>>>Then finally Oprah and the host didn't give the 5,000, but the max: 100,000. It was all a setup. Gheez.
>
>TV story;
>
>I saw recently show on Greek TV
>'Are you smarter then 10yr old'
>
>So guy comes and start shooting answers like a machine. Highly obnoxious
>and feeling all arround good about himself.
>
>He did not use ANY help all the way up the tally - until one before top!
>
>Then question comes where he was not 100% but only 95% sure.
>'Helped' by presenter, guy decides to use one help.
>
>So what he chooses ?
>He could use option where he could use kids help
>but also to retain his own answer.
>Instead of this, he picked option (less graded help) where kid on the stand has final say / answer.
>(Counting probably that he already passed this stance / keeping strongest help type for final)
>
>You can guess what happened ;
>- He had RIGHT answer.
>- All other kids have RIGHT answer.
>
>But kid on the stand has very CLOSE but not exactly right answer!!!
>
>So guy walks off all steemed up with some peanut treshold money instead of little fortune.
>He did not even shake hand or comfourt kid standing there obviosely very embarrased, given that his wrong answer in a way *costed* guy a fortune.
>
>So Mr KnowItAll was defenetely *smarter* then 10 year old, but as with other things in life, being just smart aint enough to be a real winner. If there was not for that kid on stand, I would probably feel sorry for the guy loosing fortune at the very end. Instead just tought ;
>
>What a (sore) looser!

As I see it, the attractiveness of this type of show isn't so much the game, but the behavior of the participants. We test what we think of the participants, psychologically and sociologically. Mr. KnowItAll is now Mr. SoreLooser. Ha! :)