Penn & Teller Are Teaching You Magic

The Legendary Duo Has a Brand New MasterClass


MasterClass, the leading purveyor of online courses taught by really famous people, is making its first foray into a brand new subject.

No, you won't be learning how to investigate a sitting president from Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Nor will you be exploring the fine art of Instagram influencing from Kim Kardashian.

We can only hope that those classes arrive sometime in the not-so-distant future.

For now, though, you'll have to settle for Penn & Teller teaching you sleight of hand, misdirection and other essential tools of modern magic. Rabbits. Hats. Cups. Balls. You know, all the good stuff. The entire course is available now for $90

It's a pretty good deal, too, considering the fact that you can't put a price on fooling the shit out of your friends (or prospective dates at a cocktail party). Plus, magic isn't what it used to be. Now, with the power of Instagram, it's quite feasible for you to do magic and amass a following without having to grow a goatee or dress like a pick-up artist. 

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. You'll probably want to take this course first. Fortunately, there's no one else you'd rather have as your teachers. Penn & Teller have been performing for 18 years at the Rio, making it the longest-running act in Vegas history. Their Showtime series, Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, wherein they exposed charlatans and hucksters, was on the air for 13 seasons; Penn & Teller: Fool Us!, on the CW, is essentially Shark Tank for up-and-coming magicians. They also do that thing where Penn shoots Teller and he catches the bullet in his mouth. So that's cool.  

While they can't reveal all of their secrets, they do cover a breadth of other topics over 14 chapters, including the French Drop (a fundamental sleight of hand move), coin magic and how to deploy misdirection. Additionally, they delve into the philosophy of magic, exploring the ethical quandaries of mentalism and the psychological aspects of deception. Of course, you'll have the chance to watch them do their thing, too—the final bonus chapter is a clip from their live show at the Rio.

The course is mostly comprised of video demonstrations—which you can watch online or via Apple TV—yet it also includes a downloadable companion book, detailing step-by-step instructions for executing a range of tricks. 

Although, presumably, not the bullet catch. 

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