Faaaake!!! Needs more blood and guts to be Penn and Teller.
I can't believe I haven't written about this show yet, because it is just a beauty.
Penn and Teller: Fool Us is a show that has been running for a while already on British television, marking the second attempt by the dynamic duo at having a television show specifically aimed at a British audience, after "The Unpleasant World Of Penn And Teller."
The premise is really simple - Penn and Teller want to bring the best and the brightest to the biggest stage of 'em all for working magicians: Las Vegas. If you can perform magic and by the end of it, Penn and Teller couldn't figure out your method, then you will become one of their opening acts in their Vegas show. If not, well, what is probably your best magic trick gets dissected to pieces for anyone with half a brain to duplicate.
Excellent entertainers like John Archer and Graham Jolley have already made the cut, and overall, this show has really gotten a lot of buzz and interest because of its very unique format. Obviously, old-school magicians are very worried about exposure, but to that I say, "pah." I honestly do not feel that Penn and Teller hurt magic whenever they expose magic. In fact, they make it more interesting to the layperson, because here are a couple of excellent magicians who are cavalier about magic secrets, because really... it doesn't matter.
Penn and Teller: Fool Us is a show that has been running for a while already on British television, marking the second attempt by the dynamic duo at having a television show specifically aimed at a British audience, after "The Unpleasant World Of Penn And Teller."
The premise is really simple - Penn and Teller want to bring the best and the brightest to the biggest stage of 'em all for working magicians: Las Vegas. If you can perform magic and by the end of it, Penn and Teller couldn't figure out your method, then you will become one of their opening acts in their Vegas show. If not, well, what is probably your best magic trick gets dissected to pieces for anyone with half a brain to duplicate.
Excellent entertainers like John Archer and Graham Jolley have already made the cut, and overall, this show has really gotten a lot of buzz and interest because of its very unique format. Obviously, old-school magicians are very worried about exposure, but to that I say, "pah." I honestly do not feel that Penn and Teller hurt magic whenever they expose magic. In fact, they make it more interesting to the layperson, because here are a couple of excellent magicians who are cavalier about magic secrets, because really... it doesn't matter.
Why? Because they can, that's why. And screw everyone else, that's why.
Penn and Teller are the reason why I can watch Valentino do his worst and just snigger at how misguided his efforts are. Penn and Teller are the reason I can look at all the exposure in the world and take it with a grain of salt, although I'm sure being a fan of the equally "fake" world of professional wrestling had a lot to do with my mentality, really.
People know that magic is fake. Yes, that includes all the psychological and scientific background holding up mentalism very tenuously while lesser mentalists squander the goodwill brought about by incorporating charlatanry in the middle of their schtick.
Penn and Teller said it best: when you watch a magic show, you know you're being fooled. It's an unspoken contract. The line is drawn when you don't know you're being fooled, which is exactly the problem I have with the likes of psychics who claim they can talk to the dead or find kidnap victim's bodies just by holding a piece of their clothing (And a few thousand dollars in compensation, obviously.).
It is because of this that I believe "Fool Us" is a brilliant show, consequences be damned. People who use the show as an excuse to look down on magic will always find another one, anyways. Meanwhile, people who find it amazing how much work goes behind every act would develop a deeper appreciation for the craft, and I've seen more of that than the latter when it comes to this show.
Here's hoping for an Asian version. I would willingly let my best routine be dissected and potentially even exposed by Penn and Teller just for a chance to meet these two fine performers.
People know that magic is fake. Yes, that includes all the psychological and scientific background holding up mentalism very tenuously while lesser mentalists squander the goodwill brought about by incorporating charlatanry in the middle of their schtick.
Penn and Teller said it best: when you watch a magic show, you know you're being fooled. It's an unspoken contract. The line is drawn when you don't know you're being fooled, which is exactly the problem I have with the likes of psychics who claim they can talk to the dead or find kidnap victim's bodies just by holding a piece of their clothing (And a few thousand dollars in compensation, obviously.).
It is because of this that I believe "Fool Us" is a brilliant show, consequences be damned. People who use the show as an excuse to look down on magic will always find another one, anyways. Meanwhile, people who find it amazing how much work goes behind every act would develop a deeper appreciation for the craft, and I've seen more of that than the latter when it comes to this show.
Here's hoping for an Asian version. I would willingly let my best routine be dissected and potentially even exposed by Penn and Teller just for a chance to meet these two fine performers.
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