Posted on 10/23/2007 9:58:59 AM PDT by Lorianne
On the September 18 broadcast of Power of 10, a new game show on CBS, host Drew Carey asked contestant D. J. Burgduff this question: What percentage of Americans are willing to pay higher taxes for the government to provide universal health care? While Burgduff thought it over, Carey performed a comic riff: “Personally, I can’t wait for universal health care.” Then, in a mocking voice: “From the folks that brought you FEMA, the TSA, the DMV, the IRS, comes universal health care! It’s going to be fantastic, to have the government in charge of our health!”
Nobody who watched the program could have mistaken Carey’s opinion of socialized medicine: He thinks it’s a stupendously bad idea. Yet Power of 10 isn’t a talking-heads program on a cable channel — it’s a quiz show on a mainstream network with millions of viewers. Carey nevertheless has turned it into an occasional platform for his right-of-center libertarianism. It’s not his only platform. On October 15, when Carey succeeds Bob Barker as host of The Price Is Right, the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank in Los Angeles, will debut the first in a series of public-policy videos starring Carey. At the end of the month, Carey will attend his first meeting as a member of Reason’s board of trustees. Following years of success in stand-up comedy and on sitcoms, Carey is on the brink of becoming one of the Right’s most visible celebrities.
The 49-year-old Carey was born and raised in Cleveland, and joined the Marine Corps after attending Kent State. He credits his time in the military with turning his life around
(Excerpt) Read more at nrd.nationalreview.com ...
My Beloved Corps turned my life around. Good for Drew.
Drew Carey is also an outspoken smoker. That’s rare.
But, on a gameshow -- where you're being asked: "How many Americans think XYZ is a good idea (and want to pay more taxes for it)?" I think it's inappropriate to have the host tell everyone "It's an awful idea. Thinking people know it's an awful idea." while you're trying to guess the number of people who feel that way.
Carey is messing up his contestants when he does this. I'm pretty sure the producers will tell him to stop -- and I don't think they will do so out of Political Correctness. I think they will do it out of fairness.
My two cents.
>> I think it’s inappropriate to have the host tell everyone “It’s an awful idea. Thinking people know it’s an awful idea.” while you’re trying to guess the number of people who feel that way.
I don’t find that particularly inappropriate. Carey doesn’t know the answers to the questions ... so he’s been free to give his input to the contestants throughout the show.
H
Carey doesn't know the answer but he's giving an opinion to a guy who's trying to form his own opinion. Carey's input is not useful, but it can have an impact. I've never seen a gameshow where the host was allowed to do anything like that.
>> I don’t think that matters. If someone asks you for the GNP of Peru, and I lean over and say it’s $100B, would that influence your opinion? What if you had been leaning toward saying $10B?
First - on EVERY question on this show the audience votes to give their input, and the opinions of Drew Carey and the family of the contestant are given. The contestant is asked how Americans responded to a particular polling question ... i.e. “How many Americans describe themselves as Feminists?” ... the contestant gives his initial guess, the audience gives their guess (via a graph showing the percentage range of the audience guess), Carey gives his guess, and the contestant’s family gives their input ... and, only after all of that, does the contestant lock in his answer.
This game show doesn’t have the contestant answering in a sterile environment ... input is coming from everywhere.
Second - the show isn’t asking factual questions like the GNP of Peru. The questions are of public opinion, not factual. Thus, input of Carey and the audience is helpful in the determination of what percentage of Americans hold a certain opinion.
>> All of a sudden, I’m telling you that it’s 10x what you thought. Maybe you want to raise your guess a little, huh? Maybe $15B? Maybe $20B? Gosh, what if I’m right, though? Maybe you should split the difference and say $55B??
That’s all part of this particular game. With input on every question from the audience, Carey and family members - contestants are given the opportunity to rethink their initial guess before locking in their answer.
>> Carey doesn’t know the answer but he’s giving an opinion to a guy who’s trying to form his own opinion.
So is the audience and the family of the contestant. Its the nature of the game.
>> Carey’s input is not useful, but it can have an impact.
Its useful if the contestant is wrong and Carey isn’t.
>> I’ve never seen a gameshow where the host was allowed to do anything like that.
Now you have.
H
Socialized Medicine - The Price is Wrong!
Well, I guess I’ve learned something.
49? That would put him at Kent State in the years just after 1970, and he still joined the military. Tells you something.
Its actually not a bad show. I’ve seen it on a couple of occasions ... its pretty informative, entertaining, and easy to play-along. Carey’s a good host ... the questions are from recent polling, so its generally enlightening about public opinion.
I like it quite a bit better than Deal/No Deal.
H
Sounds like someone wants socialized game shows (HHOK!)
The original Family Feud with Richard Dawson. Dawson would do whatever he wanted and no one could stop him. Much of his ad libbing would be edited out later, but some of his remarks could influence people's answers afterward.
A question might be the Top X responses to "Name Something Associated With [Insert Famous Person's Name]" and Dawson would spend the next several minutes doing his own impersonation, including all sorts of gestures and mannerisms and trademarks and tag lines, etc.
Actually he doesn’t smoke as a habit. He just chose to walk into a restaurant and begin smoking there to protest smoking bans.
Right now he’s working with Reason to produce a libertarian documentary series. I think the first episode is on fighting traffic congestion with privatized roads.
Too bad he’s not running for governor in Ohio.
I liked the Drew Cary show, and I hope he does well on the Price Is Right. Go Drew!
“Can’t write! Can’t Read! Kent State!”
A colleague of mine from Ohio State told me this. I had to use it.
I hope Mr. Carey doesn’t push it too far. Entertainers, no matter their leaning, should simply entertain us. I love the guy, and think he’s a genius at what he does, but unless the guy wants to be Mark Twain and do that for a living . . .
Wouldn't it be fun to see him run on the Libertarian ticket in 2008? That would really shake up the race.
“Actually he doesn’t smoke as a habit.”
I don’t think that, other than the occasional cigar, he smokes much at all.
This isn’t a surprise to me.
On “Who’s Line Is It Anyway” Drew Carey’s conservatism-libertarianism was openly shown. It was pretty refreshing to see that on top of a pretty good show.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.