# American Gladiators premiers SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321 "2008-01-04T21:55:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/61 "2008-01-07T05:30:46Z")
I thought that it was fabulous - a little too trash-talky, but otherwise kept all of the fun of the old one. The first red guy (the fireman) had way too many lucky breaks, though. I was starting to think he’d paid someone off. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/62 "2008-01-07T05:37:07Z")
[QUOTE=PetW] One thing I really hope they’ll do is lower the “wrecking balls” in “Hit and Run.” It just seems a little too easy for some of the contestants to just duck under all of the balls. 1 or 2 feet lower would make the game a lot more interesting IMO. [/QUOTE] Well, one of the gals got told by the ref that she couldn’t crawl across the whole time. So she stood up and promptly got knocked off. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/63 "2008-01-07T05:38:10Z")
My only comment (and it may have been made) is that having the conveyor belt at the end of the eliminator is just unfair…makes for good drama though. Overall, enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/64 "2008-01-07T05:57:51Z")
I remember watching AG late night in college with friends while we should have been studying. Hitting people with giant QTips is just great TV. So far, this is almost as much fun. (On the one hand, I miss those particular friends. on the other, no worries about not having finished my homework.) BTW, what happened to the original Gladiators? I’d love to see a “Where Are They Now” segment. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/65 "2008-01-07T06:48:08Z")
I loved it. I thought it was a lot of fun. I also like the way the Eliminator is a real challenge that leaves the contestants utterly drained and weak. The Eliminator on the original show never really struck me as much of a challenge–but they really have to work for that win now! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/66 "2008-01-07T06:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] What ethnicity is [Stealth](http://www.nbc.com/American_Gladiators/photos/#cat=627&sec=1464&mea=35832)? [/QUOTE] Ironically, I guess she could never pass. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/67 "2008-01-07T07:07:51Z")
Is the ref the same ref from _Dodgebal_? IMDb would indicate it’s not, but it sure looks like him. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/68 "2008-01-07T07:11:18Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Ironically, I guess she could never pass. [/QUOTE] wha? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/69 "2008-01-07T07:56:23Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] Is the ref the same ref from _Dodgebal_? IMDb would indicate it’s not, but it sure looks like him. [/QUOTE] Ha ha! I was right. It’s Al Kaplon, former Major League Umpire, listed in [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gladiators#Referees) as the current ref for AG, and listed in [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0438425/) as the ref in _Dodgeball_. ([Another cite](http://www.americangladiatorsblog.com/biographies/al-kaplon-biography)) I had a blast watching. It’s still just a little silly, but damn it’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/70 "2008-01-07T10:41:37Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] wha? [/QUOTE] Obscure joke. When you asked what ethnicity “Stealth” was, I was kind of expecting her to have a more ambiguous skin tone, suggesting confusion over whether she was a light-skinned black, hispanic, or a dark-skinned caucasian. When I saw her picture, I noted that (despite her name) she was unlikely to ever “pass for white”. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/71 "2008-01-07T15:12:51Z")
I wasn’t a fan of the original AG, so forgive me if my questions are unspeakably naive. Are these competitions staged? (As in fake, bogus, set up …)? Also, why are the competitors SO comfortable with the camera? I noticed this especially in Venus’s (the “blue” woman from the first part of the episode) final interview - her timing as she turned to the second camera was impeccable. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/72 "2008-01-07T15:29:43Z")
Well, that was a blast. We’ll be keeping our Tivo season pass. Just feel bad for that girl who got knocked out in powerball. Ouch! Hope they pay her medical bills at least. And I don’t think it’s Hellga that’s a man, it’s Fury… yikes! ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/73 "2008-01-07T15:38:52Z")
[QUOTE=Stainz] I wasn’t a fan of the original AG, so forgive me if my questions are unspeakably naive. Are these competitions staged? (As in fake, bogus, set up …)? Also, why are the competitors SO comfortable with the camera? I noticed this especially in Venus’s (the “blue” woman from the first part of the episode) final interview - her timing as she turned to the second camera was impeccable. [/QUOTE] I enjoyed the show as well, but I was also a bit concerned that the competitions may not be as they appear. It just seems a little too easy to have one of the gladiators let a particularly likable contestant win an event here and there. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/74 "2008-01-07T17:03:56Z")
I noticed the Gladiators would sometimes make boneheaded moves… perhaps TOO boneheaded to be real. For example, I think it was Wolf\* who lost the high ground on the pyramid because he decided to take a flying leap downward at the contender and missed. Why would anyone do that? \*Please stop the stupid howling ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/75 "2008-01-07T17:04:56Z")
[QUOTE=lalenin] I enjoyed the show as well, but I was also a bit concerned that the competitions may not be as they appear. It just seems a little too easy to have one of the gladiators let a particularly likable contestant win an event here and there. [/QUOTE] Then again, this was the much publicized and hyped up premier. They may have already taped a number of competitions and picked the most exciting ones for tonight. The producers might also have helped them out with coming up with witty/cheesy dialog lines to spout out before their competition. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/76 "2008-01-07T17:34:15Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] I noticed the Gladiators would sometimes make boneheaded moves… [/QUOTE] My guess is that they have been coached to also be dramatic with their takedowns to make the show more entertaining, which means their sacrifice moves can also miss big. I think Wolf just simply missed, his mullet didn’t give him enough downforce after his launch. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/77 "2008-01-07T20:46:25Z")
I liked it, I was entertained by it, I would watch it again. I was rooting for Spider Monkey and the Firefighter (a Marine veteran AND a NY firefighter? going for the aww factor!) and against the has-been dipshit, skator-boi and the life coach. Wolf frightens me, and I would not smack-talk him. Also, a gladiator and a contestant out in the first episode? Lame. Also, making the same mistake twice in a row on Joust seemed odd. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/78 "2008-01-07T20:48:44Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] BTW, what happened to the original Gladiators? I’d love to see a “Where Are They Now” segment. [/QUOTE] There’s a “Where Are They Now” article featuring some of the original Gladiators [here](http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/10958). ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/79 "2008-01-07T20:53:16Z")
[\*Broadcasting and Cable](http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6517749.html)\* magazine reports that _American Gladiators_ got a 5.9 rating and a 14 share last night, making it the second-most-watched show in its timeslot after ABC’s _Desperate Housewives_ for the first hour and the most-watched show in its timeslot for the second hour. (For those of you unfamiliar with Nielsen ratings: a 5.9 ratings means 5.9% of all television viewers in the United States were watching the show. A 14 share means 14% of all television viewers who had their TVs on at the time were watching the show. Nielsen ratings are estimates, not true counts.) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321/80 "2008-01-07T21:26:37Z")
[QUOTE=pepperlandgirl] The Eliminator on the original show never really struck me as much of a challenge–but they really have to work for that win now! [/QUOTE] I missed last night’s premiere (will definitely catch it tonight), but I have to agree with this. The Eliminator on the original show always seemed like a gimme for whoever was winning going in to the Eliminator. And I was always thought (even as a scrawny 10 year old) that it would be super easy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-gladiators-premiers-sunday-sunday-sunday/432321.md?page=5)