Monday, April 20, 2009

Ecuadorian TV Moments Part II

Short and sweet is this one.

I´m in my room doing homework for class. On the television is a game show that is much like Family Feud (see also "The Feud," a drinking game popular in the hearts of two people more than any others, those being Bobby Perez and Andy Lofton). Incidentally, I´m not drinking, but am taking a slight interest in the answers given to certain questions. It helps my vocabulary.

Anyway, I´ve always been interested in the backbone of the game. Essentially, for those that never partied in the afternoons (which is to say mornings) at Crossing Place, the game is based in trivia questions. There is a point system that ranks answers, generally from about 3 to 6 answers. However, the ranking, and hence the point system is not based on correct answers, but rather the most popular answer among a group of 100 random people. Therefore, one could totally nail each and every question, but unless the group of 100 agrees, you could end up without a single point.

This brings me to the Ecuadorian example. The question is, "What kinds of fruits do you eat without removing the skin, shell, etc...? The following examples were included on the board: grapes, apples, peaches. The following were not accepted: kiwi, pear, strawberry. The number one answer, which was the most popular answer to the question above was, Mango. Mango. Next time you buy a mango at the store, stop outside the store and eat the damn thing. Trust me, mango skin sucks.

The funny part was the reaction of all those involved in the show. The families are dismayed and angry. The audience offers boos. The host apologizes, basically calling the tested group a bunch of morons, and reminds us that the rules of the game have nothing to do with reality...only the reality that exists inside the heads of 100 randoms. Whoa.

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