During the dog days of summers, I have a hard time finding interesting shows to watch. When that happens, I find myself drifting to the Game Show Network because they have re-runs of old TV game shows. My favorite is Family Feud, especially the really old episodes with Richard Dawson as host, because it’s not just entertainment, it’s kind of a sociological study. In a 1970s episode, long before political correctness kicked in, Dawson insisted that an entire Japanese family bow to him. (My jaw dropped open and soup almost dribbled out when I saw this.) In another episode, Dawson kept speaking in an exaggerated, Apu-like accent to an Indian family who had lived in the States for 30 years and spoke perfect English.
But Dawson’s ignorance isn’t why I tune in; I do it for the contestants’ wacky answers. Perfectly normal-looking people say the craziest things when the clock is ticking and they’re trying to beat the buzzer. They reveal way more about themselves than they probably intended and sometimes I get the feeling there really will be a feud among family members once the taping is over.
For a few Monday chuckles, I’ve compiled a list of some the funniest answers I’ve heard:
Question: Tell me a man’s name that starts with the letter “K.” Answer: Kentucky Fried Chicken!
Q: Name an expression that contains the word “foot” in it. A: Foot in your behind!
Q: Tell me a birthday men dread the most. A: Their wife’s!
Q: Name something people take with them to the beach. A: Turkey!
Q: Name a type of movie that describes your love life. A: Horror!
Q: Tell me something your neighbor has that you wish you had. A: A beautiful wife!
Q: Name a part of the body that gets bigger as adults get older. A: Penis!
Q: Name something women borrow from each other. A: Husbands!
Q: Name something a woman needs before she gets married. A: Pap smear!
Q: Tell me a beverage you drink out of a can: A: Wine!
Q: Name a yellow fruit. A: Orange!
Q: Tell me a kind of wood used to make furniture. A: Table!
Q: Name something you accidentally leave on all night. A: Your bra!
Q: Tell me what section of the newspaper you turn to first. A: Coupons!
Q: Name something associated with Ping-Pong. A: Asians!
Happy Monday!
12 Comments
Jen Forbus
August 23, 2010 at 5:23 amThat’s hilarious. I play Family Feud on Facebook and have often wondered about the people they are surveying based on the answers involved there. None are quite as humorous as these though. Thanks PCN! Great way to start my week!
Eddy
August 23, 2010 at 5:58 amI always thought that this was pretty funny. You can skip past the first contestant and pick it up around 2 minutes in.
Family Feud Prank
Novelwhore
August 23, 2010 at 9:18 amhahahahaha this is amazing. Have you noticed a difference in answers with the modern contestants? I think stupidity is timeless. I’m not Asian, but I do looooove ping pong! Reading that response made me want to pick up a paddle right now.
Naomi Johnson
August 23, 2010 at 12:35 pmWas it just my impression or was Dawson 3/4 in the bottle during most of the tapings?
Pop Culture Nerd
August 23, 2010 at 1:12 pmJen—Some of the answers that pop up do make me think there must be a whole region of people somewhere leading, ah, interesting lives.
Eddy—I’ve seen that episode! Funny stuff.
Novelwhore—There’s definitely a difference between how contestants answer now and 30 years ago. Back then, a woman would say “Make love” for an answer, then blush, giggle and ask, “Can I say that on TV?” Nowadays, people would just yell out “Booty call!” Regarding Ping-Pong, I love it, too (we’ll have to play sometime!) and I’m not…oh wait, I am. Never mind.
Naomi—Either that or he was a jerk. He said things that made me gasp because they were such ignorant or rude comments.
Naomi Johnson
August 23, 2010 at 2:55 pmI think you mean “and” rather than “or.” He was rude, ignorant, insensitive AND probably drunk.
Pop Culture Nerd
August 23, 2010 at 4:33 pmYeah, you’re right.
Shell Sherree
August 23, 2010 at 5:32 pmHeh heh!! And I note that you managed to incorporate a reference to Fried Chicken. Well done, PCN.
Pop Culture Nerd
August 23, 2010 at 8:29 pmNotice I put it first!
Poncho
August 24, 2010 at 12:52 pmThe Mexican version of the show is nowhere near as funny as the American one, by your selection of answers. It was called “100 Mexicanos Dijeron” (“100 Mexicans Said), and I watched it sometimes and was mesmerized by the stupidity of some answers. Yet it was some kind of guilty pleasure.
Pop Culture Nerd
August 24, 2010 at 4:37 pmI didn’t know you had a Mexican version. I have no guilt from watching because it make me laugh. I’m almost disappointed when people give “normal” answers.
Amy
September 2, 2010 at 9:12 amI just love this post. When I was much younger my mother used to put Family Feud on at 7/7:30 and we would get a kick out of Richard Dawson’s antics and the contestants wacko answers…especially the winning teams final rounds!
My mom wasn’t a game show fan generally (usually she had her nose in a book!) but for some reason she got a kick out of Family Feud and Dawson, no other host fit this game show as well!
Love the answer to the movie that describes your love life: “Horror”! Hilarious! And who takes a turkey to the beach?! lol great answers come during pressured-filled moments!
Thank you for the laughs and the memories!
~ Amy