# When charities get shafted by gameshows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2017, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007 "2017-07-24T05:31:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/1 "2017-07-24T05:31:52Z")
What brought this to mind was tonight’s episode of _Celebrity Family Feud_. These various “celebrities” play against each other for various charities, so you would think that they would try to earn as much money as possible for the charity they are playing for, right? Not so much if the two teams are made up comedians(Male vs. Female). On “Family Feud” the purpose is to match your answers to the answers an anonymous polled selection of people, but these posers thought if was a game of “Can You Top This?”-most of their answers were played for laughs or outrageousness. Sample question: “something you use as a last resort when you run out of toilet paper”, and John Gemberling said “squirrel”. I don’t know what charity he was playing for, but I bet they had a good laugh at _that_ losing answer. In the second half the show the two teams was singer Christina Milian and her family against former “Celebrity Family Feud” host Louie Anderson and his family. Christina and her family actually tried to play it straight, but Louie Anderson? Here we have a game where you have to give in answer within five seconds or get buzzed, but Louie refused to break character and did his long pause followed by slow drawn out meandering bit every fucking time. I don’t think he was able to get a word out(let alone an entire answer) any time his turn came up. Thanks for the effort, comedians. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/2 "2017-07-24T08:04:02Z")
they get something for the charity win or lose just a lesser amount for the “loss” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/3 "2017-07-24T18:12:43Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > they get something for the charity win or lose just a lesser amount for the “loss” Usually true, but if the “celebrity” isn’t going to make an honest effort to win, then she or he should tell that charity beforehand that this is being done primarily for self-promotion. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/4 "2017-07-24T18:47:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Usually true, but if the “celebrity” isn’t going to make an honest effort to win, then she or he should tell that charity beforehand that this is being done primarily for self-promotion. Is the celebrity “hired” by the charity? Usually they pick it themselves. Lots of these go to where both charities get the same amount, just that the losing celeb has to pay their share. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/5 "2017-07-24T18:51:01Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Lots of these go to where both charities get the same amount, just that the losing celeb has to pay their share. I have never heard of a deal like this, where the losing celeb agrees to make up the difference. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/6 "2017-07-24T19:06:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I have never heard of a deal like this, where the losing celeb agrees to make up the difference. Cite? I mean, I’ve certainly heard it before in celebrity game shows, but I’m not going to dig up a whole bunch of random game shows until I find one. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/7 "2017-07-24T19:10:11Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I mean, I’ve certainly heard it before in celebrity game shows, but I’m not going to dig up a whole bunch of random game shows until I find one. You did say it happens “lots” of times. Shouldn’t be too much trouble to find just one. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/8 "2017-07-24T19:16:18Z")
Perhaps the charities care more about the exposure and good will from an entertaining show than the difference that comedians produce in the show winnings. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/9 "2017-07-24T19:16:51Z")
I dunno about Family Feud, but for many of these celebrity charity shows, the actual amount being donated is well in excess of the normal amount earned on the show, and they’re only playing for which place they come in (assuming the places have different amounts). For example, I believe (and I’ll willing to be proven wrong as I’m going from memory) the last celebrity jeopardy was giving away amounts of $100k, $50k, and $25k to the player’s charities. Getting an amount over $25k in a normal game is relatively rare, so those charities are getting more than whatever the celeb would have earned anyway. I would assume the same case is true here, either all charities get the same amount regardless of the scores, or the amount is much higher than the total earned. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/10 "2017-07-24T19:32:27Z")
From [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_Family_Feud#Format) we get this info about _Celebrity Family Feud_: > [@](#): > > Two self-contained games are played per-episode, each concluding with Fast Money played for $25,000 for the team’s chosen charity. If the playing members do not reach 200 points, $10,000 is awarded to the group’s charity. Families who lose the main game and do not play Fast Money receive $5,000 for their charity. I can’t seem to find out if/how much the celebs get paid. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/11 "2017-07-24T19:32:56Z")
One of the most infuriating examples of this was Paula Poundstone on _Celebrity Jeopardy_ some years ago. I can’t remember who the other celebrities were- I think Kelsey Grammer was one- but they were both ready to clobber her for not only making nothing for her own charity but sabotaging their answers. (I like her in _Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me_, but I think Jeopardy was during her drinking days.) Do they still have Celebrity Jeopardy, btw? Long before it became a recurring SNL sketch it was already funny for how dumbed down the questions were from an average week and how few most of the contestants could answer. (There were exceptions: I remember Luke Perry and Cheech Marin as both coming across as bright enough to play the real game.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/12 "2017-07-24T19:45:14Z")
Did you happen to catch Wolf Blitzer on _Celebrity Jeopardy_? Fucking embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/13 "2017-07-26T00:53:40Z")
The primary purpose of game shows is entertainment, not the funding of charitable causes. People watch comedians on them because they’re funny. The charitable donation is there so that the celebrities don’t look like they’re grubbing for a few thousand dollars like plebes. Should we be equally annoyed at those comedians because they spend their time making jokes on a stage and not feeding the sick or clothing the hungry? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/14 "2017-07-26T01:18:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What brought this to mind was tonight’s episode of _Celebrity Family Feud_. These various “celebrities” play against each other for various charities, so you would think that they would try to earn as much money as possible for the charity they are playing for, right? Not so much if the two teams are made up comedians(Male vs. Female). > On “Family Feud” the purpose is to match your answers to the answers an anonymous polled selection of people, but these posers thought if was a game of “Can You Top This?”-most of their answers were played for laughs or outrageousness. Sample question: “something you use as a last resort when you run out of toilet paper”, and John Gemberling said “squirrel”. I don’t know what charity he was playing for, but I bet they had a good laugh at _that_ losing answer. > In the second half the show the two teams was singer Christina Milian and her family against former “Celebrity Family Feud” host Louie Anderson and his family. Christina and her family actually tried to play it straight, but Louie Anderson? Here we have a game where you have to give in answer within five seconds or get buzzed, but Louie refused to break character and did his long pause followed by slow drawn out meandering bit every fucking time. I don’t think he was able to get a word out(let alone an entire answer) any time his turn came up. > Thanks for the effort, comedians. :rolleyes: The most baffling part of this entire scenario is that anyone would consider Louie Anderson entertaining enough to put on TV. mmm ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/15 "2017-07-26T01:26:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I remember Luke Perry and Cheech Marin as both coming across as bright enough to play the real game.) Michael McKeon and David Duchovny also excelled at the game. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/16 "2017-07-26T01:37:07Z")
Most celebrities on Match Game weren’t concerned about matching answers with the contestants. They went for the joke answer every time. Richard Dawson was the rare exception. He really tried to give the most easily matched answer. All the contestants picked Richard for the final round. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/17 "2017-07-26T01:43:09Z")
The only celebrity game show I’ve seen is _Celebrity Jeopardy_, and that was because I had a community living client who loved _Jeopardy_. Anyway, I remember that back at the time I saw it (which was in the 1990s), the charity was guaranteed $2,000, no matter what the celebrity won, but if the celebrity who won the game did so by more than $2,000, the charity got that amount. Mike Farrell was on once, and he was trying to play like an actual contestant, but the other two were just awful. Farrell did in fact win, and won something tidy for his charity (like $12,000); one of the other players ended up deep in the negative, but his charity still got $2,000. Farrell looked so painfully embarrassed, he looked like he was having a worse time than Alex Trebek, who clearly hates \*Celebrity Jeopardy. \* I love the SNL spoofs of _Celebrity Jeopardy_. They are barely exaggerated, and especially true to Alex. They have him say everything you know he is thinking. Most of the CJs I’ve seen, even the winner barely clears $2,000. I think CJ is a sort of “shark jumping” stunt: an attempt to pull a stunt to bring in new viewers periodically. It doesn’t signal the decline of the show, like shark-jumping usually does, but I think it’s definitely at attempt to bring in non-regular viewers, and hope a few stick. All of the special tournaments-- the high school and college tournaments-- are like that to an extent as well. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-charities-get-shafted-by-gameshows/792007/18 "2017-07-26T04:59:02Z")
They are entertainers. Ultimately, the show’s real responsibility is to its advertisers. They are the ones that make the whole thing possible, or there’d be no money to give to the charities in the first place. And advertisers need the show to be entertaining to viewers, in order to produce the necessary ratings. You seem to be missing this fundamental aspect of the whole thing.