So why do they have to waste valuable question time in shows like Jeopardy and History IQ asking them about their meaningless lives? Just think about how many more morsels of information we could get if they would just tell the contestants, “Answer the questions, we don’t care what you’re all about!”
Hmmm. I thought this was going to be a report that someone died during the filming of “Survivor 2”.
Well, I really appreciated finding out that greasy surfer dude on Ben Stein was in PLAYGIRL once.
Annie, are you kidding?!
Demo, you’re absolutely right. I was watching Rock 'n Roll Jeopardy today, and I thought pretty much the very same thing. No, I don’t care if he was the lead singer in some stupid garage band that probably sucked anyway. I want to know what the answer is for “Just Duet” for 800!
They’ve been recycling questions for years now, so they fill time with chit chat. Also, it holds the part of the audience who can’t decide if Rome is a country or a language.
Well, the entire point of the game show is that you feel some sort of emotion towards one of the contestants or that you can empathize with them. Without that, it is all just a bunch of dumb-asses who actually have the time to pursue a chance on a game show making dumb guesses for what truthfull amount to rather piddly prizes. Nothing actually affects you.
If you don’t care about the player, you just do not care.
Unless you really care to know the answer to thousands of trivial and inconsequential questions.
threemae:
This is the Straight Dope.
Which would you suspect we would be more interested in, the lives of the players or the miscellaneous information?
There was that interesting guy on the old “Tic-Tac-Dough” show who went by “Somebody Famous” because he always wanted to be somebody famous.
Therein lies the reason behind why I and a good number of my friends watch the show. We actually don’t find the topics that trivial. But then, we also spend entire days doing jeopardy-like things which I’m sure you’d also be bored by.
My university even sponsors this.
Why, that’s exactly what I want to know and why I watch any of those shows! What do you watch it for, the suspense?
I don’t need the little interview time to help me decide who I like. I’m not gonna think, “Oh that guy is a computer programmer who likes to DJ on the weekends and build model boats - I think I’ll root for him!”
It’s very simple - I root for the least obnoxious or smug, or arrogant or uptight person. If one person is relaxed-looking, I’m liking that person already over the statue to the left that has the ability to buzz in and answer.
That jerk with the holier-than-thou smirk on his face? Don’t like him. Who is he to get on TV for a half-hour and have an expression of superiority all painted acorss his weaselly little face? I’m rooting for the cute chick on the right who has a geniune smile and seems happy to be there.
The person who may have the answers right but shouts them out because he forgets that there’s a freakin’ microphone to pick up his voice? He’s an idiot. Again, I root for someone else.
Whatever they say in the interview segments does not change my mind. I’m here to watch a half hour of trivia, I’m not going to remember dick about these people 5 minutes after the “get-to-know-you” spot, so why bother me with it?
I don’t mind the contestants going on and on about their personal lives so much as the increasing habit (typified by the US edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?) of contestants going on and on about why they’re going to give a certain answer.
Sample: $0.02 question–Who’s the President? a) Bill Clinton b) Bozo the Wonder Dog c) Eminem d) Fartman
Contestant <imagine pinched, weedy voice>: “Well, Eminem is just some dumb-ass rapper, so it’s not him…I don’t think dogs can be elected to public office, so I don’t think it’s Bozo…is it Clinton or Fartman?..well, Regis, I’m not too sure about this one…hmmm…hmmm…I don’t know…hmmm…I heard my uncle Mike say Fartman was really Howard Stern but Uncle Mike isn’t as sharp up there as he used to be…” (continue for another half-hour)
iampunha: Go ahead. You can say it, it’s not going to hurt. It’s…it’s…it’s…COLLEGE BOWL!!!
You cruel, heartless bastards.
Don’t you care about their lives, their interests, and their feelings?
Oh, where is the humanity?
threemae?
Cruel and heartless is in Anthracite’s thread.
In this thread we are merely disinterested, cold-hearted bastards.
Silver Fire, the playgirl guy was a contestant, not Jimmy the weasel. Who probably is significantly weasel-deficient himself.
What, me a catty bitch?
Oh, okay. Thanks Annie. 
I really wouldn’t want to see Jimmy naked though.
It’s actually known by several names . . . CBI, NAQT, ACF, college bowl, quizbowl, It’s Academic, etc.