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TV competitions and their dumb questions

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  • 21-07-2008 12:23am
    #1
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,187 ✭✭✭


    Questions like this:

    New York is famously known as which?

    The big Orange
    The big Apple
    The big Banana

    What food is traditionally eaten at Christmas?

    Turkey
    Italy
    England

    Batmans famous sidekick is known as who?

    Swan
    Robin
    Lark

    I mean really. Why bloody well bother with this question nonense. I can just imagine all the greedy corporate big shots that work these competitions looking to stage a rehab question, allowing the public to think they are great because "oo oo I know the answer, quick lets ring in!".

    Has anybody ever come across a TV competition question that actually involves using the thinking gears?


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    #2
    Adam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    D: None of the above


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    #3
    genericgoon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭genericgoon


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    Questions like this:

    New York is famously known as which?

    The big Orange
    The big Apple
    The big Banana

    What food is traditionally eaten at Christmas?

    Turkey
    Italy
    England

    Batmans famous sidekick is known as who?

    Swan
    Robin
    Lark

    I mean really. Why bloody well bother with this question nonense. I can just imagine all the greedy corporate big shots that work these competitions looking to stage a rehab question, allowing the public to think they are great because "oo oo I know the answer, quick lets ring in!".

    Has anybody ever come across a TV competition question that actually involves using the thinking gears?

    The easier the question, the more people that know the answer and thus the more who ring in. Simple. And it removes the chance of the extremely stupid from winning.:D


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    #4
    Adam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    genericgoon wrote: »
    The easier the question, the more people that know the answer and thus the more who ring in. Simple. And it removes the chance of the extremely stupid from winning.:D
    Does it? Does it really?

    A. Yes
    B. No
    C. Maybe?

    Text your answer to 51532

    2.50/txt plus standard operator charge and a small portion of your soul. Terms and conditions apply.


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    #5
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,187 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    genericgoon wrote: »
    The easier the question, the more people that know the answer and thus the more who ring in. Simple. And it removes the chance of the extremely stupid from winning.:D

    Absolutely. I feel like we are treated like morons.

    Whats the bets, that folks get them wrong the odd time.


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    #6
    keen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 987 ✭✭✭keen


    There's some rule that says a question has to be asked in order to give a prize away that's why they ask something that's so obvious.


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    #7
    hussey
    Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    genericgoon wrote: »
    The easier the question, the more people that know the answer and thus the more who ring in. Simple. And it removes the chance of the extremely stupid from winning.:D

    +1

    well if you have a prize that costs 400, and text messages cost 2.50 (say 1 goes to the company), then you'd only need 401 people calling in to make a profit


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    #8
    PrivateEye
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,283 ✭✭✭PrivateEye


    Whats the bets, that folks get them wrong the odd time.

    There's a couple of wise men who have come away from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire without a penny. I seen Jade Goody on telly a few weeks back wondering who George Bush is, and then asking if he's the "American bloke who looks like a Teddy Bear"

    So, based on the above, I'd say plenty of idiots get it wrong. Still- it's the €2.50 that counts.


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    #9
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    keen wrote: »
    There's some rule that says a question has to be asked in order to give a prize away that's why they ask something that's so obvious.

    Exactly. It's called gambling if there's no element of skill. They are just paying lip service to the idea of skill/knowledge being required.

    I think regulations are much stricter if it's out and out gambling.



    btw can a mod add a poll to this thread? I think the answer is Big Banana but I'd like to see how the masses vote.


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    #10
    BaconZombie
    Registered Users Posts: 8,811 ✭✭✭BaconZombie


    And they normally get the prizes for free as well....
    hussey wrote: »
    +1

    well if you have a prize that costs 400, and text messages cost 2.50 (say 1 goes to the company), then you'd only need 401 people calling in to make a profit


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    #11
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    PrivateEye wrote: »
    I seen Jade Goody on telly a few weeks back wondering who George Bush is, and then asking if he's the "American bloke who looks like a Teddy Bear"

    I'd be sceptical about Jade being that stupid. It's her public persona and it's made her a lot of money. If people started to think she had a brain in her head, the tabloid interest+money would soon dry up.


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    #12
    afatbollix
    Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭afatbollix


    ITV F1 ussally have hard questions... you would need to be into F1 to know the answers... they are also what looks like a normal call fee... you can also enter for free on the net so its more for the genuine fans...


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    #13
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    The dumbest competition question I ever heard of was in the Sun or Sunday World or one of those: What is the capital of France? But then it took a beating recently - on Larry Gogan's Just a Minute Quiz: What is the capital of England? Yes, really.


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    #14
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    Dudess wrote: »
    The dumbest competition question I ever heard of was in the Sun or Sunday World or one of those: What is the capital of France? But then it took a beating recently - on Larry Gogan's Just a Minute Quiz: What is the capital of England? Yes, really.

    Larry Gogan's Just a Minute Quiz's greatest moment was "Where is the Taj Mahal?" Ans: "Opposite the dental hospital."

    Classic Dub answer.


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    #15
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Where's the Great Wall? Crumlin
    What star do travellers follow? Joe Dolan

    Oldies but goodies...


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    #16
    genericgoon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭genericgoon


    Proof.


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    #17
    Stercus Accidit
    Registered Users Posts: 8,758 ✭✭✭Stercus Accidit


    javaboy wrote: »
    Exactly. It's called gambling if there's no element of skill. They are just paying lip service to the idea of skill/knowledge being required.

    I think regulations are much stricter if it's out and out gambling.



    btw can a mod add a poll to this thread? I think the answer is Big Banana but I'd like to see how the masses vote.

    Idiot,

    who can live in a banana?

    Ridiculous question, them are fruit them is.


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    #18
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    Motosam wrote: »
    Idiot,

    who can live in a banana?

    Ridiculous question, them are fruit them is.

    It's a metaphor. The yellow of the banana represents all the taxi cabs and then you peel away the skin/outward seedy appearance of New York to reveal a soft squishy fruit inside. I really don't see what's so confusing.


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    #19
    Stercus Accidit
    Registered Users Posts: 8,758 ✭✭✭Stercus Accidit


    javaboy wrote: »
    It's a metaphor. The yellow of the banana represents all the taxi cabs and then you peel away the skin/outward seedy appearance of New York to reveal a soft squishy fruit inside. I really don't see what's so confusing.

    Is a bunch of bananas a representation of the unity of the US post 911?

    All the states and cities united on the tree of freedom?


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    #20
    smoke.me.a.kipper
    Registered Users Posts: 7,626 ✭✭✭smoke.me.a.kipper


    atari jaguar tbh.


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    #21
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    Motosam wrote: »
    Is a bunch of bananas a representation of the unity of the US post 911?

    All the states and cities united on the tree of freedom?

    No a bunch of bananas would just represent several New Yorks stuck together.

    Back on topic. Where's the poll?


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    #22
    hussey
    Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    genericgoon wrote: »
    Proof.
    Fake - she won 32k
    http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/gameshows/millionaire.asp


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    #23
    genericgoon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭genericgoon


    hussey wrote: »
    Fake - she won 32k
    http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/gameshows/millionaire.asp

    Why do you have to ruin a perfectly good meme with the truth. :P


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    #24
    Adam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    genericgoon wrote: »
    Why do you have to ruin a perfectly good meme with the truth. :P
    I don't care. She looks dumb.


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    #25
    Naos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,728 ✭✭✭Naos


    I remember reading before something along the lines of:

    They ask a simple question therefore making it a 'Game of Skill' as oppossed to a Lottery. If it was a lottery, they'd have to pay for a lotterly license.


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    #26
    MOH
    Registered Users Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭MOH


    hussey wrote: »
    Fake - she won 32k
    http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/gameshows/millionaire.asp

    Nope, the snopes one refers to a fake e-mail involving the answers:
    a) peanut; b) elephant; c) moon; d) a tennis ball

    Not d) a kettle

    It's obviously a completely different question.


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    #27
    Sherifu
    Registered Users Posts: 17,727 ✭✭✭✭Sherifu


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    I mean really. Why bloody well bother with this question nonense. I can just imagine all the greedy corporate big shots that work these competitions looking to stage a rehab question, allowing the public to think they are great because "oo oo I know the answer, quick lets ring in!".
    I prefer the ones where you have to find something about the company on their site, at least there's a bit of effort in those ones.


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    #28
    Senna
    Registered Users Posts: 8,800 ✭✭✭Senna


    javaboy wrote: »
    I'd be sceptical about Jade being that stupid. It's her public persona and it's made her a lot of money. If people started to think she had a brain in her head, the tabloid interest+money would soon dry up.

    Was she not in the Big Brother house for a few months and proved how stupid she was 24/7. She's not that good an actress.


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    #29
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    There's an ad at the moment for one of those text in scams competitions:

    What is this dangerous animal? It gives you S_ _ _ E and then gives the remaining letters to fill in: N,A,K.
    I mean, COME ON. It's obviously a Skane.

    Also, "Big Banana" - durrty.


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    #30
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Dudess wrote: »
    The dumbest competition question I ever heard of was in the Sun or Sunday World or one of those: What is the capital of France? But then it took a beating recently - on Larry Gogan's Just a Minute Quiz: What is the capital of England? Yes, really.

    That's a tough one,didn't know England had a capital.

    Bit unfair there ,now if he asked what the capital of the United Kingdom was,that would be fairer imho.


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    #31
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,187 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    Some of the competitons actually mention the answer during the add.

    "For your chance to win tickets to see Portishead backstage at this years x fesitival, just answer this question:

    Who is playing at the this years x festival?

    - Portishead
    - Jerry Adams
    - Some traffic cones from the M50 roadworks.


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