# So were Penn and Teller right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257 "2003-01-27T16:20:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/1 "2003-01-27T16:20:26Z")
I don’t know why I GARA (give a rat’s ass), but did Penn and Teller pull off their little trick? As soon as Jon Bon appeared I was in the car and on my way home. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/2 "2003-01-27T16:23:25Z")
Yes it worked. How I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/3 "2003-01-27T16:24:06Z")
If you are talking about the Soper Bowl prediction, yes they guessed right. As to how they did it, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/4 "2003-01-27T16:27:50Z")
Wow, I hate to sound like I’m completely out of it - but what did Penn and Teller predict? Tibs. ---
**Author:** ![Realhoops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@Realhoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Realhoops)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/5 "2003-01-27T16:28:58Z")
… I think most people I’ve talked to who watched have reached the consensus that the “random” woman they picked to open the little tube with the prediction in it switched the tube from inside the pickle jar with one of her own with the correct answers in it. They made this big production of asking the “host” if he selected the person who broke the jar open, if he selected the person who took the big metal tube out of the jar, if it was the “host’s” signature on the seal of the big metal tube. Then they broke the seal, opened the big tube, and had another person, whom they did not indicate was selected by anyone but them, take the paper out of this little tube inside the big tube and hand it to the host. It certainly appeared to the cynic in me that she pulled the paper out of her sleeve or jacket before she handed it over. … anyway, again not that anyone GARA. ---
**Author:** ![Realhoops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@Realhoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Realhoops)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/6 "2003-01-27T16:30:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tiburon \* > \*\*Wow, I hate to sound like I’m completely out of it - but what did Penn and Teller predict? > > Tibs. \*\* The final score for each team and the mvp winner. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/7 "2003-01-27T16:35:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Realhoops \* > \*\*… I think most people I’ve talked to who watched have reached the consensus that the “random” woman they picked to open the little tube with the prediction in it switched the tube from inside the pickle jar with one of her own with the correct answers in it. > > They made this big production of asking the “host” if he selected the person who broke the jar open, if he selected the person who took the big metal tube out of the jar, if it was the “host’s” signature on the seal of the big metal tube. Then they broke the seal, opened the big tube, and had another person, whom they did not indicate was selected by anyone but them, take the paper out of this little tube inside the big tube and hand it to the host. It certainly appeared to the cynic in me that she pulled the paper out of her sleeve or jacket before she handed it over. > > … anyway, again not that anyone GARA. \*\* Yeah I figure it was something like that. They had plenty of close-up shots of the signatures for a skilled hand to reproduce them on another piece of paper. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/8 "2003-01-27T20:58:52Z")
Dude – I saw Penn & Teller fire .357’s at each other live on stage and walk away alive. I believe they can do anything. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/9 "2003-01-27T21:19:53Z")
Penn & Teller are known to use plants and hardly cover up the fact. I’ve seen one of their plants wear a Mofo t-shirt (this chimp used to be one of their bits) Doesn’t make their act any less enjoyable, though last nights bit was one of their least amazing acts. Just a simple switch. Undoubtedly one or all of the people handling the prediction was/were P&T associates. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/10 "2003-01-27T23:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Slacker \* > \*\*Yeah I figure it was something like that. They had plenty of close-up shots of the signatures for a skilled hand to reproduce them on another piece of paper. \*\* They didn’t have to reproduce those. The signatures were on a big piece of paper _wrapped around_ the tube that held their “prediction.” After they unwrapped the tube, they handed it to a woman “bystander” who did a little sleight of hand to switch the tube with one where they had written the correct answer–which they’d seen along with everyone else a few minutes earlier. Rather transparent trick, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/11 "2003-01-28T00:09:08Z")
Well, duh! Of course its a trick. So is every other stupid trick ever done by every other stupid magician. Its the “production” that counts. Penn and Teller rock! ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/12 "2003-01-28T04:25:24Z")
I didn’t see this trick, but I did see a similar one live a couple times where P&T predict which Bible verse will be randomly chosen by the audience through a series of methods that could not possibly be, well, anything but random. They put the supposed prediction in a glass jug hanging in plain site and then break it, with Teller grabbing out the paper and showing that it’s the right verse. From the description I’ve seen here, it sounds very similar. If that is the case, they don’t need a plant – Teller did the switch live for the trick I saw and I can guarantee you that 99% of the people in the audience had no clue what happened. ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/13 "2003-01-28T07:00:35Z")
I used to study magic as a hobby, and I pride myself on being able to spot the"trick". I cant always spot the trick but this time i beleive i did. Yes they handed the tube to that lady and penn directed the observers and us to the other people and affirmed that yes they picked the participants and Pand T had nothing to do with it, then we panned back to the lady holding the tube and they took it from her, it was switched. That being said Penn and Teller are my favorite magicians. ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/14 "2003-01-28T07:02:04Z")
That should read “she switched it”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/15 "2003-01-28T07:53:52Z")
There seems to be some bit of news I’m missing. Someone on alt.fan.penn-n-teller mentioned that some Christian group tried to get Penn & Teller banned from appearing on the Super Bowl. What the hell was that about? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/16 "2003-01-28T07:59:52Z")
Whoops. I got the crazy notion in my head to actually look it up, and apparently the deal was [like so.](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/826821/posts?page=55) And apparently, Lance Burton is a mensch. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/17 "2003-01-28T08:04:09Z")
It was a about a midget fellating Jesus on the cross. Yeah, you heard me right. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/18 "2003-01-28T14:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*It was a about a midget fellating Jesus on the cross. Yeah, you heard me right. \*\* He/She’s not kidding. It was. ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/19 "2003-01-30T01:47:25Z")
God I love them, have you seen their new show on showtime, I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257/20 "2003-01-30T02:03:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*It was a about a midget fellating Jesus on the cross. Yeah, you heard me right. \*\* Well, actually it was about a miget fellating Teller dressed as Jesus on a cross. Not quite the same thing :\>. I can’t believe that guy used to teach at my high school. I will never forgive him for leaving before I got to take his class. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-were-penn-and-teller-right/151257.md?page=2)