Deal or No Deal is one of the surprise TV hits of the last two years. A British import, hosted by a comedian best known for blowing up surgical gloves and putting them on his head, Deal or No Deal did not seem destined to become a hit. In fact, I saw it (when it premiered) as an act of desperation on the part of NBC. They're schedule had been producing little of note when Deal or No Deal appeared, and the game show seemed like merely a cost-cutting stop gap to fill out the season schedule. However, Deal or No Deal tapped into one the most explosive aspects of our culture: gambling. Americans love to gamble. Las Vegas is our largest tourist destination. Scratch tickets, pull tabs, poker rooms, Indian casinos, the lottery, the stock market, sports betting, and eating fast food. Gambling is everywhere you look, in all forms, and we will never, ever get enough of it. Some would argue that Deal or No Deal is more indicative of inherent American greed, and their point would be solid. Greed and gambling, obviously, go hand in hand. But the key difference is that gambling can be perpetrated by those who are not greedy, just as some of the greediest people out there do not like to gamble.
Deal or No Deal is a gambling game. Contestants often forgo logic and go for the big bucks, even when the obvious math (and their loved ones) tell them to stop. Middle class Americans will turn down vast sums of money for the off chance that they'll receive even more money. Blinded by the possibility of a big payday, these otherwise normal humans will sacrifice money that will legitimately change their quality of life in order to keep playing the game. Of course, if people didn't take dumb risks on Deal or No Deal, the show wouldn't be entertaining. Americans want to watch normal people beat the odds, beat the system. The fact that the banker (the person who offers the "deal" that the contestant will either take or keep playing) is anonymous is a key to the show's success. The banker (anonymous, cold, unforgiving) represents the establishment, the oppressive machine that has kept these decent Americans down and not allowed them the success in life that they deserve. Howie Mandel, as host, represents hope, the concept of opportunity, our guide to the promised land. He's going to lead the contestants to water, but he can't make them drink. Why else would people watch such an ostensibly silly and mindless show? There is no skill (like in most gambling) and the opening of briefcases is drawn out for long periods of time. Small talk overtakes most of the hour. The reason for success, as stated above, is in the symbolism, Americans living vicariously through contestants as they strive to beat the system and walk away rich. Another, more troubling draw of Deal or No Deal is something I've witnessed first hand: the car wreck mentality. I've sat and viewed Deal or No Deal with otherwise kind and gentle humans who have rooted hard for contestants to make dumb decisions and bust out and make no money. This masochistic behavior is, I'm afraid, very common. There is some sick pleasure we get from watching hope crushed, and contestants fail through their own, unflinching ineptitude. Gambling is a vice that ruins people's lives. Don't get me wrong, however, my soap box is nowhere to be found. It is a vice that I routinely give in to, and one that I often enjoy immensely. And, so does America. Flip though the cable channels at any time of day and you're sure to find poker, game shows, horse racing, etc. Deal or No Deal is the most universal of all these, because, at its core, it is very, very basic. You only have two choices: Deal, or No Deal. Anyone can understand that. Deal or No Deal will continue to be popular in America as long as gambling continues to be popular. Which, in all likelihood, will be forever. -Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer