anyone watch penn and teller's B.S,? (self censored)

[evirus]

this show takes on several issues presents the sides and shows the facts. topics they have had is self help, the bible, recycling, envriomental protection, among others... theres a winamp video stream that useually shows it and its on showtime i think... youll have to look up the times its been months sense i saw it on tv (my dorm room dosnt have any movie channles :( )

[SteppingRazor]

1. Loved their show on bottled water! n/t

[JuniorPlankton]

2. I have watched the first season on DVD

Here is my take:

it's funny when you agree with them but they do not attempt to seriously argue anything. When they show a bunch of idiots saying they have been kidnapped by aliens, it's funny.

Then P&T say that second hand smoking is B&S. Well, who is their expert on the subject? A radio talk show host.
At times like that the whole thing is very aggravating.

[MisterP]

3. they're both with the CATO Institute

"Trust Us, We're Experts" has a real scoop on that creepy bunch. Think an economic Rushdoony or Mellon-Scaife.

[Yollam]

6. I HATE what Penn & Teller have turned into.

Remember when they were mildly entertaining magicians? Now it's just 'humorous' feigned-outrage diatribes by libertarian-right-wing jerks. I can hear that on the radio anytime.

Apparently they're getting the same comp package that jerk on 20/20, John Stossel gets.

[Trish1168]

18. Libertarians are NOT BAD. Its live and let live for most of them

It would be libertarian to be pro-choice and okay with gay marriage. Libertarians want smaller government or slower growth of government (but most, like me, are perfectly okay with a social safety net). Libertarians hate having a police state and are for limiting government powers and preventing abuse of power.

When you add it up...Libertarians are okay.

Now..there are some whackjobs out there. There's one who I really hate who said he wants to make government small enough to drown in the bathtub. Government is a necessity. Look what's happened in the last few years where incompetent cronies have been given positions of responsibility. No sane person wants to see government gone or too small to help people in dire straights.

An example of a good libertian is Ron Paul of Texas.

I consider myself a hybrid between libertarian and liberal. Depends on the issue.

[Yollam]

20. I disagree. Most of them are assholes.

Most of them are just people who want to make a ton of money, and pay no taxes and never help their fellow man in any way. They are every bit as bad as the conservatives, if not worse, because they want their cake and they want to eat it to (IE they want to make a ton of money, but zero social justice, plus they don't want their porn, drugs, abortion etc. banned.

Boortz is a typical example of the self-described libertarians I've met.

If someone thinks they owe nothing to this country, and that that the gap between rich and poor need not be filled in, then I want nothing to do with such people. The thought of them makes me sick.

[Czolgosz]

7. CATO institute or not, their attack on the Patriot Act is great

[SnowGoose]

8. What did they say about second hand smoke?

I can't tell from what you've written (and I don't get whatever channel they're on), but it sounds like you're saying they claim that there are no adverse health effects from second-hand smoke exposure.

Now THAT's BS (if in fact that's what they claimed). Anyone who wants to can see for themselves in the New England Journal of Medicine:

Nuorti JP, Butler JC, Farley MM, Harrison LH, McGeer A, Kolczak MS, Breiman RF. Cigarette smoking and invasive pneumococcal disease. N Engl J Med. 2000 Mar 9;342(10):681-9.

People who live with smokers but do not smoke are twice as likely to get pneumococcal pneumonia (lung infection) than people who don't live with a smoker (even after you control for things like education and economics). That's just the disease I happen to be familiar with - I'd bet there are plenty more.

It's a pity when people like Stossel et al make a point out of giving the straight scoop and then just turn around and dish out a big heaping serving of steaming bullshit.

[evirus]

9. i to have no idea what hes talking about

ill have to wait for that episode on the stream but untill then i havent seen that

[JuniorPlankton]

11. No proof of negative impact from second hand smoking

According to P&T and a few wackos they quoted.

[unpossibles]

13. sort of

what they really said was that the majority of the proof for second hand smoking illness is based on a study which had it's own problems. They do not encourage people to smoke (they don't smoke or do drugs, or drink and are proud of it), but I took their point as one of not buying into the health-nut hysteria.

I do often disagree with them and their methods, however.

[JuniorPlankton]

21. Yeah, that's pretty much my point

I have a big problem with their methods.
(I often agree with the statement however: bottled water and feng shui were great :))

[JuniorPlankton]

10. P&T said that there is no proof of side effects of second hand smoking

Sorry for being incoherent.

My point is: I am not judging them on their conclusions (even though I disagree), but the very ARGUMENTS they are advancing are BULLSHIT.

[Rob H.]

14. Sounds kind of like the one they did about PETA

The person they chose to counter PETA was a spokesperson for the Center for Consumer Freedom, which the average viewer probably wouldn't know is a front group for the alcohol, tobacco, and restaurant industries. They didn't mention that fact during the show, either.

[AllegroRondo]

4. The show on recycling was very informative

Basically, recycling of most materials actually takes more energy and money than new materials. The only exceptions are aluminum and paper, which is why there is resale value for empty cans and newspapers.

[Midwest_Doc]

5. Penn is a Remarkable Individual .....

He is a Libertarian and a FreeThinker. All of his views are not in-line with mine, but I enjoying watching him and reading his essays.

[unpossibles]

12. I love the show, even when I disagree

I do find, however, that for the entertainment value, they find the nuttiest nut-jobs they can and put them on, with little or no concern about a moderate voice.

They make valid points, however, in that they are trying to get people to question things, especially the idea of questioning when someone is trying to take advantage of the public.

You have to keep in mind, however, that they admit that their show is also Bullshit, and that they (occasionally) remind the viewer that they do not have all of the answers either.

[rock]

15. I don't get Showtime

I believe that's the channel it's on. But I do read their web pages. The episodes are summarized there. And I am a big fan the Amazing Randi. Yep, I'm a skeptic.

[fishwax]

16. I think it's a funny show, but it's also total BS

they make many of the same illogical leaps and assumptions that they accuse others of making, and they don't come to any of their issues without bias. That said, their show on profanity was hilarious :D

[Bunny]

17. I hate that fucking asshole Penn.

Dickhead.

[Trish1168]

19. I love the show. The best one was about the Bible.

They said the quickest route to atheism is to actually read the Bible (you know....it condones stoning and slavery and such).

They were educational about its origins. Its amazing to me how many people don't know about the Council of Nicea (spelling?) in the 4th century which decided what texts would be included. The book of revelation which so many fundies think is so important almost didn't make it into the Bible (its theology was opposite to the Gospels and its origins are murky....many felt it was not a valid text).

I wish that segment would be shown on prime time network television.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

22. The environmental show was really unfair, I thought

I was disappointed in them with that one. They had an older articulate guy speaking for the skeptical side and a bunch of young, dumb flakes to represent the environmentalists.

You can find silly people to discuss any topic so why didn't they have on silly anti-environmentalist people too?

It would have been more fair to have Bobby Kennedy Jr. or Al Gore or any other of the very intelligent environmentalists on, but the whole show was just a real cheap shot at environmentalists, making it sound like there are no serious issues.