Penn and Teller have decided to follow in the footsteps of legendary magician Harry Houdini and dedicate much of their time debunking myths and misconceptions. After the death of Houdini´s mother, the famous escapist began to spend much of his time proving that psychics and mediums were liars and fakes. Penn and Teller have moved beyond the spiritualism and psychic debunking exploits of their idol Harry Houdini and in the show "Bullshit!," the magician-comedians attack social issues and religious topics. After two strong and successful seasons, the two look at circumcision, conspiracy theories, gun control, endangered species and spiritualistic grilled cheese sandwiches. For Penn and Teller, not much is safe and they mix their slanted arguments with profanity and comedy that is not only entertaining, but thought provoking.
"Bullshit!" is a biased show. Its arguments are heavily slanted towards Penn and Teller´s viewpoints and evidence is shown to support their arguments. The duo does not pretend to be fully proving their side of the coin and Penn has stated on the show that "We´re fair and we never take people out of context. We´re biased as all f**k, but we try to be honest." They are skeptics and atheists. They are libertarians. Though Teller is silent, Penn throws out enough four letter words for the both of them. The very first episode of the show during season one, Penn stated one of the objectives of the show was to curse as much as possible. "Bullshit!" is intended to show Penn and Teller´s arguments on their beliefs of the current topic of choice. They try to show as much gratuitous nudity as possible and sexual topics are commonly covered by the show. The show´s two predominant sound bits are "And then there´s this a**hole" and "Jesus f*****g Christ!" Penn and Teller proclaim the show is on cable and is an adult entertainment show. It certainly is.
Since the first season, I´ve been hooked on watching "Bullshit!" I share many similar viewpoints to the magicians, but not all of them. Some have called them the Michael Moore of Showtime, and others have made claims that Penn and Teller completely ignore any information that is against their arguments. I personally do not care. I look at "Bullshit!" for primarily entertainment and to watch a show that presents various topics that can give me something to think about, though I may not fully agree with the viewpoints presented. Penn´s constant explosions of profanity are commonplace as the raconteur imposes his views over interviews and footage. I find his strong language hilarious and for those that do not, the title "Bullshit!" should be enough to let them know there is going to be four letter words galore. I personally feel that reality television is bullshit, and though "Bullshit!" has won awards for being a reality show, "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!" is a skeptics version of "Mythbusters" for adults.
Season Three of "Bullshit!" contains thirteen episodes. Though this season is not quite as strong as the first season, it is an upgrade over the second season. For us fans of the show, the wish list item of Scientology is not part of the third season. Hopefully, they will cover this topic soon enough. Fortunately, the topics covered in the third season cover numerous areas. There are religious arguments, government arguments, spiritual issues, and social problems that plague many of us. There isn´t much out there that is safe when it comes to Penn and Teller and the third season of "Bullshit!" doesn´t narrow itself to one genre of topics. The following is an quick overview and grade for each of the thirteen episodes:
Circumcision: Should you or shouldn´t you nip the foreskin from the penis of a baby boy? Penn and Teller take an investigative look at the reasoning for circumcision. They weight whether the hygiene benefits are reason enough to reduce sexual pleasure due to circumcision. The show graphically shows male sexual organs having their foreskin brought back to existence through certain methods and take a look at a couple who is at odds over whether or not their baby son should have a circumcision. Grade: C+
Family Values: Is "Leave it to Beaver" the true American family? Penn and Teller take a look at divorce statistics and they take a look at a family where a married couple´s lovers live under the same roof as the happily married family. Penn and Teller argue that sexual infidelity is more historically accurate than the tight family detailed during Sixties television. Though I would not have thought this to be a topic of debate before watching the show, they make a good point. Grade: B
Conspiracy Theories: The notion that our government was behind the 9/11 bombings is something that sickens my stomach. Penn and Teller tackle this issue and other conspiracy theories, including JFK, Princess Di and whether or not we´ve really landed on the moon. This is one of the better episodes of Season Three and the two shred some of the more ridiculous theories out there. I did not fully agree with all of their views on this show, but felt they were dead on when it came to the topics surrounding 9/11. Grade: A
Life Coaching: Everybody needs somebody to lean on and "Life Coaching" tackles the recent trend of people making boatloads of money coaching others on their daily lives. I was surprised that people were spending the kind of money they are on these "Life Coaching" professionals. I´ve always looked at religion as being the predominant form of ´life coaching,´ but this new trend is downright disturbing and Penn and Teller shed some light on this crock. Their suggestion of talking to your friends makes a lot more sense. Grade: B+
Holier Than Thou: As I´ve said before, nothing is safe with Pen and Teller and in this episode, they launch a full assault pointed towards Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. This show exhibits how Penn and Teller can heavily slant their arguments to prove their point, but it was hard to ignore some of the ´items´ mentioned during this half hour. This is perhaps the most likely episode of Season Three that will anger the general population. I was surprised they went after Gandhi, but enjoyed this episode. Grade: A-
College: Penn and Teller take a look at the expensive college system we currently have place in the United States and determine if college is really necessary in landing a good job and improving one´s standing in life. I am one who feels that college is almost a necessity, though I do agree it is getting too damn expensive. The poor victims featured in this episode were some of the more entertaining of the season, and the poor girl who seems clueless surely didn´t know what she was getting into. Grade: C-
Big Brother: Penn and Teller take a look at the Patriot Act and the level of paranoia that exists in our country. They also stage an experiment with a gorgeous actress and a situation where unknowing citizens are asked to monitor a house in a "Big Brother" type of situation. This episode made "Candid Camera" look like a boring snoozefest and purely illustrated the level of research and humor that can be mixed into a single episode. The experiment was easily one of the best moments of the show´s first three seasons. Grade: A+
Hair: I wish mine wasn´t receding as much as it was. I´m not alone. There are apparently forty million Americans with hair loss problems. Penn and Teller look at the ridiculous costs that people are willing to spend to keep a public image of having hair. I save money and just keep my hair as close to shaved as possible, but I was amazed at how insane the costs can be at ´keeping´ hair. The show also shows an up close Brazilian wax job of a lovely lady. Grade: B
Gun Control: I was personally depressed that Penn and Teller did not have Ted "F*****g" Nugent return for this episode. He was one of their best guests to date in their episode on PETA. Regardless, Penn and Teller look at the hard facts behind gun control and those behind it. This was an argument I paid close attention to. There is no way I´m giving up my World War II vintage M1 Garand anytime soon and feel strongly against gun control. They seem to agree. Grade: A-
Ghostbusters: This was one of the more comedic episodes of Season Three. Harry Houdini investigated this sort of issue and Penn and Teller dive head first and look at two different ´scientific teams´ and their research into the paranormal. The credentials of the pretty assistants for the one team was a comedy goldmine. The tools and techniques used to detect ghosts comes under fire and Penn and Teller spend some time as the two teams investigate reports of the paranormal. Penn´s humor and sarcasm was on full display in this one. Grade: A
Endangered Species: If there was an episode I was not fond of in Season Three, it was the "Endangered Species" episode. Penn and Teller looked at the Endangered Species Act and stated it is ineffectual and needless. They state that humans are not the only reason for endangered species. What I didn´t like about the episode was that about fifty percent of the show tugged on emotional strings by showing a handicapped girls inability to build a house because of a bullshit ESA regulation that prohibited her from building on a plot of land she purchased. This show felt they just using the poor handicapped girl to prove their point. Grade: F
Signs From Heaven: I laughed my arse off when I first heard about the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it. I laughed even harder when I found out that people actually believed this as a holy sign and then when it fetched a very high price. This episode shows a door that contains the face of Jesus and looks at a few other ´religious´ items. A doctor who was trying to prove the authenticity of another religious item by staging a crucifixion in his garage was a humorous segment. I´m never going to buy into the idea that grilled cheese can be a holy sign from god and have to agree with the magicians completely here. Grade: A
The Best: Tim from the infamous bottled water segment in Season One returns and Robin Leach helps Penn and Teller look at the fallacy that "The Best" is better than anything lesser. Tim once again peddles cheap products to restaurant patrons willing to spend a high cost on food and this is the showpiece of Season Three. I really hope that Penn and Teller find more uses for Tim in the future and this show looked at a completely social topic and the American consumer and how we are constantly told to not accept anything that isn´t "The Best." Grade: A+
"Bullshit!" is a biased show. Its arguments are heavily slanted towards Penn and Teller´s viewpoints and evidence is shown to support their arguments. The duo does not pretend to be fully proving their side of the coin and Penn has stated on the show that "We´re fair and we never take people out of context. We´re biased as all f**k, but we try to be honest." They are skeptics and atheists. They are libertarians. Though Teller is silent, Penn throws out enough four letter words for the both of them. The very first episode of the show during season one, Penn stated one of the objectives of the show was to curse as much as possible. "Bullshit!" is intended to show Penn and Teller´s arguments on their beliefs of the current topic of choice. They try to show as much gratuitous nudity as possible and sexual topics are commonly covered by the show. The show´s two predominant sound bits are "And then there´s this a**hole" and "Jesus f*****g Christ!" Penn and Teller proclaim the show is on cable and is an adult entertainment show. It certainly is.
Since the first season, I´ve been hooked on watching "Bullshit!" I share many similar viewpoints to the magicians, but not all of them. Some have called them the Michael Moore of Showtime, and others have made claims that Penn and Teller completely ignore any information that is against their arguments. I personally do not care. I look at "Bullshit!" for primarily entertainment and to watch a show that presents various topics that can give me something to think about, though I may not fully agree with the viewpoints presented. Penn´s constant explosions of profanity are commonplace as the raconteur imposes his views over interviews and footage. I find his strong language hilarious and for those that do not, the title "Bullshit!" should be enough to let them know there is going to be four letter words galore. I personally feel that reality television is bullshit, and though "Bullshit!" has won awards for being a reality show, "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!" is a skeptics version of "Mythbusters" for adults.
Season Three of "Bullshit!" contains thirteen episodes. Though this season is not quite as strong as the first season, it is an upgrade over the second season. For us fans of the show, the wish list item of Scientology is not part of the third season. Hopefully, they will cover this topic soon enough. Fortunately, the topics covered in the third season cover numerous areas. There are religious arguments, government arguments, spiritual issues, and social problems that plague many of us. There isn´t much out there that is safe when it comes to Penn and Teller and the third season of "Bullshit!" doesn´t narrow itself to one genre of topics. The following is an quick overview and grade for each of the thirteen episodes:
Circumcision: Should you or shouldn´t you nip the foreskin from the penis of a baby boy? Penn and Teller take an investigative look at the reasoning for circumcision. They weight whether the hygiene benefits are reason enough to reduce sexual pleasure due to circumcision. The show graphically shows male sexual organs having their foreskin brought back to existence through certain methods and take a look at a couple who is at odds over whether or not their baby son should have a circumcision. Grade: C+
Family Values: Is "Leave it to Beaver" the true American family? Penn and Teller take a look at divorce statistics and they take a look at a family where a married couple´s lovers live under the same roof as the happily married family. Penn and Teller argue that sexual infidelity is more historically accurate than the tight family detailed during Sixties television. Though I would not have thought this to be a topic of debate before watching the show, they make a good point. Grade: B
Conspiracy Theories: The notion that our government was behind the 9/11 bombings is something that sickens my stomach. Penn and Teller tackle this issue and other conspiracy theories, including JFK, Princess Di and whether or not we´ve really landed on the moon. This is one of the better episodes of Season Three and the two shred some of the more ridiculous theories out there. I did not fully agree with all of their views on this show, but felt they were dead on when it came to the topics surrounding 9/11. Grade: A
Life Coaching: Everybody needs somebody to lean on and "Life Coaching" tackles the recent trend of people making boatloads of money coaching others on their daily lives. I was surprised that people were spending the kind of money they are on these "Life Coaching" professionals. I´ve always looked at religion as being the predominant form of ´life coaching,´ but this new trend is downright disturbing and Penn and Teller shed some light on this crock. Their suggestion of talking to your friends makes a lot more sense. Grade: B+
Holier Than Thou: As I´ve said before, nothing is safe with Pen and Teller and in this episode, they launch a full assault pointed towards Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. This show exhibits how Penn and Teller can heavily slant their arguments to prove their point, but it was hard to ignore some of the ´items´ mentioned during this half hour. This is perhaps the most likely episode of Season Three that will anger the general population. I was surprised they went after Gandhi, but enjoyed this episode. Grade: A-
College: Penn and Teller take a look at the expensive college system we currently have place in the United States and determine if college is really necessary in landing a good job and improving one´s standing in life. I am one who feels that college is almost a necessity, though I do agree it is getting too damn expensive. The poor victims featured in this episode were some of the more entertaining of the season, and the poor girl who seems clueless surely didn´t know what she was getting into. Grade: C-
Big Brother: Penn and Teller take a look at the Patriot Act and the level of paranoia that exists in our country. They also stage an experiment with a gorgeous actress and a situation where unknowing citizens are asked to monitor a house in a "Big Brother" type of situation. This episode made "Candid Camera" look like a boring snoozefest and purely illustrated the level of research and humor that can be mixed into a single episode. The experiment was easily one of the best moments of the show´s first three seasons. Grade: A+
Hair: I wish mine wasn´t receding as much as it was. I´m not alone. There are apparently forty million Americans with hair loss problems. Penn and Teller look at the ridiculous costs that people are willing to spend to keep a public image of having hair. I save money and just keep my hair as close to shaved as possible, but I was amazed at how insane the costs can be at ´keeping´ hair. The show also shows an up close Brazilian wax job of a lovely lady. Grade: B
Gun Control: I was personally depressed that Penn and Teller did not have Ted "F*****g" Nugent return for this episode. He was one of their best guests to date in their episode on PETA. Regardless, Penn and Teller look at the hard facts behind gun control and those behind it. This was an argument I paid close attention to. There is no way I´m giving up my World War II vintage M1 Garand anytime soon and feel strongly against gun control. They seem to agree. Grade: A-
Ghostbusters: This was one of the more comedic episodes of Season Three. Harry Houdini investigated this sort of issue and Penn and Teller dive head first and look at two different ´scientific teams´ and their research into the paranormal. The credentials of the pretty assistants for the one team was a comedy goldmine. The tools and techniques used to detect ghosts comes under fire and Penn and Teller spend some time as the two teams investigate reports of the paranormal. Penn´s humor and sarcasm was on full display in this one. Grade: A
Endangered Species: If there was an episode I was not fond of in Season Three, it was the "Endangered Species" episode. Penn and Teller looked at the Endangered Species Act and stated it is ineffectual and needless. They state that humans are not the only reason for endangered species. What I didn´t like about the episode was that about fifty percent of the show tugged on emotional strings by showing a handicapped girls inability to build a house because of a bullshit ESA regulation that prohibited her from building on a plot of land she purchased. This show felt they just using the poor handicapped girl to prove their point. Grade: F
Signs From Heaven: I laughed my arse off when I first heard about the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it. I laughed even harder when I found out that people actually believed this as a holy sign and then when it fetched a very high price. This episode shows a door that contains the face of Jesus and looks at a few other ´religious´ items. A doctor who was trying to prove the authenticity of another religious item by staging a crucifixion in his garage was a humorous segment. I´m never going to buy into the idea that grilled cheese can be a holy sign from god and have to agree with the magicians completely here. Grade: A
The Best: Tim from the infamous bottled water segment in Season One returns and Robin Leach helps Penn and Teller look at the fallacy that "The Best" is better than anything lesser. Tim once again peddles cheap products to restaurant patrons willing to spend a high cost on food and this is the showpiece of Season Three. I really hope that Penn and Teller find more uses for Tim in the future and this show looked at a completely social topic and the American consumer and how we are constantly told to not accept anything that isn´t "The Best." Grade: A+
Penn and Teller have decided to follow in the footsteps of legendary magician Harry Houdini and dedicate much of their time debunking myths and misconceptions. After the death of Houdini´s mother, the famous escapist began to spend much of his time proving that psychics and mediums were liars and fakes. Penn and Teller have moved beyond the spiritualism and psychic debunking exploits of their idol Harry Houdini and in the show "Bullshit!," the magician-comedians attack social issues and religious topics. After two strong and successful seasons, the two look at circumcision, conspiracy theories, gun control, endangered species and spiritualistic grilled cheese sandwiches. For Penn and Teller, not much is safe and they mix their slanted arguments with profanity and comedy that is not only entertaining, but thought provoking.
"Bullshit!" is a biased show. Its arguments are heavily slanted towards Penn and Teller´s viewpoints and evidence is shown to support their arguments. The duo does not pretend to be fully proving their side of the coin and Penn has stated on the show that "We´re fair and we never take people out of context. We´re biased as all f**k, but we try to be honest." They are skeptics and atheists. They are libertarians. Though Teller is silent, Penn throws out enough four letter words for the both of them. The very first episode of the show during season one, Penn stated one of the objectives of the show was to curse as much as possible. "Bullshit!" is intended to show Penn and Teller´s arguments on their beliefs of the current topic of choice. They try to show as much gratuitous nudity as possible and sexual topics are commonly covered by the show. The show´s two predominant sound bits are "And then there´s this a**hole" and "Jesus f*****g Christ!" Penn and Teller proclaim the show is on cable and is an adult entertainment show. It certainly is.
Since the first season, I´ve been hooked on watching "Bullshit!" I share many similar viewpoints to the magicians, but not all of them. Some have called them the Michael Moore of Showtime, and others have made claims that Penn and Teller completely ignore any information that is against their arguments. I personally do not care. I look at "Bullshit!" for primarily entertainment and to watch a show that presents various topics that can give me something to think about, though I may not fully agree with the viewpoints presented. Penn´s constant explosions of profanity are commonplace as the raconteur imposes his views over interviews and footage. I find his strong language hilarious and for those that do not, the title "Bullshit!" should be enough to let them know there is going to be four letter words galore. I personally feel that reality television is bullshit, and though "Bullshit!" has won awards for being a reality show, "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!" is a skeptics version of "Mythbusters" for adults.
Season Three of "Bullshit!" contains thirteen episodes. Though this season is not quite as strong as the first season, it is an upgrade over the second season. For us fans of the show, the wish list item of Scientology is not part of the third season. Hopefully, they will cover this topic soon enough. Fortunately, the topics covered in the third season cover numerous areas. There are religious arguments, government arguments, spiritual issues, and social problems that plague many of us. There isn´t much out there that is safe when it comes to Penn and Teller and the third season of "Bullshit!" doesn´t narrow itself to one genre of topics. The following is an quick overview and grade for each of the thirteen episodes:
Circumcision: Should you or shouldn´t you nip the foreskin from the penis of a baby boy? Penn and Teller take an investigative look at the reasoning for circumcision. They weight whether the hygiene benefits are reason enough to reduce sexual pleasure due to circumcision. The show graphically shows male sexual organs having their foreskin brought back to existence through certain methods and take a look at a couple who is at odds over whether or not their baby son should have a circumcision. Grade: C+
Family Values: Is "Leave it to Beaver" the true American family? Penn and Teller take a look at divorce statistics and they take a look at a family where a married couple´s lovers live under the same roof as the happily married family. Penn and Teller argue that sexual infidelity is more historically accurate than the tight family detailed during Sixties television. Though I would not have thought this to be a topic of debate before watching the show, they make a good point. Grade: B
Conspiracy Theories: The notion that our government was behind the 9/11 bombings is something that sickens my stomach. Penn and Teller tackle this issue and other conspiracy theories, including JFK, Princess Di and whether or not we´ve really landed on the moon. This is one of the better episodes of Season Three and the two shred some of the more ridiculous theories out there. I did not fully agree with all of their views on this show, but felt they were dead on when it came to the topics surrounding 9/11. Grade: A
Life Coaching: Everybody needs somebody to lean on and "Life Coaching" tackles the recent trend of people making boatloads of money coaching others on their daily lives. I was surprised that people were spending the kind of money they are on these "Life Coaching" professionals. I´ve always looked at religion as being the predominant form of ´life coaching,´ but this new trend is downright disturbing and Penn and Teller shed some light on this crock. Their suggestion of talking to your friends makes a lot more sense. Grade: B+
Holier Than Thou: As I´ve said before, nothing is safe with Pen and Teller and in this episode, they launch a full assault pointed towards Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. This show exhibits how Penn and Teller can heavily slant their arguments to prove their point, but it was hard to ignore some of the ´items´ mentioned during this half hour. This is perhaps the most likely episode of Season Three that will anger the general population. I was surprised they went after Gandhi, but enjoyed this episode. Grade: A-
College: Penn and Teller take a look at the expensive college system we currently have place in the United States and determine if college is really necessary in landing a good job and improving one´s standing in life. I am one who feels that college is almost a necessity, though I do agree it is getting too damn expensive. The poor victims featured in this episode were some of the more entertaining of the season, and the poor girl who seems clueless surely didn´t know what she was getting into. Grade: C-
Big Brother: Penn and Teller take a look at the Patriot Act and the level of paranoia that exists in our country. They also stage an experiment with a gorgeous actress and a situation where unknowing citizens are asked to monitor a house in a "Big Brother" type of situation. This episode made "Candid Camera" look like a boring snoozefest and purely illustrated the level of research and humor that can be mixed into a single episode. The experiment was easily one of the best moments of the show´s first three seasons. Grade: A+
Hair: I wish mine wasn´t receding as much as it was. I´m not alone. There are apparently forty million Americans with hair loss problems. Penn and Teller look at the ridiculous costs that people are willing to spend to keep a public image of having hair. I save money and just keep my hair as close to shaved as possible, but I was amazed at how insane the costs can be at ´keeping´ hair. The show also shows an up close Brazilian wax job of a lovely lady. Grade: B
Gun Control: I was personally depressed that Penn and Teller did not have Ted "F*****g" Nugent return for this episode. He was one of their best guests to date in their episode on PETA. Regardless, Penn and Teller look at the hard facts behind gun control and those behind it. This was an argument I paid close attention to. There is no way I´m giving up my World War II vintage M1 Garand anytime soon and feel strongly against gun control. They seem to agree. Grade: A-
Ghostbusters: This was one of the more comedic episodes of Season Three. Harry Houdini investigated this sort of issue and Penn and Teller dive head first and look at two different ´scientific teams´ and their research into the paranormal. The credentials of the pretty assistants for the one team was a comedy goldmine. The tools and techniques used to detect ghosts comes under fire and Penn and Teller spend some time as the two teams investigate reports of the paranormal. Penn´s humor and sarcasm was on full display in this one. Grade: A
Endangered Species: If there was an episode I was not fond of in Season Three, it was the "Endangered Species" episode. Penn and Teller looked at the Endangered Species Act and stated it is ineffectual and needless. They state that humans are not the only reason for endangered species. What I didn´t like about the episode was that about fifty percent of the show tugged on emotional strings by showing a handicapped girls inability to build a house because of a bullshit ESA regulation that prohibited her from building on a plot of land she purchased. This show felt they just using the poor handicapped girl to prove their point. Grade: F
Signs From Heaven: I laughed my arse off when I first heard about the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it. I laughed even harder when I found out that people actually believed this as a holy sign and then when it fetched a very high price. This episode shows a door that contains the face of Jesus and looks at a few other ´religious´ items. A doctor who was trying to prove the authenticity of another religious item by staging a crucifixion in his garage was a humorous segment. I´m never going to buy into the idea that grilled cheese can be a holy sign from god and have to agree with the magicians completely here. Grade: A
The Best: Tim from the infamous bottled water segment in Season One returns and Robin Leach helps Penn and Teller look at the fallacy that "The Best" is better than anything lesser. Tim once again peddles cheap products to restaurant patrons willing to spend a high cost on food and this is the showpiece of Season Three. I really hope that Penn and Teller find more uses for Tim in the future and this show looked at a completely social topic and the American consumer and how we are constantly told to not accept anything that isn´t "The Best." Grade: A+
"Bullshit!" is a biased show. Its arguments are heavily slanted towards Penn and Teller´s viewpoints and evidence is shown to support their arguments. The duo does not pretend to be fully proving their side of the coin and Penn has stated on the show that "We´re fair and we never take people out of context. We´re biased as all f**k, but we try to be honest." They are skeptics and atheists. They are libertarians. Though Teller is silent, Penn throws out enough four letter words for the both of them. The very first episode of the show during season one, Penn stated one of the objectives of the show was to curse as much as possible. "Bullshit!" is intended to show Penn and Teller´s arguments on their beliefs of the current topic of choice. They try to show as much gratuitous nudity as possible and sexual topics are commonly covered by the show. The show´s two predominant sound bits are "And then there´s this a**hole" and "Jesus f*****g Christ!" Penn and Teller proclaim the show is on cable and is an adult entertainment show. It certainly is.
Since the first season, I´ve been hooked on watching "Bullshit!" I share many similar viewpoints to the magicians, but not all of them. Some have called them the Michael Moore of Showtime, and others have made claims that Penn and Teller completely ignore any information that is against their arguments. I personally do not care. I look at "Bullshit!" for primarily entertainment and to watch a show that presents various topics that can give me something to think about, though I may not fully agree with the viewpoints presented. Penn´s constant explosions of profanity are commonplace as the raconteur imposes his views over interviews and footage. I find his strong language hilarious and for those that do not, the title "Bullshit!" should be enough to let them know there is going to be four letter words galore. I personally feel that reality television is bullshit, and though "Bullshit!" has won awards for being a reality show, "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!" is a skeptics version of "Mythbusters" for adults.
Season Three of "Bullshit!" contains thirteen episodes. Though this season is not quite as strong as the first season, it is an upgrade over the second season. For us fans of the show, the wish list item of Scientology is not part of the third season. Hopefully, they will cover this topic soon enough. Fortunately, the topics covered in the third season cover numerous areas. There are religious arguments, government arguments, spiritual issues, and social problems that plague many of us. There isn´t much out there that is safe when it comes to Penn and Teller and the third season of "Bullshit!" doesn´t narrow itself to one genre of topics. The following is an quick overview and grade for each of the thirteen episodes:
Circumcision: Should you or shouldn´t you nip the foreskin from the penis of a baby boy? Penn and Teller take an investigative look at the reasoning for circumcision. They weight whether the hygiene benefits are reason enough to reduce sexual pleasure due to circumcision. The show graphically shows male sexual organs having their foreskin brought back to existence through certain methods and take a look at a couple who is at odds over whether or not their baby son should have a circumcision. Grade: C+
Family Values: Is "Leave it to Beaver" the true American family? Penn and Teller take a look at divorce statistics and they take a look at a family where a married couple´s lovers live under the same roof as the happily married family. Penn and Teller argue that sexual infidelity is more historically accurate than the tight family detailed during Sixties television. Though I would not have thought this to be a topic of debate before watching the show, they make a good point. Grade: B
Conspiracy Theories: The notion that our government was behind the 9/11 bombings is something that sickens my stomach. Penn and Teller tackle this issue and other conspiracy theories, including JFK, Princess Di and whether or not we´ve really landed on the moon. This is one of the better episodes of Season Three and the two shred some of the more ridiculous theories out there. I did not fully agree with all of their views on this show, but felt they were dead on when it came to the topics surrounding 9/11. Grade: A
Life Coaching: Everybody needs somebody to lean on and "Life Coaching" tackles the recent trend of people making boatloads of money coaching others on their daily lives. I was surprised that people were spending the kind of money they are on these "Life Coaching" professionals. I´ve always looked at religion as being the predominant form of ´life coaching,´ but this new trend is downright disturbing and Penn and Teller shed some light on this crock. Their suggestion of talking to your friends makes a lot more sense. Grade: B+
Holier Than Thou: As I´ve said before, nothing is safe with Pen and Teller and in this episode, they launch a full assault pointed towards Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. This show exhibits how Penn and Teller can heavily slant their arguments to prove their point, but it was hard to ignore some of the ´items´ mentioned during this half hour. This is perhaps the most likely episode of Season Three that will anger the general population. I was surprised they went after Gandhi, but enjoyed this episode. Grade: A-
College: Penn and Teller take a look at the expensive college system we currently have place in the United States and determine if college is really necessary in landing a good job and improving one´s standing in life. I am one who feels that college is almost a necessity, though I do agree it is getting too damn expensive. The poor victims featured in this episode were some of the more entertaining of the season, and the poor girl who seems clueless surely didn´t know what she was getting into. Grade: C-
Big Brother: Penn and Teller take a look at the Patriot Act and the level of paranoia that exists in our country. They also stage an experiment with a gorgeous actress and a situation where unknowing citizens are asked to monitor a house in a "Big Brother" type of situation. This episode made "Candid Camera" look like a boring snoozefest and purely illustrated the level of research and humor that can be mixed into a single episode. The experiment was easily one of the best moments of the show´s first three seasons. Grade: A+
Hair: I wish mine wasn´t receding as much as it was. I´m not alone. There are apparently forty million Americans with hair loss problems. Penn and Teller look at the ridiculous costs that people are willing to spend to keep a public image of having hair. I save money and just keep my hair as close to shaved as possible, but I was amazed at how insane the costs can be at ´keeping´ hair. The show also shows an up close Brazilian wax job of a lovely lady. Grade: B
Gun Control: I was personally depressed that Penn and Teller did not have Ted "F*****g" Nugent return for this episode. He was one of their best guests to date in their episode on PETA. Regardless, Penn and Teller look at the hard facts behind gun control and those behind it. This was an argument I paid close attention to. There is no way I´m giving up my World War II vintage M1 Garand anytime soon and feel strongly against gun control. They seem to agree. Grade: A-
Ghostbusters: This was one of the more comedic episodes of Season Three. Harry Houdini investigated this sort of issue and Penn and Teller dive head first and look at two different ´scientific teams´ and their research into the paranormal. The credentials of the pretty assistants for the one team was a comedy goldmine. The tools and techniques used to detect ghosts comes under fire and Penn and Teller spend some time as the two teams investigate reports of the paranormal. Penn´s humor and sarcasm was on full display in this one. Grade: A
Endangered Species: If there was an episode I was not fond of in Season Three, it was the "Endangered Species" episode. Penn and Teller looked at the Endangered Species Act and stated it is ineffectual and needless. They state that humans are not the only reason for endangered species. What I didn´t like about the episode was that about fifty percent of the show tugged on emotional strings by showing a handicapped girls inability to build a house because of a bullshit ESA regulation that prohibited her from building on a plot of land she purchased. This show felt they just using the poor handicapped girl to prove their point. Grade: F
Signs From Heaven: I laughed my arse off when I first heard about the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it. I laughed even harder when I found out that people actually believed this as a holy sign and then when it fetched a very high price. This episode shows a door that contains the face of Jesus and looks at a few other ´religious´ items. A doctor who was trying to prove the authenticity of another religious item by staging a crucifixion in his garage was a humorous segment. I´m never going to buy into the idea that grilled cheese can be a holy sign from god and have to agree with the magicians completely here. Grade: A
The Best: Tim from the infamous bottled water segment in Season One returns and Robin Leach helps Penn and Teller look at the fallacy that "The Best" is better than anything lesser. Tim once again peddles cheap products to restaurant patrons willing to spend a high cost on food and this is the showpiece of Season Three. I really hope that Penn and Teller find more uses for Tim in the future and this show looked at a completely social topic and the American consumer and how we are constantly told to not accept anything that isn´t "The Best." Grade: A+
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