The BEST episodes written by Penn Jillette

The Bible: Fact or Fiction?
star
8.46
253 votes

#1 - The Bible: Fact or Fiction?

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 6

We take on the most sacred of sacred cows: The Bible! We'll reveal the many discrepancies and contradictions in THE GOOD BOOK. Why all the confusion? Shouldn't anything that is "divinely inspired" be crystal clear? Did Noah build an ark big enough to hold all those animals? Did Moses part the Red Sea? Did Jesus even exist? Tune in to find out!

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Safety Hysteria
star
8.41
219 votes

#2 - Safety Hysteria

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 2

We're being told that, in order to keep us safe, we need everything from anti-terrorism gas masks to paper toilet seat covers. Crime rates are going down, not up. You're four times more likely to get struck by lightning than to be violently killed at school. And, once and for all, cell phones don't give you cancer!

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P.E.T.A.
star
8.38
225 votes

#3 - P.E.T.A.

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 1

P.E.T.A. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is against all forms of medical testing involving animals - regardless of the potential benefits to human beings. P.E.T.A. supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild. It's enough to make a vegetarian eat meat!

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Yoga, Tantric Sex, Etc.
star
8.32
145 votes

#4 - Yoga, Tantric Sex, Etc.

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 7

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

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Prostitution
star
8.30
278 votes

#5 - Prostitution

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 2

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!

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War on Drugs
star
8.29
214 votes

#6 - War on Drugs

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 4

America is waging a massive war on its home soil, a war it is losing. Our country spends $20 billion a year in drug enforcement, but the illegal drug industry is thriving. Should we even be waging this war, when alcohol is legal and pushed every night on network TV? By criminalizing drugs, we just turn non-violent citizens into criminals. And medicinal uses of marijuana are being blocked by crusading moralists yelling "family values."

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Family Values
star
8.26
199 votes

#7 - Family Values

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 2

There's a hysteria in America. A hysteria about what's 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, they're 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 isn't for everyone. Shouldn't we stop trying to jam square pegs into round holes? Isn't it time for "Bullshit" to redefine the definition of "family?"

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The Best
star
8.15
110 votes

#8 - The Best

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 13

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.

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Cryptozoology
star
8.14
171 votes

#9 - Cryptozoology

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 4

BULLSHIT tours Inverness, Scotland, the home of the Loch Ness Monster, with two "cryptozoologists" who try to lure the mythical giant of the deep to the surface... with a bag of fish guts. Later, we investigate the latest mysterious Bigfoot footage posted on the internet. In between, we check in with some credentialed scientists for their take on the bullshit "science" of Cryptozoology. Will our scientific experts conclusively debunk the existence of mythical creatures? Here's a hint: Crypto means "hidden" while zoology stands for the study of animals. Put them together and what do you get? BULLSHIT!

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Talking to the Dead
star
8.13
580 votes

#10 - Talking to the Dead

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 1

A look into the practices of popular psychics of today reveals how those who claim to be in contact with the dead are actually performing an age-old trick called "cold reading."

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The Death Penalty
star
8.09
305 votes

#11 - The Death Penalty

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 3

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 we're killing inmates to satisfy a primitive emotion, if we can't 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?

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Circumcision
star
8.08
202 votes

#12 - Circumcision

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 1

Finally, an episode that will make every man feel regret, cringe with pain, and grab their genitals. What would make the male sex react like this? Two words - snip and chuck. If this alone doesn't make you cringe then this will: when your foreskin was removed thirty percent of your sexual pleasure went with that little piece of skin. Ouch! We'll examine the historical, religious, medical and ethical arguments associated with circumcision. And we'll have a little hidden-camera fun with the topic, as well. After all we are talking about dick!

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Hypnosis
star
8.06
205 votes

#13 - Hypnosis

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 13

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. We'll 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!

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Exercise vs. Genetics
star
8.04
149 votes

#14 - Exercise vs. Genetics

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 12

Exercise Schmexerise. Here's the shocker: the power of genetics determines your body type. Throw away all those fitness machines, gym memberships and exercise manuals, the size and shape of your body was decided the moment you were conceived. A look at the huge amount of bullshit behind the exercise industry. Gym memberships, fat-burning, muscle-building supplements, exercise tapes and equipment - we're fair game... and so are they!

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The Business of Love
star
8.02
267 votes

#15 - The Business of Love

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 3

Romantic love - it's a fantasy akin to believing in Santa Claus. Here's the truth - the first blush of love is a chemical reaction. And, like all drugs, it wears off after a while! We'll 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!

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ESP
star
7.97
308 votes

#16 - ESP

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 10

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

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Profanity
star
7.97
111 votes

#17 - Profanity

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 10

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?

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Boy Scouts
star
7.96
186 votes

#18 - Boy Scouts

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 1

The Boy Scouts of America restricts scout membership and leadership opportunities to homosexuals and straight males who DON'T believe in God. According to the BSA, atheists and gays don't 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!

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Penn & Teller Keep You in Suspense
star
7.95
135 votes

#19 - Penn & Teller Keep You in Suspense

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 10

Magicians Simon Pierro, Nicholas Wallace, Darcy Oake, and Alex Geiser try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Signs From Heaven
star
7.94
139 votes

#20 - Signs From Heaven

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 12

The Virgin Mary...or a grilled cheese sandwich? Just a recent example of the public's 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! We'll examine the way preachers, faith healers, psychic researchers, and everyday folk continue to prey on those who pray. And we'll talk to scientists, historians, philosophers, and literary figures that will explain why humans are wired to attribute meaning to random patterns and events. We'll also show you how easy it is to find people who will find God wherever they look...even if it's in a photograph of...headcheese.

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Conspiracy Theories
star
7.93
258 votes

#21 - Conspiracy Theories

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 3

Conspiracies have been around for as long as there have been people to plot them. They are everywhere! In the age of the Internet, rumors circulate at the speed of a mouse click. Millions of people have lost trust in our scientific, military, and government establishments, so they seek to find the "truth" themselves. This leads to shadowy rumors of world domination, corruption, and evil plots behind every corner. We will look at some of the more current and sinister conspiracies. Did a missile shoot down TWA Flight 800 and did President Clinton try to cover it up? Was 9/11 plotted by rogue elements of our own government in cahoots with Al Qaeda? Both of our Presidential candidates were members of a secret organization that's rumored to be running the world. And then there are the favorite conspiracies that refuse to go away, who killed JFK or Princess Di? Did we really land on the moon?

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Life Coaching
star
7.91
193 votes

#22 - Life Coaching

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 4

Today, it's hip to have a therapist. In fact, you're really "in" if you skip doc's 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. We'll reveal the bullshit that Freud made famous, and we'll 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. We'll expose the truth behind the lucrative mind games industry, tracing its history to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. We'll weave our way through all the trends in psychobabble, including the latest scam, life coaching. We'll catch coaches in action as they celebrate International Coaching Week with an array of events and activities. To top it all off, we'll create our own psychotherapist and thread him throughout the show. Skip the therapy & coaching, talk to a good friend and take some notes during this episode of Bullshit!

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12-Stepping
star
7.91
200 votes

#23 - 12-Stepping

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 11

There's 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 there's 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?!

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Penn & Teller vs. Inventors
star
7.89
135 votes

#24 - Penn & Teller vs. Inventors

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 3

Magicians Arkadia, Harry Keaton, Jandro, and Derek Selinger try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Self-Helpless
star
7.88
307 votes

#25 - Self-Helpless

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 9

Motivational speakers, books, videos, relationship seminars, do they really help? We'll take a look. Also, the popular motivational activity of firewalking - which is no more dangerous than walking across hot sand at the beach - is debunked.

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They're Baaack!
star
7.87
136 votes

#26 - They're Baaack!

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 2

Magicians Javi Benitez, Rebecca Herrera, Helen Coghlan, and Danny Cole try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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David Copperfield vs. Penn & Teller
star
7.86
176 votes

#27 - David Copperfield vs. Penn & Teller

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 1

Magicians David Copperfield, Jan Reinder, Ondřej Pšenička, and Giancarlo Bernini try fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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The Fool Us Zone
star
7.86
129 votes

#28 - The Fool Us Zone

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 11

Magicians Dr. Michael Rubinstein, Anastasia Synn, Adam Cheyer, and Tyler Twombly try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Eat This!
star
7.83
341 votes

#29 - Eat This!

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 11

Penn & Teller will try to prove that many diet products and diet claims are complete nonsense. Also, a look at the obsession with products that claim to be healthier for you such as organic foods, fat free foods, etc.

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Penn & Teller Cure the Common Code
star
7.81
131 votes

#30 - Penn & Teller Cure the Common Code

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 4

Magicians Anna DeGuzman, Raffaele Scircoli, Allen Abbott, and Axel Hecklau try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Abstinence
star
7.79
188 votes

#31 - Abstinence

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 10

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 screw…or 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.

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Ghost Busters
star
7.77
167 votes

#32 - Ghost Busters

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 10

It's scary to know in today's Age of Enlightenment, the world's 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. We'll spend time with so-called parapsychologists as they track ghosts with their new-fangled, pseudoscientific equipment. Will they find something? Yeah, right! We'll show you how some of them bullshit themselves as much as their clients as they try to get to the bottom of nonexistent mysteries.

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Duck! It's Alyson!
star
7.75
126 votes

#33 - Duck! It's Alyson!

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 6

Magicians Jimmy Ichihana, Herbert & Alyson, Eric Samuels, and Rabby Yang try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Hair
star
7.75
195 votes

#34 - Hair

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 3 - Episode 8

The business of hair is a billion dollar industry. People who don't 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. We're all obsessed with it. From the tops of our heads to the nooks and crannies down below, we'll 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 Thompson's comb-over technique! And that's no bullshit!

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Penn & Teller Get Loopy
star
7.75
154 votes

#35 - Penn & Teller Get Loopy

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 3

Magicians Ryan Chandler, Ryan Hayashi, Dirk Losander, and Ed Ripley try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Penn & Teller Hit the Streets
star
7.74
129 votes

#36 - Penn & Teller Hit the Streets

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 5

Magicians Adiran Carratala, Kevin Blake, Ryan Stock, AmberLynn, and Christopher Castellini try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Here Lie Penn & Teller
star
7.74
135 votes

#37 - Here Lie Penn & Teller

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 8

Magicians Damien James, Kelvin Chow, Joshua Lozoff, and Murray Sawchuck try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Feng Shui & Bottled Water
star
7.74
442 votes

#38 - Feng Shui & Bottled Water

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 7

Penn & Teller put three Feng Shui home consultants to the test and feature a visit to a Feng Shui hairstylist. Also, the craze of bottled water is a national obsession but tap water is usually safer for you, and often better tasting too. Using a hidden camera, we'll take a look at the obsession.

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The Rematch
star
7.71
154 votes

#39 - The Rematch

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 2

Returning magicians Vinny Grosso, Morgan & West, Paul Gertner, and Eric Jones hope to fool the veteran duo a second time with their tricks.

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Ouija Boards & Near Death Experiences
star
7.70
314 votes

#40 - Ouija Boards & Near Death Experiences

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 12

There's a physiological explanation that debunks it all. We'll 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.

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Creationism
star
7.65
502 votes

#41 - Creationism

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 1 - Episode 8

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.

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Are You Better Magicians Than a 6th Grader?
star
7.64
119 votes

#42 - Are You Better Magicians Than a 6th Grader?

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 7

Magicians Hans Petter Secker, Xulio Merino, Zoe LaFleur, and Josh Farley try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Penn the Magic Dragon
star
7.62
178 votes

#43 - Penn the Magic Dragon

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 1

Magicians Matt Marcy, The Sentimentalists, Andrew Evans, Dom Chambers, and Piff the Magic Dragon try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Penn & Teller Against the World
star
7.60
134 votes

#44 - Penn & Teller Against the World

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 6

Magicians Taijyi Fujryama, Pit Hartling, Helen Coghlan, and Menny Lindenfeld try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Never Trust a Magician
star
7.58
123 votes

#45 - Never Trust a Magician

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 12

Magicians Alexandra Duvivier, Christine Barger, Jamie Allan, and Christopher Grace try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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2nd Chance Foolers
star
7.57
115 votes

#46 - 2nd Chance Foolers

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 8

Magicians Marcus Eddie, Kevin Li, Blake & Jana, and Robert Ramirez try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

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Reparations
star
7.57
161 votes

#47 - Reparations

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 4 - Episode 7

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.

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Let's Hear It for the Kids
star
7.56
128 votes

#48 - Let's Hear It for the Kids

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 5 - Episode 13

Magicians Kiko Pastur, Jason Palter, Michael Gee, and Bryan Saint try to fool the veteran duo with their tricks.

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Recycling
star
7.55
252 votes

#49 - Recycling

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 2 - Episode 5

Here's the truth: recycling is garbage. The recycling industry creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because it's 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?

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Magic Meatballs
star
7.55
127 votes

#50 - Magic Meatballs

Penn & Teller: Fool Us - Season 6 - Episode 9

Magicians Anca & Lucca, Tom Stone, Jon & Owen (The Passing Zone), and Horret Wu try to fool the veteran duo with their illusions.

Watch Now:Amazon