...When All is Said and Dunn

Television has changed a lot in the last few years, most notably in the arena of game shows. The latest show to be making headlines is “The Weakest Link”, another import from England following its highly successful predecessor “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”

Both of these shows, in case your TV has been broken for the last couple of years, test the intellectual prowess of its contestants. Simple enough, and apparently something that a lot of people want to watch based on the ratings. Why something original can’t be developed by an American I don’t know. But apparently all of the television shows we develop on “this side of the pond” as they say, all seem to be polluted by the “reality” vibe.

But back to The Weakest Link. I have been waiting to see if this show would stick around before I wrote about it. Unlike Millionaire, the more I watch The Weakest Link, the more I am absolutely mystified at the incredible stupidity of the contestants. It is almost like they are looking for the dumbest people they can find. Maybe it’s for monetary reasons or maybe it’s because they will be easier targets for the host, Anne Robinson.

Anne Robinson seems to solicit some pretty strong reactions in both directions, and love her or hate her, she is a big reason the show is so popular. Many have dubbed her as the “rudest woman on TV” and at times she can be just that. But it is just a role that she has adopted and with great success.

You see, for every household that refuses to watch her, my dad and father- in-law absolutely hate her, there are 100 who watch just to see her rip the contestants apart with her sharp acidic wit. And sharp it is. Going up against Anne is like sticking your hand in a blender and turning it on high.

Which takes us back to the contestants they choose. These people are far and away some of the most mentally challenged individuals I have ever seen. I know, I know, it’s a lot more difficult when you’re on TV and not sitting on the couch in your den. But come on, if you are going to try out for a TV show that has a spit adder as a host, you should have a little knowledge.

The questions they ask are all relatively simple. What is challenging is the timing and the quickness of the response. If you pause, you are dead in the water. The other key to the show is the banking of the money. Which again, if you have never watched the show, means that as the money accumulates with the number of correct response made, the next person up has to say bank in order to hold on to the money. This is a concept that they must not explain very well prior to the game. Why do I think this? Because I have yet to see any of these morons do it correctly.

I have literally heard my 11-year old daughter, Rachel, answer questions that people on the show who claim to be card-carrying members of Mensa couldn’t answer. If I were the president of Mensa, I would definitely send a letter to all of its members telling them not to advertise the fact that they are part of their little club. Every time Mensa members are on this show they don’t come off as very bright.

Personally, I enjoy her venomous jabs and zingers, sorry Dad, primarily because these people need to be verbally slapped upside the head just based on their pathetic game playing. And it’s not as though they didn’t know the game was dangerous when they tried out for it.

So for all of you who have not yet sampled the wit of Anne Robinson, here are a few of her verbal gems for your perusal: Whose tongue is quicker than their mind? Whose traffic light is stuck on red? Who is running on empty? Who is the poster child for incompetence? It’s time to dispatch the dead wood. Team, do I have to beg you to take the money? Who is allergic to intelligence? And finally, to a woman who shared she was a former member of Mensa, she inquired, Did they throw you out?

These people are the weakest link. Goodbye…….

The Shrub Speaks: “So on behalf of a well-oiled unit of people who came together to serve something greater than themselves, congratulations” - Remarks to the University of Nebraska Womens’ Volleyball Team, the 2001 National Champions -- May 31, 2001.