# Identity **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869 "2006-12-20T02:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/21 "2006-12-21T15:59:57Z")
This is just MHO, but I think Penn sold out. I’m actually surprised he has associated his name with a show this incredibly bad. Though it wouldn’t be the first time a celebrity has been involved with a show that was just plain bad, but I had higher hopes for Penn Jillette. After all, the host of “Bullshit” and the “Penn and Teller” series of magic shows showed me just how talented and versatile he could be, but “Identity”… a waste of pure talent if you ask me. I’m sure they are paying him well. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/22 "2006-12-21T17:19:20Z")
The show needs to be cut to a thirty minute format. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/23 "2006-12-21T17:42:05Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] I just wish they’d bring back Kitty Carlarlar. [/QUOTE] > [@Kitty Carlisle](#): > > Hi, everybody: let’s start the game! Followed, of course, by her hissing at Penn. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/24 "2006-12-21T17:52:32Z")
One thing that annoys me about it is the conspicuously strained effort by everyone to say the catch-phrase that the producers so obviously want contestants to use: “I’m _sealing_ that identity!” Sealing? I don’t know whether the shows were aired in sequence, but the first night contained a lot of almost embarrassing nudges and corrections from Penn when contestants blurted out that they were “locking in” their answer. “So, you’re sealing that identity?” Penn would prod. “Yeah! Sealing. I’m sealing that identity.” The more it happened (and it happened a lot), the more annoyed I got. Hell, just let 'em say whatever they want, so long as they press down on the column and it turns green. It’s too much like the popular-clique-wannabe in high school trying to start a new slang term by overusing it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/25 "2006-12-21T18:45:26Z")
It annoyed me when Penn had to draw out his “catchphrase” on last night’s show. “Is. That. Your. I…den…ti…ty.” Oy! It was painful. I did enjoy Jordan going unrecognized by the contestant, though. And how do you get the studio audience to pipe down? They can change the contestants’ minds by groaning? Nah uh. I don’t like that. And lastly, **Liberal**? Where the fuck have you been?? It’s good to see ya! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/26 "2006-12-21T18:52:46Z")
[QUOTE=Kitty Carlisle and dropzone] “Hi everbody: let’s start the game!” Followed, of course, by her hissing at Penn. [/QUOTE] I wonder if they’ll have Loni Anderson on the show. She is a ventriloquist, after all. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/27 "2006-12-21T19:06:16Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] It’s too much like the popular-clique-wannabe in high school trying to start a new slang term by overusing it all the time. [/QUOTE] Stop trying to make “sealing” happen. It’s not gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/28 "2006-12-21T19:17:29Z")
I’m waiting for an SNL skit or other spoof that has people guessing over-the-top racial and other stereotypes with strangers in outlandish costumes. They could have categories of strangers like… Loves fried chicken and watermelon Drunken policeman Drives a low-rider Stock broker with 2.3 children Overseas telemarketer Terrorist Trophy wife ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/29 "2006-12-21T20:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=Nutty Bunny] And lastly, **Liberal**? Where the fuck have you been?? It’s good to see ya! [/QUOTE] Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/30 "2006-12-21T21:13:24Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Stop trying to make “sealing” happen. It’s not gonna happen. [/QUOTE] But it’s so fetch! ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/31 "2006-12-21T21:16:03Z")
… you know at first glance I read that as “felch”, right? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/32 "2006-12-21T21:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] … you know at first glance I read that as “felch”, right? [/QUOTE] Rachel McAdams, is… that… your… i… dent… i… ty? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/33 "2006-12-21T21:33:03Z")
Thanks for contributing the usual standard of cerebral humor and elegant sophistication, **Lib.** 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/34 "2006-12-21T21:39:53Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] Thanks for contributing the usual standard of cerebral humor and elegant sophistication, **Lib.** 😛 [/QUOTE] [You’re welcome.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=401106) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/35 "2006-12-22T05:05:50Z")
I just watched one episode of this show, (the one w/ the alligator wrestler) the only time I’ve ever seen it, and is it supposed to be so obvious? I knew every single indentity before any of them were even guessed and I was right on all of them. They all wore clothes that fit what their identity was, there was no suspense at all. I thought they’d at least try to make it difficult by having them wear clothing of other professions? 😕 What’s the point? That plus the annoying pauses and I am not watching this again. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/36 "2006-12-22T05:41:22Z")
They had Stan Lee on tonight! The contestant correctly picked him as the creator of Spider-Man. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/37 "2006-12-22T12:58:52Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom] That plus the annoying pauses and I am not watching this again. [/QUOTE] I second that. The pauses are worse than on Deal or No Deal. I only watched it because everything else was a rerun and I ended up using it as background noise to sending out Christmas cards and other household chores. So, thank you, Identity, for sucking so hard that I was motivated to get stuff done around the house. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/38 "2006-12-22T14:47:38Z")
On last night’s show (Thursday), the contestant was down to three people, one male and two female: alligator wrestler, CSI investigator, kidney donor. She “knew” who the (male) alligator wrestler was and still had her “mistaken identity” left. She picked him correctly, and then couldn’t decide between the other two females. For the final pick, they remove the “mistaken identity”, so she went home with $250,000 instead of $500,000. Wouildn’t the obvious play have been to pick one of the other two as the “kidney donor”, use her mistaken identity if she was incorrect, and then pick the other female as the donor, saving the obvious alligator wrestler for last? Did the contestant’s bad play make her give up on the $500,000 prize? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/39 "2006-12-22T14:56:58Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom] I just watched one episode of this show, (the one w/ the alligator wrestler) the only time I’ve ever seen it, and is it supposed to be so obvious? I knew every single indentity before any of them were even guessed and I was right on all of them. They all wore clothes that fit what their identity was, there was no suspense at all. I thought they’d at least try to make it difficult by having them wear clothing of other professions? 😕 What’s the point? That plus the annoying pauses and I am not watching this again. [/QUOTE] The wardrobe thing is kind of necessary for the thing to work to the extent that it does. But there are always a few “strangers” in the mix whose clothes don’t give them away. Like the CSI investigator and kidney donor. It was a kick to see Stan Lee. His identity was pretty obvious because of his age and the girl picked up on that. I agree that this is a good show to watch as “background entertainment”. I have been catching up on my reading while it’s on. You only have to look up for a few seconds at a time to follow what’s going on ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869/40 "2006-12-22T15:11:02Z")
[QUOTE=JohnGalt] On last night’s show (Thursday), the contestant was down to three people, one male and two female: alligator wrestler, CSI investigator, kidney donor. She “knew” who the (male) alligator wrestler was and still had her “mistaken identity” left. She picked him correctly, and then couldn’t decide between the other two females. For the final pick, they remove the “mistaken identity”, so she went home with $250,000 instead of $500,000. Wouildn’t the obvious play have been to pick one of the other two as the “kidney donor”, use her mistaken identity if she was incorrect, and then pick the other female as the donor, saving the obvious alligator wrestler for last? Did the contestant’s bad play make her give up on the $500,000 prize? [/QUOTE] You are correct about that. We were talking up-thread about the elimination of the “Mistaken Identity” option at the end of the game. Since the show is new I expect the contestants aren’t familiar enough with the rules to make the kind of saavy decisions like the one you suggest. Especially if the producers are making up the rules as they go along. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity/384869.md?page=3)