DAotW 5-6-12

Dumb Answer of the Week
What Happens When You Speak Before You Think

April 30th - May 6th, 2012

Text by: Jim Williams

This week's DAotW comes from the April 30th episode of "Let's Make A Deal".

This is Amy from Los Angeles. When asked by Wayne Brady if she'd like a nice new car, she responded with the following:

"Of course. That's why I'm here!"

*Makes mental bullet point on that quote*

In the show's opening deal she plays along with Valerie the Zonky Dentist Donkey in a deal involving 2 curtains.

Curtains 2 and 3 each have cars behind them. They both could be legitimate new cars. They both could be Zonkmobiles. One could be a Zonkmobile and the other could be a new car.

Valerie is given the option to pick her curtain and chooses curtain number 2 leaving Amy with curtain 3.

The podium separating our two traders is kind of important. As you can probably see, there is a big red button on top of the podium. Wayne will offer increasing amounts of money and the first person to hit the button will take the last amount said and forfeit whatever is behind their curtain.

Wayne goes from $800 to $1,100 to $1,700 to $2,000 and...

Valerie says she's had enough. She gets $2,000, but does she make the right decision?

Yes! Zonkmobile.

Amy has curtain number 3 and mentions that she doesn't want to end up like her mother who got zonked by Monty Hall 40 years ago.

In her infinite enthusiasm (or lack of knowledge, not sure which to be honest), she asks Wayne if she can stick with the curtain.

Wayne replies that it's hers for sure.

"I'm putting my faith in the system."

"Yes. Faith in the system is always a good thing." Well played, Mangum.

What did she get behind curtain number 3?

Uh, thanks Rich. How's weather treating you in L.A.?

Yep, it's a Honda Fit worth $15,870. So, she breaks the family curse! Oh happy day!

Wait a minute. This is the "Dumb Answer of the Week" section. No one's allowed to be happy here.

All of what you read above leads into the actual moment of dumbness.

We get to the Big Deal worth $22,084. Only one trader can go for the biggie. I'll give you three guesses who that trader is, and the first two don't count.

"You know what? There's a reason why I'm here right now and in this position. So I'm gonna go for it. I know it's crazy, but I'm gonna go for it."

As Wayne welcomes us back from the break he sets the scene like so.

Thank you, Booker T.

So, which door do you want, Amy?

"Um, can I ask the audience?"

Easy, Reege. She's just looking for some help.

Can someone get this man a show so he doesn't blow a fuse in my column again?

"I'm going between 1 and 2, what do you guys think? I'm going to go with 1."

Wayne asks if the number 1 has any significant meaning to her.

"Actually number 2 is a special number to me. I don't know why I went with number 1."

Let's see what she passed up behind the door with her favorite number.

A new pizza kitchen set worth $6,209.

So we're down to door 1 and door 3. Let's find out if the Big Deal is concealed behind her door, door 1.

Nope, it's a sauna worth $2,099.

The big deal, trips to Curacao and Ireland along with $4,000 in cash worth $22,084, was behind door 3.

For our fair gypsy Amy, this is a classic case of not knowing when to leave well enough alone. And for committing the act of giving up a car for a chance at the Big Deal and ultimately trading down to the lowest of 3 prizes, she becomes our latest winner of the "Dumb Answer of the Week".