An epiphany about (some) game shows, specifically Family Feud

[UTUSN]

Over most of my old life I was too busy with work and stuff to pay much attention to superfluities, such as entertainment, and what little TV/other I indulged was ruled over by Brand-loyalty - my Boomer generation, the gasoline cards, the laundry soap, everything.

Back then whole genres were blocked out entirely: Game shows (for me anyway) were a low life thing like carnival barkers. (Look how things changed when "carnival barker" didn't disqualify Drumpf! ) ----

In recent years with all the options unleashed the Brand-loyalty broken down, I skip around in a lot of ways - but not others, like I never have and never will look at doctor shows, lawyer shows, actually almost all drama, only very little comedy, and now skip around on late night although mostly KIMMEL and COLBERT.

And a couple of what have surfaced are spot binges of Family Feud and The Match Game. Never watched Match when it was current, had the image of Gene RAYBURN as the prototypical "slimy" game show host, yet now in bingeing (now over with) see him as accomplished and totally in charge. In recent years, another image changed for me was how Mary Tyler MOORE is billed as a role model for the independent single woman, when back then us post-Hippies called her plastic.

**** But on to the epiphany. Yesterday flipping onto Feud with Steve HARVEY, having seen a fair number of episodes (not a fanatical number), I realized for the first time that the segments of game questions answers have point values, like the #1 answer with the most points. Yeah-yeah, I'm SLOW all right?!1 *****BUT here's the real insight: That as many times that I've seen this show, apart from its being so repetitive, it DOESN'T MATTER what the little specific rules are!!!!!

I have watched this thing WITHOUT PAYING ATTENTION OR CARING about the points! Just didn't matter. And the repetitiveness gets cancelled out by the changing topics of the questions. The segment outcome and the personality of the "families" kept it rolling along!

But enough of this profundity. Passing time. Pastime. We beings have been passing/wasting time since the days of rocks. Internet, too.

[mopinko]

1. those personalities ARE the point.

my sister was on wheel of fortune once. she realized at the try outs that what they were looking for was those little stories in the intro.
she had a fun one- the chatty cathy doll was named after her.
and of course, she is quite chatty. that's what they look for.

[UTUSN]

2. Yeah so the rules only matter to justify technical rulings. I'm just saying just noticed a rule

yesterday after a hundred views, hah!1

[Polly Hennessey]

3. I think I get what you are saying. Now that I am happily retired

I have clicked through some of the Steve Harvey and Pat Sajak shows. The structure is there and does not vary. I have a feeling that is what appeals to most on an unconscious level. Routine and predictability are safe harbors and comforting. What I love about them are the personalities of the players. It makes for smiles. This is especially true of Family Feud. Innocent pleasures, enjoy because you are not alone in your observations.

[UTUSN]

4. Exactly! Yet funny how we/I? still will watch some things but not others.

Plus there are sub-genres, like point driven things like the ones we've been talking about versus the "knowledge" or subjective based ones. For something like Jeopardy you either know answers or you don't, and if the questions are so arcane that the viewer/I wouldn't ever know it why would I care?

You're right about Wheel in the same category as Feud, but on the other hand I don't watch Wheel and do watch Feud (although finally running its course with me). Match ran its course with me, still amazing about the big names that guested.

No doubt that hitting the right formula perfectly like Wheel and Feud is like writing a super song hit.

But with RAYBURN, what mastery - like, he made no bones about the civilian contestants as being SUPERFLUOUS, nothings. He shuffled them on and off the stage with the least amount of human connection.

*** As for binge catching up - I *did* see a number of episodes of Maude yet when I did some bingeing it was with Golden Girls and not Maude that seemed so dated. And binged on The King of Queens, the first Drew CAREY Show (but not his improvisation thing that he never participated on), and

[UTUSN]

5. *OMZ*!1 - the "new" Match is ON right now! - with Alec BALDWIN!1

I'll say that in today's pseudo sophistication, Alec and today's "stars" are too too kewl for this, although I'm still liking it. The original RAYBURN and "stars" were trashy-FUN!

And who woulda thunk a movie star like Alec would deign to be a game show host?! --- Well, in olden days the Acting "profession" was a sub-set of looseness.


*********** ON EDIT: Well, it was a bit edgy last week when Alec had Hilaria on the panel. This after Hilaria's pseudo scandal of falking Hispanic ethnicity!1 That's what passes for SCANDAL now!1

[UTUSN]

6. "The Three (blank") - I would have picked Musketeers!

I never even thought of The Three AMIGOS, sort of Stooges - Stooges won!

[UTUSN]

7. I woulda gone with ("Under": ) - DOG!1 (winning was "underWEAR" )

[UTUSN]

8. Gosh, hadn't seen Marilu HENNER in decades! - & Ali WENTWORTH really is over the top!

She performed a sexual position, just actually did. Then at the end did some Hippie Dippy nut-so "dancing".

[Rhiannon12866]

9. The "Family Feud" host they have now seems to encourage answers that are "off color"

The previous "Family Feud" incarnation that I watched for awhile - when I was incapacitated and on crutches - was hosted by John O'Hurley. The shows I liked best were the ones with celebrity impersonators - and the smartest ones were "Dolly Parton" and "Marilyn Monroe!"