Nick Games

[Kimberly Ann Paul]

Oh sure, drag my LAWN SWING into this. I was on SOTC eight YEARS ago
and I still get flack over that purchase.

Submitted for your approval (said in my best Rod Serling voice): a handy,
concise, all-encompassing definition of a game show:

"Any program made for television in which
amateurs regularly compete for reward."

Catchy, huh? It rules out amateur sports (not made for television) and it
rules out made-for-tv "events" like the Skins Games (not amateur). By
including the word "regularly", it rules out those occasional talk-show
giveaways.

And there's still room for Guts, AG, and yes, even MatchMaker. (I've never
seen that one before, but if Hammett doesn't like it, it must be truly awful.)

Hey, even "That's My Dog" is a game show!

(And Jordan, are you noticing the nice, short paragraphs?)

As for "Carmen", I couldn't agree more when you said it's "all the little
things" that make it fun. Maybe that's one of the problems we have with
the Stone/Stanley USA games: there are no "little things". One of my
favorite parts of "Carmen" is when Rockapella keeps coming up with different
names for the loot in the round-two guessing game. It adds nothing to the
contest, but it makes the show more fun. I also think that the final round
is one of the most exciting things to see won. I still have a tape from the
show's first week, just because the kid's win was so dramatic (and in Africa
no less).

Congratulations on your oversized playing cards! Others of us might want
a deck or two. Was this a one-of-a-kind find, or can we order some as well?
You'll have a lot more uses for them than "Card Sharks", of course. Did you
ever see "Pay Cards"?

And as for you not liking my quizzes: I'm proud to say that after years of
therapy, I no longer require universal acceptance for everything I do.
Maybe you'll like some future ones, maybe not, I won't lose sleep over it.

(BTW, I'll have more quizzes shortly, gang. The school year has started and
I'm characteristically swamped.)

Thanks to Don and Scott for coming up with some great ones.

Finally, as for my "tone", I sure hope no one takes serious offense at my
occasional opinion-making. Feel free to insert those sideways smiley-faces
wherever it looks like I'm being too serious. We're all friends on this
bus, aren't we? Besides, the last thing I want to do is piss off a future
lawyer.

--Matt Ottinger
paul...@student.msu.edu
(NOT Kim, who's now afraid that Jordan won't let us play
with his cards when we come for Game Show Convention II.)