I started watching the contestant mini-interviews again after realizing that it added to the enjoyment of the show. I also started watching the category reveals again. 19 minutes.
I can’t bring myself to skip through the awkwardness of the player intros. Some of their tidbits are mind-blowingly lame.
mmm
The player introductions are my mother’s favorite part of show. She’d be more than happy to ditch all the trivia questions and watch a half hour of groups of three new contestants being introduced. Well, groups of two new contestants and one returning player.
I don’t understand it, either.
When I went for a contestant search/test ~25 years ago (!) I struggled to come up with something interesting to put down on the form.
I flunked the audition part after passing the 50 question test part. Out of several hundred people being tested, maybe 20 of us were called into a smaller room for the mock game. I was super nervous and probably looked catatonic. I was surprised that the other two were very relaxed. Not surprised I bombed out. Whatever I said about myself (I can’t remember) was quite “lame” as you put it.
C’est la vie.
A long time ago I came up with one if I’m ever on: “when I get my mail I always check to see if any of the stamps are upside down”. Not long after I came up with that, somebody said something crazy close to it.
I think I’m okay on the “list five interesting things about yourself” part of the application.
Since there are five things about you, maybe they’ll save the list, and when you become famous, it becomes a category just about you.
My kids swore Johnny Gilbert would pronounce Alex’s last name differently depending on the day: “TRA-beck,” “Truh-BECK,” “TREE-beck.”
Maybe they were on to something, given he did different contestant intros each day.
Jennings: “Mr. Mustard, I understand you once had an interesting thing happen to you while you were dining out?”
mmm: "Yeah, uh, once I was at Red Lobster with my family and the server, bringing our food, said “enjoy your meal”, and I replied, “you, too!”
Jennings: “That’s great. Now here are our categories…”
When I had my audition, there was a form to fill out that asked for five interesting things. I assume that’s where Alex, and now Ken and Mayim, get the questions they ask during the interview segment. It was probably five as a holdover from the days when the champion was retired after five shows.
I can’t remember if the five-show limit was still in force when I had my audition. Does anyone know when that was lifted?
It would still make since to keep it as five since the tape five episodes a day. So if you finish the day a champion they can ask five more.
I wonder how guys like Ken and James managed to come up with stuff.
it is my understanding they started to just make things up.
I recall that when Matt Amodio and Amy Schneider were on their streaks, their interview segments were mostly about their experience on the show and what it was like to be a long-time champion. Very meta.
Speaking of Johnny introducing the contestants, most of the time he says “Firstname Lastname from City, State” but occasionally he says “Firstname Lastname originally from City, State.” I assume that is by request by the contestant, but I wonder why. Perhaps they want to protect their privacy? Can anyone who was on the show provide some insight?
Seems they started doing that when they came back after the COVID shutdown. My guess is that they were pulling contestants from the local area only, and didn’t want to be introducing everybody as from the L.A. area.
I have not been on the show, but it seems pretty clear to me that it is based on the contestant’s preference.
If I were on, the city where I was born and raised means so much more to me than the city in which I now reside. I would definitely request the “originally from…” option.
mmm
They were doing it well before Covid, but, as you say, it was to avoid having all three contestants be from West Covina or the like.
I saw in the bookstore that Ken Jennings has written a book 100 Places To Visit After You Die. It looked pretty good on brief perusal, but was pricey and I figured I had enough to do. Wondered if anyone had read it or heard of it?
I’ve heard of Jennings’ newest book but have not read it. I have read a couple of his other works and found him to be an engaging writer.
mmm