Author Topic: Pyramid judging question.... (Read 7323 times)

Fedya · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2004, 04:13:43 PM »

Randy:

I thought Anne-Marie Schmitt or Francine Bergman did the judging. I distinctly recall a $25K episode in the 80s where they brought the judge out on camera and it was a woman.

Also, I seem to recall Schmitt's name appearing in the credits alongside somebody else's in the credits, and David Michaels rings a bell. I'll have to make a point to watch the credits, when GSN doesn't split-screen them. It would seem kind of awkward to have two people doing the judging, though, since that's the sort of thing for which you'd need split-second decision making.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2004, 04:14:05 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 05:25 AM\'] Okay, me and TLEberle were talking, and we have a question.

The situation: Dick Clark 1980's Pyramid, front game. You are sitting at the judge's desk, your hand on the cuckoo.

The clue: A CRAYON

The celebrity says: "This is the product Crayola makes."

The question: Do you sound the cuckoo? Please add your reasoning.

Thanks! [/quote]
No...this is one of those cases where the only thing in common is a syllable. As someone else said, Crayola makes more than just crayons. However, if you want to be super cautious, you'd just simply say "64 of these come in a box..."

On a related note, I remember an 80s Pyramid where LeVar Burton gave for "Parts of A Crossword Puzzle," the clue "26 Across." He was initially buzzed, but the judges reversed the decision, winning his partner $10,000. I'd think that scenario is very similar to what you were asking.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2004, 04:24:56 PM »

[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 03:13 PM\'] Also, I seem to recall Schmitt's name appearing in the credits alongside somebody else's in the credits, and David Michaels rings a bell. I'll have to make a point to watch the credits, when GSN doesn't split-screen them. It would seem kind of awkward to have two people doing the judging, though, since that's the sort of thing for which you'd need split-second decision making. [/quote]
IIRC, it was Sande Stewart's name that flashed with Anne-Marie Schmitt as producers--Bergman and Michaels were given the producer titles (with Schmitt promoted to supervising producer) later in the run.

Doug

tvrandywest · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2004, 05:40:09 PM »

[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 01:13 PM\'] I thought Anne-Marie Schmitt or Francine Bergman did the judging. I distinctly recall a $25K episode in the 80s where they brought the judge out on camera and it was a woman. [/quote]
David used to dress that way on weekends ;-)

David judged for years and years and years and years. It would have been extremely difficult to have him appear on stage completely unplanned as he was in the control room, behind a bank of monitors, wearing earphones to listen most carefully to the players' utterances. That's a definite $top tape. It seems most likely that a production person positioned on stage would step out for whatever brief comedic abuse / mock appeal of the decision might have been offered.

Certainly people other than David judged over the long, long run and various incarnations of the show (both coasts, multiple networks plus syndie), but David Michaels was doing it in the 80s at CBS, is by far the person most associated with that job, and is the gold standard for game show judging, imho.

Quote

Hmm. You wouldn't happen to still have contact with David, would you? I could understand if you wouldn't want to say so out loud, because you'd probably be inundated with judging requests, but if you did, perhaps you could shoot me a private email....we're REALLY interested in knowing how this would fly...

I'm responding publicly but still not saying it "out loud" (that costs scale ;-)
I haven't seen David in many years. I remember the last time as being in the late 90s at the Universal Hilton at some SAG-AFTRA event, perhaps somehow related to an AIDS awareness function, as David was/is very active in that cause. Sande Stewart Productions shouldn't be too hard to find it you really wanna persue it.

Randy
tvrandywest.com
"vote early and vote often"

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 15, 2004, 08:26:49 PM »

[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 11:11 AM\'] I think I'd sound the cuckoo, because the "Cray" in "Crayola" gives away the essence of the word "crayon"

I don't think you'd get away with saying "A Band-Aid is a type of...." for "bandage". This is no different.

Besides, I'm sure the judges were under orders from Bob Stewart to keep there from being perfect games whenever possible, since he didn't want to break the prize budget. :-) [/quote]
Not really.
"Crayola" is pronounced:
Creigh......
while Crayon is pronounced:
Cran

Two completely different phonetic pronouciations. No buzzer.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2004, 08:40:39 PM »

Some pronounce it Cran, some pronounce it Crayon.

Brandon Brooks · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2004, 08:59:38 PM »

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 08:26 PM\'] "Crayola" is pronounced:
Creigh......
while Crayon is pronounced:
Cran

Two completely different phonetic pronouciations. No buzzer. [/quote]
I say "creigh-on" (my southern accent won't let me do otherwise). I still shouldn't be buzzed though.

Brandon Brooks

DrJWJustice · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2004, 11:53:17 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 05:25 AM\'] Okay, me and TLEberle were talking, and we have a question.

The situation: Dick Clark 1980's Pyramid, front game. You are sitting at the judge's desk, your hand on the cuckoo.

The clue: A CRAYON

The celebrity says: "This is the product Crayola makes."

The question: Do you sound the cuckoo? Please add your reasoning.

Thanks! [/quote]
Crayola makes more than crayons. So, no, I wouldn't give it the cuckoo.

DrJWJustice · « **Reply #23 on:** February 15, 2004, 11:59:12 PM »

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 03:10 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 02:49 PM\'] Here's what I'm thinking of:

WC category is "Famous Republicans"

Would I be buzzed for giving the following clues: "Current GOP President George W. Bush, Current GOP Governor Jeb Bush, etc., etc."? [/quote]
The GOP is a synonym for Republican.

Yes, you would.

Brandon Brooks [/quote]
Just to add to Brandon's point (geez, we agree on something!) I distinctly remember seeing a Dick Clark rerun of $100k Pyramid a while back in which the man himself said that you can say just about anything in the front game, so long as you don't use the term itself that you're trying to convey. In the WC, direct synonyms (as Brandon pointed out) and direct antonyms are no-nos.

Jay Temple · « **Reply #24 on:** February 16, 2004, 12:32:21 AM »

I distinctly remember someone getting cuckoo'ed for saying "Yoplait" in a description of "yogurt." It doesn't matter how many other products Crayola makes; the name is clearly derived from "crayon."

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #25 on:** February 16, 2004, 12:34:25 AM »

I buzz it, on two conditions simultaneously being met:

1) An entire syllable is shared between the clue and the listed word.

2) Between the clue and the listed word, one is directly derived from the other.

I thought reversing the across-crossword decision, while having a justification that worked as far as it went ("cross" being only a part of two different compound words involved), was not consistent with the usual judging standards of '80s Pyramid.

Fedya · « **Reply #26 on:** February 16, 2004, 10:14:38 AM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 05:40 PM\'] [quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 01:13 PM\'] I thought Anne-Marie Schmitt or Francine Bergman did the judging. I distinctly recall a $25K episode in the 80s where they brought the judge out on camera and it was a woman. [/quote]
David used to dress that way on weekends ;-)

David judged for years and years and years and years. It would have been extremely difficult to have him appear on stage completely unplanned as he was in the control room, behind a bank of monitors, wearing earphones to listen most carefully to the players' utterances. That's a definite $top tape. It seems most likely that a production person positioned on stage would step out for whatever brief comedic abuse / mock appeal of the decision might have been offered. [/quote]
I can certainly understand that they wouldn't want to stop tape, but I seem to recall the incident in question taking place in the wrap-up, after the commercial break that came after the second WC. I would have thought that wouldn't require stopping tape, but then again, I'm not in the business. I have neither the face nor the voice for it. ;-)

DrJWJustice · « **Reply #27 on:** February 16, 2004, 04:28:19 PM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Feb 16 2004, 12:32 AM\'] I distinctly remember someone getting cuckoo'ed for saying "Yoplait" in a description of "yogurt." It doesn't matter how many other products Crayola makes; the name is clearly derived from "crayon." [/quote]
Well, then I'd argue that the judges made a mistake in buzzing Yoplait, especially if it's in the front game. That's about like getting buzzed for saying Dannon, as far as I'm concerned, and I don't care that yogurt and Yoplait both begin with "YO." As long as the word "yogurt" was not used in the description, as I understand Pyramid rules (and I"ve been watching for a very long time, mind you), Yoplait should be allowed. The same goes for using Crayola for crayon, by extension.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #28 on:** February 16, 2004, 04:56:37 PM »

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Feb 15 2004, 09:26 PM\'] "Crayola" is pronounced:
Creigh......
while Crayon is pronounced:
Cran

Two completely different phonetic pronouciations. No buzzer. [/quote]
I have to admit that I have never EVER heard it pronounced "cran", but sure enough, the dictionary does give that as a secondary pronunciation.

Still, emphasis on "secondary". The primary pronunciation is definitely the same as the brand name. The brand name is clearly based on the name of the generic product, I don't think a regional dialect issue does anything to change that.

My ruling? I always come back to the phrase "essense of the answer". To me, Crayola gives too much away (as does "Band-Aid" for that matter). Personally, I cue the cuckoo.