Penn and Morgan

It was great to watch Penn Jillette and Piers Morgan last night. It was a meeting between a man I have come to greatly admire, and a man who believes in magic.

The man who believes in magic, is Piers Morgan, who as long as he can stay ahead of the British Newspaper Phone Hacking Scandal seems destined to remain Larry King’s replacement at CNN.

[Will someone at CNN please explain to that shallow Brit, that people tune in to hear his guests, not him, and that he should use AGT as the forum for his opinions. It’s much easier to Tivo FF past him in that context.]

Anyway,  between Morgan’s repeated interruptions Penn tried to answer Morgan’s questions in the most reasonable manner, despite the obvious fact that Morgan was more interested in picking a fight.

The topic was Penn’s well known Atheism and his new book, God, No.

[Morgan responded with the same confrontational style of squirmy trepidation with which he greets acts on America’s Got Talent that might fall outside the mainstream, especially if he senses a hint of ‘gayness’ about them. Is Morgan afraid to explore questions as to the validity of  the Divinity in the same way he shuts out acts which might challenge his heterosexuality? Obviously he is on AGT to play the bad guy in the Simon Cowell mold, but his fears seem genuine both on AGT and PMT.]

Penn is a bright curious guy whose knowledge extends in unpredictable directions. We can all learn a lot from him. But first Pier’s Morgan must learn a thing or two from Teller, Penn’s stage partner of 30+ years.

Morgan must learn silence.

So if you too watched Morgan in the vain hope you might hear what Penn Jillette had to say, click on over to NPR, and you’ll have another chance, or just click here to listen to their 16 minute interview in which Penn was able to talk.

You’ll be interested in everything he has to say, even if Piers isn’t.