Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Review

I'm generally not a fan of reality TV.  At least not the variety that depends on making its contestants look either stupid or extremely desperate.

Maybe its the fact that I have a 5th grader at home that finds me tuning into this show on occasion and actually enjoying it.

Sometimes of course we play along with it and I'm proud to say that I do pretty well.  But eventually like all contestants I ultimately have to utter the words "I am not smarter than a 5th grader"  Of course, its been a few years since I was in the 5th grade, slogging my way through snow each day to get to my little.  Wait!  I take that back.  That was Abe Lincoln!

But, as I say, it has been awhile and I have managed to fill my head with much more complex matters of nonsense and minutiae.

Jeff Foxworthy really does a great job hosting the show.  He handles the students well and doesn't strive to totally humiliate those contestants crazy enough to appear on this show.

Who are these people?

I've wondered this during each episode I've watched.  I guess that would probably be in the range of 6 episodes.

On one of the earliest episodes last year, a contestant identified himself as a fund manager for a large prestigious financial institution.  What was he thinking?  Was he thinking?  I don't know.  Maybe he thought he might be able to walk away with the top prize and say adios to his employer.  You know, the Lotto Fantasy.

But then, a million bucks doesn't go quite as far as it once did.  As I recall he didn't walk away with the top prize, but he did manage to be smart enough to recognize when he wasn't smart enough and he did make some money.

I often wonder whether he returned to his job as a fund manager or did he open up a pizza parlor.

My Viewpoint

What the heck.  Occasionally it's a fun diversion.  Enjoy an episode or two.

Rudi