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This is a list of all Bullshit! episodes.
[edit] Season 1: 2003
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 1-01 |
"Talking to the Dead" |
January 24, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk psychics who claim to be able to communicate with the dead through methods such as séances, explaining cold reading and other tactics. It featured cold reading and hot reading of Rosemary Altea. |
| 1-02 |
"Alternative Medicine" |
January 31, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk alternative medicine methods such as magnet therapy, chiropractic medicine, and reflexology. |
| 1-03 |
"Alien Abductions" |
February 7, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk extraterrestrial abduction phenomena. |
| 1-04 |
"End of the World" |
February 14, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk common ideas about the end times and end of civilization, specifically focusing on the prophecies of Nostradamus and on the Left Behind book series. Also criticizes extreme survivalist methods. |
| 1-05 |
"Second Hand Smoke / Baby Bullshit" |
February 21, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk the risks of passive smoking in the first half of the episode, then seeks to debunk various beliefs about infants, especially dealing with the baby products industry. |
| 1-06 |
"Sex, Sex, Sex" |
February 28, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk products related to sexual intercourse, including penis enlargers, breast implants, and aphrodisiacs. |
| 1-07 |
"Feng Shui /
Bottled Water" |
March 7, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk the scientific validity of feng shui in the first half of the episode. Then seeks to debunk the idea that most bottled water is significantly different from tap water. |
| 1-08 |
"Creationism" |
March 14, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk the scientific validity of creationism, focusing on the role in public education of intelligent design and creation science. |
| 1-09 |
"Self-Helpless" |
March 21, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk self-help products, and focuses on a self-help program that teaches fire-walking and glass-walking. |
| 1-10 |
"ESP" |
March 28, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk extra-sensory perception, focusing on technical remote viewing and psychic animal communication. |
| 1-11 |
"Eat This!" |
April 4, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk popular health products and diets, such as the Hollywood diet and the Atkins Nutritional Approach. Also argues in favor of genetically modified food. |
| 1-12 |
"Ouija Boards /
Near Death Experiences" |
April 11, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk ouija boards and near-death experiences. |
| 1-13 |
"Environmental Hysteria" |
April 18, 2003 |
Seeks to debunk various environmentalist views, dealing with global warming, air quality, water quality, acid rain, extinction, and Greenpeace. |
[edit] Season 2: 2004
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 2-01 |
"P.E.T.A." |
April 1, 2004 |
Offers criticism toward the animal rights movement, and particular attention to the P.E.T.A. organization, and its ties with the Animal Liberation Front. |
| 2-02 |
"Safety Hysteria" |
April 8, 2004 |
Examines recent hysteria over the possibility of danger due to terrorism, questions the connection between Mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, as well as school violence. |
| 2-03 |
"The Business of Love" |
April 15, 2004 |
Seeks to debunk the concept of ever-lasting love, as well as relationships based on monogamy. |
| 2-04 |
"War on Drugs" |
April 22, 2004 |
Questions the constitutionality of the "War on Drugs" as well as allegations against the medical value of Cannabis. |
| 2-05 |
"Recycling" |
April 29, 2004 |
Seeks to debunk various aspects of recycling, including the increased cost of most forms of recycling, the detrimental effect certain forms of recycling pose to the environment, and debunks numerous myths regarding landfills. |
| 2-06 |
"The Bible: Fact or Fiction?" |
May 6, 2004 |
Seeks to debunk a literal interpretation of both the Old Testament, and the New Testament. |
| 2-07 |
"New Age" |
May 13, 2004 |
Offers criticism on numerous activities in the New Age movement, including: yoga, Tantric sex, and vortices. |
| 2-08 |
"Fountain of Youth" |
May 20, 2004 |
Offers criticism of addiction to plastic surgery, chelation, human growth hormone as an anti-aging agent, and details about the problems involved with botox. |
| 2-09 |
"Death, Inc" |
August 8, 2004 |
Debunks many claims made by businesses which offer funeral services, and investigates the validity of cryonics as a method of preserving a human body. |
| 2-10 |
"Profanity" |
August 12, 2004 |
Attacks the idea that certain words are inherently offensive and thus are or should be taboo, and questions the constitutionality of the FCC's broadcast standards on profanity. |
| 2-11 |
"12 Stepping" |
August 19, 2004 |
Questions the effectiveness of 12 Step Programs, with a focus on Alcoholics Anonymous. |
| 2-12 |
"Exercise vs. Genetics" |
August 26, 2004 |
Debunks the claims made by various commercial exercise products which promise more than they deliver, as well as investigating the methods gyms use to maximize profits. |
| 2-13 |
"Hypnosis" |
September 2, 2004 |
Examines the various promises made by professional hypnosis, and debunks the possibilities of "mind over body". |
[edit] Season 3: 2005
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 3-01 |
"Circumcision" |
April 25, 2005 |
Against circumcision. |
| 3-02 |
"Family Values" |
May 2, 2005 |
Argues that the "traditional" husband-and-wife family is a relatively recent creation. Supports gay marriage and polyamory, and also attacks the idea that homosexuals can be "cured". |
| 3-03 |
"Conspiracy Theories" |
May 9, 2005 |
Arguments against the 9/11 conspiracy theories and Apollo Moon Landing hoax accusations, with mentions of other conspiracy theories. |
| 3-04 |
"Life Coaching" |
May 16, 2005 |
Against life coaching. |
| 3-05 |
"Holier than Thou" |
May 23, 2005 |
A critical view of Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. |
| 3-06 |
"College" |
May 30, 2005 |
Opposition to political correctness, especially on college campuses. |
| 3-07 |
"Big Brother" |
June 13, 2005 |
Vague position on surveillance, with criticism of both the paranoid and the government. |
| 3-08 |
"Hair" |
June 20, 2005 |
Opposition to hair fashion and fads. |
| 3-09 |
"Gun Control" |
June 27, 2005 |
Against gun control. |
| 3-10 |
"Ghostbusters" |
July 11, 2005 |
Points out that ghosthunters are conducting pseudoscience. Dr. Steven Novella appears. |
| 3-11 |
"Endangered Species" |
July 18, 2005 |
About the U.S. Endangered Species Act. |
| 3-12 |
"Signs from Heaven" |
July 25, 2005 |
Debunks and explains imagined supernatural "signs". |
| 3-13 |
"The Best" |
August 5, 2005 |
About the pursuit of needless luxury. |
[edit] Season 4: 2006
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 4-01 |
"The Boy Scouts" |
April 3, 2006 |
Protests the Boy Scouts of America not allowing homosexuals or atheists to join as a government-funded organization. They blame the control of the Boy Scouts by the Mormon church as the source of the discrimination. |
| 4-02 |
"Prostitution" |
April 10, 2006 |
Pro-legalization of prostitution. |
| 4-03 |
"The Death Penalty" |
April 17, 2006 |
Argues against capital punishment, from pragmatic and moral viewpoints. |
| 4-04 |
"Cryptozoology" |
April 24, 2006 |
Concerning mythological creatures such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster. |
| 4-05 |
"Ground Zero" |
May 1, 2006 |
About the dragging of feet in rebuilding at the World Trade Center site, and lack of (family approved) memorials. |
| 4-06 |
"Pet Love" |
May 8, 2006 |
Concerns people spoiling pets with diamond dog collars, expensive food, etc. |
| 4-07 |
"Reparations" |
May 15, 2006 |
Mostly against reparations, including reparations for slavery, although not Japanese internees. |
| 4-08 |
"Manners" |
May 22, 2006 |
Pro rational manners that make sense, against arbitrary manners. |
| 4-09 |
"Numbers" |
May 29, 2006 |
How numbers in statistical surveys can be used to deceive and how one can be scammed. |
| 4-10 |
"Abstinence" |
June 5, 2006 |
Argues that abstinence-only sex education is ineffective and often misleading. Also looks at the "healthiness" of being sexually active. |
[edit] Season 5: 2007
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 5-01 |
"Obesity" |
March 22, 2007 |
Penn & 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 & Teller 'Fat Guy Olympics.' |
| 5-02 |
"Wal-Mart" |
March 29, 2007 |
Penn & Teller expose America's love/hate relationship with Wal-Mart. They look at the good and bad sides of the biggest employer in the US. The magicians challenge the director of the documentary, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," reveal labor union efforts to smear Wal-Mart, meet a chronically unemployed young mother in Chicago to see how her life changed when Wal-Mart came to town and look for the silver lining behind third world sweatshops. |
| 5-03 |
"Breast Hysteria" |
April 5, 2007 |
Penn & Teller get a firm grasp on America's fascination with the female form by visiting with a young mom who inadvertently tested corporate tolerance for public breastfeeding and a breast cancer survivor who is not a fan of the pink ribbon campaign. The magicians also touch on the Topfreedom movement. |
| 5-04 |
"Detoxing" |
April 12, 2007 |
Colon hydrotherapy |
| 5-05 |
"Exorcism" |
April 19, 2007 |
Targets Satanic conspiracies[1] link dead |
| 5-06 |
"Immigration" |
April 26, 2007 |
|
| 5-07 |
Handicap Parking |
May 3, 2007 |
|
| 5-08 |
Mount Rushmore |
May 10, 2007 |
|
| 5-09 |
Nukes, Hybrids and Lesbians |
May 17, 2007 |
|
| 5-10 |
Anger Management |
May 24, 2007 |
|
Season 5 began airing March 22, 2007. Other topics included in the fifth season of Bullshit include: Mount Rushmore,[1] the Americans with Disabilities Act, and energy crises.[2]
[edit] Proposed Topics
- Scientology. Jillette ditched plans to hit Scientology after South Park famously nailed that one with their "Trapped in the Closet" episode.[3]
- Airport security. This topic with tons of potential has been on the list for every season of Bullshit. "It turns out, to shoot anything on airport security, you are violating federal law. You're not allowed to shoot anything there."[3], said Penn Jillette. He has done radio and print regarding airport security, but has been unsuccessful adapting it for television.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
