When it comes to comedy, folks have different opinions on what’s funny. For some, they may enjoy good slapstick; others may prefer drier, more subtle humor. However, if there’s one thing that most people find universally funny, it’s someone else’s moment. Scientists call this feeling Schadenfreude. Of course, it’s nothing that we like to admit to doing, but if you’re human, there’s always a small part of you that feels rewarded when someone else screws up. We just can’t help ourselves. You see, while we may empathize with someone’s misfortune or embarrassment, there’s a small part of our brain that’s always seeking pleasure, and most of the time, it will find it.
And when it comes to game shows, their success has a lot to do with the viewer’s Schadenfreude. If we know the answer to a question that a contestant gets wrong, we tend to feel a bit superior (in some cases, very superior). And this is by design because game shows make it very clear that anyone could be a contestant on their show. So, when you see someone blow that big cash prize, you think to yourself, “I would’ve got it right.” And in this video compilation of classic game shows, we see the very best of the worst answers.
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Come on. Admit it. There’s nothing quite like Monday morning quarterbacking a guy with a 185 IQ on Jeapeordy folks. It’s a guilty pleasure that we all have.
Image via YouTube
You can get your daily dose of Schadenfreude by watching this hilarious video below.
