The Old Coot can’t get the answer, fast enough.
By Merlin Lessler
I don’t know if you’re a fan or not of “Jeopardy,” the quiz
show where your answer has to be in the form of a question, but I am, to a
degree. That rule was strictly adhered to; contestants often spit out the
correct answer, but not in the form of a question; the response wasn’t
accepted. The rule has gradually eroded over the years: the host will look at the
responder in a questioning manner, giving them a second or two to realize their
error, and to restate it the proper form.
All well and good, that format was a gimmick that worked.
The show has been on the air since 1964 with a few gaps in that long string of
time. I started watching it when Art Fleming was the host and it aired during
the noon hour, when I was often at home for lunch. I could get a few dozen
answers before a contestant beat me to the punch. Over time, the questions got
harder, the contestants got smarter, and I got dumber and slower. I now rarely
blurt out the correct answer before they do, and I do a lot of blurting, mostly
in error.
My recollection reflex is compromised. The people on the
show are just too quick, cheating me of the opportunity to puff up my ego. The
only way I might have a chance of shouting out a correct answer before they
spoil things for me, is to DVR the show and
when I watch it, pause it right after the question is asked, giving me a minute
to dig a response out of the cobwebs in my brain. Then, forward the recording, to
see if I was right.
I haven’t resorted to that solution yet. Maybe I never will.
It just seems like too much of an effort. So, for now, I’ll sit back with a
dunce cap on my head and call it a victory if I get one correct answer before
the brainiacs cut me off at the pass.
No comments:
Post a Comment