Friday, March 4, 2011

Give a Warm Welcome to Contestant Number One: Caahhrrreeeepy!

I hate game shows.  I don’t know why- they’ve just always creeped me out.  Maybe it’s the high pitched theme songs, or the insincere uproar of applause and whistles.  Maybe it’s the way the show host’s voice is always a little too excited, their smiles plastified into position. 

In any case, if American game shows always gave me the heebies, European game shows are the things of nightmares. - Unfortunately my husband is a fan and I’ve been forced to sit through them on occasion.

The first time I saw ‘Attention à la Marche !’ (tsl : ‘Watch the Stairs !’)  I couldn’t speak or understand French very well.  So there was no way of knowing why there were animated purple blobs dancing at the bottom of the screen or reacting to the contestants.  The audience not only laughs and whistles on cue but also breaks into song and dance with coordinated shoulder shimmies.

Then the show suddenly comes to halt and clears the floor for some random act :  karaté demonstrations, people on stilts, a scene from a musical, a couple doing the cha cha…you name it.  Why ?...Beats the hell out of me.

And then there are shows like ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘The Price is Right’.  Except in France, Vanna White is a six foot tall, big-boobed blondie and the five foot tall show host is constantly talking into her breasts as though they’re a set of microphones.

Every article on the ‘Price is Right’ is featured with half dressed woman fawning over it as though it’s an alpha male; sprawling herself across car hoods, riding the exercise bike in her bikini and fingering toasters as though they’ve all the appeal of Johny Depp in his Jump Street years.

It takes some getting used to, I’ll tell you that.  But then again I suppose I can count myself lucky---  I’ve heard other European countries have game shows that are even more random and racy than their French counterparts. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

*CQG*

20 comments:

K M Kelly said...

I can't stand game shows at the best of times and tend not to watch them - although, now you mention it, there does seem to be a trend where the male gameshow hosts eyes are at boob level on his female co-host! Hmmmm

Kelly Breakey said...

I don't like the game shows either, but the I could certainly do some fawning over Johnny Depp, especially in his Jump Street Years, which I am proud to say I have on DVD. I am a dork.

mshatch said...

I'd actually prefer to fawn over Jonny Depp now; he's the sexiest pirate I know. As for game shows, the lat one I liked was the Gong Show.

Stina said...

I don't watch them either. That one would be a complete turn off.

I liked them as a kid. Maybe they were just better back then. Or at least the ones I watched in England were better. ;)

Susan Fields said...

"Johnny Depp in his Jump Street Years" - makes me want to go back and watch some reruns. :)

Nicole Zoltack said...

I don't much care for game shows either... sounds like the French ones are even worse than those here!

Christopher said...

That first one sounds like it would be particularly interesting, if I was on LSD.

Laura Pauling said...

I'm not a big fan of game shows either. though I did like Jeopardy even if I couldn't answer most of the questions!

Matthew MacNish said...

Have you seen any Japanese ones?

Raquel Byrnes said...

Ahaha! I think it must be foreign thing because Sabado Gigante is EXACTLY like that.

My husband was taking Spanish and insisted on watching it. Same thing with the audience knowing this mysterious dance moves and when to use them.

Its a mix of game show, variety show, drunken ogling of women in thongs. I don't get it.

Then again, we did have Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire...so there's that.

Angela Scott said...

I don't know about racy, but I do know I love a good Japanese game show--they're nuts! They're so so random and weird that I can't believe people actually sign up for them. (Just check out YouTube--it's packed full of weird Japanese game shows). Bizarre.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Ha ha ha. I love your descriptions of Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right!! :-)

Melissa said...

Game shows ARE freaking creepy. I hate how everyone is freakishly excited. Gives me the WILIES! Purple blobs dancing on the screen??? Sounds like the making of a nightmare!

Old Kitty said...

I like quiz shows!!! I used to like the Price is Right when I was little or Mr and Mrs! LOL!!! The gameshow you describe where the man is talking to the woman's boobies sounds so seventies!! LOL! Dear oh dear!

These days I do like Countdown and wordgame shows. Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

p.s. why did the purple blobby things pop up?! What were they suppose to mean!? just curious! Take care
x

Anonymous said...

The only time I cared for game shows was when I was a little kid and there was nothing else to watch.

Unknown said...

Katie, you have a great husband. He makes you be culturally aware, isn't that nice?
I guess I would be annoyed too.

Maybe make him watch some German shows ^^.

Hope you have a great weekend too. Oh, and maybe you'd like to join my first and short blogfest from Sunday on.
Nahno ∗ McLein

Dianne K. Salerni said...

When I was a kid, I used to watch Hollywood Squares. I'm not sure Charles Nelson Reilly ever appeared anywhere other than there, did he?

But I haven't watched any game shows for years and years.

So, what's the point of Watch the Stairs, then? Did you ever figure it out?

India Drummond said...

I loved game shows as a kid, but never watch them anymore. I don't even like the 'pop idol' type game shows... although I think I'm the only one!

Natalie Decker said...

I am not into game shows either like Deal or No deal. Those girls holding the cases are uck super slutty and always showing off the metal cases like it's sex in a box or something. Oh my goodness it's just a number in it. I understand they have to make it entertaining but for who the males or the females?

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