Dodie Smith

I started out really liking it, especially as I enjoy trivia and have always been a Ken Jennings fan. But there are things that frustrate me to the point where I can hardly stand to watch it. I really dislike the faux-hostility between the MM's and the contestants. It's not funny and it sets a bad example of what friendly competition should be. The ridiculous little tidbits after an answer seem very rehearsed, making it look like the contestants may be briefed about topics ahead of time. Also, the tidbits don't do a lot to make the MM's look more intelligent, as they are usually either very well-known, incorrect, or just don't matter. Ex: "Minneapolis is known as "the land of 10,000 lakes." DUH. And some of the answers are definitely incorrect. But the thing that really drives me crazy is the lightning speed at which Brooke reads off the questions, especially in the last round. Does it make a contestant smarter if they can get the answer right when it's read ridiculously fast or does it just mean they are better at deciphering ridiculously fast speech? I like to be able to play along and listening to that kind of ramrodding gives me a headache.