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Penn & Teller - Fool Us

Rrose Selavy said:
Tha acts have been variable but the problem is that some have been introducing "false" moves knowing P & T will spot them, (eg appear to do a deck swap or clumsy sleight of hand) and use their limited time for leading questions, so they can deny the trick was done that way preventing P & T from pursuing alternative options - ie they get one shot.
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I'm not sure you understand the point of the show. You see, this is a show about getting exposure, and maybe even some extra exposure in Las Vegas. Fooling P&T is the only goal.
 
TheNooch said:
I'm not sure you understand the point of the show. You see, this is a show about getting exposure, and maybe even some extra exposure in Las Vegas. Fooling P&T is the only goal.
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Have to disagree. That is the stated point of the show, but the actual point is to make money for P&T and the producers/network/etc. It is similar to Britain's Got Talent in that the apparent point is to find the greatest undiscovered act, but that is really only incidental to the money made during the process.

Most of the performers seem to realize this, at least among the handful I have seen (I'm in the US, so I have to watch what's up on youtube). For instance, Gazzo's performance of the Cups and Balls last Saturday. Gazzo is a marvelous performer, famous in his own right well before P&T; he is also smart enough to know that he would not fool P&T with the trick that brought them to prominence. What he did get was more exposure while the show got a great act. Win-win without anyone even attempting to fool P&T.
 
I'd prefer P & T picking their favorite performer over the "fool us" gimmick.
 
AdMan said:
I would too, but the "fool us" gimmick likely attracts a greater audience.
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And I guess that if P&T really love an act, there's nothing to stop them helping that act in the future (perhaps even bringing them to LV) at their own time and expense.
 
Hoping for a UK tour by P&T!! Would be cool to see and meet them!

Garette what you need is a buddy in UK who can help with watching these shows ;)
 
I enjoyed the latest episode (I think it aired on the 30th in the UK) quite a bit.

In case you haven't watched it, spoilers ahead!
Two performers (Shawn Farquhar and Etienne Pradier) managed to fool P&T with some real head-scratchers (though I have the feeling that Pradier's performance was somewhat edited, between when he made Teller's card disappear from behind his watch and when he started opening the can). "Cuban" magician "Manuel Martinez" was very funny (and his accent fooled me, even though I speak Spanish), and Chris Dugdale completely fooled me with his disguise (though the trick itself wasn't great).
Overall, one of the better episodes, IMO.
 
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AdMan said:
I enjoyed the latest episode (I think it aired on the 30th in the UK) quite a bit.

In case you haven't watched it, spoilers ahead!
Two performers (Shawn Farquhar and Etienne Pradier) managed to fool P&T with some real head-scratchers (though I have the feeling that Pradier's performance was somewhat edited, between when he made Teller's card disappear from behind his watch and when he started opening the can). "Cuban" magician "Manuel Martinez" was very funny (and his accent fooled me, even though I speak Spanish), and Chris Dugdale completely fooled me with his disguise (though the trick itself wasn't great).
Overall, one of the better episodes, IMO.
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Thanks, I'll watch it next on youtube.
 
Trusting that AdMan has his name right because I certainly don't remember it, Chris Dugdale's trick was really, really disappointing after the reveal. Just ruins the mystery.

And I think he was overacting.
 
elbe said:
Trusting that AdMan has his name right because I certainly don't remember it, Chris Dugdale's trick was really, really disappointing after the reveal. Just ruins the mystery.
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Got the names from here.

I agree in this case Penn went too far revealing how the trick was done.
 
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Lothian said:
Could be wrong but I think elbe was referring to Chris's reveal not Penn's.

When Chris did 'his' reveal I thought wow, never saw that coming but I also thought that it detracted massively from the 'magic' element
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Ah, could be.

For me it worked, because not only had Chris's disguise fooled me, but there was the added mystery of how Penn had chosen his number from among the hundreds he had to choose from. (Even though as an amateur magician, I could come up with solutions to that.)

When Penn revealed how that second mystery was achieved, it killed the magic effect.

ETA: But now that I think more about it, I agree overall the trick wasn't structured very well. Chris could have better shown how the total dollar amount was "random," for example. I think he was excited about the disguise bit which he thought would fool P&T but didn't think the other aspects of the trick very thoroughly.
 
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AdMan said:
Ah, could be.

For me it worked, because not only had Chris's disguise fooled me, but there was the added mystery of how Penn had chosen his number from among the hundreds he had to choose from. (Even though as an amateur magician, I could come up with solutions to that.)

When Penn revealed how that second mystery was achieved, it killed the magic effect.
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I am not even an amateur magician but even I worked out the first part. Not quite sure what the second part was. If is was the adding up I don't think it was explained or broadcast particularly well. I think that element of the trick got a bit lost in the dramatic ending.
 
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Lothian said:
Not quite sure waht the second part was. If is was the adding up I don't think it was explained or broadcast particualrly well. I think that element of the trick got a bit lost in the dramatic ending.
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Yes, I agree. See my edit above.
 
In the same episode, there was a question to which particular trick they were supposed to guess. (I think the card in the bottle).

With Chris there were three tricks. The first (picking the audience member) was trivial. The third (the reveal) was obviously exposed by Chris himself.
The second was the only one that would get him to Vegas. Perhaps he should have just done that although as others have said for many it is not about tricking P&T it is about getting exposure. If exposure was Chris’s aim. Great job it was one of the most spectacular performances even if it was not the best ‘magically’
 
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Lothian said:
I have seen reference to editing some of the performances.
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Yup, I think this does happen, probably for time reasons. I mentioned up above that I think Etienne Pradier's trick was edited.

It's possible Chris's trick was also cut and there might have been a longer section in which he (on screen, or his assistant on stage) better explained the part about selecting and adding up the random costs.
 
In all honesty I found the on stage part rather dull, even if he didn't do the big reveal at the end. I think having the performer on camera while the people on stage are just standing and sitting quietly it sort of takes away from the show. But that could just be me.
 
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