Penn & Teller vs Chinese Medicine

I don’t even have the words for this one. Freedom of Speech is a basic human right, but much like the American right to bear arms, its misuse can have dramatic consequences. Here’s the blurb for the next episode of “Penn & Teller: Bullshit!” courtesy of www.sho.com:

“Episode 2: “New Age Medicine”
Nobody ever gets sick in China. Okay, that would be true if Eastern Medicine were actually worth a monkey’s ass. But here’s the truth: sticking acupuncture needles in your feet will not cure your asthma; the Chinese practice of cupping does nothing more than leave ugly red marks on your back; and the Japanese “art” of reiki won’t channel your spiritual energy for healing – it’ll just channel your money into the reiki “artist’s” pocket. At least Tiger Penis soup tastes delicious, even if it – like all the other Chinese herbal potions – doesn’t cure a damn thing. We’re taking down the charlatans who prey on the seriously ill with this unproven, unscientific, and unbelievably dumb type of “medicine.”

Honestly though, why do I care? Penn’s an entertainer, the host of a show with deadlines and a need for a steady stream of things to de-bunk. It’s what the whole thing runs on. In the promo ad I saw for it last night he pointed out that “in a study” it was shown that a “trained acupuncturist had the exact same effects as putting the needles anywhere you want.” If you’ve ever read any of these “studies” they aren’t performed by acupuncturists at all, but rather by MDs sending the patient home with some needles with instructions to insert the needle into LI-4 or something for their migraine, because, you know, the Western model and practice of completely separating treater from patient as an assumed moral decision(see articles by Dr. Ted Kaptchuk of Harvard Medical School on this subject) is the gold standard and how “the real world works.” The promo on the website has a (presumed) medical intuitive getting the Straw Man treatment from Penn. Classy.

It amazes me (though again it shouldn’t, as this is a big-money entertainment venture fronted by a very public know-it-all and NOT a PSA) that he has the huevos to claim that Chinese herbalism doesn’t cure anything, that Eastern medicine as a whole is worthless, that Acupuncture is either a sham or “the placebo effect”. Again, it’s the Straw Man for the sake of entertainment and attracting viewers. Because let’s face it, it isn’t nearly as entertaining quoting the gazillion ancient and modern clinical reports, findings, trials, records, statistics, patient results logs from the practically innumerable TCM hospitals and clinics in China, let alone in the West.

So what sucks is that the “skeptics” are going to swallow the hook, line, sinker, and maybe even the fisherman on this and unfortunately take a couple gullible folks with them. Irresponsible, but since when is this country run on responsibility? The dollar swallowed that up a long time ago. Way to lead with your wallets and prejudices, guys.