A good-looking contestant who doesn't know how to play the game or someone who isn't "hollywood" type (not hideously ugly) who knows how to play the game?

Hands down, the latter. IMHO, thats' why Millionaire succeeded.... Joe Everyman got his 15 minutes of fame in the hotseat, NOT some dumbasaboxofhammers LA waiter looking for a big break.

Good Luck , 1 vs 100! You're going to need it.

Someone who knows how to play the game. It actually gives me something to root for and (surprise!) might make the game engaging.

I'd rather see a back-and-forth matchup then someone win by a landslide just because their opponent prolly can't even spell their own name.

Well, I think it's better when someone can play the game, having said that, producers have been making these kinds of value judgements since the days of Herb Stempel. Maybe I have higher standards of beauty, but I don't really consider every contestant on, say, Lingo, as that good looking. Not good looking and can't play well---that's the worst.

I absolutely would want to watch someone who knows the game, as opposed to some dumbass who doesn't know what 2+9 is.

(That's why I don't watch Lingo).

Is anyone who would choose the former option actually stupid enough to admit it publically?

What DO you watch?

Considering the posts seen here at times, absolutely.

The Lingo method of contestant selection, the driving out of all spontaneity in pursuit of perfection (thus taking inordinate amounts of time), the addition of elements which take away from the game, and the hiring of mediocre or less-than-competent hosts (Ricki Lake, who IMO should never again be allowed on television, much less any game show) and announcers (Burton Richardson and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Rich Fields) when much better talent is available for the same price, is why I cannot muster much enthusiasm for The Game Show Reinaissance of 2006.

If the state of the genre remains like this, I may turn in my game show fandom card permanently.

Someone who knows how to play the game. It drives me nuts when I see someone do something stupid when I know I wouldn't "waste" my chance.

HEY!

...not all Lingo contestants are the "Hollywood" type, and I'm not a total dumbass... although I can be a real smartass. Watch yourselves at GSC, to whoever is going. ;-P

I hope you're not falling into the Brakus / Pyramid trap of defending the show just because they kicked you a few bucks. Yes, you're right, but you realize that you are the exception, not the rule.

Ahhhhhhh!!! Trap!!!!!

Hehe, oh my sister and I consistently harp on how the typical contestants on that show don't do well on the show, or look really dumb. We also feel the same way about most PiR contestants who play Ten Chances. :-p

Ahhhhhhh! Don't use the "1" more than once!

To continue on the original topic, it goes both ways for me. While I hate seeing such stupid contestants on a game show, it is somewhat entertaining for me to watch because I sit there and think to myself, "Wow, I could do better than these people!" I know that's probably not a good way to think while watching a show, but it definitely is entertaining. This sounds even worse, but has anyone been SO bored one night that they created a drinking game for both "Knightmare" and "Deal or No Deal"?

I'm in a room.... *takes a drink*

There's gotta be some sort of happy medium, right?

I'll go for the latter, just because it's easier to watch someone who knows what the hell they're doing then someone who can't grasp the fact that yellow circles mean the letter's out of place.

But then again, just because you can play the game doesn't mean you're necessarily gonna be good at it.

You know, it seems to me that there's always someone that makes a post like this.

And, at least to me, it's not all that funny anymore.