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Wil Wheaton playing for EFF 385

Posted by chrisd from the okay-enough-posts-already dept.
Quintin Stone (and every other Slashdot reader on the planet) writes: "Wil Wheaton is among the many Star Trek actors on tonight's Weakest Link, except that the charity he's playing for is the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Though so far he's been doing well." CD: I don't want to give away the ending, many people have yet to see the show.
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Wil Wheaton playing for EFF More

Wil Wheaton playing for EFF

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  • A Question for Wil (Score:5, Informative)

    by Kozz ( 7764 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:19PM (#2617121)
    I enjoyed watching the show (WL), but I've gotta ask: Was Roxann just putting on an act, or is she truly as much of a colossal bitch as she seemed? My jaw dropped when watching her "exiting interrogation".
    • Tough call. She blew him a kiss, though.

    • Offtopic? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Quintin Stone ( 87952 )
      It's not offtopic, it's a damn good quetion. When Roxann (Engineer B'Elanna Torres from Voyager) was voted off, she put on a bit of a hissy fit in the "exit interview". She especially singled out Wil Wheaton for "hitting on her" when he knew her husband would be watching.

    • Re:A Question for Wil (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Aelgifa ( 539242 )
      She doesn't seem to know when someone is making a joke. I mean "because I am in love with her" all by itself....without the tone...maybe could be taken seriously, but add "because she is the only one on here who is as good looking as me" and it becomes a complimentary joke. In regards to her exiting comments" Starting out saying she would be mad if Wil wins it is just out of line, I mean what she was really saying is that she hoped he blew it for his charity. Way to go Roxann! Now shut up while I dig through your email. Then going on to say she didn't like how he "came onto her on public TV" Well geez, sounds like someone is full of herself to think that was coming onto her. And that she was upset cause her husband was going to see the show. Well my dear if you were that upset about it maybe you shouldn't have mouthed and gestured "I love you" back to Wil. What a dumb bitch. Aelgifa A.K.A. Cherish
    • Personally, I think they were just acting. Wil said that himself in his exit interview. And after all, Roxann DID play a Klingon. The players do discuss "strategies" before the game, so maybe they decided to mess with the audience a little.

      There's really to telling how long those exit interviews really were. That quote MIGHT have been taken out of context. I still think most of them went out for drinks after the taping and had a good laugh about it. Hmm, maybe if Wil's site ever comes back up he'll tell us what really happened...

      And the parent post was NOT offtopic.

    • Re:A Question for Wil (Score:3, Informative)

      by ryanr ( 30917 )
      A couple of days ago, he made reference to that on his site... which I would link to if it weren't currently slashdotted to death. He basically apologized to her, and said he was kidding. Kinda implies he took her reaction seriously.
      • Was Roxann just putting on an act, or is she truly as much of a colossal bitch as she seemed? My jaw dropped when watching her "exiting interrogation".

      Here's something to bear in mind. Anyone who hasn't been following Wil's career would take him at face value too, and not realise that he was playing an (ill advised) part. We know better, but the vast majority of the audience won't.

      So let's not be too hasty to judge Roxann. Wil and Roxann were basically doing live improv, and that's a pain to do with someone you don't know. I'd rather assume that they got their wires crossed and both escalated their jerkwad/bitch roles without realising that one of them needed to defuse it by turning it into a joke.

      That said... just in case it wasn't an act on her part... hey, girl, you ain't all that. Wil's a lot finer than you. :-)

    • Obviously Wil was joking when he made his remark about voting her off because they were the best looking people on the set. Also I believed that she was also joking on the exit interview playing the part of someone who was ticked off by the other member of the game.

      Remember, they always have pissed off people at the exit interviews to Weakest Link. It's a given. They always say something like "I hate her" or "I hope they lose!"

      I'm sure she got the joke and was playing along.

    • Every so often ths comes up. Its an act. She's acting. Everyone who gets on the WL eventually gets asked that and the answer is always the same.
    • It was an act. In a message [roxanndawson.net] on her website [roxanndawson.net]'s community board [roxanndawson.net] titled "Please can't we just get along!", she says:
      • It was all in jest. My comments at the end of the show were in keeping with the spirit of our fun sparring. I wish I could even take credit for the idea. It was recomended that I say that by the producers. I thought it was funny.. Its a shame they cut away from my comment before I started laughing. The aim of the show is to create conflict... and I guessthey did. I didn't take offence to Bill Shatner saying he could take me in a fight. What does he think I am, a weak woman?!! LOL Come on everybody "lighten up" We were all having fun. Wil is great and I loved doing the show with him.
      I agree... Wil is cool, Roxann was joking -- let's not start calling people names.

  • ugh, the weakest link (Score:2, Insightful)

    by sagious ( 133539 )
    Anyone want to tell for those of us who can't stand the show?

  • I Just saw it Myself... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Alexius ( 148791 ) <alexius&nauticom,net> on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:22PM (#2617144) Homepage
    Spoiler, If you didn't watch yet:

    Wil did pretty well. Made it to being one of the last three people (Robert Picardo And LeVar Burton went on, LeVar won), and I think he could have taken Robert. LeVar was pretty sharp, though.

    Also, it was good to see the EFF on a more 'Mainstream' medium. Go Wil!

    What was with Roxanne? She was honestly out to get Wil at first, and she just seemed like a real bitch, otherwise.

  • Nice shirt... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Loligo ( 12021 )

    Gotta say, Wil, that bowling shirt was cool.

    But since I already sent email to that effect, I guess I'm (-1: Redundant).

    -l

  • Heh heh... and to think that just a week or two ago, I posted a comment telling how much I hated his character in Star Trek. Especially in that episode where they go to some planet where the penalty for any crime, no matter how small, is death, and he runs into a glass thing and then there's a whole bunch of politics going on to try and get him out of it. But if he's donating to the EFF, it's all good dog.

    No, this isn't really an apology. I still think his character was a moron.

    Oh well.

  • Interesting that he's backing the EFF, on a show presented on american TV which is no doubt behind the DMCA which has Sklyarov in jail. By the way, his hearing date was set today. [yahoo.com]
    • Wow, that has to easily be the stupidest comment I have ever seen posted. While the US has the most censorship on TV than problably any other nation, they don't do political censorship. Hell, they had a show dedicated to saying the US faked the whole moon landing. And the US often calls itself a democracy, and the biggest problem we have is not enough people speak up about laws. Also, how would the US come off being the country that stopped money going to a charity. Bleh.
      • While the US has the most censorship on TV than problably any other nation, they don't do political censorship

        Hah! Except for the episode of Michael Moore's [michaelmoore.com] "TV Nation" which NBC refused to air, for suggesting that Cuba's healthcare system was better than the US. [michaelmoore.com]
        • The U.S. doesn't do political censorship. NBC can choose what they wish to air. That has nothingto do with the Government censoring something.

          NBC or any other content provider can choose to air whatever they wish and not air whatever they wish as well. I get the impression from the reading that NBC feared reprisals from advertisers for suggesting that Cuba was better than the Unites States at anything.

          Advertisers have to worry about what people buy piss off the viewer and you piss off a consumer. Piss off a consumer and your revenue drops. It's a pretty simple equation.

          Like it or not the right to speak does not equate with the right to be heard. The right to publish something does not require that people read it, and the right to air something on television does not require that advertisers purchase ad time during that slot, or with your company at all for that matter. Nor does it require that the viewing public view something that they don't want to see.

          Finally people have the right to choose what products they purchase using whatever critera they choose to use. If someone swears off a product or company because they aired a commercial during a news program that pissed them off, that is their right.

          Finally disagreeing with the parent to your post about the U.S. having more censorship on television than any other nation, I suppose that he hadn't thought about afghanistan, iraq, iran...

          Yes, the U.S. censors many things on broadcast television, less on the (almost nonexistant now) uhf band, or on cable, not at all for most pay stations.

          The key to the power of the FCC is that they are regulating something with a limited bandwidth. If the radio band isn't full, the control can be relaxed a bit, but what happens if it is? What happens if there is a single available broadcast chanel, but two applicants? The Federal Radio commision was set up to regulate such things because the available radio bands were too full. Some criteria were set up to decide what could or couldn't be done.

          If you suggest that there should be no control whatsoever, let me ask you:

          Do you use wireless networking?
          Do you use a cordless phone?
          Do you use a cell phone?
          ... a pager?
          ... a gps device?

          All of these rely on the regulation of the various regulatory bodies of various countries to stop people from stomping all over your transmission.

          For the libertarian view that everyone would be a good citizen, this didn't happen before when broadcasters demanded the creation of the FRC (later called the FCC), what makes you think things have suddenly changed?
          • NBC can choose what they wish to air. That has nothingto do with the Government censoring something.

            Well the government doesn't censor the sex and swearing either, so if you can either say "The US has little or no censorship" (True, if you follow the "only a govt. can censor" line) or "The US has both political and moral censorship" (True, if you consider such actions of the major networks to be censorship). Either way, the original poster was wrong. I was using his definition, but in reality I agree far more with yours.

            Do you use wireless networking?

            Do you use a cordless phone?
            Do you use a cell phone?
            ... a pager?
            ... a gps device?

            For what its worth, no. I neither own nor use any of those things. I'm a kinda non-standard geek.
      • Define political censorship? Is removing bad language political censorship or just social engineering? Does it make any difference? Is any censorship acceptable? Censorship of the form "you can't show this before 9pm" is ok in my book, but censorship of the form "you can't show this" is not. I don't care why some corpolitical entity wants to limit what we can broadcast, all I care about is making sure they fail in their efforts! From what I have seen of US TV it is repugnantly censored to ensure that nothing which might disturb the foundations of the political system is shown (MTV JackAss is about the only one I can think of that breaks this). As another poster mentions, Michael Moorer has to tip-toe around with what he can and can't show, try contrasting that with Mark Thomas (in the UK) who destroys anyone and anything that deserves it (from the leading politicians for not declaring their interests to the Church for investing in arms manufacturers). Now then who has no political censorship?
      • While the US has the most censorship on TV than problably any other nation, they don't do political censorship.

        And there was a play on Kirk's famous scene when he tied to smooch Anne Robinson. Shatner's kiss scene with Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, back in the 60's was too hot for NBC, a white man kissing a black woman, so lip contact was hidden.

        That was obsviously the reply of someone who knows little of what they write.

  • I quit watching Weakest Link (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sessamoid ( 165542 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:32PM (#2617204)
    The problem with WL is that the brightest out of the bunch almost never wins. By logic, when it gets down to the last 3 or 4, it's in the best interests of the other players to vote out the player who is clearly the strongest. This has happened on almost every single episode I've watched, sometimes quite a bit earlier in the game as well.

    The few exceptions tend to be those episodes that are made up of celebrities from a similar background. They're generally all independently wealthy, so aren't driven by personal gain. In addition, they've all got "personal history" between them which often leads them to vote off other players without regards to what would give them the best chances of winning.

    It's nice to see the EFF getting national publicity though, as I'm a paying member myself.

    In all, though, when I watch game shows (not often) I tend to watch Jeopardy for the reasons stated above.

    • I just watched the episode. In general I agree with you. However, these people were simply trying to see how much money they could put into the pot, and they put A LOT in. $167,500 if I remember correctly. And in the end it came down to the two strongest, which rarely happens.

      BTW, the EFF and all the other charites (except for the winner's) receive $10,000 according to the fine print at the end of the show.

    • The problem with WL is that the brightest out of the bunch almost never wins. By logic, when it gets down to the last 3 or 4, it's in the best interests of the other players to vote out the player who is clearly the strongest.

      Just like Wil tried to vote off Robert, the brightest of the bunch.

      Wil was far from the smartest contestant.

      -Legion

      • Just like Wil tried to vote off Robert, the brightest of the bunch.

        Have you met Robert? He's an asshole, I'd have voted him off too.

        I wonder if Roxann Dawson was really pissed off, or if she too was playing a bit that fell flat there at the end when she complained about Wil hitting on her. It could be either, because Wil did come off a bit too strong on that "little bit in love" comment.

      • Re:I quit watching Weakest Link (Score:4, Interesting)

        by CleverNickName ( 129189 ) <wilNO@SPAMwilwheaton.net> on Tuesday November 27, 2001 @10:13AM (#2618998) Homepage Journal
        Just FYI-

        The three of us left knew that I was going to be voted off...I totally tanked in that round. So I was going to vote for Levar, but Anne was grilling us between each round, and I thought I could have more fun with her, talking about how Levar is my friend, and I didn't know Robert at all...thought maybe I could get in some comments about how we TNG actors have to stick together, or something...but they didn't air any of that exchange.

        Yes, voting off someone who you KNEW was the strongest would be insanely stupid...but we all knew that my vote wouldn't count for anything, since I was doomed, anyway.
    • That's why the truly intelligent player misses a few questions here and there on purpose. It's clearly an advantage to be the second or third strongest player going into the second to last round, so if you're really that good then you'll fix it that way. Of course, when it's celebrities playing for charity the strategy is completely different.

    • Improving WL (Score:4, Insightful)

      by john@iastate.edu ( 113202 ) on Tuesday November 27, 2001 @09:50AM (#2618898) Homepage
      Clearly WL would be a lot better if (oh gosh, here it comes) the strongest link in each round won a reprieve and was exempt from being voted off.

  • Wil Wheaton is cool (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:34PM (#2617214)
    The more I read about the guy [slashdot.org], the more I like him. I admit, I didn't like Westley Crusher, and each time I saw Wil appear on TV or say something as himself, I had this dislike of his character come back in my mind. It's sad isn't it, mixing the actor with the character. But now having read what he had to say, and looked at his website [wilwheaton.net], I reckon he's really smart, and I believe he has a real good chance of getting his career out of the "child star" trap : not many child actors can, just look at how many times Mcaulay Culkin has appeared in movies or shows recently ...

    Way to go Wil, you deserve success !

  • Wil lost, but EFF is still a winner! (Score:5, Informative)

    by leonbev ( 111395 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:37PM (#2617222) Journal
    According to the disclaimer screen at the end of the show, all of the charities get at least $10,000. So, even though Wil lost, EFF still gets some money. Besides, the free publicity that Wil just gave EFF is probably worth much more than the donation.

    Everyone also got paid union scale to appear on the show, so Wil got a few bucks out of the deal, as well.

  • They were able to bank $167,500! (Score:5, Informative)

    by Hylian ( 81209 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:37PM (#2617225)
    All of the contestants seemed to pretty much rock at one time or another on the questions... much better than on the average celebrity game show. LeVar Burton mentioned something about $167,500 being some sort of Weakest Link record.

    Just in case anyone was wondering, here are the contestants:

    Wil Wheaton (ST:TNG)
    LeVar Burton (ST:TNG)
    Robert Picardo (ST:VOY)
    Denise Crosby (ST:TNG)
    Roxann Dawson (ST:VOY)
    John DeLancie (ST:TNG,DS9,VOY)
    William Shatner (ST:TOS)
    Armin Shimerman (ST:DS9)
    • "Just in case anyone was wondering, here are the contestants:

      Wil Wheaton (ST:TNG)
      LeVar Burton (ST:TNG)
      Robert Picardo (ST:VOY)
      Denise Crosby (ST:TNG)
      Roxann Dawson (ST:VOY)
      John DeLancie (ST:TNG,DS9,VOY)
      William Shatner (ST:TOS)
      Armin Shimerman (ST:DS9)

      Can you guess the first contestant to be voted out ? (hint: his center of gravity has been shifting forward for years)

    • I scored the game - here it is (Score:5, Informative)

      by Erbo ( 384 ) <amygalert@gma[ ]com ['il.' in gap]> on Monday November 26, 2001 @10:59PM (#2617557) Homepage Journal
      THE WEAKEST LINK - STAR TREK EDITION - 11/26/2001

      The Team: 1. Wil Wheaton
      2. LeVar Burton
      3. Robert Picardo
      4. Denise Crosby
      5. Roxann Dawson
      6. John DeLancie
      7. William Shatner
      8. Armin Shimerman

      Round 1: $17,000 banked
      Strongest: Crosby - Weakest: DeLancie
      Votes: Dawson 2 (Wheaton, Shatner), DeLancie 2 (Burton, Crosby), Shatner 2 (Picardo, Shimerman), Wheaton 1 (Dawson), Picardo 1 (DeLancie)
      Crosby elects to remove DeLancie

      Round 2: $13,500 banked (total $30,500)
      Strongest: Picardo - Weakest: Shatner
      Votes: Shatner 3 (Burton, Picardo, Shimerman), Crosby 2 (Wheaton, Shatner), Wheaton 1 (Dawson), Dawson 1 (Crosby)
      Shatner removed

      Round 3: $2,500 banked (total $33,000)
      Strongest: Burton - Weakest: Crosby
      Votes: Dawson 4 (Wheaton, Burton, Picardo, Shimerman), Wheaton 1 (Crosby), Shimerman 1 (Dawson)
      Dawson removed

      Round 4: $14,500 banked (total $47,500)
      Strongest: Picardo - Weakest: Shimerman
      Votes: Crosby 4 (Wheaton, Burton, Picardo, Shimerman), Shimerman 1 (Crosby)
      Crosby removed

      Round 5: $25,000 banked (total $72,500)
      Strongest: Picardo - Weakest: Shimerman
      Votes: Shimerman 3 (Wheaton, Burton, Picardo), Wheaton 1 (Shimerman)
      Shimerman removed

      Round 6: $25,000 banked (total $97,500)
      Strongest: Burton - Weakest: Wheaton
      Votes: Wheaton 2 (Burton, Picardo), Picardo 1 (Wheaton)
      Wheaton removed

      Round 7: $35,000 X2 banked (total $167,500*)
      Strongest: Picardo

      Final: Picardo starts, Burton wins 4-3

      * - According to comments made by Burton, "They say it's a record."

      • Round 1: $17,000 banked
        Strongest: Crosby - Weakest: DeLancie
        Votes: Dawson 2 (Wheaton, Shatner), DeLancie 2 (Burton, Crosby), Shatner 2 (Picardo, Shimerman), Wheaton 1 (Dawson), Picardo 1 (DeLancie)
        Crosby elects to remove DeLancie

        Round 2: $13,500 banked (total $30,500)
        Strongest: Picardo - Weakest: Shatner
        Votes: Shatner 3 (Burton, Picardo, Shimerman), Crosby 2 (Wheaton, Shatner), Wheaton 1 (Dawson), Dawson 1 (Crosby)
        Shatner removed

        If the above is correct, before he (Shatner) got voted off, Wil and William Shatner voted for the same people. In the first round they voted for Roxann Dawson, and in the second round, they both voted for Denise Crosby. OK, Wil, what's the story? :-)

    • Wil Wheaton (ST:TNG)
      LeVar Burton (ST:TNG)
      Robert Picardo (ST:VOY),(ST:TNG) - He was in first contact, remember?
      Denise Crosby (ST:TNG)
      Roxann Dawson (ST:VOY)
      John DeLancie (ST:TNG,DS9,VOY)
      William Shatner (ST:TOS)
      Armin Shimerman (ST:DS9),(ST:TNG),(ST:VOY) - He played 2 different Feringi on ST, and he was in the first episode of Voyager.

  • Payroll deductions... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by AtariDatacenter ( 31657 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:42PM (#2617241)
    If the EFF worked with corporations to offer payroll deductions like the United Way does, I'd be happy to donate a portion of my salary to the EFF. It really was a pleasant surprise to see Wil ("that's one L!") playing for that charity.
    • Actually you can have the EFF deducted from you payroll. You make your deduction throught the United Way and on the form you can elect where your money goes. You can choose from one of the United Way Charities, or you can donate to any 501c3 tax-exempt organization. On the donor form check the Specific Requests, code 99 is usually the one for 501c3 charities and include a statement saying which 501c3 charity, you want your money going to, along with their address. I personally give to the FSF through the united way, but plan on including the EFF sometime soon.

  • Damn. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Chris Johnson ( 580 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:48PM (#2617273) Homepage Journal
    Wil, you just flat out _rock_.

    Actually this tends to confirm a theory I have- the coolest/healthiest/sanest people out there are those who HAVE to be, because they learned the hard way. I think Wil definitely illustrates this- if you get heavy into being not only a Hollywood teenager, but are also saddled with being Wesley Crusher, you'll get off to a really bad start- and then, unlike most people, you have to _really_ grow up.

    That's my theory, anyway, for explaining how Wil Wheaton turned out to be one of the cooler humans I've ever seen. Keep it up my ex-starfleet friend :)

    • Nice thought! On a quick run through of people I know - those who have to work harder, were saddled with disfigurements, excessive boogers, being too short, when at school have all turned out to be pretty cool (with one exception who we wont go into as he's a dick) and the guys that had tonnes of cash, chicks and NES games are all... I dunno where they are as they all have their heads shoved too far up their PHBs ass and only come out from time to time to discuss how much tax their car allowance costs them!
      Another truth exposed by /.!

  • 3Gen vs. Misses Evil (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 26, 2001 @09:52PM (#2617287)
    Dr. Evil should get out and date more.. how about Anne Robinson.

    The contestants acquited themselves well, but Q took a powder early on.

    Denise was obviously the crowds favorite and had the entire soundstage bidding her a rousing farewell... even Anne!

    Bill was Bill, with a little Kirk thrown in.

    Armin was a great sport.

    Bob Picardo was a genius, WoW some of the questions he answered floored me.

    Levar pulled some of the most amazing answers out of thin air and even wow'ed Bob.

    Wil though was a true geek and seemed a team leader, doing verbal duets with Anne til the end.. of course we all know who got the last word..

    I'd say Wil was more a brash younger captain serving as the instigator of the Clash, while cooler more intellectual minds eventually had to finish the game. How Weslean.. ~~

    The dynamics and interplay, of which there was surprisingly a good lot, seemed truly like a missing Trek episode.. some years down the road I wonder if it will turn up in an Anthology of Trek stories.. the one where real characters from the Trek Universe get mixed up with actors in a Game show Universe.

    Wil really seems to be over his "I am Not Spock" phase and resumed being a human being with a wicked alter-ego.. imagine a twisted Wesley with revenge on his mind, true brillance, and a good dialogue coach.. Eee Gads..

    But throwing in his chances with the EFF, you just gotta admire him for that.

    Roxane? what of Roxane?

    Could it be some evil entity of denial that body hops from person to person shortly after a Trek series is over? Is it Roxane's turn to play "I am Not Banal Balanna, the Klingon"

  • LeVar beat WW because of RR (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bastian227 ( 107667 ) on Monday November 26, 2001 @10:33PM (#2617456) Homepage
    I guess those years of Reading Rainbow really paid off...
    • Reading Rainbow was a TV show about reading books. It was always on Public Television. It's actually quite enjoyable if you can get around the irony of watching a TV show that reads childrens books to you.


      I'm humming the theme song.


      Mod that guy up as funny.

  • Kudos to Wil (Score:2, Interesting)

    by LaNMaN2000 ( 173615 )
    While most celebrities compete for whose charity supports children that are suffering more, it is refreshing to see one person support an organization with a philosophical agenda that he identifies with. I'm sure most celebrities' publicists would have reccommended that they avoid charities like the EFF because their opposition to draconian surveillance technologies stands in stark contrast to the prevailing public opinion.

    One question for Wil or any aspiring entertainers on /. who support the EFF: how do you respond to their opposition of content control/digital rights management? If so, how would you respond to your colleagues who claim that it will impair their ability to support themselves as artists?

    I recall that Wil was booed at a Star Trek convention many years ago and vowed never never to speak at such a convention again. However, his commitment to civil liberties and his young age/ability to relate to an audience of college students would make him an ideal guest for the college lecture circuit. I know of at least one organization on my campus that would be willing to sponsor a guest like Wil and I'm certain that similar organizations at other Universities would also be accomodating. The money may not be as good as an Star Trek convention, but he would certainly receive a better reception than he did at the Star Trek convention and he would have the opportunity to use his celebrity to advance his ideology.
  • The thing that is stupid about Weakest Link is that people are penalized for not knowing EVERY single question. I mean, how retarded is that? In every game show I've ever seen there has always been a way to defer one or two questions on subjects you don't know. Jeopardy you get to pick the category. Millionaire you get the lifelines.

    Weakest Link is stupid because it is completely random luck. You either get asked what color is clover or who invented the little plastic thing that holds the ends of your shoelaces together. This forces people to become paranoid and bank at ridiculously low levels. Most people barely let the pot hit $5000 before yelling "BANK!"

    Here's how it should work:

    Answering the question right adds a link and increases the pot. Answer the question wrong and the pot disappears completely. Say "BANK" (or "PASS" or whatever) and the pot gets banked and resets to zero and play moves onto the next person.

    That way, the bank has a real chance to grow. So it costs more money, boo hoo hoo. Millionaire gives away more in a single night than Weakest Link does in a week. It is just plain anti-climatic to see someone fight his way through this whole Darwinian process only to walk away with the paltry sum of $30,000 and change.

    - JoeShmoe
    • Also, don't forget that on Jeopardy, you don't have to answer any question you don't want to, (except the Daily Doubles, and Final Jeopardy).

      What I was thinking is something like... You start off with a lower scale - say, from $100-$5000, in the first round. The questions are also easier.

      In the next round, it's shifted up - so instead of $100, $200, $400, it's $200, $400, $1000, or whatever - and the questions are harder.

      It's a brilliant idea. You have a show where one person a week wins $12000, instead of people on Millionaire who get up to $125,000. You always have 8 people on, but no one ever gets money that the network can't afford to burn. They probably spend more per year on the host than they give away.

      The network is laughing. Quiz-show giveaway that costs absolutely nothing, but brings in viewers, why on earth would they want to change it?

      --Dan
      • Oh, and I forgot to point out...

        1) All their episodes lately have been for charity

        2) For charities, they get celebrities, which people are more likely to watch (they had one for wrestling fans the other week, tonight is Star Trek, etc)

        3) The money they give to charity is tax-deductable

        The network's not losing ANY money, except what it costs to pay Anne and to actually run the show.

        Man, that's just evil. Then again, better charities than the IRS.

        --Dan
      • In the next round, it's shifted up - so instead of $100, $200, $400, it's $200, $400, $1000, or whatever - and the questions are harder.

        What's easier, what's harder?

        That's the point some people are making.

        I've been forced to watch the show once or twice, which is sheer torture to me since I hate watching television. I feel naked when I'm unable to control the action on the screen, and when I don't have some kind of video game controller in my hand to do it with.

        Anyway, while watching the show I was amazed at some of the questions some of my friends knew the answers to, and they were amazed some of the questions that I knew the answers to. But they were all totally different topics. The loosely science related questions were easy for me, but anything related to television, radio, or any other form of pop culture, and I didn't have a clue.

        The fact is -- if you DON'T watch TV (and I don't) you're NOT going to know the name of the actor that played so and so on that show with what's his name. And you're certainly not going to know the name of their spouse!

        When it comes to trivia such as this, the random topics that Weakest Link covers makes the show almost anybody's game I would think. What it really comes down to in the end is a little bit of luck, and a lot of charisma (so you don't get voted off so quickly!)
    • Answering the question right adds a link and increases the pot. Answer the question wrong and the pot disappears completely. Say "BANK" (or "PASS" or whatever) and the pot gets banked and resets to zero and play moves onto the next person

      If it were played in this way, one intelligent person would rack up some money for the whole 'team', and promptly get voted off near the end. It wouldn't work.

      As for saying the show is 'too hard', and 'they don't give away enough money', tough luck. The idea is not to redistribute wealth, its to make an entertaining game show. If the contestants were to play the game properly then it'd work very well. But they don't. It boils down to tactical voting and temporary alliances. I'm English, and occasionally watch the UK edition of the show. Frequently we have contestants that don't get a single answer wrong, and they're soon voted off. Its a shame that the show rewards the sneaky morons and doesn't give the people who know what they're on about what they deserve. But then, thats like the rest of life isn't it.

  • Airtimes (Score:3, Interesting)

    by geoffeg ( 15786 ) <geoffeg@sloth.oPASCALrg minus language> on Monday November 26, 2001 @11:14PM (#2617600) Homepage
    Well, slashdot posted the info 13 minutes after the show ended here (8pm). Searching tvguide.com and tv.yahoo.com shows that particular episode as not airing again.

    Anyone have any idea if it will air again or maybe someone who captured it to mpeg or something?

    I really wanted to see it.

    Geoffeg

  • I missed something... (Score:3, Funny)

    by sconeu ( 64226 ) on Tuesday November 27, 2001 @12:07AM (#2617732) Homepage Journal
    In the previews they showed Anne Robinson saying, "Whose phaser is set on stupid?" I didn't see that one in the aired version.

  • Wil's comments about the show... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Lyrrad ( 219543 ) on Tuesday November 27, 2001 @12:23AM (#2617762) Homepage
    Can be found in the Google Chat here [google.com]:

    Here are his comments copied:

    Aw, Crap

    I did this interview with Entertainment Weekly Online, to support the Star Trek Weakest Link...I know, it was risky, considering how brilliantly objective and reasoned their last story about me was...but I was assured by NBC, and by the guy who did the interview, that it was a different medium (Website vs. Print) and it would be okay....

    So here's the article...which is fine, except for "Crusher Crushed"...c'mon, how many times have we heard that?

    Anyway, here's the deal: I'm really scared about how this is going to come off. I'm not allowed to talk about the outcome of the show, so I'll walk a very slim line here, while I try to explain some stuff.

    I made a choice, when I went to play the show. I decided that I'd really play with Anne Robinson, and really go head to head with her, and never back down. Even though that's not really my style, I thought it would be fun, and it was...but I'm really nervous, because, at the end of the show, one of the producers came up to me and said, "You're really arrogant, aren't you?"

    I was stunned. Ask anyone...I'm lots of things, but I'm not arrogant. But I played it snotty with her, because I was playing with her at her own game, you know? So I begged them to please be thoughtful when they edit the show, because if they make me out to be a huge dick, it could REALLY hurt my career. All of a sudden, the guy who you used to love from TV and Movies has grown up, and he's grown up to be a huge dick.

    Perfect. Can I take your order? How about a nice Iced Tea to start, sir?

    But here's the thing that I'm really, really upset about: Roxann Dawson, who I don't know at all, was, apparently very offended by something I said on the show. Here's the quote from EW:

    However, Roxann Dawson (''Voyager'' sex symbol B'Elanna Torres) appears less amused when the married Wheaton jokes that he's in love with her. ''Coming on to me on national television -- when he knows my husband's gonna watch the show -- is just unfair, and frankly rude,'' Dawson says to the camera. (We don't think she's joking)


    So, I feel just terrible. I don't know her, at all, and she seemed very nice to me, and I am really upset that she felt like I was rude to her, and that I was coming on to her, because nothing could be further from the truth.

    I doubt it, but if Roxanne reads this, I want her to know that I meant absolutely no disrespect, at all. I am truly, truly sorry for that.

    I just feel awful, and I've put in calls to my Star Trek friends, so I can phone her myself, and apologize to her.

    *sigh*
    • Well, she *IS* half-klingon.
      • All of a sudden, the guy who you used to love from TV and Movies has grown up, and he's grown up to be a huge dick.

      It's a shame, but honest open people do tend to assume that other folk will have the necessary clue to get the joke, rather than taking them at face value. Ouch, Wil, you should have remembered that most of us had a hard enough time separating Wesley and Wil, without reenforcing that by playing Jerkwad Wil.

      On that matter, we seem to be assuming that Roxann really is a dumb bitch. Maybe she was just playing too, and we're too dumb to get the joke. ;-)

      That said, I don't think Wil needs to worry. Anyone who has been keeping track of him will get the joke. Anyone who hasn't probably remembers him as that irritating little geek from Next Gen anyway and was already predisposed to hate him.

      He could have played it better, but cest la vie, I doubt if he's actually lost any credibility or fans. And he got his face and name on TV, along with the EFF. Any publicity is good publicity, right?

  • Armin Shimerman (Score:2, Interesting)

    by raju1kabir ( 251972 )

    If anything impressed me on that show, it was that Armin Shimerman really came off as a class act.

    To be honest, I'd never really thought about the human inside that all that makeup before, and somehow I assumed if there were a person he'd be about 4 feet tall.

    But he was a real live person. And he managed to be funny, modest, engaging, and do a fair job with the questions too. Really put everyone else to shame. This was my first time watching the show... between Shatner's hamming, Roxann's childish tantrum, and Wheaton's ill-conceived schtick, I was starting to figure that all these actor people are idiots when nobody's around to make sure they stick to a script (okay, no complaints about the two finalists, they seemed sharp and decent too - but Levar, "600"??).

  • NBC supporting EFF! (Score:4, Funny)

    by juju2112 ( 215107 ) on Tuesday November 27, 2001 @03:45AM (#2618206)
    So, NBC is now going to donate $10,000 to the EFF. Does anyone else find this kinda funny? :)

  • Hey! (Score:2, Funny)

    by 42forty-two42 ( 532340 )
    I didn't submit this story! Therefore, I'm not on the planet, I'm in an incredibly detailed holographic simulation. Wow. I didn't know that before...
  • I think it's incredible that these fine actors managed to get a record-breaking $167,500. Just the fact that Levar and Robert managed to get $35K between themselves alone in the double round is amazing!

    Wil: Unfortunately, you did come off as an ass... my wife was hoping you'd get axed. I was just glad that Shatner got culled. His antics were... painful. Congrats on going as far as you did... and nice shirt! You gonna start selling those too?

  • Is what LeVar called Wil after he got voted off. And was will shirt a KAPPA or just one of those 'naked babe' outlines you see on truck mudflaps -- I think it's the shirt that ticked off Roxann.

    Spoilers:

    Come to think of it, she voted against Wil twice in the first two rounds, so Wil probably was ticked off and got even on round 3 when she gets voted off...

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