Becoming a Millionaire, for Dummies

Sometimes I watch "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," but I much prefer "Jeopardy!"

"Jeopardy!" gets some pretty bright contestants, and I try to match wits with them. (When it comes to current culture--movies, music-- or technology, these people have it all over me; but when it comes to things like classical music, opera, Greek mythology, I typically know answers when they do not. That's the difference between what I know and what younger folks know these days.)

On the other hand, I don't think that "Millionaire" contestants are very bright. There was the famous instance (I didn't see this one myself) where, as the first, $200 question, the contestant was asked "Which of these is the largest?" and three of the choices were "a peanut; an elephant; the moon." (I don't know what the fourth answer choice was, but on those $200 questions the fourth choice is always something comical and really preposterous, and the audience laughs--just in case the contestant didn't get the point that that is not a serious option.)

And--do you believe?-- the contestant didn't know. She used one of the "lifelines," "Phone a friend." The friend urged her to say "The moon." She said, "Are you sure?" and was doubtful, and did not give that as her answer!

Another gripe of mine about the show is how the contestants are coddled and have things made so easy for them. The show has had--counting as a single contestant--newly-wed couples, and other couples such that two people could put their heads together. Makes me want to say "No fair!"

Also, the show didn't used to have any time limit. The producers finally wised up and, to make things a little harder, started using a clock. But the contestants still get those lifelines, so that they themselves don't have to know the answer. What is up with winning money when it's someone else who knows the answer? One day, on a question involving knowledge of Moroccan cuisine, the contestant was able to ask George Stephanopoulos, who knew the correct answer, and thus won $25,000. I thought the money should have gone to George Stephanopoulos, although these days, I guess, George is doing okay and probably does not need that money. Another time a woman won $15,000 when she did not know two consecutive questions.

Also, Millionaire questions are still multiple-choice, whereas Jeopardy! questions are not. Still, on Jeopardy! you can guess, and one contestant sometimes gets a helpful hint from the wrong answers of one or both of the other contestants.

I feel Jeopardy! contestants have to work pretty hard to win a few thousand dollars, whereas a Millionaire contestant can answer the first few questions and win a few thousand dollars by not knowing any of the answers him or her self!

Copyright (c) 2010 by Richard Stein