TV Monger

A new gameshow aired on Fox last night.  It’s just like Who Wants to be a Millionaire except the contestants know the questions (and answers) before they even begin, they can win up to $500K (rather than a full million), and they are bound to lose much much more (friends, family, spouses).  At first I was intrigued.  Americans have an infatuation with nail-biting drama and we especially love to see it played out by normal people on national television.

The premise here is simple.  Before the show airs, contestants are hooked up to a polygraph (lie detector) test and asked a series of questions, 21 of which are chosen for the “aired show.”  Then, in front of friends and family, they are asked those same questions again and must tell the truth in order to advance.  This is where the show gets two thumbs down for being…well…a pointless game show.  So the more they answer correct, the more money they win. In the meantime, they’re embarrassed and shamed in front of loved ones as they admit to all the nasty little things they’ve done and thought of. Essentially, if they lie they lose the money and look bad (because the secret is already out).  So why, I ask you, would the contestant not just answer everything correctly?  If they’re going to walk away with a shattered reputation no matter what, they might as well do it with $500K in their pocket!