I've dreamed of being on Family Feud since I was a child, but that was back when my family could somewhat stomach to be in the same room. (It's probably not a good idea to turn the "feud" in Family Feud into a real thing, ya know?)
In all seriousness, I'd probably come up with better answers than the people who fumble only to have their braindead family members yell out "Good answer! Good answer!" as the host looks on incredulously.
But that has to be staged, right? People can't be that ridiculous, right? What actually goes on behind the scenes?
"People who have been on game shows: What are some things us viewers don't know?" –– This was today's burning question from Redditor cutchisclutch22 and it's a trip!
"They tape..."
Giphy
Was on Wheel of Fortune. They tape a full week's worth of shows in one day, so as a contestant you get to watch the game being played at least four other times as an audience member.
"A hype man..."
My partner was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and I was in the audience. They tape about 5 shows a day. The audience in the background is made up of all the contestants and their partners. You were forced to stay for the full day to sit in the audience. A hype man would come out and spriuk the crowd, and yell at you if you weren't looking excited enough.
"They tape five shows a day..."
I was on Jeopardy! Alex Trebek was not allowed to speak to the contestants except when the cameras were running. They were afraid of claims of collusion. We dealt with the staffers. At Final Jeopardy!, the staffers will come up and help you to figure out how much you want to bet and what you're hoping for in the final result.
They tape five shows a day, and you're supposed to bring at least three changes of clothes, so if you win, you go up and change clothes so that it looks like you're on two days in a row instead of two shows on the same day.
"I had to pay CA sales tax..."
Was on Wheel of Fortune years ago. The game goes A LOT faster when you are playing it so cut people some slack when you think the answer is obvious. The "Used Letter Board" is just a white board that somebody writes letters on as they are used. Nothing fancy. They play the actual commercials during taping and contestants have to turn around with their back to the board during it so they don't study the board. Vanna is super nice and walks over and talks to contestants during commercials but Pat leaves immediately and comes back right before. You literally meet him when he reads your info card at the beginning. I am short so I had to stand on a box because they want everyone the approximate same height. I won several thousand dollars worth of merch. I had to pay CA sales tax before it was shipped to me then in my state that total was added to my taxable income.
"The backs of all the props..."
The backs of all the props on The Price is Right is all open wires and circuits. The models (1997) were rail thin. Bob Barker looks orange in person with all the make-up. The show is one hour and it was taped in one hour.
"Some of my smaller prizes..."
I was a big winner on The Price is Right. A few things that come to mind.
You don't get the car you see on the show. A local dealership called me after it aired and told me to come pick a car, think of it as a $23,000 gift card. I could have any car, but had to pay the difference if it was more expensive.
The producers make a BIG DEAL to tell you not to go over on the bid in the Showcase round. Two overbids means no winner, which is a downer. It really screws with your head, which is why you see many drastic underbids.
From arriving at the studio to the show starting was 3 or 4 hours. From the show starting to me sitting backstage having won a car was less than 5 minutes. It's pretty surreal.
Drew vamps with the audience during commercial breaks.
Some of my smaller prizes were delivered in literal Amazon boxes to my house.
Amongst other things I won a cellphone and data plan. They gave me the value in cash instead (no choice). For all other prizes I was given the prize without a choice for cash. They offered me cash instead of the car, but it was something like $12,000 for a $23,000+ car.
After the show they had to refilm somebody having their name called and running to the front, the person never got on stage so having them fake excitement was awkward.
That's all I can think of for now.
"I was an audience member..."
I was an audience member for X Factor in Australia and they filmed the "reaction" shots before we had even seen anyone perform. A guy on a loudspeaker would count us down and then we'd have to do our best grimace, or cringe, or amazed face.
I made sure to include some movement when I knew the camera was sweeping over me so I raised my hand and bit my knuckle in a fake cringe and sure enough that shot was included in the final edit of some poor bloke who never stood a chance.
I also noticed what I assumed to be the director do a thumbs up, thumbs down or half-half hand to the judges before each contestant. It's already decided who goes through to the next round.
"Because they are filming..."
Was on the Newlywed game.
Because they are filming 3 - 5 eps in a day, the bulk of the audience is a bunch of actors who get paid to come in and applaud and cheer on days they don't have rehearsals and call-ups. My (now ex) wife and I had brought friends, and it was a whole process to get them to be able to be in the audience.
"The contestants..."
I was on America's Funniest Home Videos (second place yay). Sitting in the audience smiling and laughing constantly is exhausting. Like I was so done by the time filming was over. The audience does actually vote! However, they don't show them actually voting. There is like a real one and then a fake one that is filmed. We also get to watch the videos for the episode, but they are played on an off camera screen. The electric wall behind the host doesn't actually have much of a purpose.
The contestants sit in the back until the announcements where they move them to the front. They gave each of us money for every day we were there to buy food. 75$ for the adults and 50$ for the kids. That's fine and all and definitely enough to feed a person for a day, but this is in Los Angles and the contestants come from all over the country. Of course we want to try some cool food! The hotel buffet breakfast alone cost 20$ per person. I totally get it but c'mon man.
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
Giphy
"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
