What I learned from a GSN marathon

What else can you do when you are down for several days other than a non-stop marathon of Game Show Network? I don't know.

I have enjoyed the classics and grown to enjoy some new ones as well. I have cracked up at the outfits and hairdos of the 70's and 80's and wondered how being a contestant on Lingo effects your "chick magnetism." From Lets Make a Deal, to Press your Luck, to Card Sharks, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (original Regis version), How Much is Enough?, and many others there has definitely been a progression of what is considered a "Grand Prize" over the years. In 1963 on Lets Make a Deal, a GRAND prize was a 22 inch console tv valued at $400. People went nuts over this. Also entire electric kitchens ( in avocado green, I might add) worth a whopping $2000. Even a brand new car, a 1964 Pontiac Tempest, was valued at $3,927.

Then it was on the the 70's and 80's when I enjoyed Card Sharks and Press your Luck. Nothing like a bunch of middle aged men in one piece leisure suits with bad comb-over's screaming NO WHAMMY to brighten spirits. Big bucks was $1000 ( and a spin:) and the host of the show was a quick wit with his poetry about the whammy. The trivia portion of the show was ridiculous and has anybody else noticed that the whammy bears quite a resemblance to hmmm Satan??
Card Sharks was one of exceptional difficulty. Not only did you have to answer a mind boggling trivia question such as," we asked 100 Catholics are you offended by football commentators using the term hail Mary to describe a last-second desperation pass. How many said yes?" then you had to determine if the next card was higher or lower than the top card. The skill involved in making the high low determination really impressed me. What also impressed me was the incredibly intelligent women they found for that show. These poor ladies didn't even seem to know that every one was laughing at them. And while on the subject, the level of sexual harassment dished out to all women on these shows would certainly have put Wink Martindale behind bars now a days.
All in all though these shows seemed to be so innocent, you know other than a vacuuming satan erasing your $1400 cash and wicker furniture. People got genuinely excited over what seems to me to be small amounts of stuff. Their grand prize was what most people make in only a week or 2. Flash forward to the shows of today. Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Greed, How much is Enough?, Deal or No Deal. Enough is never enough. So many contestants leave these shows with NOTHING because it was never enough. How sad I say. Or how spoiled I say. Our idea of a blessing has changed from anything to anything significant. Are we blessed with a dollar even though we already have 10? Or is it only the $100 that blesses us? Or more than that? I want to jump for joy over an avocado green electric kitchen and not always be so willing to trade it in for what might be better. I want to be a grateful person, content in any and every situation.
That my friends is what I learned from GSN!