I continued to envision the scenario, Starbucks coffee cups crunched in the fists of broadcast big wigs at the frustration of competitors arriving to the airtime finishing line first. I could see useless board meeting after board meeting (which is, in fact, all I ever envision when I think of corporate culture).

I could see threats of lawsuits between the big cheeses of competing companies when they realize they've both stolen the same idea at the same time. And Americans… I could see them oblivious to these corporate schemes and dreams, greedily lapping up these shows night after night, fixed in religious fervor, blood-red eyes glued to the tube.

In time, we all know, the thrill will wane. The shows' viewership will drop along with corporate sponsorship. Of course, also in time, the next bandwagon will emerge. It always does. Perhaps it will be "Who Wants To Kill Their Neighbors" or "Who Wants To Goof Off at Work," who knows. One thing's for certain. Corporate America will be off and running in that new direction, whatever it may be.

But what do the quiz shows ultimately say about us? Why do we enjoy watching others lusting after big money? What's the payback for devoting a half-hour of our day to these lobotomizing events? Does the joy of another's good fortune make us feel warm and fuzzy all over? I suspect not. Scores of movies and TV shows indicate that we prefer to watch other people getting their heads and various limbs lobbed off their bodies. We're talking about the land of Wrestlemania, here. The land of sensational nightly news in which every rape, crime, and murder complete with crying mother is broadcast before our very eyes. Watching strangers getting filthy rich while we're stuck eating Hamburger Helper in our kitchens, you call that fun? Surely, you jest.

Why else would "Greed," Fox's follow-up to ABC's "Millionaire," be far more cutthroat than its predecessor if not for our insatiable appetite for brutality and competition.

Perhaps we simply enjoy having our senses stimulated, any which way, good or bad – particularly when it requires no action on our part. We are, after all, the Couch Potato Capital of the World. Mindless stimulation. Less is more. Ignorance is bliss. Whoever can stir the greatest sensation from within a subject, with the least effort exerted by said subject, wins. The less thought, the better. Where's my beer, Wilma...

Even the questions on these game shows are intended to be easy. Once again aiding and abetting the notion of the less thought, the better. Compare a quiz show in popularity to, say, a program about culture, world events or the environment. Think about watching a documentary on the rainforest. Consider the effort required in comprehending nature's life cycle, or the forest's ecosystem. Who the hell wants to do that? Forget about it. The quiz show wins, hands down.

Along these lines, I find it odd that we consider ourselves superior to other species and yet we choose mindless preoccupation over all else. We have bigger brains than other inhabitants of the earth and yet we make such little use of our intellects. We choose mimicry over originality, mindlessness over creativity or thoughtful reflection. Ironic, isn't it? Well, if nothing else, it's something to ponder between changing channels.

January 2000