QUIZ SHOW (1992) Run Time: 130 minutes Synopsis: By giving answers to the players they wanted to win, the producers of the popular 1950s game show Twenty-One had their trump card for capturing huge audience ratings. Charles Van Doren, college professor and scion of a great literary family, was the "perfect" game show contestant. The fact that the handsome and genteel Van Doren was prepared to participate in the cheating was an extra benefit. Based on a true story, the film probes the fault lines between knowledge, privilege, and scandal, and raises serious questions about what is most worth knowing.Reflection:
What hooks you into a good game show or causes you to quickly flip channels? How is your educational philosophy reflected in your passion (or distaste) for game shows?
Which educational philosophy is best represented in Quiz Show? What elements of the classroom are seen on the game show stage?
How did factors such as race, religion, gender, and socioeconomic class determine who knew the answers on Twenty-One? Compare how these same factors shape how we define who is intelligent in schools.
After the scandal, Charles Van Doren noted that he believed the difference between good and evil was "not cut and dried." How is this statement revealed in the motives of the Twenty-One producers? Contestant Herb Stempel? Charles Van Doren? What power did each have? What power did each believe he had? How is this "winning at all costs" attitude reflected in schools and the testing culture?
What accounts for the popularity of quiz shows in the 1950s? Today? Consider the events, people, and values of each time period. How do game shows reflect American society and the value it places on knowledge?
Follow-up Activity: It's Game Night at your school. Choose a subject area and design your own "quiz show" based on one of the five philosophies discussed in the chapter. How will you define winning? How will the host, contestants, questions/answers, interactions, seating arrangements, and prizes reflect the key principles of the philosophy? Consider the many variables, such as the "facts"; the roles of gender, race, and class; and political motivations, among other things, that go into creating a "quiz show."
