History Creator / PennAndTeller

** Penn & Teller have done several deliberately over-the-top variations, such as the one where the number and suit of the card are revealed to be printed on Teller's eyeballs. They also, as habitual [[LampshadeHanging highlighters]] of the fraudulent nature of stage magic, have a favorite card (the three of clubs) to make their marks "randomly" select.

** In one TV special, when they were about to perform the Bullet Catch trick, they told an anecdote about how when HarryHoudini planned to attempt it, the magicians' guild sent him a letter imploring him not to try it, because it was too dangerous, and if anything went wrong it would be a horrible loss to the profession. Penn then reveals that the guild, when hearing they would attempt the trick, also sent a letter, reading, "Go for it."

** One of the ''Celebrity FearFactor'' episodes (as one contestant; Teller performed all the stunts while Penn stood around talking and [[TheGamblingAddict betting on the outcome]])

** On a celebrity edition of ''FearFactor''; Penn and Teller maintained their stage personas over the course of the competition, but after Teller completed the final stunt and Joe Rogan told him that he had taken the lead, a happy Teller pumped his fist and whispered, "Yes!" rather audibly.

* BurningTheFlag: They burn an American flag wrapped in a copy of The Bill of Rights, as one of the tricks in their Las Vegas show. They do the trick to make a point about how Americans have the freedom to burn their own flag if they wish. Additionally, the Bill of Rights is unaffected by the conflagration symbolizing how it is unharmed. [[spoiler:No, they don't actually burn the flag. Teller has removed the flag before they ignite the flash paper. In one version, they follow up the trick with the explanation, where they burn a flag wrapped in the "Chinese Bill of Rights" -- [[TakeThat a clear plastic sheet]].]]

* BlackComedy: Used in several of their tricks. The "Water Tank" trick, where Penn attempts to do a card trick while Teller is supposedly holding his breath in a tank full of water, is a great example. In the fictional narrative of the trick, Penn botches the card trick and Teller drowns in the tank as a result, which is pretty horrifying. But the way the entire trick is put together around it, including Penn's various lines ("No, screw it, he's braindead"), the audience volunteers who just don't know ''what'' to make of the whole thing, Penn's mock eulogy for Teller (where he claims to be planning a solo tour to be entitled simply "Penn"), and especially the final punchline ([[spoiler: Penn reaches into the tank to turn Teller's limp body around, revealing the audience member's signed card ''inside Teller's face mask'' - "AND IS ''THAT'' YOUR CARD?"]]), is priceless.

* BurningTheFlag: They burn an American flag wrapped in a copy of The Bill of Rights, as one of the tricks in their Las Vegas show. They do the trick to make a point about how Americans have the freedom to burn their own flag if they wish. Additionally, the Bill of Rights is unaffected by the conflagration symbolizing how it is unharmed. [[spoiler: No, they don't actually burn the flag. Teller has removed the flag before they ignite the flash paper. In one version, they follow up the trick with the explanation, where they burn a flag wrapped in the "Chinese Bill of Rights" -- [[TakeThat a clear plastic sheet]].]]

* TheSilentBob: Teller never says a word but Penn always knows what he's trying to communicate, because this is an aact.

** The ''Series/BabylonFive'' episode "Day of the Dead", as Rebo & Zootie, the 23rd century's greatest comedy duo

* HypocriticalHumor: They enjoy this. In on of his shows, shortly after voicing his dislike for camera tricks, Penn runs an entire credit scenes with shoddy jump cuts of them making their cast and crew (including a cameraman and his camera) appear and disappear [[BlatantLies verifying that no camera tricks were used.]]

!!Tropes for ''Film/PennAndTellerGetKilled'', ''VideoGame/PennAndTellersSmokeAndMirrors'', ''Series/PennAndTellerBullshit'' and ''Series/PennAndTellerTellALie'' go on their respective pages. Otherwise, Penn & Teller and their work provide examples of:

* 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, the odds of pulling it off are very slim.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In the second series of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, in addition to the main prize of a slot to open for P&T, successful contestants are also given a "Fool Us" trophy - but with the 'ool' and 's' [[DyingDeclarationOfHate much much smaller than the other letters]].

* SoreLoser:
** On one episode of ''Fool Us'' Penn was seething when Kostya Kimlat performed a card trick so well it managed to fool him [[spoiler: and Teller as well]]. He wouldn't have been so mad... had the duo not performed the same trick on the ''Today'' show two months before.
** Again with [[spoiler:Shawn Farquhar in season 3.]] Like above, Penn wouldn't have been so mad... [[spoiler:had Farquhar not ''already'' fooled them a few years ago in season 1 (UK).]]
-->'''Penn:''' You. Rat. Bastard.

** In an episode of ''Pen & Teller: Fool Us'', host Jonathan Ross asked the duel if they were nervous about the other magicians, and Teller responded with "[[PrecisionFStrike Fuck]] no!" Which of course was bleeped, so the TV audience couldn't hear it.

* '''', 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. A third season premiered on July 13th, 2016, now hosted by Creator/AlysonHannigan, who continues to host the show to this day.

* ''Series/PennAndTellerFoolUs'', 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. A third season premiered on July 13th, 2016, now hosted by Creator/AlysonHannigan, who continues to host the show to this day.

* ''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. A third season premiered on July 13th, 2016, now hosted by Creator/AlysonHannigan, who continues to host the show to this day.

* ''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. A third season premiered on July 13th, 2016, now hosted by Creator/AlysonHannigan.

* ButtMonkey: Teller is most often the one put in the "dangerous" situations and the one who has the bulk of the acting duty.
** [[TheVoiceless Well, It's not like he can say 'No'...]]

* 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.
* HypocriticalHumor: They enjoy this. In on of his shows, shortly after voicing his dislike for camera tricks, Penn run an entire credit scenes with shoddy jump cuts of them making their cast and crew (including a cameraman and his camera) appear and disappear [[BlatantLies verifying that no camera tricks were used.]]

* OhMyGods: One of Penn's exclamations is "Jesus haploid Christ!", referring to the fact that since Jesus had a biological mother but no biological father, he would only have half of the normal set of chromosomes. (Note that Penn is most decidedly ''not'' Christian.)
** 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
* OnlyOneName: Teller. His parents gave him the usual number (he was born Raymond Joseph Teller), but he did actually change it at some point -- all of his official documents, including his passport, identify him only as Teller. He likes to joke that it's "like the bank clerk."

* PickACard: Penn & Teller have done several deliberately over-the-top variations, such as the one where the number and suit of the card are revealed to be printed on Teller's eyeballs. They also, as habitual [[LampshadeHanging highlighters]] of the fraudulent nature of stage magic, have a favorite card (the three of clubs) to make their marks "randomly" select.

* TheReveal: They're widely known as the magicians who actually show everyone how their tricks are ''really'' done, and for the most part they do[[note]]though in respect of intellectual property, they only reveal tricks they have developed themselves specifically to be revealed, or very old and simple tricks or elements of tricks such as the card force, cups-and-balls trick, and methods of sleight-of-hand or misdirection that can be found in any beginner's how-to book[[/note]]...
** TheUnreveal: ...only to introduce more complicated and impressive elements or variations, ''none'' of which they explain in advance. They are ''magicians'', after all. Their rendition of the Cups and Balls trick (possibly as old as ancient Egypt, you can find it in nearly every magic kit) with clear plastic cups is so smooth that at full speed you ''still'' can't see well how it's done without repeated study.

* SelfDeprecation: They're rather fond of it. Most notably, Penn has always been extremely vocal about Teller being the better magician of the duo, a compliment Teller receives gracefully. Teller, for his part, has said on multiple occasions that he believes Penn is the better showman.

* TheSilentBob: Teller
* SilentPartner: [[RunningGag Teller]]
* SilentSnarker: [[RuleOfThree Teller]]
* SoreLoser: On one episode of ''Fool Us'' Penn was seething when Kostya Kimlat performed a card trick so well it managed to fool him [[spoiler: and Teller as well]]. He wouldn't have been so mad... had the duo not performed the same trick on the ''Today'' show two months before.
** And again with [[spoiler:Shawn Farquhar in season 3.]] Like above, Penn wouldn't have been so mad... [[spoiler:had Farquhar not ''already'' fooled them a few years ago in season 1 (UK).]]

* StageMagician: Penn & Teller

* SuddenlyVoiced: 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]].

** TheUnreveal: ...only to introduce more complicated and impressive elements or variations, ''none'' of which they explain in advance. They are ''magicians'', after all. Their rendition of the Cups and Balls trick (possibly as old as ancient Egypt, you can buy it in nearly every magic kit) with clear plastic cups is so smooth that at full speed you ''still'' can't see well how it's done without repeated study.

* FatAndSkinny: Penn and Teller, respectively, at least until 2015, when Penn lost over a hundred pounds to resolve health issues related to his weight and high blood pressure. He's had to assure people multiple times that the weight loss was intentional and he's not him dying or anything like that.

* FatAndSkinny: Penn and Teller, respectively, at least until 2015, when Penn lost over a hundred pounds to resolve health issues related to his weight and high blood pressure. He's had to assure people multiple times that the weight loss was intentional and he's not dying or anything like that.

* WingdingEyes: One of their card tricks involve this. Teller's eyes are covered by shades until TheReveal. [[https://youtu.be/iFMaPUtCi9o?t=8m17s Performed]] on TheHollywoodSquares.

* ActorAllusion: One rendition of the water tank trick featured John Cleese as the mark, with the failed "Is this your card?" having [[Series/FawltyTowers "Basil"]] written on it.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: [[https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/introguest-performance-penn-teller/2859790 A variation]] on the PickACard trick was performed on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' in 1986. Penn is live via remote in Times Square where he accosts a random tourist to perform the trick. Teller is back in the studio with an impressive (at the time) computer setup, describing the specs on the computer, twin Acorn Electras with ''140 megabyte'' hard drives. One of the computers has the live remote feed, and the other is connected to the Jumbotron in Times Square, with the "online time paid in advance." It's called the "Most Expensive Card Trick," having been paid for with "$56,000 of NBC's money."[[note]]The card deck is brand new, purchased from a newsstand on camera, not shuffled. The mark picks the card out, Penn fans out the deck, and flashes it to the camera. Teller then uses the computer to analyze the card deck, see which card is missing, and display the result on the Times Square Jumbotron.[[/note]] The computer specs are impressive for 1986, but laughable today.

* 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."

'''Penn & Teller''' are an American double-act, comedians and stage magicians, with a regular gig at the Rio Hotel and Casino in UsefulNotes/LasVegas.

'''Penn Fraser Jillette''' (born March 5, 1955) is the tall, talkative one with dark hair and glasses. '''[[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.

** The ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'' movie has a cameo of Penn as a Carnie Talker