# "Dammit 'Millionaire'! Either Ask Harder Questioms, or Find Dumber Contestants!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2000, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668 "2000-02-11T22:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/1 "2000-02-11T22:22:00Z")
I know you guys have been mocking Millionaire recently, with its too easy questions or too dumb contestants. Apparantly the insurance company agrees with you on the former and disagrees on the latter. \\ **Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/2 "2000-02-11T22:23:00Z") And I meant to provide a link. [http://www.wpni.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39361-2000Feb11.html](http://www.wpni.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39361-2000Feb11.html) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/3 "2000-02-11T22:27:00Z")
For the sake of ratings, I will have to stick with the “Find dumber contestants” solution. Producers can stand at the back door of the Jerry Springer show and catch the guests when they come out. The added benefit is that the contestants will have previous television experience. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/4 "2000-02-11T22:36:00Z")
This is somewhat of a hijack but the “dumber contestants” comment makes it somewhat pertinent. Whilst channel surfing last night, I caught a bit of a feature on the Tonight Show called “Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars”. They find several people jaywalking in L.A., ask em some questions, and if they “pass”, they get on this segment of the Tonight Show where they’re asked **really** easy questions which they get wrong because they’re complete morons. Questions that were answered wrong (in some cases multiple times) were: what year did the US declare independence, who did we declare independance from (“Uhhhh…USSR?”), and so on. Watching it was the definition of shameful joy. I can’t imagine that WWTBAM could get any stupider but after seeing Leno, I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/5 "2000-02-11T22:41:00Z")
As the quote posted by **SterlingNorth** should have appeared: \\The Associated Press\ \NEW YORK –– The hit game show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” is apparently too generous for its insurer. The company that insures the ABC show is suing to get out of its contract. It claims the questions are too easy and is worried about paying out too much money.\ \ ## I await more commentary. . . Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it. ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/6 "2000-02-11T23:08:00Z")
Why would an **insurer** worry about paying out prize money on a game show? Is that how these shows work? They get an insurance company to cover the cost of any contestant’s winnings? Call me ignurnt, but am I missing something here? * * * Free beer is ALWAYS a good thing. - Falcon ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/7 "2000-02-11T23:58:00Z")
ABC has an insurance policy that pays the $500,000 and $1,000,000 winners. They have a $1.5 million deductible and a limit of $5 million. It’s all very businesslike. You’ve seen those million dollar hole in one contests? The jewelers who will give away diamond rings if it snows on Valentine’s Day? All covered by insurance companies. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/8 "2000-02-12T00:27:00Z")
Thats kinda funny. Cause almost all the people playing are white severely-able guys. Well, Regis asked for other races to apply the other week. Didnt say anything about handicapped people though. ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/9 "2000-02-12T00:30:00Z")
Thanks for the info, kunilou. I had no idea they worked that way, but it does make some sense when you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dammit-millionaire-either-ask-harder-questioms-or-find-dumber-contestants/13668/10 "2000-02-12T01:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **handy** : > > Thats kinda funny. Cause almost all the people playing are white severely-able guys. I don’t get what you mean. Do you mean that all of the guys aren’t too smart to begin with, or do you mean that all of the guys don’t appear to have any physical handicaps? > [@](#): > > Well, Regis asked for other races to apply the other week. Didnt say anything about handicapped people though. This is off-topic musings, right? * * * Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it.