# S-h-u-t T-h-e F-u-c-k U-p **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 1, 2003, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931 "2003-06-01T09:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/21 "2003-06-02T00:31:40Z")
This was on ESPN, and it’s been broadcast on there for many years, which probably accounts for why it’s on the air. But you can’t compare spelling bees with reality shows simply because they’re cheap to produce. Spelling bees aren’t an indication of how TV will be in the future, as reality shows might be. Spelling bees have been on for many years; reality TV has not. Were you complaining when ESPN in its infancy was showing mostly crappy fourth-rate sports? I wasn’t, because I wasn’t watching them - but you notice those crappy, fourth-rate sports aren’t prevelant across the dial? ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/22 "2003-06-02T02:00:54Z")
I was surprised to see ESPN air it but when compared to the other programming it indulges in — World’s Strongest Man, Bowling, Fishing etc., the Spelling Bee was both riveting and informative to watch. “Could you please use it in a sentence?” “Thank you, sir!” “Have you already used it in a sentence?” “Thank you, sir!” “Are there any alternate pronunciations?” “Thank you sir!” “Are there any alternate definitions?” “Thank you sir!” “Can it also be pronounced thy-ris-tOr?” "Thank you sir! “Is it similar to semi-conductOr?” “Thank you sir!” “It’s time to spell the word” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/23 "2003-06-02T03:06:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*This was on ESPN, and it’s been broadcast on there for many years, which probably accounts for why it’s on the air. But you can’t compare spelling bees with reality shows simply because they’re cheap to produce. > > Spelling bees aren’t an indication of how TV will be in the future, as reality shows might be. Spelling bees have been on for many years; reality TV has not. \*\* And how long was MTV’s The Real World (then Road Rules) on the air before other networks glomed onto the idea that they could make a show without paying writers? A good 5 years at least. Simply being confined to one network for a while doesn’t mean it won’t eventually spread. Like genital warts. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/24 "2003-06-02T04:33:16Z")
Hey, if you wanna compare spelling bees to The Real World[sup]tm[/sup], more power to you. Don’t see the connection, though. Also don’t think there’s ever going to be a glut of spelling bees o’ertaking the land of television. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/25 "2003-06-02T04:44:31Z")
**litost** , I could not agree more. I was almost as pissed at that guy for not spelling gadarene ( **Gadarene** , if he does vanity searches, is going to be mighty puzzled as to why his name appears in this pit thread;)) as I was at the commentators for effectively cutting out the first minute’s worth of finding out wtf the next word was. It’s the equivalent of putting your hand over the camera in a baseball game and talking about where the hiter is from, etc. AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/26 "2003-06-02T09:30:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > **to judge from the popularity of Page 3 of some newspapers.** Sure, we let the plebs have their boobies, some of those people have never seen the real thing, it’s kind of like a public service. Still, I take it all back, a spelling bee really couldn’t be worse than the majority of programs on TV here (unless they talked all over it – that’d really piss me off). ---
**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:** [June 2, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/27 "2003-06-02T13:00:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fessie \* > \*\*tee-hee > > t-e-e-h-e-e \*\* No, I am sorry but that is t-e-e-HYPHEN-h-e-e. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2003, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/28 "2003-06-02T13:02:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Unwashed \* > **What? Uh? How? Why? In God’s name, you have spelling bees on TV?** They were recently called “America’s first game show.” Been doin’ them for almost two hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![JFMichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/29 "2003-06-02T18:29:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by litost \* > \*\*The Jamaican girl tied for third place. She mis-spelled _aplustre_. Sai Vetturi won. (That makes him the fourth Indian-American in the past five years!) > > \*\* _Ahem_ Let’s give the man his proper respect. Congratulations to [Sai Gunturi](http://www.spellingbee.com/03bee/champion.shtml), champeon of the 2003 National Spelling Bee. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/30 "2003-06-02T18:44:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JFMichael \* > \*\* _champeon_ of the 2003 National Spelling Bee. 😉 \*\* Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzttttttttttt! Thanks for playing, **JFMichael**! Better luck next year! 😉 (Italics in quote added by me.) ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/31 "2003-06-02T18:44:52Z")
> [@](#): > > to Sai Gunturi, **champeon** of the 2003 National Spelling Bee. Hee hee hee! ---
**Author:** ![JFMichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/32 "2003-06-02T18:48:35Z")
_wooooosh_! Look Ma’, I got two with one shot! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/33 "2003-06-02T18:52:15Z")
Mebbe he meant **champeen** , eh what? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-h-u-t-t-h-e-f-u-c-k-u-p/178931/34 "2003-06-02T19:20:11Z")
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