FatherTime Bullshit is the longest running series on Showtime and has just been renewed for season 8.Basically with each episode Penn and Teller take a topic and declare it, or some aspects of it to be Bullshit. For example in the episode hypnosis they seek to debunk some of the more far out things people claim hypnosis can help achieve but never state that hypnosis itself doesn't exist. On the other hand the lie detector show basically said (in no uncertain terms) that polygraphs are completely worthless for detecting the truth or lies.The typical format of the show is Penn and Teller introduce the topic at hand and then get people to defend the topic and people who think the topic is bs in some way. The people however do not appear on the set or (with a couple exceptions) interact with each other but instead are just interviews taped for the show. The people that appear can range from pundits, experts, professors, government officials, doctors, political activists, all the way down to people who are just nuts (not as in mentally diseased).While they show the clips Penn does a voice over and once in a while Penn and Teller interrupt these clips with their own segments. These typically are used to illustrate a certain point or argument that Penn and Teller would like to make, in an amusing way and only rarely go on for pure comedy. For example in the 12 stepping episode Penn reads out loud the 12 steps while Teller 'illustrates' them with a little performance mocking them. In another episode on the idea that video game violence makes people violent they responded to the idea that games can train kids to kill with Teller playing tennis on a video game console. A tennis player comes over and hands Teller a tennis racket saying "you might want to use this" after which he serves Teller a ball from across the room really fast. Teller misses and leaps back a little from fright. These segments can be pretty funny and while the experts have their degrees to give them credibility it doesn't stop Penn and Teller from making good points.Penn and Teller's style can be best summed up as blunt. For the most part they don't pull punches and are not above insulting their opponents or swearing (as you can tell from the title). They also never insult their audience's intelligence or pretend things need more explaining than they actually do. They also have nudity on the show, so much so that it's become a running gag.The topics they pick sometimes dwell into religion (they had a whole episode on the Bible and another recently on the Vatican) and politics. Penn and Teller's politics are libertarian so they have no qualms about bashing the mainstream left (including environmentalists) or the mainstream right. They've done shows advocating that prostitution, weed and gay marriage be legalized, and have bashed uber-patriotism they've bashed the Endangered species act, reparations, sensitivity training and wal-mart hatred.For the most part they're generally hit or miss. When they miss they can still be funny and when they hit they can be truly entertaining and convincing.I've been a fan for 2 years and I'm excited it got renewed for season 8.Favorite episodes: Lie Detectors Cryptozoology War on Drugs The Death Penalty PETA Ground Zero

fedor8 BS should be shown in schools. There should even be a subject by that name...BS is practically the lone (very very lonely) voice of reason on the small screen, and a rather refreshing injection of common sense in the muddy pond of nonsense (i.e. BS) which the left-wing PC-(i.e. BS)- dominated media landscape serves to us on a second-by-second basis. P&T expose the increasingly retarded culture, which a growing number seem to be whole-heartedly embracing, and they do this in a very direct, unpretentious way. The exponentially increasing dumbing-down process has firmly taken root in American (and, in general, Western) society, poisoning our brains for decades, and it was high time someone pointed out, step by step, show by show, the various aspects of it to people who barely question any old BS that is shoved down their willing throats. In a way it's rather sad that America needs two MAGICIANS to explain to them what is BS and what isn't. But I guess most people need even the most obvious truths and fallacies practically drawn for them.The show's relaxed and tongue-in-cheek attitude only adds to the show's fun factor, but no-one should make the error of confusing the humour with a lack of seriousness or focus. After all, P&T are well aware that we live in an age in which the attention span of the average Joe Schmoe does not exceed 15 minutes (or even seconds). Most Joes Schmoes cannot understand sentences with words longer than three syllables, nor do they have the patience necessary to hear them out - let alone THINK about them if by some miracle they suddenly acquired that very ability. Hence P&T episodes are concise, fun, worded in a relatively simple manner - and with 25 minutes very short - because that's the only way the two Vegas showmen can get through the thick heads of the brainwashed, insufficiently (or badly) educated, confused, and mostly severely deluded 21st-century masses. This is not an elitist show directed at "intellectuals" (are there any even left on either side of the Atlantic? Just ask Daniel Flynn). Everyone is supposed to be able to follow and comprehend P&T's unsubtle jabs at modern-day myths and rampant stupidity/naivety, whether they be related to science, politics, social issues, are any combination of those three.So why does the show have so many detractors? (Just look at some of the sad reviews here.) The answer is as obvious as it is wonderful: because P&T offend/annoy/irritate all extremist "thinkers". It's a show written and presented by moderates - in other words, very intelligent down-to- Earth people for whom reason never takes second place to blind, dogmatic, uncompromising idealism. (Is there any other kind of idealism, anyway?) So who is most annoyed by P&T's rational messages and wise/clever stabs at the very core of all fanatical, non-thinking, irrational movements? 1) The extreme (religious) Right, and 2) ESPECIALLY the extreme Left.The reason I wrote "especially" in capital letters is two-fold: 1) a lot more nonsense these days comes from the Left camp than from the Right; or rather, the Left's populist, unscientific, and hugely intolerant dogma has taken a grip over Western society far more since WW II hence BS's criticism is logically more directed at them. 2) The extreme Right is by now so used to being the butt of jokes and of extensive (and very deserved) bashing, that they don't actually give P&T much thought. Being bombarded from all sides, they barely have the time to count all their enemies. However, the (extreme) Left is not used to this kind of unbridled, cheerful assault on their own particular, precious brand of pseudo-intellectual lunacy: the Left has been so ridiculously pampered by the heavily biased liberal media (and decadent Hollywood which acts as a sort of never-tiring propaganda-film factory), with very few of its most profoundly idiotic old beliefs and new ideas being openly criticized or even seriously discussed/questioned. Hence why Leftists are whining and bitching the loudest about the show being "biased" (ain't that the pot calling the kettle black!) and much too Right-wing. "South Park" and Howard Stern have been similarly accused by neo-hippies and Marxists of "Fascism", sexism, and what-not, just because they, too, dare(d) stick needles of rationality into the over- swollen, high-pressure balloons of Leftist propaganda and its self- important proponents. But how Right-wing are they really? Is bashing religious fundamentalists and the Bible Right-wing? P&T suggest prostitution should be legalized. Would the U.S. Right ever even consider such an option? In the episode "College" the Left's almost Hitleresque (ironically) intolerance of opposing views is exposed, plus the highly dangerous monopoly they have over U.S. universities hence America's young. P&T even dared mock the "untouchable" Noam Chomsky (sort of an early version of Michael Moore) and exposed him for the anti-intellectual fraud that he is. That alone is something the Left will not and cannot ever forgive. How DARE someone question any piece of idiotic liberal drivel or any of its poster children of modern-day dumbing-down?! "Intellectual morons" indeed...I do not agree with P&T on everything, but even when I disagree with them (e.g. "Big Brother", "Death Penalty", "Obesity") - which is quite rare - I find that they present their case in a well-ordered, logical manner. I am not a "bleedin'-heart" liberal: in other words, I do not get the urge to silence any voice or view that differs from my own.The best episodes: "Holier Than Thou" (exposing typical cult of personality BS behind "humanitarians" - i.e. charlatans - such as Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and the Llama: FINALLY someone with the cajones to do that!), "Alternative Medicine", "Creationism" (admittedly an easy target for any self-respecting atheist), "P.E.T.A." (a particularly hilarious show; generally, episodes mocking foam-at-the-mouth environmentalists are the funniest by far; plenty of interesting "animals" to poke fun at there), "Environmental Hysteria", "Conspiracy Theories", "Nukes, Hybrids, & Lesbians", "Self-Helpless" etc.

t-travis At first I thought this show might be a more energetic approach to discussing pressing issues. Big mistake. I read a previous comment that used the word 'propaganda' and i couldn't agree more. this show is horrible, and it becomes even more horrible when you realize that some people actually think that this show has a shred of credibility.They don't make the slightest attempt to engage in objective discussion on anything. the entire show is just their opinion on whatever the subject may be. for instance, the show on abstinence was a complete joke and took on the familiar anti-Christian spin. They constantly pull percentages out of thin air and think that they are proving something. They find the worst representatives of the other side in a transparent attempt to discredit their view. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life than the nonsense in the abstinence program. They had some so-called expert on they saying that babies the womb routinely pleasure themselves. They had a rep from planned parenthood say that abstinence programs teach that touching someone's genitals will result in pregnancy. Best of all, the capped off the show by saying that you should make you own decision and not left someones religious 'fairy tales' guide you. This order coming from someone saying not to take orders.The show is laced with so much unnecessary profanity its difficult to watch. Every other word if profanity, and it adds nothing to the show.This show is just another wolf in sheep's clothing tool used to spew its agenda to the public. Horrible.The most troubling part of it is that some person is actually going to go into this show with an open, unbiased mind think that this show is objective and journalistic, and because they have to fun-loving, non-confrontational goofs starring the show, they won't take this show for what it is, just a piece of propaganda.

maz underscore without having previously heard anything about it's content; tonight i watched quite a few episodes of penn and teller: bull****.what. a. brilliant. show.for some reason i had it in my head that it was a sitcom of sorts, but this part exposé, part comedy, part documentary series is absolutely terrific and far from an ordinary show.the episode that delved into the historical and scientific inaccuracies of the bible is so far my favourite. they went into some of the bull**** stories within the bible like: adam and eve, noahs ark, the parting of the red sea, the ten commandments...and my favourite bull**** story of all time...Jesus!! although penn and teller clearly have their point of view in each episode and of course they voice them, they get people from both sides of the argument to tell their beliefs, ideals and stories so you get a clear and concise chance to agree or disagree. some of the stuff in the episode about prostitutes i was a bit edgy about. so much i agree with, but at the same time i think they spent too much time showing the good side and not the bad side. making sure there is only a good side to prostitution seems too much like pie in the sky simplicity to me.BUT that is just one of the many reasons this show f*****g rules; it's interesting enough for me to want more and actually form an opinion about something topical after watching it! not to mention the fact that it's f*****g hilarious. (and there are naked people) i know this has never been and will never be on prime time television (except lucky old cable), due to the swearing, nudity, drug themes etc etc...and probably just the content it's self, but you MUST find and watch this show. download it off the net, order the DVD, steal cable, harvest your organs for TV money!! do something!! but you must see this show.