History Creator / PennAndTeller

** Which also counts as ArtisticLicenseBiology, because ''if'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis#Mammals parthenogenesis]] (virgin birth) works in humans[[note]] Several animals, including bees and some types of lizard are able to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, theoretically this ''could'' be possible in humans but it has never been observed in anything approaching a scientific study [[/note]], this is ''not'' how it would work. And it could never produce male offspring as women have two X chromosomes whereas men have an X and Y

* HiddenDepths: Because Teller is mute and the ButtMonkey, often a lot of magic skills aren't called out or noticed - it can even seem like he's a different take on a beauty assistant that other magicians have. (Assistants are also trained and an important part of their acts while trying to look like they're not) But he is in fact a very talented magician in a great deal many magical disciplines. Penn has stated on multiple occasions that Teller is a much better magician than he is.

* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: One of the tricks in ''Penn & Teller's How to Play With Your Food'' warns children that once they start dating their parents will be sure to embarrass them in front of whomever they're interested in by bring out stupid photos of them dressed up in Halloween costumes. It then proceeds to teach them how to [[BloodyHilarious make sure their parents will never want to remember Halloween]].

* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: A lot of the acts that appear on ''Fool Us'' regard doing exactly that - fooling Penn & Teller with their routines - as this trope, and flat out admit that since the duo have been in the business for so long, that the odds of pulling it off are very slim.

* OneOfUs: The writers at ''Wired'' were surprised that Penn scored very highly on their geekery-quotient test - higher than even Stephen Hawking.
** They shouldn't have been, though; Penn wrote a column for PC Computing magazine for a good stretch of its run where he reflected on the intersection of technology and pop culture.

* HiddenDepths: Because Teller is mute and the ButtMonkey, often a lot of magic skills aren't called out or noticed - it can even seem like he's a subversion of a beauty assistant that other magicians have. But he is in fact a very talented magician in a great deal many magical disciplines.
** Considering that assistants are also trained and an important part of their acts while trying to look like they're not, not ''that'' much of a subversion.
** Also, Penn has stated on multiple occasions that Teller is a much better magician than he is.

[[caption-width-right:241:The big guy distracts you so you won't watch the little guy...]]

[[quoteright:241:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Penn-and-Teller_5945.jpg]]

'''Penn Fraser Jillette''' (born March 5, 1955) is the tall, talkative one with long dark hair. '''[[OnlyOneName Teller]]''' (born February 14, 1948) is the short one who [[TheVoiceless never speaks]] and makes [[SilentSnarker amusing facial expressions]] on the frequent occasions when Penn exposes him to danger. They were introduced to one another by a mutual friend in 1975. Ever since then, they've done most of their work together, developing their own rather quirky style of magic.

* ''Series/PennAndTellerTellALie'', a 2011 DiscoveryChannel show where each episode presents six or seven unbelievable stories, one of which is a lie.

* ''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'', a 2011 ITV series, hosted by Creator/JonathanRoss, where a variety of magicians attempt to fool Penn and Teller with tricks of their own. Those who succeed get to perform on their stage in Las Vegas. Though canceled by ITV in 2012, the CW in the United States reran the ITV episodes in 2014 and, finding success, commissioned a second season that began airing in 2015.

* TheVoiceless: Teller's on-stage persona. He does actually speak, albeit very rarely, but it's usually hidden one way or another, to maintain the illusion that he never does.

Penn Jillette is the tall, talkative one with long dark hair. [[OnlyOneName Teller]] is the short one who [[TheVoiceless never speaks]] and makes [[SilentSnarker amusing facial expressions]] on the frequent occasions when Penn exposes him to danger. They were introduced to one another by a mutual friend in 1975. Ever since then, they've done most of their work together, developing their own rather quirky style of magic.

* ComedyCentral: Penn was the announcer for the comedy network during the early 90s, and hosted the documentary ''This is [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3k]]''.
* DavidLetterman: Through the 80s and 90s P&T were regular guests on ''Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman''

* BigGuyLittleGuy: Penn is, in his own words, "stupid tall"(6'6") and Teller is average height(5'9"). He explained this once by saying that "Teller and [[SimonAndGarfunkel Art Garfunkel]] are normal. Penn Jillette and PaulSimon are waving to each other from opposite ends of the Bell Curve."

* SuddenlyVoice: Well, Teller talks about the magic on the linking rings on an episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsNqOYY4Jeg Penn & Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour]].

** Which also counts as ArtisticLicenseBiology, because ''if'' parthenogenesis (virgin birth) works in humans[[note]] Several animals, including bees and some types of lizard are able to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, theoretically this ''could'' be possible in humans but it has never been observed in anything approaching a scientific study [[/note]], this is ''not'' how it would work. And it could never produce male offspring as women have two X chromosomes whereas men have an X and Y

** Which also counts as ArtisticLicenseBiology, because ''if'' parthenogenesis (virgin birth) works in humans[[note: Several animals, including bees and some types of lizard are able to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, theoretically this ''could'' be possible in humans but it has never been observed in anything approaching a scientific study /note]], this is ''not'' how it would work. And it could never produce male offspring as women have two X chromosomes whereas men have an X and Y

** Which also counts as ArtisticLicenseBiology, because ''if'' parthenogenesis (virgin birth) works in humans[[note: Several animals, including bees and some types of lizard are able to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, theoretically this ''could'' be possible in humans but it has never been observed in anything approaching a scientific study/note]], this is ''not'' how it would work. And it could never produce male offspring as women have two X chromosomes whereas men have an X and Y

** Which also counts as ArtisticLicenseBiology, because ''if'' parthenogenesis (virgin birth) works in humans[[note: Several animals, including bees and some types of lizard are able to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs, theoretically this ''could'' be possible in humans but it has never been observed in anything approaching a scientific study]], this is ''not'' how it would work. And it could never produce male offspring as women have two X chromosomes whereas men have an X and Y

* StolenGoodReturnedBetter: Played with in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qXf5c6v5k this segment]] from ''The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller''. StephenFry reluctantly parts with his expensive watch, which Penn & Teller proceed to ... improve.