Monday, December 27, 2010

Million Dollar Money Drop makes 800,000 dollar mistake, then compounds their first mistake with another one.


The Million Dollar Money Drop 800,000 dollar mistake is just amazing on several levels. A tenacious couple, Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti appear to have lost 800,000 dollars over a mistake not of their doing in any way.

Apparently, 3M company gave the wrong date for the original release date of post-it notes, so the game show was relying on erroneous information provided by 3M. I also read that the couple then got the next question wrong, so the banksters among us would argue, no harm, no foul.

The problem is, the game show puts an incredible amount of stress on their contestants. The tease of starting with a million dollars in cash right in front of the contestants, and then having it start to disappear with each incorrect answer, is rather harsh. It's also clever, but in a harsh kind of way.

The gentleman, Gabe Okoye, decided in a courteous, thoughtful manner to "be the man" in this instance and override his girlfriend's choice because Okoye seemed to have a handle on the history of post-it notes.

Okoye mentioned some things about the history of post-it notes that I seem to recall as well. Post-it notes were originally a mistake until someone at 3M company realized it was a clever idea. Okoye used his recollection of the post-it note to override his girl friend's, (Brittany Mayti) belief that walkman's came out before the post-it note.

When the game show incorrectly said Mayti was right and Okoye was wrong, (resulting in the loss of 800,000), it is clear that it was a gut crushing moment for Mr. Okoye and that he was devastated beyond the consoling provided by Mayti. While I admire Brittany Mayti for being so gracious when it appeared Mr. Okoye overruled her choice, the bigger issue is that the television show made a mistake.

At this point, because the show made a mistake and Okoye was actually right, the show has caused mental cruelty, torment and anguish, both present and future, upon Okoye. Another thing I noticed, Okoye wanted to put all of the couples money on the post-it note choice, but there was not enough room for him to place all the money on that selection and time ran out just before he could make all the money fit on his first choice.

The other 80,000 dollars should have gone to the post it note selection and the couple should have had 880,000 dollars for the next round.

Million Dollar Money Drop just premiered a few days ago so I have yet to see the entire show. Is the couple allowed to not bet anymore and walk away? Or, are they forced to keep betting all of their winnings every round so they can still end up with zero? I found an article that explains how the show is played, but it still left me confused.

I have an unsolicited suggestion for Fox. You're obviously going to make up for YOUR MISTAKE with a huge increase in television ratings. PAY THE COUPLE AT LEAST 500,000 DOLLARS for YOUR MISTAKE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, and then invite them back. Correct YOUR MISTAKE by adding the 80,000 that Okoye wanted to put with the 800,000. Okoye and Mayti then have 880,000 dollars, and proceed with the final two questions of the game.

If Fox invites this couple back on the air without first giving them money with no strings attached for their prior emotional suffering and trauma, they actually run the risk of having the couple lose again, and just make them that much more traumatized, resulting in an EVEN BIGGER LAWSUIT down the road.

lol, Maybe Fox will let the audience decide if Okoye and Mayti should get any money from their first visit via phone text message voting. Fox could probably raise enough money from charging for the text calls to pay Okoye and Mayti for Million Dollar Drop's original mistake.

My suggestion, Pay 500,000 dollars for the prior mistake, then give back to Gabe and Brittany 880,000 dollars going into the final two rounds and continue from there.


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