Penn and Teller Defend Adult Industry on 'Bullshit'

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — On the heels of a loss in the courtroom, the adult industry is going to get some help from an unexpected source: the mainstream.

Magicians Penn and Teller's Showtime series "Bullshit" will leap to the defense of the adult industry on tomorrow's premiere episode, subtitled "The War on Porn."

Like all episodes of "Bullshit," this one will feature lighthearted interviews with various sources interspersed with showman Penn Jillette's commentary.

Arguing against the industry will be Donna Rice, whose dalliance with then-Sen. Gary Hart ended his presidential bid in 1984. Since the mid-1990s, Rice has been an anti-pornography advocate. Representatives from anti-porn ministry XXXChurch.com and the conservative Family Research Council will also condemn adult.

One of the main figures called to defend adult is Dr. Marty Klein, a counselor, sex therapist and author.

"There's no peer-reviewed, scientific data that proves that people who look at porn are more likely to commit violent acts than anyone else," Klein says on the program. He also cites one of his books, "America's War On Sex."

Klein told XBIZ that antiporn advocates often rely on flawed methodology when compiling evidence for their arguments.

"No one disputes the fact that a certain percentage of people of people who commit sexually related crimes have porn on their person or in their homes," he said, explaining that antiporn advocates make two mistakes when they argue that watching porn caused these crimes. "One, correlation does not equal causation. Someone who commits a sex crime may have watched porn that morning, but they may have also had coffee that morning. They may have watched 'Seinfeld' that morning. That doesn't mean that those things caused them to commit the crime."

Second, Klein said that while antiporn advocates are quick to point at sex criminals who have watched porn, they fail to consider the large number of people who have watched porn with no subsequent bad behavior.

Adult star Brandi Love will also appear on the show with her husband to refute claims from conservative quarters.

“This was one of the most entertaining and creative media pieces I have ever been involved with,” said Love, whose segment was broadcast on the OneCams.com network.

A preview for the episode of "Bullshit" is available at Showtime's official website.

"Penn & Teller's Bullshit: The War on Porn" will be broadcast Thursday, June 19 at 10 p.m. on the east and west coasts on Showtime. For more information, visit Sho.com.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Sabien DeMonia Makes Her Hentaied Debut

Euro XMAs winner Sabien DeMonia has made her debut for Hentaied alongside Dimitry Simonit in the latest installment of the series "Futanari-Dom," titled "Secret Side of Me."

Reborn Cinema Sets Sex and Storytelling to a Tropical Soundtrack

In Karim Z's imagination, it all started in Rio de Janeiro. There was sun, sand and plenty of skin. Beautiful people cavorted along the beach while the sounds of bossa nova, rock and electronic music washed over scenes of sex and excess. The performers would be Brazilian, the dialogue would be in Portuguese and music would drive the action as much as anything happening on screen.

Report: UK Film Classification Board to Monitor 'Extreme' Content Online

The U.K. government has tapped the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for a pilot program to monitor online pornography for illegal and “extreme” content, as it prepares to enforce new content restrictions, British media outlet Sky News is reporting.

New Federal Report Slams Debanking but Ignores Adult Industry

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Wednesday released a report on debanking activities at nine large national banks, but omitted any mention of the adult industry, despite previously identifying it as a sector facing banking discrimination.

Ravyn Alexa Makes Her Reality Kings Debut

Ravyn Alexa has made her debut for Reality Kings alongside Lucas Frost in the studio's latest release, titled "Inked and Oiled."

Yhivi Stars in Latest From Kink.com

Yhivi stars with director John Paul "The Pope" in the latest release from Kink.com, titled "Bound and Squirting."

TTS Expands Testing Coverage to 300 New Labs

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has expanded its coverage to 300 ARCPoint and Any Lab Test Now locations across the U.S.

EU Court Rejects Stripchat Challenge of Past VLOP Designation

The EU’s General Court on Wednesday ruled against Stripchat in a lawsuit seeking to annul a 2023 European Commission decision designating the site as a “very large online platform” (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Penny Barber Leads Latest From MYLF

Penny Barber stars with newcomer Vince Vicious in the latest release from MYLF.

Emma Rose, Kasey Kei Star in Latest From Transfixed

Multi-XMAs winner Emma Rose and Kasey Kei star with Ameena Green in the latest release from Transfixed, titled "A Nuru Solution."

Show More