But it’s a bit more nuanced than that, Marvin Berglas, the president of the Magic Circle, said in an interview. Yes, they reveal secrets, Berglas said, but then they “quite frankly blow you away with an entirely different and creative method.”
“There has perhaps been some criticism in the past for apparently exposing certain secrets,” Berglas said. “However, to those really in the know, the magic was always their original and artistic performances, whereby audiences thought they understood how something may have been done, only then to be utterly fooled by an entirely different original method. And for that, Penn & Teller really are the kings.”
In his remarks at the induction ceremony, a transcript of which was provided by a representative, Teller acknowledged the longstanding resistance to the duo’s inclusion in the society.
“We know this wasn’t easy,” he said. “We spent years making fun of the Magic Circle. But your members took the high road, forgave us, and welcomed us in.”
Teller said the duo looked forward to “enjoying the Circle’s huge resources” and “visiting with our friends at those midnight sessions where we chant in Latin, around a giant pentacle and slit the throats of ravens.”