--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Twelve magicians and two carnies have…" description: "\"Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every night when we close our show with that trick..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png" --- # Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing… ![“Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every night when we close our show with that trick and the loaded gun gets pointed in my face, it goes so far beyond cool. All I can think is 12 magicians, two carnies.” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png) > “Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every night when we close our show with that trick and the loaded gun gets pointed in my face, it goes so far beyond cool. All I can think is 12 magicians, two carnies.” [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The danger of a high‑risk illusion forces the performer to confront mortality and the weight of responsibility. **In simple terms:** Risky tricks make you feel vulnerable and alive. Key Takeaway Embrace the seriousness behind spectacular feats. Themes risk performance mortality responsibility Mood intense reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stage performance - personal reflection - risk assessment Key Concepts illusion psychology danger Questions to Reflect On - How does danger shape your artistic choices? - What responsibilities do performers have to safety? A Different Perspective The thrill can distract from the ethical implications of endangering lives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-night/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Loaded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loaded/) [Magician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magician/) [Magicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magicians/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We're the perfect combination. Colonel's an old carny, and me, I'm off the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/we-re-the-perfect-combination-colonel-s-an-old-carny-and-me-i-m-off/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [I can juggle, not well... I can balance a broom on my chin. I can do very simple carny tricks, a little sleight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-sommer/i-can-juggle-not-well-i-can-balance-a-broom-on-my-chin-i-can-do-very/) [Rich Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-sommer/) > [God has matured. He is not the impulsive, bowelless being of the Testaments - the vehement glorymonger, with His bag of cheap carny tricks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/god-has-matured-he-is-not-the-impulsive-bowelless-being-of-the/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [“My life had stood--a Loaded Gun-- In Corners--till a Day The Owner passed--identified-- And carried Me away-- And now We roam in Sovereign Woods--…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/my-life-had-stood-a-loaded-gun-in-corners-till-a-day-the-owner-passed/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [“Nowadays, people often ask me what it’s like hunting with my dad. We’ve actually had offers of tens of thousands of dollars from people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-robertson/nowadays-people-often-ask-me-what-it-s-like-hunting-with-my-dad-we-ve/) [Willie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-robertson/) > [When I was in my early forties, I slept with a loaded gun under my bed. Id become severely depressed in my thirties, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/when-i-was-in-my-early-forties-i-slept-with-a-loaded-gun-under-my-bed/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Stay away from my trigger, 'm a loaded gun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-keller/stay-away-from-my-trigger-m-a-loaded-gun/) Chris Keller > [“A few drinks and the world was hers— she wore her whiskey like a loaded gun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/a-few-drinks-and-the-world-was-hers-she-wore-her-whiskey-like-a/) [Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/) > [“With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/with-school-turning-out-more-runners-jumpers-racers-tinkerers/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/western-civilization-is-a-loaded-gun-pointed-at-the-head-of-this/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beating and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/and-wasn-t-it-this-bright-boy-you-selected-for-beating-and-tortures/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Dreamlands Num! Poet loathes those dragged out, over inflated, work meetings! Never fails someone cant shut their mouth, No! Not even for even a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javaz/dreamlands-num-poet-loathes-those-dragged-out-over-inflated-work/) Javaz > [If you want to shoot rare, fast-moving elephants, you should always carry a loaded gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/if-you-want-to-shoot-rare-fast-moving-elephants-you-should-always/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“There was no movement around the discoloured walls, and Lucy turned the Land Rover about in a slow crawl, the tires crunching on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-swallow/there-was-no-movement-around-the-discoloured-walls-and-lucy-turned/) [James Swallow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-swallow/) > [If liberals can seize our guns because they are dangerous, we have no chance of holding on to our cars and our homes. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/if-liberals-can-seize-our-guns-because-they-are-dangerous-we-have-no/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) ## More by Penn Jillette > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) [Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## More Bullets quotes > [There is no silver bullet. There are always options and the options have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/there-is-no-silver-bullet-there-are-always-options-and-the-options/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“One javelin through five people is like a murder kabob. Saves bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/one-javelin-through-five-people-is-like-a-murder-kabob-saves-bullets/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The bullet that will kill me is not yet cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-bullet-that-will-kill-me-is-not-yet-cast/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Discoveries from one community cannot be repackaged and provided to another as a silver bullet, That's a "best practice" rollout and it invariably evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pascale/discoveries-from-one-community-cannot-be-repackaged-and-provided-to/) [Richard Pascale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pascale/) > [Thus is man made equal to every event. He can face danger for the right. A poor, tender, painful body, he can run into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/thus-is-man-made-equal-to-every-event-he-can-face-danger-for-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“If mankind's destined to bite the bullet, let's bite it and be damned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-shan/if-mankind-s-destined-to-bite-the-bullet-let-s-bite-it-and-be-damned/) [Darren Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-shan/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Guard yourself and your conscience no one else will and know that a bad decision at the right time can destroy you far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/guard-yourself-and-your-conscience-no-one-else-will-and-know-that-a/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“It takes thousands of bullets to kill an army but one to end a war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-martinez/it-takes-thousands-of-bullets-to-kill-an-army-but-one-to-end-a-war/) Michael Martinez > [I hate it, it is tedious... when I write for my act, it is very improvisational, I write bullet points, I cannot sit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-hate-it-it-is-tedious-when-i-write-for-my-act-it-is-very/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [Trump conducts meetings and actually tries to get something done rather than just have the meeting and rather than just announce a framework and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/trump-conducts-meetings-and-actually-tries-to-get-something-done/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [This is like playing Russian roulette with a Luger rather than a revolver. One bullet, one chamber - and we're pulling the trigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lynas/this-is-like-playing-russian-roulette-with-a-luger-rather-than-a/) [Mark Lynas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lynas/) > [I've buried six Guardian Angels who have been shot and killed in the line of duty. I was stalked myself, had a gunman go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sliwa/i-ve-buried-six-guardian-angels-who-have-been-shot-and-killed-in-the/) [Curtis Sliwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sliwa/) Browse all 796 Bullets quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every night when we close our show with that trick and the loaded gun gets pointed in my face, it goes so far beyond cool. All I can think is 12 magicians, two carnies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Penn Jillette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-been-shot-dead-doing-the-bullet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bullets" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-been-shot-dead-doing-the-bullet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/penn-jillette-1046_bullets_twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-be_534878.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every…” — Penn Jillette", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Penn Jillette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Twelve magicians and two carnies have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-been-shot-dead-doing-the-bullet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/twelve-magicians-and-two-carnies-have-been-shot-dead-doing-the-bullet/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```