# Bullsh*t: The Gameshow



## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

I'm not usually a big fan of game shows, but I like Howie Mandel, and I was a fan of Penn & Teller's "Bullsh*t," a show debunking common myths. So I gave it a go.

Wow, it's better than I would've expected. Here's the thing: it's basically a trivia show where they ask harder-than-normal trivia questions, but if the contestant *doesn't know the answer* he or she can choose an answer at random and then make up a bullsh*t rationalization.

A panel of three "bullsh*t detectors" have to decide if you're telling the truth... or bullsh*tting.

This spins the game into a whole new dimension. It's no longer about knowing your trivia (like Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares, etc.) although it CAN help to know if the contestant gave the right answer. But mostly it's about reading body language and watching the eyes, to see if there are any 'tells' that the contestant is lying. If all three detectors call "bullsh*t" and you were bullsh*tting, you're bounced out. The lie detector with the best record of detecting lies assumes the contestant hotseat.

But wait. Contestants WANT the detectors to be wrong, that's how they advance up the money scale from $1000 to $1m. So it's to their advantage to throw them off, to APPEAR to lie when they aren't, or appear to tell the truth if they're not lying. That spins the game in the opposite direction, where you're playing "Truth or Dare." A good liar can advance without knowing any trivia -- if he's convincing enough.

In addition, the contestants all seem like normal people, not particularly smart or pretty or chosen by Central Casting as in many game shows. Each contestant formulates a strategy to advance, and there is no clear winning strategy. One of the contestants told the camera he was good at bullsh*tting because he used to be a stripper, and he could convince the women he was straight.

He got kicked out after the first round!


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