Even though their revealings are entertaining, some of the stuff they reveal will still sink in their spectators' minds.
Look at this (cups and balls revealed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXQRdjLzL0

I know that the spectators' don't ACTUALLY understand the moves, but they might remember that they were using an extra ball, thus revealing a very important PRINCIPLE that magicians use every day with pretty much any form of magic.

Agreed.

But you know, they have to make a living, and Penn and Teller have NEVER been short of ticking people off.

This is exactly what I meant when I started this post. Are Penn & Tellers explanations at times bogus? Yes. But they also reveal quite a bit when it comes to real techniques. Over their career they have revealed the existence of stooges, some sleight of hand techniques, the use of duplicate objects and even some illusion design. But certain people like to be selective in their hatred for revealing. When a kid on youtube reveals a technique they hate it. When Penn & Teller do it they call them genius. There is a clear double standard.

To an extent yes.
Youtube does it for one reason, and P & T for another reason.
Have you ever been called out by some one that has seen P&T; have you ever been called out by some one who saw a Utube video?
I highly doubt the frist one happens very often... but I do hear a lot of complaining from being called out after seeing a u-tube video.

The end result is generally what matters.

Just for the record, I do agree with you: people have mentioned YouTube videos waaay more than they have mentioned Penn and Teller; however, I have had people say that they saw a similar version of something I did revealed on Penn and Teller (my chop cup routine; their cups and balls routine). I have also had people tell me that I should start revealing my tricks like Penn and Teller do. Again, they haven't had any effect on my performances or the way people enjoy them, but it does happen.

Magicians mention when they call up volunteers that they didn't know each other before, show there hands empty in the middle of tricks and show they don't have things up there sleeves because people assume that stuff is going on. If not at the moment when they ask them selves later how something was done they draw those conclusions on there own. Weather or not those conclusions are correct or they have any idea of when these are actually practiced is a different story, I don't see P&T connecting to many of these dots for people. Besides I think at this point they are known as those guys who upset people with there show on Showtime as much as Magicians.

I've seen them mention that they were kicked out of the Magic Castle for performing the cups and balls with clear cups, I'm not sure if that actually happened or if it was just patter, but it shows that they have faced real consequences in the magic community for there style.

I want to put this out there too. I have a few memories of televised magic from when I was young. I remember watching all four of the masked magicians shows, but I remember much more clearly seeing a show done by P&T where they "reveled" a bunch of the same tricks that the masked magician did but then performed them in ways that at least made the masked magicians stuff seem like bs. So at least in my mind they helped to recover from the larger exposure though what they do, in a way magicians with a more sterling reputation never could.

First off I would just like to say I freakin' LOVE Penn & Teller they are one (I count them as one since you can't have one w/o the other) of my top 3 Magicians.

Also a few of my friends who've watched them always react the same way "Gahh, they must be lying theres no way they do the trick like that. There has to be another way" and then come up with an insanely different method

Penn and Teller's Bullet Catch is a thing of beauty, and I challenge anyone here to give me an example where someone remembered a Penn and Teller routine and called out your method. It simply doesn't happen. People walk away from their show entertained, but hardly ever do they walk away 'informed'.

-JT

And P&T's bullet catch is so amazing. Penn said that only 4 people in the world know how they do it. I know 3 of them, Penn, Teller, and Banacek the other one is most likely the stage manager. And they are great performers. Not all of their tricks are revealed. Teller's solo work never has been. And the new effect they do as an escape from a helium filled plastic bag isn't revealed either.

I could be mistaken about this, but I think I remember in one of James Randi's columns that he knew how their bullet catch was done. I know Penn and Randi (as well as Banacek and Randi) are good friends so I wouldn't be surprised if Randi is one of the few in the know on this.