Penn Jillette | Club Random Classics with Bill Maher
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Breaking news, our merch just got a full revamp with all new designs and items. So if you want a little more random in your life, head over to clubrandom.com and check out the store. We've got premium hoodies, including our brand new quad hoodies with the updated logo, super soft t-shirts, super soft for men and women, and even tie-dye shirts. All merch is available exclusively at clubrandom.com. While you're there, catch up on recent episodes and grab some swag and bring a little random home. Once again, that's clubrandom.com. Well, this week's Club Random Classic is with Penn Jillette. Yeah, the giant magician, that guy. But this isn't really about magic. It's about otherwise intelligent people believe ridiculous things.
Penn and I get into religion, psychics, free speech, comedy, politics, and the psychology of deception. We agree on a few things, disagree on a few, and as usual, that's when the conversation gets interesting. It's funny, provocative, and one of those episodes that feels even more relevant now than when we first recorded it. Check out this Club Random classic with Penn Jillette. Oh, look at you, standing. Good to see you. Wow, you look like you lost a lot of weight. Only about 120 pounds.
Really? Yeah. And I know it wasn't Ozempic. No, no, I wasn't. I'm not a big fan of that. But it's been now. I mean, I just haven't seen you often. It's been like nine years I've been down there. Really? Yeah. Oh, my God. And also that brought me around to a point of view of yours that I thought I would never share.
Oh, good.
Which is it brought me around to being, I'm afraid I'm a pretty hardcore vegan. have been for nine years. I'm not a vegan. I know, but here's what happened. You see, when you... But I'm a... Animal rights guy.
A medical... Well, animal rights, yes, but also a medical skeptic in the broad sense.
I started out stopping animal products for my health And it turns out.
I don't agree with that. I'm not sure. I think the science is completely out on that. I mean, the science may very well be that people or some people need to be adopted into health animal protein. That may be the case. I know that's not what PETA wants to hear. And I love my friends at PETA. But I'm sorry. The truth always comes first. And the science is out on that. And I've heard many, many doctors say, all my patients are vegetarians. They don't look good. I disagree with that because I know vegetarians who do look fine.
I'm not sure you do, but I'll give you that. But what I was saying was, what's really interesting is when you give up having to resolve your cognitive dissonance with factory farming and so on. Yes. Once you no longer have to do that.
Right. I agree.
It's one of those things that I don't think you can find a person that will do anything. I don't think you can find reasonable people who would go into a factory farm and say, I feel good about this. This is the way we should be living.
But there are definitely people who, even if they saw it, wouldn't care that much.
That's right. But that's different.
It's different. I mean, there are some people, it's, I always compare it to me and babies, not that I would ever want to hurt a baby, but like, you can show me humans, in fact, but babies, you know, like in a movie, and bad things are happening to them, it won't actually make me cry. But an animal? It's just some people are fur people.
I believe that's a cultural thing, how we start to function that way. I'm not sure that would be built in. Really?
Oh, I don't know about that. A cultural thing? To just have a thing for animals?
I think our culture is moving in that direction.
What culture hates animals?
Well, you would say America.
America? Well, yeah, but not like, but only, mostly because they're more like the, you're right about the fact that if most people saw it, they would be appalled. But they just want to do the out of sight, out of mind.
It's one of the amazing things about freedom of speech in this country. You can't show the inside of a slaughterhouse.
Ag-gag rules. Yes. Big ag.
How did Penn Jillette first explain his shift to veganism and animal rights?
How does that happen?
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:36
2
How did Penn Jillette first explain his shift to veganism and animal rights?
4:36–12:49
3
What connection do Penn and Bill make between factory farming and pandemics like bird flu?
12:49–17:23
4
How did Penn describe using mono diets and fasting to change eating habits?
17:23–32:45
5
What stories does Penn share about performing magic on TV (Blood from a Stone, Carson, Jay Leno)?
32:45–58:20
6
What does Penn say about libertarianism, seat belts, and personal responsibility?
58:20–1:27:32
7
How do Penn and Bill explain why psychics and faith healers can convince people?
1:27:32–1:29:20