Game Show Blunders

My husband and I watch some game shows fairly regularly.  We occasionally see Wheel of Fortune, but never miss an episode of Jeopardy! (RIP Alex Trebek). We don’t have to worry about scheduling, because we record it each evening and watch it when we can.

               During the pandemic, we’ve also been recording America Says and 25 Words Or Less.  Both of these are fun to watch during breakfast, and we play along sometimes. Just as in sporting events, we’ve realized that yelling at the television does not make the contestants or the players perform any differently. But it is a great stress reliever.

               Being fans of game shows, we know about some of the classic bloopers and blunders that have occurred in many of them. There are a quite a few available on YouTube, if you need a 10-minute laugh.  One of my favorites was a classic Family Feud episode with the late, great Richard Dawson as host.  The question was, “name a month in which a woman begins to show her pregnancy.”  The probably nervous player said, “September.”  Similarly, one gentleman was giving answers in the bonus round and when told to “name your favorite day of the week,” he responded, “December.”

               Ah, well, they were at least in the ball park of days and months.  In an old episode of the Newlywed Game, Bob Eubanks asked the question, “What is your favorite part of this game show set?” Husband number 3 answered, “Probably Wife Number 2.”  There was awkward laughter and obviously he wasn’t sure what the term “set” actually included. I do have to wonder if couple number 3 later appeared on the So You’re Getting a Divorce show (that one’s not real).

               Lately, we’ve really enjoyed some of the blunders that have been made.  In 25 Words or Less, teams of 3 people (2 of whom are celebrities) try to get each other to say 5 words with a limited number of clues (hence the name of the show) within a minute.  In attempting to get the word “Chicago,” a very geographically-challenged contestant gave the clue, “Ohio city.” Her teammates tried gamely, but never came up with the correct word – for obvious reasons. Later that same week, another contestant was trying to get his teammates to say “Baltimore.” He gave the clues “Maryland, city” and listened wide-eyed while his teammates guessed first “Detroit” and then “Marilyn.”  I have no idea where Marilyn is, but Detroit?  Seriously, these folks proved that being a great actor or entertainer doesn’t necessarily mean you’re smart.           

               Now I can’t really criticize, as geography is not my strong suit. I can, however, do simple math.  This week, while introducing herself, one player said she had had 14 surgeries on her knees during the last year.  When the gracious host of the game, Meredith Vierra, commented, the contestant went on to explain, “yes, 7 on this knee and 8 on the other.” 

               Seriously?  I mean, I’m sure she was nervous, but still. The good news for us is that these gaffs just add more fun to watching the shows.