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Penn & Teller Bull****: Ground Zero - 05/01/06

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Penn & Teller Bull****: Ground Zero - 05/01/06

Old 05-01-06, 12:03 AM
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Penn & Teller Bull****: Ground Zero - 05/01/06

Showtime, 9:00pm CDT. Repeated one hour later.

It has been over four years since the worst terrorist attack on American soil and the only reminder is a big gaping hole in the middle of New York's financial district. Disgruntled family members of the victims want to memorialize the fallen, big corporations want to get back to business, local residents remain concerned over the health risks of living and working nearby, and politicians blather on, afraid of making politically incorrect moves. Everyone it seems is angling for a piece of the multi-billion dollar federal government pie to rebuild the site. BULLSHIT! takes on the fight for Ground Zero from street level to New York's towers of power.
I'm not sure what to expect. Having just seen United 93 I hope this episode is sober, serious and respectful where it should be.

Next week: Pet Love (my most unanticipated episode of the season)

Last edited by movielib; 05-01-06 at 07:27 AM.
Old 05-01-06, 12:32 AM
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I think what they find to be Bullshit is how everyone is clamoring for the cash and political power over the issue.

If you remember their "Conspiracy" episode, they seem to get pissed off by anyone dissing Ground Zero.
Old 05-01-06, 08:25 AM
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shouldn't they be debunking that video that claims there was no plane that crashed into the Pentagon, or is that one just too easy?

-jason
Old 05-01-06, 08:34 AM
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Originally Posted by fuzzbox
shouldn't they be debunking that video that claims there was no plane that crashed into the Pentagon, or is that one just too easy?
Pretty much. It really is a bit of a "gimme", as far as debunks go.

You can spend about ten minutes reading the Snopes writeup on the subject to get the same effect.
Old 05-01-06, 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by fuzzbox
shouldn't they be debunking that video that claims there was no plane that crashed into the Pentagon, or is that one just too easy?

-jason
They covered that in the Conspiracy Theories episode.
Old 05-03-06, 02:45 PM
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So this episode aired, what did you all think?

I think they couldn't be any more right. I've always felt weird about the "freedom tower" being built and I just didn't think it would fit well in the skyline. No better "Eff you" to the people who took our towers than to build em right back up again.
Old 05-03-06, 03:08 PM
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Saw this episode. I'm on the other coast, so don't hear as much about all the b.s. on this reconstruction effort, so it was good info. Building that museum underground is creepy since that ground is really a burial site for many that weren't recovered.

I agree with their point just to rebuild them as they were as a big f-you. Of course, they would have to be seriously redesigned from a structural and safety point of view, but that wouldn't have taken nearly as long as whatever they end up building.
Old 05-03-06, 05:17 PM
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just saw the episode.
i'm on the fence as far as what should happen and i don't think i'm educated enough on the subject to know, but the whole underground memorial idea seems kind of odd.
i think they could've done something better than the pizza towers at the end.
Old 05-06-06, 01:25 AM
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I really like the idea of simply rebuilding the towers. I think it is so stupid that all of this has happened and we don't have squat. It tends to make you think that the terrorists were right in some respects. We can't even rebuild the damn things, and that should have been first priority. Also being on the other coast, I don't really ever hear anything about this. But how can you have a memorial that doesn't actually have anything that would be a memory of the tragedy?

I will admit that I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for the pizza guy, though. I know the point they wanted to make but it came off as "We need to save the pizza guy."
Old 05-06-06, 02:07 AM
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Not really surprising it's taking as long as it has to get a consensus on what to do and then do it. Any time there are conflicting interests, the process gets bogged down. And there are probably more conflicting interests and more people wanting to play to those interests since they know the entire nation is watching (to some degree), this particular project is going to be more bogged down than most.

If Minnesota can't build a baseball stadium for the Twins in 15 years, then there's little hope for replacing the Twin Towers in five.

Personally, I don't like the idea of simply rebuilding the towers essentially as they were. They were never all that architecturally attractive buildings, designed and built during a fairly dark period in American architecture and representing the worst of the period. It just seems silly to me to build a replica of two buildings that few people ever really liked until they were destroyed.
Old 05-06-06, 07:14 AM
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Was this episode already dated? I mean, I thought building had already begun very recently. Regardless, this was my least favorite BS episode so far. Kind of boring even though I am interested in what the building will look like.
Old 05-06-06, 12:58 PM
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I think the show was OK. It had information of which I was unaware. The tone of the program was respectful enough.

Regarding the pizza guy, I couldn't understand why P&T were so gaga over crappy New York pizza. I'll take Chicago deep dish style any time.
Old 05-06-06, 11:00 PM
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Originally Posted by BigDan
Personally, I don't like the idea of simply rebuilding the towers essentially as they were. They were never all that architecturally attractive buildings, designed and built during a fairly dark period in American architecture and representing the worst of the period. It just seems silly to me to build a replica of two buildings that few people ever really liked until they were destroyed.
ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY...I only started liking the TT after they were gone...they really were shit buildings
Old 05-06-06, 11:01 PM
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Originally Posted by movielib
I think the show was OK. It had information of which I was unaware. The tone of the program was respectful enough.

Regarding the pizza guy, I couldn't understand why P&T were so gaga over crappy New York pizza. I'll take Chicago deep dish style any time.
Probably because you live in Minnesota
Old 05-30-06, 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by movielib

Regarding the pizza guy, I couldn't understand why P&T were so gaga over crappy New York pizza. I'll take Chicago deep dish style any time.

Yuck. NY-style is the only way to go.

As for this episode, wow. I had no idea just how stinky the bullshit was with this, and here we are almost 5 years removed from the attacks. But hey, that's government for ya.

I agree with kvrdave - why couldn't they just rebuild the towers? Wouldn't that be the ultimate FUCK YOU?
Old 05-31-06, 07:14 AM
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I am in favor of rebuilding them, but adding one more floor.
Old 05-31-06, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Tommy Ceez
Probably because you live in Minnesota
Wisconsin. But then, to New Yorkers, all "flyover" territory is the same.
Old 05-31-06, 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Red Dog
As for this episode, wow. I had no idea just how stinky the bullshit was with this, and here we are almost 5 years removed from the attacks. But hey, that's government for ya.
That's NYC for you. At least Tammany knew how to get things built. Now the idiots in power bicker about construction projects for seventeen years, until they finally decide on a plan and then realize all the money was pissed away.
Old 05-31-06, 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Tracer Bullet
That's NYC for you. At least Tammany knew how to get things built. Now the idiots in power bicker about construction projects for seventeen years, until they finally decide on a plan and then realize all the money was pissed away.

I guess here in DC, things are different because all the major buildings are either government hubs or monuments, so I can't imagine anything other than a rebuild of what was there before should one be taken out.
Old 05-31-06, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Tracer Bullet
That's NYC for you. At least Tammany knew how to get things built. Now the idiots in power bicker about construction projects for seventeen years, until they finally decide on a plan and then realize all the money was pissed away.
Ask a Chicagoan about Block 37 some time. Your 17 year estimate is exactly right!

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