The Dan Enright Effect

[chris319]

I am interested in Jeopardy! again.

I am involved in the game. Ken is slowing down and we are starting to have some competition. I find myself rooting for his opponents when they approach or surpass his score. I am thrilled during those brief moments, few and far between, when he is in the red.

I am rooting for Ken to lose. This is the Dan Enright effect: "You want the viewer to react emotionally to a contestant. Whether he reacts favorably or negatively is really not that important. The important thing is that he react. He should watch a contestant hoping that the contestant will win, or he should watch the contestant hoping the contestant will lose."

No offense intended to JenKennings.

[adamjk]

Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't he been in the red but once?

[Jimmy Owen]

Dan did eventually have to tell Herb Stempel when to say bye-bye.

[sshuffield70]

Twice, that I can recall.

[The Ol' Guy]

..and since we know someone demanding Ken take a dive can't be done, we'll just have to watch Ken tucker out. Is Jeopardy a 5-a-day taping, or is it split up? Ken has the stress factor of 5 tapings in a week, as compared to his opponents who are fresh and rested when they face Ken for their duels - plus the interviews, guest shots...and I would imagine his normal day-to-day life has been out of sync for some time. It's gotta take a toll, and he probably will be beaten soon by someone not necessarily smarter, but fresher/stronger. But Chris' main point is that it's great to have some emotional tie with a contestant. I agree. Too many shows, the players come and go so fast we don't have time to care. In the days of the panel shows, we could root for our favorite panelists and hiss the others. They were the week-to-week constants while the guests came and went. My emotional connection is more like watching how he'll handle his eventual descent, and how others will react when it's done. I hope in the light that will be immediately shone on the guy or gal who beats Ken, the prevailing mood will be more like "Man, Ken was one hell of a player and kept swinging the bat until the last out", as compared to "Great! Now we have a human champ instead of a nerd with a sponge memory"..or words to that effect. How much you want to bet the person who beats Jennings won't go beyond five games? Go, Ken - and when the battle's over, we'll celebrate a victory - not a defeat. And Chris will be right - we'll see a type of emotional drama that is greater than in times past when any great contestant was prevented from being revered or reviled because of a five-game - ten game limit.

[pianogeek]

As a common viewer after watching his dismal performance over the last two shows after Mr. Jennings crossed $1 million, I'm starting to be attached.  We've seen he hasn't been running the board.  And with how close players get to him, I'm just hoping Ken would pull away and score high.  But luckily his luck was still there going into Final Jeopardy!, mathematically speaking.

Hang on, folks.  Here comes the drama.  Root for Ken till the end.

[chris319]

Allow me to clarify: I'm rooting AGAINST Ken and FOR his opponents. I suppose you could call it an "emotional tie" to a contestant but not in a positive sense. But it's got me involved in the show again.

Notice how Ken surpassed the $1 million mark smack dab in the middle of the July book.

Yes, Dan Enright told Herb Stempel to throw the game but that version of Twenty One was rrrrrigged.

Where's Vivienne Nearing when we need her?

[Craig Karlberg]

I'm willing to bet that Ken will eventually bow out very graciously.  I mean, when all is said & done, Ken will go back to where he was before his instant celeberty status over the past 6 weeks.  Methimks, it'll take a long time for Ken to FULLY recover from all this.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 04:44 AM\'] I'm willing to bet that Ken will eventually bow out very graciously.  I mean, when all is said & done, Ken will go back to where he was before his instant celeberty status over the past 6 weeks.  Methimks, it'll take a long time for Ken to FULLY recover from all this. [/quote]
 Yeah, but the trauma of dealing with it will be softened by his million dollars.

This "Dan Enright Effect" as you call it, Chris, can also be seen in professional wrestling. It's all about reaction. Once you can arouse any strong emotion in a mark, you've got them.

I am rooting FOR Ken. Sure, he doesn't need me to root for him, but I do enjoy seeing him rewrite game show history and I'd like to see him break the McKee record.

Obviously, this story has captured the imagination of a country that needs to root for someone. I'm proudly joining in.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jul 15 2004, 10:19 PM\']Dan did eventually have to tell Herb Stempel when to say bye-bye.[/quote]
And somewhere in the Irving Thalberg Buildling, Harry Friedman's thinking, "those were the good old days."

What I'd like to know--why did Ken's opponent make such a wussy DD bet at the end of the first round?  Did he really think that first pick in DJ! was more important than the lead--particularly because Ken wouldn't have been last if he'd bet it all or most of it?

[rigsby]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 02:53 AM\'] Notice how Ken surpassed the $1 million mark smack dab in the middle of the July book. [/quote]
 Is the July book even that important, given how many shows are in reruns right now?

[chris319]

[quote name=\'rigsby\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 01:00 PM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 02:53 AM\'] Notice how Ken surpassed the $1 million mark smack dab in the middle of the July book. [/quote]
Is the July book even that important, given how many shows are in reruns right now? [/quote]
 Not as important as the other books but it's still a nice time to have your ratings spike.

It wouldn't take much for Spongeken Squarepants to wiggle out of Jeopardy! -- just slow down that lockout thumb.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'rigsby\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 04:00 PM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 02:53 AM\'] Notice how Ken surpassed the $1 million mark smack dab in the middle of the July book. [/quote]
Is the July book even that important, given how many shows are in reruns right now? [/quote]
 Well, it's the most competitive month of the summer programming-wise because it's a sweeps month. The July sweeps are probably the least important of the sweeps months, but it is becoming more and more important as networks begin programming for the summer instead of just dumping failed midseason-replacements and pilots in among the reruns.

[CarbonCpy]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 03:05 PM\'] It wouldn't take much for Spongeken Squarepants to wiggle out of Jeopardy! -- just slow down that lockout thumb. [/quote]
 He wouldn't even have to go that far, Chris.

"What is 'what you have written down on that card, Alex?'"
"Who is Grant Stoomb?"
"Who is Myra Maines?"
"Who's Dick Hertz?"
"Who is Hassan Bin Sobar?"
"Who is Amanda Huginkess?"

[1978-Jeopardy]

Returning to "The Dan Enright Effect"...

The people who are rooting against Ken are doing so because they feel he has already reached his goal/served his porpose, obtaining the one million dollars, and is no longer exciting or needed. The people rooting for Ken are probably counting on Ken reaching the two million dollar mark, or just winning higher amounts of money. *
* Just my interpretation on human nature. I guess it's a glass half empty/half full thing.