This past week on Fool Us, Giancarlo Bernini had a very entertaining routine using a coffee cup and a rope. Essentially it was R**g *ff Rope using a cup with handle. Penn asked a bunch of ridiculous questions that he clearly knew were not the solution and then he declared that they were fooled. I have to call BS on this. I'm supposed to believe that Teller, with his vast knowledge of virtually every effect out there, doesn't know this classic? Come on! He could probably tell you 5 different ways to do it.

In the past I've doubted that they were really fooled on a few things, but this was blatant, unless I'm really missing something. If you saw it, what are your thoughts? I hate to think the show is rigged but maybe I'm just being naive here.

Many people don't know the show actually has judges, as it is a competition show. Most of the time, Penn & Teller - in their deliberation - tell their official guess to the judges, who then quietly inform P&T on the ruling of whether they've been fooled. After that, Penn's job is to deliver the news to the performer in the most entertaining way possible. They also only get one guess. What probably happened is their guess was wrong, and because of the premise of the routine, Penn decided to have fun with it.

Call BS on what exactly?

Their FIRST solution was not the right one. Perhaps Teller had one of the other four you seem to think he has in the chamber.

It is one answer, pass/fail. Having five solutions may not be a huge advantage.

Unless you know the rules to “fooling them” calling BS on anything seems pretty harsh.

It is possible for them to think of more than one solution, give the wrong answer first and lose. Still having the other solution they are not “fooled “ by traditional definitions but by the rules they are. They don’t get infinite guesses.

I knew some of the rules, perhaps not all. So you're probably right Danny I may have been a bit harsh. Even so, it just seemed like they would know a pretty common effect like this so it just didn't sit right. That's why I wanted to post here and get some feedback from those who may know better.

Thanks for your comments.

Also, despite it being a R*** *of Rope effect, it doesn't seem to use those traditional methods. The way the rope went cleanly through the handle and then the mug hung on the rope... no traditional R*** off Rope method can do that as far as I know.