The Scholar

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
21

<p>I haven't seen the show, but here is my a priori summary of it: If they truly had the brights students on the show and asked questions about things like the "ineluctable modality of the visible," vector calculus, or Descarte's ontological argument, then most of America wouldn't be able to follow the show.</p>

<p>Take Jeopardy, for example. Why does it have such poor ratings? Why did it need Ken Jennings? Because the average joe in middle America has no idea who people like Lech Walesa are. Who Wants to be a Millionaire asks questions like "Cheyenne is the capital of which state," for a million dollars, and people STILL get it wrong. Average joe in Wyoming sees this, shouts "WYOMING YOU DUMB BASTARD!" When the guy on tv gets it wrong, average joe feels good about himself, tunes in next time, and buys the official "Millionaire" coffee mug.</p>

<p>That's why you can't put smart people on television if you want to make money. Jeopardy at least stuck to the formula for a while, but its days are numbered.</p>

22

<p>ha ha I agree. The Scholar is definitely just another idiotic reality show. At first I thought it was gonna be with REALLY smart kids who are insanely accomplished, but alas, they don't know who wrote Gone With the Wind and other 6th grade-ish (at best) facts.</p>

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<p>P.S. Wasn't it sad how Ken Jennings lost the Ultimate Tournament of Champions?</p>

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<p>Gone with the Wind....that's an old people's movie, what 6th grader (healthy 6th grader) do you know who could even sit through it?</p>

<p>p.s. how'd he lose? I missed it.</p>

<p>True, Achilleus, so true. One show that got me the most was "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" One of the questions was "What is the first word in the Bible?" and the woman guessed wrong. After using 50/50, I think. Lost interest after that. I rather lay in the grass and watch the clouds.</p>

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<p>yeah...like Holden from "the catcher in the rye" said: tv is phony
the only thing i really like is "the simpsons"
what do you like?</p>