Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
I'd Like to Buy a Vowel

I don't watch Wheel of Fortune that much, but if I happen to catch it after watching Jeopardy I tend to get so frustrated with the contestants that I want to immediately turn it off. Honestly, I feel like some of the stupidest people are contestants on the show. I know sometimes it takes a few extra letters for people to solve the puzzle, but someone please answer this question for me. Why do contestants waste their prize money buying a vowel ($250) when they clearly already know what the puzzle is? This phenomenon of wasting money never ceases to amaze me.

I mean take the example below (the clue is Around the House).

So Contestant 1 spins the wheel and picks the letter F and the puzzle now looks like this.

SOL_D WOOD COFF_ _ T_ _L _

Are you with me, have you figured out the puzzle yet? Ok, if you have and you just want to get your greedy hands on some more money, then you do what? You would take a chance and spin the wheel again right? Wrong, if you are Contestant 1 you ask to buy a vowel and which vowel would you choose? You choose the "i".

So now the puzzle looks like this:

SOLID WOOD COFF_ _ T_ _L _

Hello, Contestant 1 you obviously knew that word, correct? You just wasted another $250 to complete a word you already knew. But why stop there, go ahead and buy another vowel like the "e".

SOLID WOOD COFFEE T_ _L E

Another $250 so Vanna can buy herself a new evening gown. And then, what does Contestant 1 do? He says, "Pat, I'd like to solve the puzzle."

SOLID WOOD COFFEE TABLE

Awesome Contestant 1! Way to go! You just wasted $500 completing words that you already knew. I mean couldn't you have just solved the puzzle before you wasted the money, or are you as unsure of yourself solving the puzzle as a teenager about to lose their virginity?

The next thing you know you will see Contestant 1 driving down the road with their new Thunderbird with the vanity plate on the front, "BUY VOWL," talking on their Motorola bag phone because they wasted $500 on vowels when they could have spent that on an iphone.
22 Comments
lgrant
1) LOL...good rant. I used to feel the same frustration when I watched the show and saw someone wasting $$ buying vowels when the word or phrase was obvious. Maybe it is stage panic. Brain fuzzy due to bright lights, Vanna's glow and Pat's stupid jokes. Jeopardy tends to be a lot less frustrating, except on the Final Jeopardy answer. :)
LGrant   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
ppike
2) I was watching last night, yelling the same thing at him. So why didn't he just go ahead and buy the "a"? I mean, he was on a roll.
pegi   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
sandy
3) Give him a break--maybe he couldn't remember if it was "COFFEE" or "COFFIE" ? Probably not an easy word for the average Wheel contestant. I used to watch Wheel of Fortune years and years ago when the contestants didn't win cash; they had to go "shopping" in a bunch of lame sets after they won the round. Like if you had $500 in your bank and you got to go shopping in the "living room" set, you'd end up with some parquet flooring (I can't imagine the installation was included) and a ceramic dog.
sandy   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
ChinaCalling
4) I think it would take more than $250 for Vanna to buy a new dress! LOL!
Maybe the contestants are told to do that so the slow pokes at home can catch up. Or go nuts and yell at the TV . LOL
ChinaCalling   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
dennydeaton
5) Seriously, you should hear Niki yell at the contestants on TV. Its pretty awesome. I should make a short film out of it one day.
Denny Deaton   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
reera
6) LOL I can't stand game shows.
dannie   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
igna83
7) I hate Wheel of Fortune. I hate Jeopardy. Game shows in general are not my thing, though I used to LOVE Richard Dawson swapping spit with every female contestant on Family Feud or the old Match Game in the 70s. Now, THIS was a game show! Brett Somers and Chas. Nelson Reilly rants were priceless, as was the continuous drinking and smoking throughout the entire program. Every once in awhile, I'll flip to the GSN and catch a segment with Gene Rayburn...classic!!
Angi   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
nheinzel
8) Great blog, Niki!!!! Steve and I usually watch Wheel of Fortune while we're eating supper, and this irks me EVERY DAY!!!!! I'm also screaming at the TV - "you could have taken home $250 more, you idiot!!!$%^&*#%^$$#%" Glad I have company!!!!
!   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
justmeg
9) Good blog! I have never figured out the buy a vowel thing either - so I quit watching.
justmeg   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
nheinzel
10) Niki, can I hijack your blog long enough to tell everyone about a great story I saw on the Today show this morning: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25796645#25796645
Thank you, Niki! You're gonna love it!!
!   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
nikideaton
11) !, that is very sweet. I thought you were going to RickRoll me at first. !, you really need to set up a blog of your own. I think people would enjoy it!
niki   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
igna83
12) OMG, that is incredible, Mom Heinzel! I'm just sitting here weeping in sheer amazement...it completely helps me plead my case that animals have souls and are able to love. Thank you!
Angi   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
hayley
13) That was touching - I think it would have been far more touching without the music from "the bodyguard" ... that made me giggle ... and the words spelled out slowly one letter at the time. But very touching nonetheless.
Hayley   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
nheinzel
14) Niki, I would NEVER Rick Roll you!!! Denny, maybe, but not you!!
!   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
dennydeaton
15) HA, that was awesome. I was laughing so hard at the end part when the lion is standing up and the little man is trying to hold him up. That is the weirdest story ever. I mean, who would think to keep a lion around as a pet and then send it off to the wild, then go look for the thing a year later in hopes that it would remember them. Those dudes need jobs or a hobby or something. Seriously!
Denny Deaton   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
soundchick
16) Somewhat off topic but remember back in the eighties when after each round was won, that contestant got to buy a whole bunch of furniture and crap off the side stage? Does anyone else recall this?
soundchick   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
courtneyheinzel
17) Oh yeah. I remember that. So weird.
Courtney Heinzel   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
sandy
18) Yeah, I posted about that above. They'd end up with some crappy ceramic animal or a silver tea set if they hadn't won a lot of money.
sandy   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
19) Oh yeah, there was some super ugly crap on there.
Pam   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
20) Hayley, I really could have done without the Bodyguard music too. maybe I'll try watching that without the sound. :)
Pam   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Russ
21) Just look at the studio filled with glamorous merchandise. Fabulous and exciting bonus prizes. Thousands of dollars in cash. Over $150,000 just waiting to be won as we present our big bonanza of cash on Wheel Of Fortune.

"I'll take the sneakers for $400....and I guess the ceramic beagle for $1100, Pat."

It seemed like everything was WAAAY over priced when the poor contestant got to go shopping.
Russ   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
lgrant
22) I agree with Angi. The classic TV game shows were the best. Maybe we were all more innocent and people were still a little shy on TV and not playing to the camera like "the worse!" (Deal or No Deal). Can't stand that show.

I checked out a DVD on game show classics. Had an episode of To Tell the Truth, I've Got a Secret, Queen for a Day, can't remember the others. They were fun to watch. I like Match Game too and once in a while hit it on the Game Channel. Mostly I watch TCM and some HGTV and rarely now FoodTV. The rest are DVDs from the library or bought old shows like Remington Steele or The West Wing. I'm sure there are good shows on now--just none I care to watch. :)
LGrant   Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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