# Penn & Teller: Fool Us, US run on CW

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 7, 2014, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015 "2014-08-07T07:25:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 56

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**Author:** ![allenhuffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/allenhuffman/32/10361_2.png) [@allenhuffman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allenhuffman)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1101 "2016-09-16T17:01:10Z")

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> [@allenhuffman](#):
>
> Unlurking for a moment … We did calculator gags like this when I was in high school (oh, so long ago). Calculators have a memory store/memory recall button.

Aha - and on the iPhone, the Mx buttons only appear when you turn the phone sideways. That’s why Penn noted that he took the selfie sideways instead of up and down like most people would 😉

Steps to try:  
[ol]  
[li]Setup: Type in 58008 and press m+ to store it.[/li][li]Press C to clear out the display.[/li][li]Have someone type in a 5 digit number.[/li][li]Hit multiply, and ask for a second number to be typed in.[/li][li]Hit =. Sme large number is displayed.[/li][li]Have someone enter a 2 digit number (don’t let anyone see what they enter).[/li][li]Without them seeing, press “mr” to recall the number (instead of =) and show it.[/li][/ol]

Tada - magic! Their number spells “BOOBS”. You just tell them you are multiplying the final number when you are really just pressing mr.

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1102 "2016-09-16T17:25:08Z")

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> [@TheHYPO](#):
>
> His comment about a heliuim tank suggests that perhaps there are 9 balloons in the box and somehow the relevant coloured one was inflated at the last minute and attached to string (again, teller felt an inflated balood before the trick though). Trap door in the table and an assistant underneath loads the relevant balloon into the box from below?)

Like I said, though, if it’s the other way around – _deflating_ inflated balloons until only the right one is left – then Teller feeling a balloon at the start is no problem, and the denied helium tank doesn’t have to (a) be hidden somewhere, or (b) exist. And while IIRC we don’t see any balloons get remotely inflated, we _do_ see the guy remotely deflate some, so we already know that’s in play.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1103 "2016-09-16T17:33:09Z")

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> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> Like I said, though, if it’s the other way around – _deflating_ inflated balloons until only the right one is left – then Teller feeling a balloon at the start is no problem, and the denied helium tank doesn’t have to (a) be hidden somewhere, or (b) exist. And while IIRC we don’t see any balloons get remotely inflated, we _do_ see the guy remotely deflate some, so we already know that’s in play.

We know there are nine balloons in there. They could even be all inflated and squished in very tightly. But how does the string end up on the right one? Could be that the string is tied around all of them and the popped ones are removed somehow. Concentric balloons might work, but they would need to be opaque to make it non-obvious, and the remains of the outer unused balloons would have to be removed from the string. I don’t think that’s it. Going to rewatch, the size of the balloon removed relative to the box is critical to having 9 inflated balloons in there.

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1104 "2016-09-16T17:49:22Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> We know there are nine balloons in there. They could even be all inflated and squished in very tightly. But how does the string end up on the right one? Could be that the string is tied around all of them and the popped ones are removed somehow.

It could maybe be _wound_ around them, automatically coming loose when each balloon deflates – but I still go with the idea of simply using an adhesive when reaching in (and then snipping it so the balloon and the sticky end can float away before anyone can examine it up close and see that nothing is tied in place).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1105 "2016-09-16T18:05:47Z")

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> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> It could maybe be _wound_ around them, automatically coming loose when each balloon deflates – but I still go with the idea of simply using an adhesive when reaching in (and then snipping it so the balloon and the sticky end can float away before anyone can examine it up close and see that nothing is tied in place).

I just watched it again. The balloon removed is considerably smaller than those in the frame. Teller did not have to reach very far in to feel something. By a very rough estimate the balloon removed would be a 9" diameter sphere, the box would be about 18" on a side. There is more than enough room in the box to hold 9 balloons that size squished together. When he removes the balloon he reaches deep into the box and gropes around moving from the front of the box to the back, clearly long enough to grab the unattached string and attach it to the remaining inflated balloon. There appears to be some kind of thing attaching the string to the balloon, it’s not just a simple tie, i think some kind of clip. There is some kind of sound when he pulls out the balloon that may be a pop, but sounds more like the balloon pulled from some adhesive that keeps it from floating out before he attaches the string. Conceivably the remaining balloons could be popped when he is reaching in or when he folds up the box so no remote device is needed for that. More likely when he is reaching around so that they are slowly deflating instead of popping which could be heard.

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**Author:** ![numeroussyrup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/edb3f5/32.png) [@numeroussyrup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/numeroussyrup)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1106 "2016-09-16T18:25:56Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Not that type of fooling. It’s not a matter of them knowing what happens next. They knew how he did the milk thing after it was done.

I meant to add an /s at the end 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1107 "2016-09-16T18:28:19Z")

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> [@numeroussyrup](#):
>
> I meant to add an /s at the end 😉

Forgive me for even responding to obvious humor. I hate being that type of Doper.

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**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1108 "2016-09-16T21:03:08Z")

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> [@allenhuffman](#):
>
> Aha - and on the iPhone, the Mx buttons only appear when you turn the phone sideways. That’s why Penn noted that he took the selfie sideways instead of up and down like most people would 😉
> 
> Steps to try:  
> [ol]  
> [li]Setup: Type in 58008 and press m+ to store it.[/li][li]Press C to clear out the display.[/li][li]Have someone type in a 5 digit number.[/li][li]Hit multiply, and ask for a second number to be typed in.[/li][li]Hit =. Sme large number is displayed.[/li][li]Have someone enter a 2 digit number (don’t let anyone see what they enter).[/li][li]Without them seeing, press “mr” to recall the number (instead of =) and show it.[/li][/ol]
> 
> Tada - magic! Their number spells “BOOBS”. You just tell them you are multiplying the final number when you are really just pressing mr.

I would like to see that version of the trick, where the big reveal at the end is a naked woman. 😃

Also, good catch on the sideways button thing.

It would be funny if Penn had a really bad old phone without the Mx.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![numeroussyrup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/edb3f5/32.png) [@numeroussyrup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/numeroussyrup)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1109 "2016-09-16T21:26:17Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> It would be funny if Penn had a really bad old phone without the Mx.

I was wondering this this past episode: why would Penn have his phone on him during a taping? Or when the magician asks for a bill, P&T conveniently have money.

I presume they must either be given the item or told to bring it because why would P&T carry around $100 bills? Especially since Penn has said he never knows how much he has on him.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1110 "2016-09-16T21:42:21Z")

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> [@numeroussyrup](#):
>
> I was wondering this this past episode: why would Penn have his phone on him during a taping? Or when the magician asks for a bill, P&T conveniently have money.
> 
> I presume they must either be given the item or told to bring it because why would P&T carry around $100 bills? Especially since Penn has said he never knows how much he has on him.

I expect that’s the case. There could be problems with asking audience members for phones and money that the producers don’t want to deal with, but more likely it just seems like better entertainment when P&T are involved.

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**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1111 "2016-09-16T21:45:30Z")

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> [@numeroussyrup](#):
>
> I was wondering this this past episode: why would Penn have his phone on him during a taping? Or when the magician asks for a bill, P&T conveniently have money.
> 
> I presume they must either be given the item or told to bring it because why would P&T carry around $100 bills? Especially since Penn has said he never knows how much he has on him.

Yeah, I hate stuff like that. It makes everything seem forced and manufactured for television. Or when the producers have them reshoot certain segments. It takes away from the spontaneity of the act.

But I guess it’s better than watching them crash and burn – like if Penn pulled out an old flip phone with simple calculator function. :rolleyes: (Better for the magician, I mean – not for us. That would be hilarious.)

Hey, just a reminder to everyone that tonight is the season finale. Where will I get my weekly magic fix from now on?! ☹

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1112 "2016-09-16T22:39:17Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> Yeah, I hate stuff like that. It makes everything seem forced and manufactured for television. Or when the producers have them reshoot certain segments. It takes away from the spontaneity of the act.

How would you know unless you personally attended the taping? FWIW, having attended a few TV show tapings myself, I know that I vastly prefer watching slightly less spontaneous takes to ones with audible or visual disturbances from the audience, technical faults, and flubbed lines.

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**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1113 "2016-09-16T23:20:42Z")

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> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> How would you know unless you personally attended the taping? FWIW, having attended a few TV show tapings myself, I know that I vastly prefer watching slightly less spontaneous takes to ones with audible or visual disturbances from the audience, technical faults, and flubbed lines.

I know they do it to make it look more polished and flawlessly edited for the TV audience, but it always rings false to me when everything goes off without a hitch. I wouldn’t mind a few screw ups here and there, given the competition aspect of the program. But yeah, I don’t know anything about any of the behind-the-scenes goings-on and that’s probably for the better.

Speaking of which, did anyone see the Masters of Illusion episode a few weeks ago (ep 9) where the magician was performing a girl in a box trick and screwed up (he left the doors open to the audience), causing the female assistant to scream out as he nearly plunged an object into her stomach? I wish I could find a video of that, that was scary. Edit: Here’s a [pic](https://s15.postimg.io/vhwh4dygb/flub.png)

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**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1114 "2016-09-17T06:00:38Z")

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S03E13

**Anthony Asimov:** Cracking nuts. Similar to Brent Braun’s card trick earlier this week, was the four of diamonds a free choice or a force? According to Penn (who mentioned use of a “nut index” and a passing reference to Banksy), while he was distracting us with Pickle the Alien, he was also doing something underneath the table. Loading and/or planting the nut? I watched it again but couldn’t catch the switch. I can’t make heads or tails of it.

**Angela Funovits:**  **\<333** Okay, so I’m easily distracted, but I could tell while the guy was looking through the dictionary, she must have had her hand firmly inside of the jar. Penn’s hint was that there was a second person “willing to suffer,” so was there someone hidden in the table or something? I don’t even know how that would work.

_Side-note:_ It’s interesting what Penn says here about pre-show work not being allowed. That makes me reconsider the mentalism couple that was on a couple episodes ago.

**Ivan Amodei:** I thought this trick was pretty incredible until the end, where he doesn’t even name off Penn’s card (I could see the disappointment in Penn’s face too). It seems strange to end a cool trick like that on such a lame joke. I was confused by the back and forth talk about clumping, but suddenly the judges swooped in and saved the day! Never seen that happen before.

**Vince Charming:** These tricks are really doing my head in. How did…what did…? 😕 I looked at it again and the piece she picked off the table looked awfully close to the piece missing from the puzzle in the end. Since he handled it at the end, there must have been a quick sleight of hand swap. How exactly do magnets come into play here?

Can anyone find the clip of P&T where Penn lights his head on fire?

**Penn and Teller:** This trick and the entire performance afterwards was a really fun closer to the season. I love how they couldn’t “fool” themselves. I could see where Teller was handling the cards, but I did not see him place it in his mouth. I think they must have cut away, which seems a bit like cheating. :dubious:

And that’s a wrap on season 3.

A few thoughts about this season. I wasn’t really sure about Alyson Hannigan at the start, but she really won me over by the end. Her cute awkwardness is a perfect foil for the amazing magic surrounding her and she’s not just copying what Jonathan Ross was doing. I’ll be interested to see how they proceed from here…given the series gets renewed, of course.

Also, hope Irishman is okay. He’s been MIA all season.

See you all next year. I’m going into hibernation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1115 "2016-09-17T06:14:40Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> I looked at it again and the piece she picked off the table looked awfully close to the piece missing from the puzzle in the end.

Damn this 5 minute edit limit. I compared the pieces [side by side](https://s3.postimg.io/6zmsqbqj7/puzzled.png) and they are in fact the same.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1116 "2016-09-17T07:06:57Z")

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Angela Funovits: isn’t “heel” a magic term?

Vince Charming: I feel like he was able to pull the sheet off the puzzle in such a way that the piece in question came off with it. All the 6 pieces were up there by magnet force and depending on which one was chosen he was able to pull it off with the blue sheet.

However, didn’t she pick 6 different pieces from a box of presumably 1000? Not sure how that would have been done.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1117 "2016-09-17T11:37:47Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> **Ivan Amodei:** I thought this trick was pretty incredible until the end, where he doesn’t even name off Penn’s card (I could see the disappointment in Penn’s face too). It seems strange to end a cool trick like that on such a lame joke. I was confused by the back and forth talk about clumping, but suddenly the judges swooped in and saved the day!

I took the ‘clumping’ talk as Penn figuring he gave, say, Illinois and Indiana and Iowa to _this_ group of three; and that he gave, oh, Alabama and Arizona and Alaska to _that_ group of three over there – and then he eliminates Illinois and Indiana and Alabama and Arizona; and then he looks around, and realizes the last member of _this_ group must have Iowa, and the last member of _that_ group over there must have Alaska. Which also explains why he didn’t do Penn’s card.

But the judges swooped in to say, _nope, that’s not it._

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![allenhuffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/allenhuffman/32/10361_2.png) [@allenhuffman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allenhuffman)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1118 "2016-09-17T12:41:41Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> I would like to see that version of the trick, where the big reveal at the end is a naked woman. 😃
> 
> Also, good catch on the sideways button thing.
> 
> It would be funny if Penn had a really bad old phone without the Mx.

With iOS 10 that came out this week, you can delete the built in apps. This trick is now risky since not everyone might have the calculator. I guess he banks on most folks leaving it alone.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![allenhuffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/allenhuffman/32/10361_2.png) [@allenhuffman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allenhuffman)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1119 "2016-09-17T12:46:41Z")

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> [@cluck](#):
>
> Speaking of which, did anyone see the Masters of Illusion episode a few weeks ago (ep 9) where the magician was performing a girl in a box trick and screwed up (he left the doors open to the audience), causing the female assistant to scream out as he nearly plunged an object into her stomach? I wish I could find a video of that, that was scary. Edit: Here’s a [pic](https://s15.postimg.io/vhwh4dygb/flub.png)

I haven’t seen this show, but I have seen the trick done before like you describe, pretending it was so,thing gone wrong. Did he complete the trick or stop? If they stopped, maybe it’s not the version I’ve seen… those metal sheets aren’t sharp.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluck)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-teller-fool-us-us-run-on-cw/695015/1120 "2016-09-17T13:30:46Z")

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> [@allenhuffman](#):
>
> I haven’t seen this show, but I have seen the trick done before like you describe, pretending it was so,thing gone wrong. Did he complete the trick or stop? If they stopped, maybe it’s not the version I’ve seen… those metal sheets aren’t sharp.

You know, I thought for a split-second that they might have done it on purpose, but I figured I was being too cynical. Now that you say you’ve seen the same thing before, I’m kind of bummed out. It would be very uncharacteristic of the show to keep a flub like that in. The magician seemed taken by surprise by the whole thing, but he quickly regained his composure, shut the doors and went on with the trick. From what I could see, the metal sheet went down hard and pinched her hand and that’s what caused her to shriek and pull her hand up. (Earlier in the trick, an audience member was instructed to pull on a rope that was attached to her head and he pulled it down too hard and she banged her head; that poor, poor girl!)

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