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“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
- William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English playwright, the Bard
One of the more interesting reality TV shows, in its 7th season, is called “Fool Us!”
In it, Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller, one of the more enduring magician duos in Las Vegas, host various magicians consecutively. If the magician succeeds in fooling Penn & Teller, he or she gets to appear on the latter’s show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Vegas, so it is both present honor and future opportunity.
Some of the contestants have fooled the famed duo in the past, and their intent is to do so again. Others have not been so lucky.
Teller is the shorter, silent one. What Penn has to say is often worth a listen. He often speaks rapidly but with authority.
Not pretending to be at all skilled in prestidigitation, I cannot ascertain the various criteria used in determining whether a given magician succeeds in fooling the hosts, but enough is said by Penn Jillette (often with enigma to the casual listener) to the performer that the performer acknowledges that he or she has not fooled.
Once in a while Teller goes up to the performer on stage and whispers something in an ear, or divulges what is written on a notepad by the duo.
