Let's Ask America season 3 with Bill Bellamy

[PYLdude]

Doesn't make my statement completely false though. I know people were watching just to see me fall on my face, among those that did.

Never for a second did I question the veracity of the comment. I'm certain it's accurate. The part that baffles me is that you are apparently just figuring this out now.

But if you don't think "You got what you wanted, something bad happened to me, are you happy now?" is playing the victim, then those blinders are on more tightly than even I thought.

I had it figured out a long time ago. I just would rather not acknowledge it because it doesn't make a difference to me in the long run, and some people just aren't worth it.

I also know you can read what I said as playing victim, sure. But I'm saying it in another manner too- as in, "well Mr. Burns, you've certainly vanquished all your enemies: the elementary school, the local tavern, the old age home...you must be very proud." Feel free to interpret however you wish.

ETA: I know I've been quick to bring up my experience a lot. Maybe at times a little too much.  I don't do it to rub it in and apologize if at times it comes off like that. Sure, my display name includes the word "Thousandaire" and I did it on purpose. I'm not going to be made to be embarrassed about it, though. And I'm not going to let people misrepresent things just to take swipes at me because they don't like me. That's why I went off on Chad and I am not going to apologize for doing it. Whatever you feel about me is one thing. To say I shouldn't talk about something I did because I didn't win enough money to justify somebody's standards is wrong.  And if the shoe was on the other foot I could certainly do the same thing Chad did to me to him. But I wouldn't do that. Because it ain't easy to get there, much less get there and win something. And you're even luckier if you get that call multiple times.

[Dbacksfan12]

The membership here isn't going to think more or less of him because of how well he did on the show, we've all made our judgments and at this point my eyes glide past his mentions of the show, and pointing out yet again that he's mentioning it doesn't mean we think worse of him for saying it or better of you for pointing it out. It's just more texts to get to what we're talking about.

This part is debatable.

Please elaborate, Mark, because I'm legitimately curious as to where you're going with this.

Nowhere now, as I misread Travis' post as solely about you, not about you as well as Chad.

[clemon79]

I had it figured out a long time ago. I just would rather not acknowledge it because it doesn't make a difference to me in the long run, and some people just aren't worth it.

That's fair. Saying "I now know" suggested otherwise, tho. All I'm saying.

I'm not going to be made to be embarrassed about it, though.

Nor should you be. The primary reason people are throwing shade at you about it is because you'd already made the bed in the past ridiculing Millionaire contestants who similarly crashed and burned with (at the time) no clue as to what the actual experience was like. So you might understand how some people might find the taste of schadenfreude satisfying.

[PYLdude]

I had it figured out a long time ago. I just would rather not acknowledge it because it doesn't make a difference to me in the long run, and some people just aren't worth it.

That's fair. Saying "I now know" suggested otherwise, tho. All I'm saying.

I understand. Believe me. I could've chosen a better set of words to get my point across.

I'm not going to be made to be embarrassed about it, though.

Nor should you be. The primary reason people are throwing shade at you about it is because you'd already made the bed in the past ridiculing Millionaire contestants who similarly crashed and burned with (at the time) no clue as to what the actual experience was like. So you might understand how some people might find the taste of schadenfreude satisfying.

So it is. But I would argue I do that more to Jeopardy! contestants than Millionaire contestants, only for accuracy's sake (doesn't excuse it either way, but I stand for accuracy dammit ). I did sort of acknowledge I did that, though, when I was in studio (I forget if it made the final cut) and I admitted that if I was sitting at home and not staring down the big blue screen I would probably be yelling at the TV with the right answer and criticizing myself for not doing something a certain way. I find myself, when I watch now, still playing along and still talking to the TV but I'm more "don't do it, be smart, don't do what I did" than "what the hell were you thinking you moron, that was so easy." I don't know if you'd consider that better, but it does kinda change the perspective once you've been there and done that.

And certainly Travis is right. Eventually my bringing it up will subside, if only for the fact that I'll eventually tire of it. If you don't like the fact that I'm still doing it you may feel free to do that. I'm not gonna fault you for it. But don't allow that dislike to justify being an ass. I don't appreciate it when Don keeps bringing up that stupid heat-of-the-moment statement I made and I'm gonna be even less appreciative when someone craps on me talking about my experience because it wasn't as profitable as it could've been. I've seen some pretty stupid things said in regards to it, with my favorite being the idiot who posted a comment on the original upload (which has since been taken down- the comment, not the vid) saying "I bet if the questions were about Doritos and Twinkies he would've won the million" (irony, considering what did me in...?) and a close second goes to the idiot who linked me to an article about a guy who shares my human Wikipedia nickname and who is definitely more deserving of it trying to make me feel stupid and say I'm not deserving of the nickname (instead I'm now following the guy on Twitter and admiring what this guy knows).

Bottom line, I say again: I got there, I got in, I got paid, I got on TV, I got my dream. All positives, all that needs to be said. And if I keep saying it it's only because it still feels surreal to me after all this time.