Millionaire questions about Brontes and J. Hoffa

[Alex K]

Recently, Super Millionaire asked a player to name a woman who was NOT a Bronte sister and to name the restaurant where Jimmy Hoffa disappeared.

The Bronte sisters were Anne, Emily, and Charlotte. So, the answer was Catherine.

I knew that because I watch Jeopardy. On Jeopardy, I have heard the name Anne Bronte mentioned several times.


As for the Hoffa question, I knew that the answer was the Red Fox restaurant.

How did I know that?


A few years ago, Vivica A. Fox appeared on Celebrity Millionaire. She wore a red dress. When her episode of Celebrity Millionaire was rerun, the episode was filled with pop-ups. These were bubbles containing trivia information, like the ones on VH1's pop-up video.

Anyway, when the camera was on Vivica Fox (who wore a red dress), a pop-up appeared. The pop-up stated that Jimmy Hoffa disappeared at the Red Fox restaurant.

Red Fox. Vivica Fox wearing red.
See the connection?


My point is that it is very important to watch as many game shows as possible. One game show may ask a question whose answer may be revealed on a different game show.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Alex K\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 01:48 AM\'] My point is that it is very important to watch as many game shows as possible. One game show may ask a question whose answer may be revealed on a different game show. [/quote]
 If the most important thing in your life is the ability to correctly answer game show questions, then, yes, I would absolutely agree with this.

I would also suggest seeking professional assistance immediately.

[Ian Wallis]

My point is that it is very important to watch as many game shows as possible. One game show may ask a question whose answer may be revealed on a different game show.

This has been brought up before, but it's quite common for game shows to use the same questions as other game shows.

I guess there's only a certain amount of "playable" material out there.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Alex K\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 03:48 AM\'] My point is that it is very important to watch as many game shows as possible. One game show may ask a question whose answer may be revealed on a different game show. [/quote]
 One might read a book, listen to a composition, etc. instead of constantly watching gameshows...which it seems a good majority of you do.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 08:48 AM\']If the most important thing in your life is the ability to correctly answer game show questions, then, yes, I would absolutely agree with this.

I would also suggest seeking professional assistance immediately.[/quote]
Normally, I love these remarks, but I have to question this one.

There are people out there (at least two in my town of 43,000) for whom game show winnings are a primary source of income. Surely, the ability to correctly answer game show questions is of prime importance for some completely-sane individuals, isn't it?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 04:49 PM\'] There are people out there (at least two in my town of 43,000) for whom game show winnings are a primary source of income. Surely, the ability to correctly answer game show questions is of prime importance for some completely-sane individuals, isn't it? [/quote]
 I don't think our resident curmudgeon was dispensing actual mental health advice (I don't believe he has a license), so let's tread carefully if we're actually disecting "sane" versus "not sane" for this subject.  Furthermore, I'm sure that a certain amount of knowledge I've retained over the years is stuff that I've picked up watching game shows, so I certainly see the truth at the core of Steve's and Alex's point.

Still, as with a lot of stuff here, it's a question of scale.  If you're counting on game shows winnings as a "primary source of income", I think even the Leszek Pawlowiczes and Kevin Olmsteads of the world -- people who really have won a life-changing amount of money -- will tell you that's probably not such a "sane" idea.  And even if you were, there are better and more efficient ways of gaining information that will serve you well on a game show than by watching other game shows.

I watch Jeopardy every night, and I probably have a more vested interest in doing so that the average person.  Still, I would never say that it's "important" to watch Jeopardy.  "Useful" maybe, but even then only in the most unusual of circumstances.

[Steve McClellan]

Point taken. My choice of words may have been a bit poor there.

However, one doesn't have to win extreme amounts of money to make game shows *a* primary source of income. Had I won a "mere" $64,000 on Millionaire, that would have kept me going for about four years with no other income. The idea isn't as far "out there" as some would believe. Even those who don't win amounts that people would consider "life-changing" can have their lives changed significantly by the money. Case in point: the two people I referenced in my previous post? I have no reason to believe that anyone here would remember either of us from our appearances alone (even Zach, but then again I may be overestimating him ).

That said, I do indeed see both of your points. I may not completely agree, but I guess that's a good thing: my position actually becomes weaker as more people subscribe to it.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 06:16 PM\'] Had I won a "mere" $64,000 on Millionaire, that would have kept me going for about four years with no other income. [/quote]
 A good example of how "life-changing" can certainly be a relative term.  While many of you are still in your teens and early twenties, a lot of us who are a few years older and into our careers would have a hard time "going" on what would amount to $16,000 a year.  

Besides, what happens four years after that?  I just don't think it's realistic to assume there are going to always be shows around where you can routinely pick up tens of thousands of dollars.  The number of people who've actually made game shows a primary part of their revenue stream is statistically minute.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 05:39 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 06:16 PM\'] Had I won a "mere" $64,000 on Millionaire, that would have kept me going for about four years with no other income. [/quote]
A good example of how "life-changing" can certainly be a relative term.  While many of you are still in your teens and early twenties, a lot of us who are a few years older and into our careers would have a hard time "going" on what would amount to $16,000 a year.  
 [/quote]
 Oh, no...I'm in the early twenties, and right now, my biggest concern with going on a game show would be enough to pay off student loans...and still have enough to have for myself. :-P Greedy? Maybe. Realistic? Probably not, but I can dream can't I?

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 02:39 PM\']..."life-changing" can certainly be a relative term.  While many of you are still in your teens and early twenties, a lot of us who are a few years older and into our careers would have a hard time "going" on what would amount to $16,000 a year.[/quote]
Certainly, but that's all based on personal choices. If you want to own a fairly large house, a moderately nice car, and have a family with a wife and 2.3 kids, you'll certainly require more money than someone like me. However, that's not the life I've chosen, and there's nothing forcing me to change that. In fact, my fellow career contestant is over twice my age and requires *less* income than I do. I'm just choosing a lifestyle that fits the income level of the career I really want.

Besides, what happens four years after that?  I just don't think it's realistic to assume there are going to always be shows around where you can routinely pick up tens of thousands of dollars.  The number of people who've actually made game shows a primary part of their revenue stream is statistically minute.

When I say *a* primary source of income, I generally mean something like "one of two", so that takes the four year period to about eight. In that time, one tries out for several different shows (I'm definitely not waiting for the money to run out before I start) and hopes for something along the lines of a six-figure Jeopardy! win to extend that eight-year period by a decade or two. In the meantime, there are other avenues. Get Schooled offers $10,000. A casino near me recently did some in-house game shows, where the mathematically expected winnings for each audience member well outweighed the ticket price. So, I may use the phrase "game show winnings" a bit loosely, but that's the path I've chosen until such time as I decide otherwise, and it's been working pretty well so far.

[starcade]

Answering the point on having your life revolve around answering game show questions:

With the kind of stakes ABC and Regis are offering, that might not be such a discardable idea...

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 04:51 PM\'] Answering the point on having your life revolve around answering game show questions:

With the kind of stakes ABC and Regis are offering, that might not be such a discardable idea... [/quote]
 The argument against that, though, is that the chances of getting on SM are so slim (not to mention nonexistent for some of us) as to make it ludicrous to base your life around it.

[Craig Karlberg]

Certainly I won't win $10 million or even $1 million for that matter.  If I do go on a game show, I would do it just to satisfy a "short-term" need(for me, a new computer classifies as such).  So, if I go on TPIR & win $10,000 on Grand Game or Punch-A-Bunch, that'll surely take care of that need in a hurry minus any taxes due.

[Matt Ottinger]

Steve, you've obviously given this a lot more thought than I gave you credit for, and far be it for me to step on someone's dreams and make them go squish.  Everyone's entitled to pursue their own path, and there are probably a lot of us who wish we had the nerve to pursue something a little out of the mainstream.  I wish you nothing but the best, and I hope this forum is around for many years to come so that we can track your progress.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Feb 27 2004, 07:44 PM\'] I'm just choosing a lifestyle that fits the income level of the career I really want.
 [/quote]
 Coming soon at Union University...a B.A. in game show contestantry, and a A.S. in Rice-A-Roni.