is! First, an examination of remote viewing, by which people attempt to determine the identity of a hidden object by drawing at random. Penn and Teller attend a class on remote viewing and test the students and teacher to see if it really does what it's supposed to do.
''Also in the episode, an animal communication consultant charges people so that she may tell them what their animal is thinking (saying to her). And get ready to go inside an exciting SPOON-BENDING PARTY! ''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Mark Klaas (President of Beyond Missing Inc. and the Klaas Kids Foundation, Father of Polly Klaas)''Dr. Bruce Goldberg (Hypnotherapist, Dentist)''Ray Hyman (Research Psychologist, Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon)''Jack Hauck (Psychokinesis teacher)''Steven Walton (Professor of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge)''Russell Targ (Physicist, Author, and Cofounder of Stanford Research Institute)''Monica Dietrich (Pet Psychic)''Wayne Carr, PhD (Executive director of the Western Institute of Remote Viewing)''Chris Mohandie, PhD (Police Psychologist)moreless - Ep 9Self-Helpless3/21/03
There are many people who feel they need help or are trying to find themselves. So they invest their money and faith into products and services which they believe will improve their lives. Do these products and classes really improve your life?
''For one day, a group of people attend a one-day that teaches you how to become better cope with life by walking on broken glass and hot coals which, by what the instructor claims, is a breakthrough in the person's life. It seems like a big deal, but in reality-it's not. Penn and Teller show you how much bullsh** is in these self-help programs and show you that the only help you need is to help yourself.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Hale Dwoskin (CEO of Sedona Training Associates, Author of "Happiness is Free")''Dr. Steve Lovinson (Clinical Psychologist)''William Cone PhD (Clinical Psychologist)''David Willey (Physics Instructor, University of Pittsburgh)''Gail Baiman (Founder of Universal Rememberance University, Certified Firewalk Instructor)''Pat Allen (Psychotherapist and Relationship Therapist)moreless - Ep 8Creationism3/14/03
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. This is claimed to be as much a 'science' by its supporters as evolution. The truth is, they want their religion in the school system and for all the other students to learn of their religious beliefs. What they are really doing is teaching what's in the Bible which is for a private school, not a public school. Penn and Teller will explain why in this episode of Bullsh**!''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Myrna Feldman (Teacher)''Dr. Duane Gish (Senior Vice President, Institute for Creation Research)''Dr. Eugenie C. Scott (Physical Anthropologist, National Center for Science Education)''Ron Mattson, PhD (Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University)''Dr. Robert Todd Carroll (Professor of Philosophy, Sacramento City College)''Robert Russell (Professor of Theology and Science, Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley)''Russell Brock (Local Parent, Marietta, Georgia)''Jeffrey Selman (Local Parent, Marietta, Georgia)moreless - Ep 7Feng Shui / Bottled Water3/7/03
In this episode, three Feng Shui consultants who claim that Feng Shui is a "science" are put to the test when all three of them are invited into a home to provide their "science" but all three have different layouts and suggestions and are making a ton of money while they are at it.
Also, two twins go to get a haircut, one will be getting a regular sixteen dollar haircut, and the other will be getting a "feng shui" haircut that looks exactly the same for $150! Penn and Teller explain that this is not a "science" but just a bunch of bullsh**.
Plus, is it true that tap water is no worse then bottled water? As far as Penn and Teller is concerned, it's all the same. A prank is played at a fancy restaurant with the world's first "water steward". He sells a couple all different brands of water that cost up to $8! Where does this water come from? The garden hose out back!''''Special Guest Experts in this episode include:'' ''Erik D. Olson (Drinking Water Expert, Natural Resources Defense Council)''Stephen Kay (Spokesman, International Bottled Water Association)''David Cho (Feng Shui Consultant)''Kartar Diamond (Feng Shui Consultant)''Phyllis Sullo (Owner, Sullo Salon and Spa)''Milan (Feng Shui Consultant)moreless - Ep 6Sex, Sex, Sex2/28/03
Sex, sex, sex...sometimes it seems as if that's all you hear about these days. And that's often what many people think about. In this episode of Bullsh**!, Penn and Teller delve into the business of people's sexual insecurities. Women want larger breasts to look more attractive, so of course, a business would spring of this desire for breast enlargement products. And men feel insecure of the size of their penis and so they also buy into items such as pills, and other products that would make their penis larger. Find out why all these products are out just to make money and that they don't really work at all, on this episode of Penn and Teller: Bullsh**!''''Special Guest Experts for this episode include:''''Martha Hopkins (Author of "Inter Courses")''Sue McGarvie (Sex Therapist, Author)''Kyrah Malan (Hypnotherapist)''Robert Butterworth, PhD (Clinical Psychologist)''Marc Mani (Plastic Surgeon)''Dudley Danoff, MD, FACS (Urologic Surgeon, Author)moreless - Ep 5Secondhand Smoke / Baby Bullshit2/21/03
Secondhand smoke, its possible health effects, and legislation against it come under the microscope in this episode. Joe Cherner, the president of Smoke Free Educational Services, will have his chance to explain his side of the fence. But Penn and Teller will soon be taking over his side as they explain the true reason of how only one report published years ago has caused this "second hand smoke health problem" See why it's all just a bunch of Bullsh**!
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''In the second half of this episode, the baby products industry is looked at. Everyday, new parents attend s that are sometimes full of useless lessons. There are also many products such as the Baby Mozart music program and a "talking baby video" that will "increase" a baby's intelligence and make them smarter in life. Once again, Penn and Teller will show you it's all a bunch of Bullsh**!''''Special Guest Experts in this episode include:''Tracy Hogg (The Baby Whisperer)''Joe Cherner (President, Smoke Free Educational Services)''Christopher Chabris, PhD (Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Harvard University)''Gordon Shaw (Physicist, Neuroscientist, Professor, Co-founder of the M.I.N.D. Institute)''Harvey Karp, MD (Doctor, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA)''Robert A. Levy (Author, Professor, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies, The Cato Institute)''Robert C. Titzer, PhD (Educator/Researcher, Infant Learning)''Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sci.D., M.P.H (President/Founder, American Council on Science and Health, Author)''Robert Needleman (Associate Professor of Pediatrics Case Western Reserve University)''Larry Elder (Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host)moreless - Ep 4End of the World2/14/03
Since before many of us could remember, there have been claims that the world was going to end. In this episode of Bullsh**!, Penn and Teller will take a look into these claims and predictions, From the misinterpretations of Nostradamus, to the famous and million-dollar book series: Left Behind.
''
''Then we'll visit a couple who live in the wild woods to survive, but cannot hunt and a camp where people learn survival skills out in the woods just to survive the end of the world. These lessons turn out to be useless as they accomplish nothing.
Plus, a survivalist has linked 40 school buses into an underground shelter for a community of people to live in when the bombs start falling. The end of the world may be coming, but why bother being involved in all the bullsh**? If the world ends, then it ends. Penn and Teller explains all this Bullsh** in this End of the World episode.
''
''Guest experts in this episode include:
''Richard Ticho (New Yorker Survivalist Student)
''Jerry Jenkins (Coauthor of the "Left Behind" book series)
''Texe Marrs (Christian Researcher and Author)
''Hal Lindsey (Author)
''Bruce Beach (Survivalist, Builder Ark II survivalist shelter)
''James Randi (Skeptic, Magician, Escape Artist, Author)
''Tom Brown (Founder, Tracker Wilderness Survival School)
''John Hogue (Author)
''Father Dave Heney (Catholic Priest, Author)
''David Richichi (New Yorker Survivalist Student)moreless - Ep 3Alien Abductions2/7/03
In this episode of Penn and Teller: Bullsh**!, the topic of alien abductions is looked into. This episode looks into the stories of those who claim to have been abducted by aliens and shows the influence these stories can have on people. Penn and Teller will also visit an alien abduction therapy group where they explain their stories while the person who listens is making tons of money! A seminar and alien events will also be visited, where alien books, products and many items are being sold. Famous speakers such as David Icke will be offered a chance to explain their theories, as well as other famous conspiracy and alien speakers.''''Special guest experts for this episode include:''Shurlene Wallace (Author)''William Cone PhD (Clinical Psychologist, Author)''Anthony Ferrante (Editor in Chief, Cinescape Magazine)''David Icke (Author)''Victoria Jack (UFO Convention Organizer)''Barbara Lamb (Family and Marriage Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Regression Therapist)''Roger Leir, DPM (Podiatrist, Alien Abduction researcher, Author)''Earlene Carr (Author)''Glenn Pfeffer, MD (Orthopedic surgeon)moreless - Ep 2Alternative Medicine1/31/03
Penn and Teller take down alternative medicine. Penn and Teller will investigate an alternative medicine fair where they will show the humbug behind alternative medicine and why it's all just a bunch of bullshit! Aspects of alternative medicine that are looked into: chiropractic medicine, reflexology, magnet therapy and more.''''Experts seen in this episode include:''Jeffery Ptak (Chiropractor)''Charles Devall, Jr.''William Philpott (Magnet Therapist, Chairman of the Bio-Magnetic Institute)''Robert Park (Executive Director of the American Physical Society)''Dr. Stephen Barrett (Consumer Advocate)''Zachery Brinkerhoff (Reflexologist)moreless - Ep 1Talking to the Dead1/24/03
In this first episode of Penn and Teller: Bullshit, Penn and Teller take on psychics and if they really are talking to the dead. In fact, famous psychics such as John Edward are using an age-old technique called cold reading where they obtain information by asking questions and guessing rather than "talking to the dead".
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''This episode will shock you and will be very entertaining as Penn and Teller take down modern psychics through proof and the humor that makes this show not only informative, but a whole lot of laughs!''''Experts interviewed or seen in archival footage in this episode include:''''Joe Nickell (Paranormal Investigator, Journalist)''James Underdown (Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry-West in Los Angeles)''James Van Praagh (Host of "Beyond" [Archival Footage])''Mark Edward (Magician and Author)''John Edward (Host of "Crossing Over" [Archival Footage])''Rosemary Altea (Medium)moreless
