PSA: 'Penn & Teller: Bullshit!' episode on video games airs this week, features Jack Thompson

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 8th 2009 at 5:00AM }

The time has come, folks. This is the week that Jack Thompson compares violent video games to polio on broadcast television! Are you ready? We've known this episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! was on the way since way back in February but had no idea of when it would air until just today (this Thursday at 10 PM EST -- set your DVR!). If you're looking for some lunacy before the show lands on Showtime later this week, hit the break for a preview featuring the "fire triangle" you see above. Seriously.

Tags: bullshit, jack-thompson, penn-and-teller, penn-and-teller-bullshit, psa, showtime

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Blank-Mage @ Jul 8th 2009 5:12AM

"Finding sick people and hitting them with a magic wand that make them healthy" sounds almost like the Team Fortress Medi-Gun. Well, now it's just ruined. Thanks, Mr. Coony. If I see a civilian that looks like you in a FPS, I will make note of the irony as I mow you down. (For the record, I only have 2/3s of the triangle.)

Young_Nastyman (a.k.a. Thor von Clemson) @ Jul 8th 2009 8:44AM

I've seen a bunch of Croony in Saints Row 2, usually anywhere that sells food

Gavin @ Jul 8th 2009 5:28AM

Nice gunt.....hey, I'm just queing up some Bullshit episodes to watch via the 360 and Netflix.

doom saber @ Jul 8th 2009 5:41AM

Damn, l was also expectin to see native american hookers dancing in a triangle. lol jk

Author X @ Jul 8th 2009 5:42AM

You know, that triangle is such a great way to illustrate the BS of people over-reacting to violent games. First of all, ironically, because he admits himself that the point of the fire triangle is that you CAN'T have a fire without any of the three, and I really don't think it's impossible for a school shooting to happen without video games being involved. And, you know, the usual silly "Mass Killing Simulator" label.

But, it's also sincerely a good illustration at the other two sides - guess what? If you keep guns away from troubled kids.... no school shootings! Everyone's happy!

Ravnos @ Jul 8th 2009 2:14PM

Or help the kids so they aren't so troubled. So that way they won't WANT to gun down everyone at their school. That's some kinda crazy liberal bullshit though, so fuck it. Video games are the problem.

Kyle Nichol @ Jul 8th 2009 5:55AM

Replace 'Mass-Killing Simulators' with 'Parents' and it would be right. When Marilyn Manson was asked what he would say to the Columbine shooters, he said "I wouldn't say a single word to them; I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did."

Metacore @ Jul 8th 2009 6:01AM

Actually, we knew when it was airing for a while now, because the episode order was on wikipedia since around the release of the trailer with Jack Thompson in it, so you knew it was three weeks after the premiere.

Still, creating more buzz for the great show is always good.

JoeTheBlow @ Jul 8th 2009 6:03AM

"Video cannot be viewed from your country"

Well thats great. The rest of us can just look at that picture and say "well, surely the "guns" part of that triangle is the problem.
I guess you're all too scared about the king of England coming over and being all up in your face to repeal the right to arms though?

TheKarmaPolice @ Jul 8th 2009 7:35AM

You know what else is bullshit?
Providing a video that's region locked

The Baron @ Jul 8th 2009 10:13AM

Hopefully somebody will put the episode up on youtube later. But I really wanted to watch this :(

picasotriggerfish @ Jul 8th 2009 11:32AM

It's because it's embedded off of Showtime's website. The BBC does the same thing to us in the States.

Meh @ Jul 8th 2009 1:31PM

Google -> Tor. >.>

Dansk @ Jul 8th 2009 6:13AM

THE VIDEO YOU ARE TRYING TO WATCH CANNOT BE VIEWED FROM YOUR CURRENT COUNTRY OR LOCATION.

Why are you doing this, Internet...My country doesn't hate Freedom!

Freestyle Farfetchd @ Jul 8th 2009 6:20AM

How ironic, region locking bullshit for a promo for bullshit. Anyway, try getting Hotspot Shield. It's supposed to be a paranoid security thing, but it's main use is really for hulu/THIS R NOT AVAILABLE IN YUOR REGION crap.

Overlord_Dave @ Jul 8th 2009 7:02AM

This makes me a sad panda :(

Smoke_me_a_Kipper @ Jul 8th 2009 7:46AM

Real freedom apparently is bullshit.

ducttapeBigSexy @ Jul 8th 2009 6:17AM

lol - "you need to have written a book, have a job, and wear an age appropriate shirt."

It's kind of hard to listen to someone's ways to fix the world when they can't even take care of themselves (he's extremely overweight and missing teeth, and I have a sneaking suspicion that his personal hygiene is less than stellar)

ANTCEP @ Jul 8th 2009 7:01AM

THE VIDEO YOU ARE TRYING TO WATCH CANNOT BE VIEWED FROM YOUR CURRENT COUNTRY OR LOCATION.

Drew @ Jul 8th 2009 10:07AM

That is so retarded. How can something be legal in one place, but not in another, digitally speaking? Somebody needs to get mavericky real quick, and bust some balls. Jobs? Google? Anybody?

SuckItTrebek @ Jul 8th 2009 2:26PM

Drew, very easily. You see, believe it or not, there is an entire world outside of America. A world with several, perhaps DOZENS, of other countries, with different laws and legal system, different rules on intellectual property and copyright! There could even be legal agreements with OTHER companies worldwide for promotion and distribution of Bullshit, which could be voided by giving the product away over the internet.

It's kinda like the 17 year old girl on a webcam in California. It's 11:30pm where she is, and at midnight she'll be 18! Here in the central time zone, it's already "tomorrow", so she's 18! Except, of course, if she showed her tits, it's still illegal over there. Hell possibly here too. You get my point, though.

In short:yes, it sucks, but they guys probably have no control over the situation. It's all about protecting the license for other distributors.

pseth @ Jul 8th 2009 7:27AM

I hope that they talk to some people who have actually done research on video games. There is some evidence that video games can influence an individual's levels of aggression. It's very easy to make the people on the fringe look ridiculous but gives us less than substantive information on the true relationships between things.

BananaBoat @ Jul 8th 2009 7:30AM

I saw a live Penn&Teller show in Vegas a couple of years ago, and it was easily the best "magic" show I've ever seen. Not only that, but after the show, Penn waited in the hallway outside the theater (inside the hotel) to sign autographs and meet the fans. There aren't many people that would take the time to do that, and meeting him/getting his autograph definitely topped off the experience for me and my family. Well worth whatever they are charging per ticket. (oh, and Penn is a monster. I'm over 6 foot, and I had to look up at him)

I know that no media outlets take his TV show seriously, but I hope it's different this time. Parenting is key, and knowing what is appropriate for your kids is more important than either neglecting them entirely, or judging solely off of the ratings on the back of game boxes (in other words, letting others tell you what is appropriate content for YOUR kids).

As for the triangle...eh...there have been psychopaths with fire arms long before there were ever video games. Before that, there were psychopaths with swords, and people often made them general and allowed them to conquer Europe. Video games are the latest scapegoat in a long line of scapegoats that goes all the way back to book burnings. If it's not the books ruining our youth, it's that damn rock and roll music. If it's not the rock and roll music or the books, it has to be the video games.

I'd say something like "just wait until our generation is in charge" but I have no faith in us as a whole either, so I guess it's up to us as individuals to keep our beloved entertainment medium free of creativity-stifling oversight.

(on an unrelated note; I hate you July 4th. You made me hung over July 5th, which made me sleep all day, which kept me up all night the 6th, which made me sleep all day the 7th, and now here we are on the 8th and I feel like crap, but I have to stay up past nightfall if I want to break this cycle. To be more specific, I hate you, and love you, alcohol)

Levi @ Jul 8th 2009 8:08AM

Know what else is on at 10pm eastern time Thursday night? Tribute to Billy Mays on Discovery Channel.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 8th 2009 8:46AM

It's funny, I mean I like Billy Mays too and all but I sat back the other day and realized that we're celebrating the life of a con artist. My dad always bought the garbage he sold and none of it ever worked. It's funny how we decide who's worthy of celebration.

Look At This Suit @ Jul 8th 2009 5:06PM

That's just it, though. None of that was really "his" shit. It was someone else's product, and Billy Mays helped to make a LOT of people rich.

Jason @ Jul 8th 2009 10:09AM

Im not big on first-person shooters but this guy needs to do more research. I can only think of one mass-killing-simulator and thats Postal. Most first person shooters are actually "fighting for your country" simulators or "Fighting zombie apocalypse" simulators but Mass Killing Simulator, to me, says that the game is about killing for no reason

Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 8th 2009 9:10AM

I have to call my local cable provider.....NOW.

Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 8th 2009 9:15AM

I'm sorry to double post, but I just have to say that I know in my heart of hearts that Penn & Teller will put these asshats in their place. I'm a huge fan of the Bullsh!t series and every single episode they've done has not been a disappointment.

Bobs @ Jul 8th 2009 10:06AM

The video you are trying to view is not AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

Why do we Canadians always get the short end of the Internet stick ...

j.howlett @ Jul 8th 2009 10:35AM

i just want to see how they add naked people to the show this time.

captainprotonx @ Jul 8th 2009 12:08PM

Great show. Especially because of the naked chicks.

Devin @ Jul 8th 2009 12:19PM

Haha, that guys ridiculous. I would say that most American high school age males play FPS's, so isn't that a null point? Like honestly, what guy in high school hasn't played Halo? Maybe he should stop worrying about other people killing each other with guns and worry more about himself dying of heart disease.

Cena @ Jul 8th 2009 1:05PM

This better be on the interwebs by Friday.

Anyway, I cannot wait. My girlfriend turned me on to this show, and having never seen it before, I was a skeptic. I watched, I lul'd (hard), and now that we get to see Jack Thompson get roasted by Penn, I'm a huge fan. ^^

Also, I was quite disappointed to not see a tribe of nude Native American ladies dancing around a flame.

((Is it strange that I actually WOULD buy a game where you run around with a magic healing wand and cure sick people?))

Shade @ Jul 8th 2009 3:28PM

Team Fortress 2

Cena @ Jul 8th 2009 3:31PM

I know about the Medic. I meant, literally, word for word, what the guy said. I'd love to play a game where you are a guy that wields a magical wand that cures sick people.

Mitsuo @ Jul 9th 2009 2:23AM

what are you talking about? There's many games like that just not a "stick" and it's not a "sickness" as we normaly define it. What most games do is they use the guns as the "sticks" and cleanse the nazis of their communist "sickness" by purging their soul from their bodies.

VaultBoy @ Jul 8th 2009 4:03PM

This show should be required viewing, and I'm talking about the series here. Good stuff.

sean.the.bonbon @ Jul 8th 2009 4:28PM

Never seen it before, but hopefully I can find it. What channel is it on Comcast? (sorry if thats a stupid question)

Fnord @ Jul 8th 2009 4:37PM

Correlation != Causation

You can't have fire without gravity either (if you don't do any research on combustion in space), but I don't see that as part of the fire triangle.

BrokenTriforce @ Jul 8th 2009 5:29PM

You think people would actually play a game based on healing sick people? Trauma Center wut?

How about a game where you play as Jesus and get to use all of his awesome powers and in the end instead of dying on the cross you break it into pieces and slay the wicked with said broken pieces?

Derick @ Jul 9th 2009 3:17AM

Just down the page on joystiq it says that Jack Thompson is going up for federal disbarment...

I wonder if they'll mention that when he gets to speak his piece. It tints him a little differently I think.

Anotherdamnlogin @ Jul 10th 2009 7:15PM

I recently saw this episode. It was great and all, love the BS! But the guy who "helped" the kid fire the AR 15 was an idiot!! He gave the kid no safety instructions nor did he tell the kid how to fire the gun. He let the kid postion the gun so that the butt of the rifle was directly in front of his mouth!! So when the kid fired the shot, he popped himself in face. He's lucky he didn't knock his teeth out. Then they ask him, "Do you want to fire the gun again?" Of course the kid says "No!" The kid was really exited to fire a real weapon for the first time. But because you let some idiot show him how to shoot, the experience was a bad one for the kid. Then they show the kid crying at the end of the show. He was crying because he got hit in the mouth! SO MUCH FOR A FAIR AND BALANCED EXPERIMENT PENN AND TELLER!! THIS PART OF BS WAS BS!!

Mack Swift @ Jul 11th 2009 3:38PM

Actually, while I kind of agree with you on paper; that was the whole point. Penn and Teller were proving a point that video games do not transfer into real life skills. Shooting an AR-15 using a PS3 controller does not transfer into the real life basic skill of holding the weapon properly and firing the weapon properly.

The Jack Thompsons of the world want you to believe that the kids who can pick up and fire a weapon in a video game can do so with the ease of a seasoned and trained Marine in real life. And its just not true.

Its like saying someone who's played hours and hours of Street Fighter 2-4 with Ryu can get into a real life fight and have those skills in real life.