Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
What’s the Dumbest TV You Watch? I’ll Tell You Mine
Do you watch any television shows that you’d be embarrassed to let people know you watch? Since I use an alias here at Ricochet, I’ll boldly come out and tell you one of mine, Family Feud. Yes, the insipid game show which began on the networks and moved to syndication and has been around since the invention of the cathode tube (or more precisely 1976).
I know what you’re thinking, Family Feud makes even The Voice look like a part of the Golden Age of Television. But I have my reasons. They may not be good reasons, but what excuse did you have for watching Downton Abbey after the death of Matthew? (Sorry, spoilers.)
But let me explain myself and perhaps you’ll feel a little better about your mindless viewing. Anyway, here is what I find interesting about this particular piece of real estate in the vast wasteland.
- It’s a game show where it might hurt your chances as a contestant if you’re smart. I find this fascinating. Since the answers on the show are culled from a survey of random Americans, it’s best to be of average intelligence. Any brilliant single is tossed, but the stupidest answer agreed upon by two people will be on the board. In the initial showdowns between families, you need to think of the most popular answer. Which means if you have the puzzle Homer ________ , “Homer Simpson” will beat “Homer’s Iliad” every time, just as “Marion Anderson” doesn’t a chance against “Pamela Anderson” for a guess on female entertainers. Even more amazing, you might need to come up with a factually incorrect answer, such as “Whale” in answer to “Name a big fish.”
The changing hosts say something about our time. I’m not really sure what it says about our changing times, but it’s something. Can you imagine Richard Dawson trying to kiss every female contestant on the lips these days? (He must have spent too much time with Bob Crane.) Ray Combs sadly took his own life after his 1988 to 1994 run, so that might not speak well of those years. Louie Anderson was hired during the whole Clinton/Lewinsky thing, which somehow seems about right. Next came Richard Karn (Al Borland from Home Improvement) and then John O’Hurley (Seinfeld’s Mr. Peterman). Now the show finally has its first non-white guy, Steve Harvey. Again, I’m not sure what these changes mean, but surely a thesis paper or two could be written about them.
- The really dumb rituals. The audience reads aloud the answers when they are revealed. The audience also shouts in unison the largest prize winnings, “twenty thousand dollars!” Best of all is the handshakes between family members before each round. There is something reassuring about feuds that start with handshakes.
- You can watch the show in Spanish. If you are willing to travel, you can watch the show in many other languages as countries throughout the world have adapted the show for their cultures. This can be very helpful for your language studies. But here in the U.S. of A., you can watch on Español channels. (Sadly, the prize winnings are less on the Spanish language networks.)
- Family Feud has provided good fodder for other TV shows. In the early days of Saturday Night Live, there was a great skit with John Belushi was a Family Feud contestant whose only answer to every question was “Chicken Necks.” I believe Steve Martin played his farmer father who could think of nothing but romaine lettuce. On SNL, they continue to do skits about the show with Kenan Thompson playing Steve Harvey. There is also a great episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where the gang plays on the game show “Family Fight.”
- It had (and has) a home version of the game. Sure they have computer and DVD versions. But the one you want is the classic old edition with the plastic sliders with the cards with red ink that was hidden by red plastic. If you find a game in good condition, I’m sure it could make you good money on Antiques Roadshow.
- More interesting polling questions. Wouldn’t you rather have a pollster ask you about your favorite red food or annoying things husbands do than who you’d vote for Lieutenant Governor?
- Really dumb answers. For instance, when someone was asked to name something in an operating room, a contestant answered, “An operator.” This in itself makes viewing worthwhile. Or when a person answers “Nixon” or “Adolf” when the question is to name one of Santa’s reindeer. Or when the question is to name a three-letter animal and they answer “frog” or “alligator.” (Though I guess it is true both of those words have three letters, and then some.) Not surprisingly, there is a constant stream of internet posts about dumb answers on the show.
- You can do most any chore while the show is playing. You can fold laundry and not worry about having any trouble following the plot. It seems the show is always one of the choices at the gym in front of the exercise bikes and I’d certainly choose it over CNN every time.
- But I have a much more personal reason to think fondly of the show. About 35 years ago, my father had a stroke. He was in the hospital and most of the time he wasn’t very responsive. But for some reason, when Family Feud came on (still the Dawson years), he perked up. I hadn’t remembered the show being a particular favorite of his before the stroke (he tended to turn the channel to any sport available, up to and including bowling). But during those long days and nights in the hospital, it was a joy to see him liven up and try to answer a question about favorite dog breeds according to 100 people surveyed. My dad recovered and enjoyed many active years before passing away in 2003. Maybe this is the only real reason I stop at Family Feud when I’m flipping channels and have difficulty shutting it off until after the fast money round.
You actually watch that? or is the punch line pending, in the next post?
Not as fun once your golf course adopts a no-brodies policy :(
I don’t just watch it, I paid for it via iTunes.
I’m so looking forward to watching Season 2.
Cool, Enjoy!
Honestly it looks better than a lot of shows written by adults these days…
The modern version with Steve Harvey is on almost constantly on our breakdown TV. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have anything against the show. Because of that, I can’t stand it. 400 channels with endless intellectually stimulating options, and somehow it always ends up on Family Feud.
I rarely watch TV but I do watch YouTube shows. I admit love Movie Fights.
My handicap is so high, I burn a gazillion calories even riding in a cart because I have to get off and swing so much . . .
I did not want to give Larry3435 anymore ammunition, but the most convenient part of taking a cart is to carry your beer cooler and having a dry place to set down your cigar.
I love Ancient Aliens and similar shows. They represent the height of human imagination and creativity. I love hearing the story of alien encounter spun out from scraps of loosely connected facts.
There is a simpler solution…
I’ve only seen Judge Judy once, when it was on at the car dealership while I was getting the oil changed in my wife’s car. I think I lost at least 15 IQ points just being in the same room while it was on. It was so bad I went and asked for a used car salesman to talk to just so I wouldn’t have to watch.
As far as dumb TV goes these days, the only TV I see these days is on Disney Jr. or PBS Kids. So still 10x more intelligent than Judge Judy.
What’s great about Family Feud is the expression on the host’s face when they hear some of the crazy answers. Steve Harvey really excels at this.
This post could have been titled, “TV Shows that Depress Me the Most.” Dude, Family Feud??” Even hearing the music sends me into a funk.
I can’t believe this hasn’t made the list already, but I’m a sucker for America’s Funniest Home Video’s. It’s not appointment TV for me, but whenever I find it I stop, laugh my butt off, and end up with a big goofy grin long after the show is over. It’s hosted by a dumb host, with dumb clip intro’s, and full of normal folks doing dumb things.
In fact it might be the dumbest TV show ever produced, and yet it persists…:)
CNN. Oh wait I dont watch that, but I do think its terribly stupid.
I was watching Crowder during his CNN binge watch and kept thinking its hard to think this is the same network that used to have Lou Dobbs Tonight as the main event.
Remember when CNN was basically Breitbart?
Well, I wasn’t going to mention it. But now that you did . . .
Ain’t it sad that doesn’t translate into ten times as much income as Judge Judy?
Or does it? Wait . . . are you Rob Long in disguise? Hehe . . .
They should rename that show America’s Cutest Baby Videos, because the actual funny videos never win!
Dumb shows do catch my attention in the gym. That’s inevitable. Things on Tru TV are too dumb for me. My eyes will pay attention to The Price is Right. Something compels me to pay rapt attention to Dr. Phil sometimes. I just can’t look away from the abyss.
I am the same way about Hoarders. I think it’s because programs like this make us feel a lot better about our own little failings. “Well…at least I’m not that bad…”
I routinely watch Hoarders because it provides a weird positive motivation for me to deep clean my house. (Something I hate doing, frankly.) I once watched an 8-hour Hoarders marathon and ended up regrouting two bathrooms.
American Pickers. Maybe it speaks to my inner junk man.
There are a few things that I could enjoy more but can’t because of awful directing. Dancing with the Stars consistently violates Fred Astaire’s first rule of dance on the screen: Never, ever, ever lose the feet. It’s not Reaction Shots with the Stars, it’s Dancing. Nothing like hearing about a stumble during the critiques that you never saw because of poor direction.
Speaking of reaction shots, the direction on Little Big Shots is cable access with a jib camera. When the kids are performing I don’t need 13 cutaways of Steve Harvey pointing. Or Steve Harvey dancing. Or Steve Harvey with his jaw on the floor. I just want to see the kids do their thing.
On live television, be it sports or variety, the best direction is the type that doesn’t distract or say “Hey, look what I can do!”
Wow, I used to watch that show back when Bob Saget was the host. Are these re-runs, or are they still making new ones?
It’s still in production, the current host is the guy who played Will Smiths brother in his sitcom, something about Belair, Prince I think?
Heck I can’t even remember the name of that show, age is NOT for the feint hearted! In any case, it’s just as cheesy, but also very family-friendly, which is difficult to find.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Alfonso Ribeiro
I no longer watch TV that I consider dumb. I did watch Family Feud for awhile during the Dawson days. I never got hooked though.
Most of my dumb TV watching was when I was as a kid, and teenager. When I watch The Beverly Hillbillies today, I’m embarrassed that I once loved that show. I can still watch an occasional episode of The Andy Griffith Show not feeling I want the last 1/2 hour of my life back.
I was so engrossed with TV that I guess I burned out on it by my mid=twenties. I went through a good 10-15 years where I watched little TV, and there are television shows that Gen X-ers grew up with that I know little to nothing about or barely even heard of.
I have heard of Friends and even watched an episode or two, but I don’t relate to it the way a Gen X-er might.
Today, my TV watching is streamed off of online services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, and I do still have cable. I will record sporting events so I can fast forward through the commercials.
My viewing habits tend towards a lot of foreign television shows. For example, I’m pretty impressed with what the Germans have produced recently. On the other hand, I do see a strong American influence with the way they produce those shows.
Dawson was a regular on that show. The contestents would call on him so much the other stars got jealous and had the rules changed so that he wouldn’t be called on as often. His popularity extended to the viewers which means changing things was a mistake. He finally left in a snit. Match Game was never the same after that and declined.
That was when Dawson went on to do Feud.
It says it comes from the mind of a 5 year old. I think he has some help.
Also, they’re on their second season. Did they “literally” change “writers?”
My aunt and cousins were on Family Feud when Dawson was still hosting. My aunt (probably mid-to-late-40’s at the time) was very proud of the fact that my uncle was the only man who had ever kissed her on the lips. She fully intended to stiff-arm Dawson when he tried. Apparently, he was pretty strong, because he was able to lay one on her. She was so angry that she never watched the show again.
It started out as a webcomic. My understanding is that the artist would watch his little brother play with his action figures and write down the stories he was coming up with.
I’d watch this.