Penn & Teller - Bullshit! The Compete Eight Season

Released by: CBS/Paramount
Released on: 5/3/2011
Director: Various
Cast: Penn Jillette, Teller
Year: 2010
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The Series:

Penn & Teller - Bullshit! has been a staple on cable's Showtime network for almost a decade and through Paramount/CBS, the eighth season is now available on DVD. Since this is a cable series, the show contains plenty of foul language and thankfully some nudity as well (always gratuitous, though frequently both male and female - full frontal even!) - but more importantly the series is thought provoking, well researched, and quite intelligent. For those who haven't seen the show, the series basically chooses at topic and then proceeds to shed some light on the seedier side of said topic. Along the way they tend to expose the side of things we don't necessarily think about or that various parties would prefer we don't know about, and they do so with frank honesty and a good sense of humor and some interesting Libertarian style politicking.

Here's a look at the ten episodes that make up the complete eighth season:

Disc One:

Cheerleaders - While cheerleading might seem like an All-American past time, there's actually a very shady industry built around this high school and college level past time and some very interesting reasons why it's never officially been labeled a sport despite its competitive nature and athletic requirements. This episode exposes the corporate side of cheerleading as well as the frequently horrific injuries that occur and have occurred throughout its history.

Fast Food - The second episode shows both sides of the fast food debate currently raging in America thanks to government initiatives to combat obesity. Here we hear from anti-fast food activists and teachers as well as the CEO of Carl's Jr. and a family that basically lives off of fast food. The point here is to expose the hypocrisy of the self righteous naysayers and to insist on freedom of choice.

Martial Arts - While marketing departments across America would have you believe that any form of martial arts is a great way to learn discipline and get some exercise, this episode shows that not everyone involved in teaching the different forms of martial arts out there is in this for the right reasons. Dojo's are run for profit while various flaky instructors are rightfully exposed as the fraud's they are.

Teen Sex - The opening sketch does a fantastic job of pointing out how age of consent laws vary from state to state and how hetero and homosexual activity is treated different in regards to that age of consent. From there we learn the obvious - that teenagers have and always will fuck like rabbits - before hearing from those who are for and against letting nature run its course and how ridiculous the extremes are that some who oppose teen sex will go to.

Easy Money - Being very careful to avoid calling the pyramid schemes that this episode deals with actual pyramid schemes, here we learn how direct sales companies con good people across the country into selling everything from sausage to dildos to fruit drinks and how they con those same people into recruiting more worker bees for them under the lure of easy money.

Disc Two:

Area 51 - Everyone knows the stories about Area 51 and the aliens that the American government are supposedly hiding there and the various crashes that have been brushed under the rug. Here Penn and Teller follow some UFO hunters on a night expedition to uncover the truth and learn about the different aircraft that are frequently spotted in the area over the world's most infamous military compound.

Criminal Justice - Anyone who watches the news knows that the criminal justice system has its share of problems. Here Penn and Teller take a look at the ineffectiveness of certain scientific methods employed, incompetent lawyers and judges, corrupt officials and all sorts of other fun things that, should you wind up in hot water, you too may have to depend on.

Old People - This episode is interesting in that it takes a look at how different stereotypes have affected how the general population has come to look at and identify America's senior citizens. The result has had a huge impact on how seniors have come to be regarded over the last few decades and how in turn our society treats them both medically and socially.

Self-Esteem - Various public speakers, coaches, teachers, trainers and concerned parents have tried for years to teach people how to build up their self esteem. This episode sheds some interesting light on those different approaches to building self esteem and then basically proceeds to shoot them full of holes by using facts and sound science to disprove them.

Vaccinations - The last episode delves deep into what is basically our modern society's best way to keep disease at bay and then uncovers different paranoid viewpoints that keep certain people from allowing themselves to be vaccinated. On the flipside, we learn about the pro's and con's of the science behind vaccines and how and why some people have become so paranoid about vaccinations.

Video/Audio/Extras:

The series is presented in 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen, just as it was broadcast on Showtime, and generally it looks just fine. There are some minor compression artifacts in some of the darker scenes but aside from that the image is clean and clear and pleasing to the eye.

The only audio option here is an English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, and despite the absence of a 5.1 mix or any subtitles or closed captioning options of any kind, it gets the job done. Dialogue is clear and the levels are well balanced - not the fanciest mix you'll ever here but it gets the job done.

There aren't any extras on the first disc outside of menus and episode selection, but the second disc in the set contains two episodes of the series Episodes, the 2011 series that has just started airing on Showtime (and which has nothing to do at all with Bullshit). Additionally there are some text bios for Penn and Teller and a small still gallery of behind the scenes pictures from Bullshit.

The Final Word:

If you've enjoyed earlier seasons of the show, you already know you need this latest offering. If you're not already familiar with the show, this is as good a starting point as any as it covers some interesting topics with the same muck raking insight that has made the show as popular as it is. Good stuff, it makes you laugh and more importantly it makes you think.