Penn & Teller: Bull!

A look at chiropractic medicine, reflexology, magnet therapy,and a trip to an alternative medicine fair that ends in a "sting" operation at a crowded mall.

A look at "The Sky is Falling" people from Nostradamus and his misinterpreted quatrains, to the "Left Behind" publishing phenomenon, to various crackpot rapture groups. Also featured is a survivalist who has converted 40 school buses into an elaborate underground compound that he and his friends will escape to when the bombs start dropping.

This show checks out penis and breast enlargement products, techniques and myths. Also aphrodisiacs: do they work? Expect some graphic and jaw-dropping visuals.

This episode takes a look into a Georgia school board debate about whether or not they should teach whats in the Bible about the creation of living things.

Well attend a class in "remote viewing," a form of ESP that is all the rage. Well test the teacher and the students to reveal that the "hits" they get are so vague, its all nonsense.

Theres a physiological explanation that debunks it all. Well switch the letters around on the board and see how the "spirits" like that! Also, the "tunnel of light" and what it really is when coupled with a look at the Oklahoma centrifuge study that created NDE-like results.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is against all forms of medical testing involving animals - regardless of the potential benefits to human beings. PETA supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild. Its enough to make a vegetarian eat meat!

Romantic love - its a fantasy akin to believing in Santa Claus. Heres the truth - the first blush of love is a chemical reaction. And, like all drugs, it wears off after a while! Well look into the myth of monogamy, and the industry mining for people looking for love and relationships. That comprises just about all of us, folks!

Heres the truth: recycling is garbage. The recycling industry creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because its cost ineffective, and is completely unnecessary. Contrary to popular belief, our landfills are not running out of space - we have enough room to last for thousands of years! So how did the bullshit of recycling get started?

The New Age is a marketeers dream. From aromatherapy dishwashing liquid to yoga to crystals, herbs and tarot, were swallowing it all! Join us as we travel to the Mecca of New Age, Sedona, Arizona, where well chant, sing, and seek a higher consciousness from hill to dale to parking lot. And stay for our big climax! They say Mauis the place to achieve a cosmic orgasm while holding a tantric pretzel pose. Watch out! Its a flying vortex!

Were afraid of death. But all of us have to face it at least once, and maybe more if someone we care about happens to die on us. But what are we so freaked out about? Well show you that, yes, even with death, theres much to laugh about. As we know, the only thing to fear is fear itself... and having to sit across the desk from funeral director intent upon selling us an airtight, waterproof vault!

Theres no proof that AA or any other 12-Step program is any more effective than going cold turkey, doing things in moderation or getting medical help. And theres a debate raging whether alcoholism is even a disease! The quasi-religious 12-step groups have America brainwashed into believing that a higher power will take care of everything. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?!

There are some topics that are complete nonsense, and there are others, like Hypnosis, that combine an element of truth with a generous helping of bullshit. Well go under the "spell" and show you just where the bullshit lies. The bottom line: you never give up control when under an hypnotic spell. But you will give up your money to smooth-talking hypnotists who claim they can enlarge your penis or achieve the ultimate orgasm. When they count to ten, hold onto your wallet and run for the door!

Theres a hysteria in America. A hysteria about whats become known as "the traditional family" and the desperate urgency to "save" it. And this rallying cry is not just coming from right wing conservatives and religious groups in the Red States (although, theyre doing their share of tub-thumping.) The media (advertisers) and the government also have a vested interest in perpetuating the traditional concept of family: mother, father, two kids, dog and picket fence. But this hysteria is ignoring a key fact, the "traditional family" is bullshit. The traditional family structure may be for some, but it isnt for everyone. Shouldnt we stop trying to jam square pegs into round holes? Isnt it time for "Bullshit" to redefine the definition of "family?"

Today, its hip to have a therapist. In fact, youre really "in" if you skip docs diagnosis and head straight to a "Life Coach" for motivation. The training of psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health "professionals" does little or nothing to make them better equipped as counselors or therapists. Well reveal the bullshit that Freud made famous, and well find out what the experts think about the degree to which drug therapy is being used. Is it really helping? Or, are we over-medicating our way to an unknown future. Well expose the truth behind the lucrative mind games industry, tracing its history to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Well weave our way through all the trends in psychobabble, including the latest scam, life coaching. Well catch coaches in action as they celebrate International Coaching Week with an array of events and activities. To top it all off, well create our own psychotherapist and thread him throughout the show. Skip the therapy u0026 coaching, talk to a good friend and take some notes during this episode of Bullshit!

College degrees will lead us to future happiness, enlightenment, fun, preparation for life, a fulfilling job, as well as national prosperity. At least, thats what weve been told and sold. Thats brochure bullshit! Been to a college lately? Rather than beacons of enlightenment, colleges have become bloated 400 billion dollar a year corporations, islands isolated from the real world, treacherous minefields where free speech and individual liberty often get trampled. And not only that, but going to college offers no sure path to an enriching life…or even a blue-collar job!

The business of hair is a billion dollar industry. People who dont have it, want it. People who have it in the wrong spots, want to get rid of it, or move it to other areas of their anatomy. Hair unites the genders. Were all obsessed with it. From the tops of our heads to the nooks and crannies down below, well get into every vain detail…and every sweaty crevice. Styling, waxing, shaving, cutting, extending, replacing…even one of the greatest magic tricks of all time - Johnny Thompsons comb-over technique! And thats no bullshit!

Its scary to know in todays Age of Enlightenment, the worlds fascination with the "paranormal" is at an all-time high. And where there are gullible believers, you can bet there are hordes of "experts" lurking, ready to sell something to them. We will delve into the realm of the "spirits" and take a look at the revived interest ghost hunting. Well spend time with so-called parapsychologists as they track ghosts with their new-fangled, pseudoscientific equipment. Will they find something? Yeah, right! Well show you how some of them bullshit themselves as much as their clients as they try to get to the bottom of nonexistent mysteries.

The Virgin Mary...or a grilled cheese sandwich? Just a recent example of the publics willingness to believe ordinary statues, icons, relics pictures, stains on tortillas, and burn marks on a piece of greasy white bread are signs from Heaven. Bullshit! Well examine the way preachers, faith healers, psychic researchers, and everyday folk continue to prey on those who pray. And well talk to scientists, historians, philosophers, and literary figures that will explain why humans are wired to attribute meaning to random patterns and events. Well also show you how easy it is to find people who will find God wherever they look...even if its in a photograph of...headcheese.

The Boy Scouts of America restricts scout membership and leadership opportunities to homosexuals and straight males who DONT believe in God. According to the BSA, atheists and gays dont make good scouts or good role models. If the Boy Scouts of America were a privately funded group, it could discriminate against and hate anyone it damn well wanted to. But the Boy Scouts of America is dependent upon Federal, State and local government handouts. So, the BSA and their intolerance… are BULLSHIT!

We understand the feelings of rage felt by crime victims and their families. But - studies show there is no deterrent effect to State executions. And, DNA evidence has exonerated 122 men formerly on death row! If were killing inmates to satisfy a primitive emotion, if we cant be sure the criminal is guilty as charged, and we have ways to keep someone locked up and out of circulation for life and for less cost, why does our government still support the archaic, primitive, cruel and costly BULLSHIT known as the Death Penalty?

It has been over four years since the worst terrorist attack on American soil and the only reminder is a big gaping hole in the middle of New Yorks financial district. Disgruntled family members of the victims want to memorialize the fallen, big corporations want to get back to business, local residents remain concerned over the health risks of living and working nearby, and politicians blather on, afraid of making politically incorrect moves. Everyone it seems is angling for a piece of the multi-billion dollar federal government pie to rebuild the site. BULLSHIT! takes on the fight for Ground Zero from street level to New Yorks towers of power.

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 nations past. However, are those who suffered as a result of these government policies, deserving of money - lots of money? Theyre 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 Governments long history of correcting the historical wrongs associated with its institutional racism.

They say numbers dont lie, but in the hands of the media, politicians, pollsters and salesmen, numbers can be downright subversive. BULLSHIT meets the author of Damned Lies and Statistics - he tells us how numbers are craftily manipulated based on political affiliation and agenda. The numerically ambiguous world of Vacation Time Shares leaves our undercover operative dazed and confused. We also take street cons to Las Vegas - a town built on Numbers - and reveal how readily most of us can be cheated. And we look into the bullshit behind political polls, gambling odds and state lotteries. Source: http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/prevepisodes.do?episodeid=s4/numbers

Penn u0026 Teller reveal truths about the Obesity epidemic. A visit to an Obesity conference exposes the uncomfortably cozy relationships between the medical establishment, the diet companies and the weight loss industry. An advocacy group for overweight people tells us about the hardships and discrimination brought about by their weight. Plus, the first-ever Penn u0026 Teller Fat Guy Olympics.

Penn u0026 Teller look at womens breasts and societys response to them. In New York City, we meet a young mother who inadvertently tested corporate tolerance for breast-feeding in public. Further south, in Daytona Beach, Florida, we meet a woman who challenged the rights to flash her breasts in public. We also meet a breast cancer survivor who is not a supporter of those ubiquitous Pink Ribbons. And, down in the valley of porn, we find a topless porn star/mother of two who philosophizes on the benefits of the La Leche League.

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.

Whats not to like about the Americans with Disabilities Act? After all, it is supposed to improve life for the handicapped. Penn and Teller interview businessmen and women, along with some handicap advocates, who say that the act is a huge asset to greedy lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits against whole towns, claiming that the businesses are infringing the rights of the handicapped. The end result is that fewer handicapped people end up getting hired, and hence the ADA defeats its own purpose. Penn and Teller claim the act is far too broad, and individual businesses, not the government, should be able to dictate who they will cater to.

Penn and Teller explain the necessity of nuclear power in modern society, advocating that it is both cleaner and safer than the alternatives such as coal. Advocates from the pro-nuke side and anti-nuke side are interviewed. Along the way, they debunk the myth of hybrid car fuel efficiency by having two lesbians take a road trip across southern california.

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.

In episode 603, its 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.

In episode 605, the magicians think twice about the high cost of getting a good nights 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.

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.

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.

On the season seven premiere, Penn and Teller expose the Bullshit behind the people who market and exploit other gullible people by treating them with unorthodox methods to achieve orgasms. Featuring undercover at a sex class, interview with the inventor of a remote control orgasm machine, and other segments.

Politicians and other alarmists claim that playing violent video games leads to teen violence. Penn u0026 Teller attempt to debunk that theory by handing over a real semi-automatic weapon to a nine-year-old to see if playing video games will turn him into a human killing machine.

Polygraphs are used in thousands of investigations and job screenings. Can a machine really detect whether someone is lying? Penn u0026 Teller will meet people whose lives were ruined by the faulty tests.

Penn and Teller visit Congress to discuss the bullshit which is Americas complex, unfair tax system.

Penn and Teller take a skeptical view of stress and how the modern man feels the need to "cure" what should be considered a normal, everyday part of life.

In the Season Eight premiere, its 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.

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.

Everyone wants to get rich quick, but are multilevel marketing schemes really the answer? Penn u0026 Teller reveal the truth about direct-sales companies that market everything from sausages to sex toys.

Is Americas 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 Americas war on crime.

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."