Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, investigative reporting
Likes: Penn & Teller, magic
Dislikes: Scam artists
Hates: People who take advantage of the weak

The Story So Far...
Penn and Teller are a well-known comedic team of magicians who, among other projects, have developed successful stage shows and TV specials with their unique brand of comedy, superb meta-magic and general sense of anarchy. Bringing their style to the world of investigative reporting, they brought the world the Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, which tackled a topic each episode, disproving myths, shedding light on scams and examining popular beliefs. The series, which has run on cable since 2003, has had five DVD releases, and DVDTalk has reviews of several of them.

The Show
I used to have several channels of Showtime (along with HBO and Starz) but a while back I decided to cancel them. Though I'd watch a movie once in a while, most of the time, I'd only watch Penn & Teller Bullshit! (Family Business had been canceled and Dexter wasn't around yet.) So when the show was in reruns, I had no reason to spend that money, and one series was hardly worth the cost. Thus, it's been a while since I've seen Bullshit!, and honestly, I was surprised to find out it is still on the air and heading into its seventh season, as I've heard nothing about it in years. But it's nice to see it's lost nothing in the time we've been apart, continuing its fine work exposing the crappier and more ridiculous aspects of life in these United States.

You'd think after so many years of exposing bullshit, they'd run out of topics for the show, but apparently there are more than enough idiots out there, and plenty of opportunists to pick them off, though the themes are getting further out to the fringes in spots. Handicapped Parking in Season Five was a bit of a stretch (though it was really about the Americans with Disabilities Act) and the evocatively-named Nukes, Hybrids and Lesbians simply admitted to being a grab-bag. I never would have imagined there would be enough pseudo-science about dolphins to fill an entire episode, but here's a classic episode involving governmental waste, crackpot experts and genuine stupidity.

The rest of the entries are far easier and more obvious targets, like the world of new-age medicine (an area loaded with nutbars to interview), the sleep industry (which affects most everyone) and "stranger danger," the hysteria over child molestation and abduction. What's good about the approach of the series is the way the concepts aren't wholly dismissed, but rather dissected, to find the true BS, normally connected to a way to make money off the issue. Penn (since he does all the talking) doesn't come off cold in his cynicism, and those who deserve pity or compassion get it, like a woman in the "stranger danger" episode, whose 5-year-old daughter was kidnapped, raped and killed. There are no jokes about it, no bits. Just (seemingly) genuine heartfelt sympathy for someone affected by the subject. That she's not a proponent of "stranger danger," despite her loss, probably helps Penn's view, but it's still good to see how it's handled.

Some of the more unique episodes in the series are the ones in which popular, seemingly positive concepts are assaulted, like this season's takes on NASA, Being Green and World Peace. It takes a special show to beat down ideas like saving the environment or people getting along, but Bullshit! is just such a show, and it's hard to argue with their points, like comparing the purchasing of carbon credits to the indulgences sold by the Catholic church or the importance of economic interdependence on increasing the peace. The NASA episodes is particularly interesting, because it was done in response to criticism that Penn & Teller don't attack things they love, so they picked on their love of space exploration.

For as intellectual and thought-provoking the show is, there's an element that I find endlessly amusing whenever it rears its head, and that's the frequent gratuitous nudity. You see, unlike The Tudors, Californication, The L Word or any of the rest of the series' Showtime brethren, there's rarely a good reason for a bare breast, but Penn and Teller have to justify those cable subscription dollars somehow. So I had to laugh when I saw the first episode was about the war on porn, as it was obviously a chance for a good deal of hotness and it didn't disappoint. It's always funnier when they are absolutely abusing their access to the beauty of the female form (and occasionally the dangling oddity of a naked dude) , like when a topless barista serves them coffee throughout the season finale. It's pointless, silly and utterly transparent, which is why it's so funny. Plus, in the sensitivity training, they give not-so-equal, yet funny time to the jewels.

The DVDs
Back in the series's earlier season's the box sets were impressive digipaks, but now it's just two discs in a single-width clear keepcase with disc hubs on each inside cover. These hubs are not the strongest ever seen unfortunately, and when my box arrived, they were bouncing around inside, covered with scratches (thankfully they were superficial.) The discs feature animated, full-frame menus with options to play all the episodes, select shows and adjust languages. Audio options include English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 tracks and Spanish 1.0. There are no subtitles, but closed captioning is included.

The Quality
The full-frame transfers on these episodes look very nice, with appropriate color and a clear image that's free of any noticeable dirt, damage or compression artifacts. It looks as good as it ever has on Showtime, though obviously not the HD feed.

For a TV magazine show, you wouldn't expect a dynamic audio presentation, and you still shouldn't, despite the presence of Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, as the show is really a dialogue-driven show, withoccasional sound effects and music. The surrounds give the sound a bit of a boost, but it's a pretty simple presentation that keeps everything crisp and clear.

The Extras
The first season of Bullshit! brought with it a nice group of extras, but the well's gone dry since, with just a text bio of Penn and Teller available.

The Bottom Line
Bullshit! is really a brilliant series, a really funny and thought-provoking TV magazine that wears its biases and agendas on its sleeve, yet manages to maintain a touch of balance. The DVDs look and sound solid, but offer nothing beyond the episodes, so a rental should cover your need for hilarious, cynical reporting and gratuitous nudity.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.