I Can't Go For That. No. No Can Do.
So a few weeks ago, I finally watched the latest show that has taken the world by storm.
I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called Deal Or No Deal.
Just in case you haven't, Deal Or No Deal is a highly addictive game show a la Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or The Weakest Link. These shows actually have a few things in common. For one, they all involve money, greed and inane catch phrases. For another, they are all "highly addictive" because every other night, these shows are on. It's called guerilla style programming. If they did that with say, Arrested Development, I'm sure there would have been a very different outcome.
It works like this. A contestant comes on and has a briefcase placed in front of them. Standing on the stage, are 25, beautiful women who look like they are ready for the formal wear portion of a beauty pageant. They are holding additional briefcases. Monetary amounts are posted on the board ranging from #1.00 being the lowest and 1 million being the highest. The contestant keeps calling the beautiful, highly talented women, to open their cases. If inside the case there is a small number, this is a good thing because that means that's one more low amount she cannot win. If it's a big number though, statistically she has lowered her chances of having a big number at the end.
With me so far?
In between all of this we have two other people I have to mention. One is the host, Howie Mandel. You might remember Mr. Mandel from his numerous comedic performances over the years. He has also made a few movies, but mostly his claim to fame has been stand up comedy and practical joke like schtick. Oh, and he's famous for having a classic case of OCD. Now forget all of about the wonderful talents I told you about cause with the exception of a joke or two, you won't see any of it on Deal Or No Deal.
The last person you need to know about is the banker. The banker is a silhouette who sits high above the stage. Everytime the contestant opens a case, the banker calls Mandel who then passes along a message of how much money the banker is willing to settle for. If you just opened a big number case, his offer decreases, but if you open a small number, the offer increases, thus making it harder to decide if you should hold 'em or walk away.
This is when Mandel asks the question that will stick with you for days after:
Deal Or No Deal?
First of all, how many times do you think the man is contractually obligated to say those four little words? I mean, all he's saying is the title of the show, but for some reason, it's his delivery that sticks with you. I guess this is why he got the job. Before you know it, you find yourself using the phrase with your co-workers, your children, your realtor....you get the idea. You forget how you asked someone if they wanted to do something before. All you know is that suddenly, saying deal or no deal sounds much cooler.
But here's the real kicker. Despite all of these directions, there is actually no skill whatsoever to this game.
On Millionaire you at least had to answer trivia questions to move up the monetary ladder. Here you just have to decide between a brunette, blonde and redhead. It's a glorified game of I'm Thinking of A Number...
and the results are rooted in luck. You can't play Deal Or No Deal well, you just have to manage the hand that was dealt to you.
The other difference is the use of lifelines. On Millionaire, you have three, prechosen people who you have selected. You chose those people for particular reasons and because you think they'd be good at helping you in a crunch. You call upon them only when and if you need them.
On Deal Or No Deal, there are lifelines too, only they are random family members and coworkers you decided to bring with you on the trip. They're good companions to see the sites with during the day, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'd want them at the Deal Or No Deal studios. They stand on the edge of the stage, rooting you on, but they have no more expertise than you do. Why? Because you can't beat a game like Deal Or No Deal! It's like playing with one of those fortune telling balls with another friend. Neither one of you has an edge. You're both in the same boat. No, all these people manage to do is confuse the contestant more.
The girlfriend will give you a guilted look if you make a bad decision because she wants the money to get married, finally. Your mom, meanwhile, wants you to be reasonable about your choices and not do anything too wild. Nearly every amount that comes on the board is a reasonable stopping point for the paranoid parent.
Then you have the loose cannon friend, the one who has the least connection to you. Usually they are a coworker or a "family friend". These people almost always want you to go for it. Why? Because they probably aren't going to see much, if any, of that money anyway, so they have no reason not to push for an all or nothing scenario. Family is at least, for the most part, looking out for your best interest. That random friend though just wants to see how much you'll do. It's like when you were a kid and your friend dared you to eat something disgusting. Well this is that friend only grown up.
As if hearing the incessant chants to GO FOR IT! from friends and family wasn't bad enough, you have a studio full of complete strangers who also will assault you with their opinions. If these people told you to do something in real life, you wouldn't do it, but in a pressure cooker situation, every Deal Or No Deal contestant turns into an Afterschool special kid who is being offered drugs for the first time. Suddenly, fueled by a cocktail of popularity, greed and peer pressure, it becomes impossible to say no.
Sure, you walk in level headed, but somewhere along the way, greed grabs a hold of you and will not let go. I've seen good men get ruined on Deal Or No Deal. People who are up to $300,000 but still want to hold out for the elusive $1 million. They forget the fact that being $300,000 richer by doing next to nothing at all ain't too shabby. No, they want more. It's the stuff casino cash cows are made of.
In fact, me thinks Deal Or No Deal is actually a great metaphor for life. All day long we make decisions that change the course of our future. Most of us have enough, but we still want more.
I guess it really is as a wise woman, Cyndi Lauper, once said, money changes everything.
I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called Deal Or No Deal.
Just in case you haven't, Deal Or No Deal is a highly addictive game show a la Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or The Weakest Link. These shows actually have a few things in common. For one, they all involve money, greed and inane catch phrases. For another, they are all "highly addictive" because every other night, these shows are on. It's called guerilla style programming. If they did that with say, Arrested Development, I'm sure there would have been a very different outcome.
It works like this. A contestant comes on and has a briefcase placed in front of them. Standing on the stage, are 25, beautiful women who look like they are ready for the formal wear portion of a beauty pageant. They are holding additional briefcases. Monetary amounts are posted on the board ranging from #1.00 being the lowest and 1 million being the highest. The contestant keeps calling the beautiful, highly talented women, to open their cases. If inside the case there is a small number, this is a good thing because that means that's one more low amount she cannot win. If it's a big number though, statistically she has lowered her chances of having a big number at the end.
With me so far?
In between all of this we have two other people I have to mention. One is the host, Howie Mandel. You might remember Mr. Mandel from his numerous comedic performances over the years. He has also made a few movies, but mostly his claim to fame has been stand up comedy and practical joke like schtick. Oh, and he's famous for having a classic case of OCD. Now forget all of about the wonderful talents I told you about cause with the exception of a joke or two, you won't see any of it on Deal Or No Deal.
The last person you need to know about is the banker. The banker is a silhouette who sits high above the stage. Everytime the contestant opens a case, the banker calls Mandel who then passes along a message of how much money the banker is willing to settle for. If you just opened a big number case, his offer decreases, but if you open a small number, the offer increases, thus making it harder to decide if you should hold 'em or walk away.
This is when Mandel asks the question that will stick with you for days after:
Deal Or No Deal?
First of all, how many times do you think the man is contractually obligated to say those four little words? I mean, all he's saying is the title of the show, but for some reason, it's his delivery that sticks with you. I guess this is why he got the job. Before you know it, you find yourself using the phrase with your co-workers, your children, your realtor....you get the idea. You forget how you asked someone if they wanted to do something before. All you know is that suddenly, saying deal or no deal sounds much cooler.
But here's the real kicker. Despite all of these directions, there is actually no skill whatsoever to this game.
On Millionaire you at least had to answer trivia questions to move up the monetary ladder. Here you just have to decide between a brunette, blonde and redhead. It's a glorified game of I'm Thinking of A Number...
and the results are rooted in luck. You can't play Deal Or No Deal well, you just have to manage the hand that was dealt to you.
The other difference is the use of lifelines. On Millionaire, you have three, prechosen people who you have selected. You chose those people for particular reasons and because you think they'd be good at helping you in a crunch. You call upon them only when and if you need them.
On Deal Or No Deal, there are lifelines too, only they are random family members and coworkers you decided to bring with you on the trip. They're good companions to see the sites with during the day, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'd want them at the Deal Or No Deal studios. They stand on the edge of the stage, rooting you on, but they have no more expertise than you do. Why? Because you can't beat a game like Deal Or No Deal! It's like playing with one of those fortune telling balls with another friend. Neither one of you has an edge. You're both in the same boat. No, all these people manage to do is confuse the contestant more.
The girlfriend will give you a guilted look if you make a bad decision because she wants the money to get married, finally. Your mom, meanwhile, wants you to be reasonable about your choices and not do anything too wild. Nearly every amount that comes on the board is a reasonable stopping point for the paranoid parent.
Then you have the loose cannon friend, the one who has the least connection to you. Usually they are a coworker or a "family friend". These people almost always want you to go for it. Why? Because they probably aren't going to see much, if any, of that money anyway, so they have no reason not to push for an all or nothing scenario. Family is at least, for the most part, looking out for your best interest. That random friend though just wants to see how much you'll do. It's like when you were a kid and your friend dared you to eat something disgusting. Well this is that friend only grown up.
As if hearing the incessant chants to GO FOR IT! from friends and family wasn't bad enough, you have a studio full of complete strangers who also will assault you with their opinions. If these people told you to do something in real life, you wouldn't do it, but in a pressure cooker situation, every Deal Or No Deal contestant turns into an Afterschool special kid who is being offered drugs for the first time. Suddenly, fueled by a cocktail of popularity, greed and peer pressure, it becomes impossible to say no.
Sure, you walk in level headed, but somewhere along the way, greed grabs a hold of you and will not let go. I've seen good men get ruined on Deal Or No Deal. People who are up to $300,000 but still want to hold out for the elusive $1 million. They forget the fact that being $300,000 richer by doing next to nothing at all ain't too shabby. No, they want more. It's the stuff casino cash cows are made of.
In fact, me thinks Deal Or No Deal is actually a great metaphor for life. All day long we make decisions that change the course of our future. Most of us have enough, but we still want more.
I guess it really is as a wise woman, Cyndi Lauper, once said, money changes everything.
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