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Penn & Teller are taking a month off for health reasons


June 22, 2018

Penn and Teller are getting old, quite the accomplishment given their hectic schedule. But at 63 and 70, respectively, the two respected magicians are starting to feel the effects of a lifetime of straight-jackets, trap doors, and dodgy tour bus seats. Wisely, the pair have chosen to take five weeks off for a quick health tune up. They’ll be “going dark,” from July 10th through to August 18th.

During that time, Teller will be undergoing spinal fusion surgery to address chronic pain, while Penn will be committing to a medically supervised, water-only fast for the whole five weeks.

Penn explained on Twitter that the fast is meant to help his presumably high blood pressure, and isn’t a weight loss program. Penn has seemingly developed somewhat of a taste for extreme diets. He famously lost over 100 lbs through a strict, vegetable-based diet that began with nothing but potatoes. While extreme diets that cause fast weight loss have a reputation for being unsuccessful in the long term, Penn has managed to beat the odds and maintain a healthy weight of 220 lbs for nearly three years now. He wrote about the experience in his book Presto!

Everyone here at GeniiOnline wishes the duo a fast recovery, and suggest other magicians follow their example. Self-care is an important factor in becoming an old magician rather than a retired magician. Or a dead magician. Take a holiday.