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Penn & Teller: Bullshit

Started by Tom Bevis, May 14, 2009, 04:03:10 AM

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Tom Bevis

May 14, 2009, 04:03:10 AM
Anyone seen it?  Their unparalleled command of logic and immaculate use of profanity made me a quick fan.  Their episode on mediums is one of the best commentaries on psychic culture I've ever seen.  So I was a bit disappointed to see their episode on paranormal investigation, bluntly titled 'Ghost Busters.'  Their usually smooth logic was replaced by snide stop-and-go accusations and the whole epsidoe relied on manipulating interviews and investigation footage to make the subjects seem like jackasses.  I couldn't find any clips online, so feel free to share them if you've got them. 
"I think Bigfoot is blurry.  That's the problem, it's not the photographer's fault.  Bigfoot is a big, out-of-focus monster." -- Mitch Hedberg

PPI Brian

#1
May 15, 2009, 01:26:07 AM
I haven't seen it yet, but now you've got me intrigued.

Thanks Tom.

By the way, what's with the "scab" thing?
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."--Carl Sagan

Tom Bevis

#2
May 15, 2009, 02:28:45 AM Last Edit: May 15, 2009, 02:34:06 AM by Tom Bevis
I've got this particular season on disc.  If I can figure out how to upload it to youtube or something, I'll link it here.

And the Scab thing is mostly thanks to this windows form auto-fill fiasco.  I participate in an online writing workshop (in which my handle is 'the scab'... long story) in a forum that I think uses this same engine, so when I changed some profile info last night, it auto-filled in some other fields by itself.  Embarrassing.   :-\
"I think Bigfoot is blurry.  That's the problem, it's not the photographer's fault.  Bigfoot is a big, out-of-focus monster." -- Mitch Hedberg

PPI Karl

#3
May 15, 2009, 01:07:28 PM Last Edit: May 15, 2009, 05:22:05 PM by PPI Karl
Quote from: Tom Bevis on May 15, 2009, 02:28:45 AM
I've got this particular season on disc.  If I can figure out how to upload it to youtube or something, I'll link it here.

And the Scab thing is mostly thanks to this windows form auto-fill fiasco.  I participate in an online writing workshop (in which my handle is 'the scab'... long story) in a forum that I think uses this same engine, so when I changed some profile info last night, it auto-filled in some other fields by itself.  Embarrassing.   :-\

I encourage you to ask Miller when you meet him, but I think he's trying to find out, Tom, if you've crossed any picket lines lately.  ;)

Oh my god, Brian, you would sooooo love P&T!  The first time I saw it, I turned to Max and said, "I can't believe they've custom made a TV show for me!"  I became a full-on fan.  (When I had premium cable channels, that is.)  Most of the time, they were dead-on, but occasionally one of their episodes would get it so wrong, it would also make me wonder if Dick Cheney had paid them a little visit and made them do an obligatory bash-on-liberals episode just to stay on the air.  Or, it would seem as if they'd lost sight of their "bullshit R.A.D.A.R." and the show would just become mean-spirited instead.  Almost every series, though, with this kind of agenda falters like this at times.  (South Park and Drawn Together immediately come to mind, the latter show landing far more goose eggs per season than the former.)

If you want to end your misery, start enjoying it, because there's nothing the universe begrudges more than our enjoyment.

PPI Brian

#4
May 15, 2009, 04:55:41 PM
My plans to overthrow corporate America have been exposed!  P^/

Tom, I must admit there are certain words that pique my curiosity.  ;D  No worries, I was just wondering how you came to call yourself by this term.   

Karl, I am really intrigued by your description of P&T. Have they released the episodes on DVD?
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."--Carl Sagan

PPI Karl

#5
May 15, 2009, 05:36:38 PM
Quote from: PPI Brian M on May 15, 2009, 04:55:41 PM
Karl, I am really intrigued by your description of P&T. Have they released the episodes on DVD?

Five seasons of them are available on DVD.  (The complete Sixth Season isn't available yet.)  There are almost seventy episodes so far, but here are a few especially relevant selections from their episode guide, some of which I haven't personally seen:


  • Ep. 101   24 Jan 2003      Talking to the Dead
  • Ep. 110   28 Mar 2003      ESP
  • Ep. 112   11 Apr 2003      Ouija Boards / Near Death Experiences
  • Ep. 209   05 Aug 2004      Death, Inc.
  • Ep. 303   09 May 2005      Conspiracy Theories
  • Ep. 310   11 Jul 2005      Ghost Busters
  • Ep. 312   25 Jul 2005      Signs From Heaven
  • Ep. 404   24 Apr 2006      Cryptozoology
  • Ep. 505   19 Apr 2007      Exorcism
  • Ep. 603   03 Jul 2008      NASA
If you want to end your misery, start enjoying it, because there's nothing the universe begrudges more than our enjoyment.

Tom Bevis

#6
May 16, 2009, 03:01:20 AM Last Edit: May 16, 2009, 03:03:36 AM by Tom Bevis
Sherlock, I had no idea you liked this Penn and Teller show.  I've got all the seasons released so far and disc and I've been a big fan for a while.  It seems for sure like something that would have come up in conversation by now.  Nuts.  I always watch it and think 'man, I wonder if this Sherlock guy has seen this show,' then I automatically discount the thought, assuming the show might be too crass for your tastes.

And to settle the score and the 'scab' thing -- I became the moderator of aforementioned online writing workshop during that silly writers' strike.  Thanks to a comment I had made about the strike being our class of writers chance to get our foot in the door and the mysterious circumstances of the proceeding moderator's resignation, I affectionately became known as the Scab.  And, I suppose, it stuck.
"I think Bigfoot is blurry.  That's the problem, it's not the photographer's fault.  Bigfoot is a big, out-of-focus monster." -- Mitch Hedberg

PPI Brian

#7
May 16, 2009, 02:06:22 PM
Wow. I see.

What did you think was so "silly" about the Writer's Guild strike?
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."--Carl Sagan

PPI Karl

#8
May 16, 2009, 03:32:00 PM
I think Tom's being facetious . . . errrr, right, Tom?  0:<
If you want to end your misery, start enjoying it, because there's nothing the universe begrudges more than our enjoyment.

Tom Bevis

#9
May 16, 2009, 08:35:48 PM
Entirely.   ;)

(I fear the thread has died when we get shorter and shorter comments, culminating in the wonderous one-word response.  I'm waiting for someone to just post a period or some equally perplexing response consisting only of punctuation.)
"I think Bigfoot is blurry.  That's the problem, it's not the photographer's fault.  Bigfoot is a big, out-of-focus monster." -- Mitch Hedberg

Brigham

#10
May 17, 2009, 01:56:45 AM
?
Anybody wanna peanut?

Tom Bevis

#11
May 17, 2009, 04:36:53 AM
Brilliant.  You, sir, are my hero.
"I think Bigfoot is blurry.  That's the problem, it's not the photographer's fault.  Bigfoot is a big, out-of-focus monster." -- Mitch Hedberg

PPI Jason

#12
May 18, 2009, 01:02:14 AM
.
Probably the earliest flyswatters were nothing more than some sort of striking surface attached to the end of a long stick.
-Jack Handey

Brian Johnson

#13
May 18, 2009, 03:26:25 AM
There is no prize for second place, my friend.
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