Alan Carver: Hardcore “Millionaire” Contestant
In my time doing this site I’ve seen just about every sort of contestant come through. I’ve never seen anyone like Alan Carver, a contestant on last Friday’s and yesterday’s episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. To say he was the most hardcore contestant I’ve ever seen on this show is an understatement. He’s almost terrifying. My thoughts for him range from, “He’s funny,” to, “OK, I’m starting to get irritated,” and it switches back and forth often. I’m really not sure what to fully think. Here’s a bit of his appearance and a bit of commentary after.
If this isn’t proof that the clock needs to start after the choices are read, I don’t know what is. This wasn’t Regis Philbin pissing around with the clock. Meredith Vieira is good with it; she’s quick. He finally did the ultimate strategy, which is to interrupt the host. It came off looking awkward and people could easily construe him as a douchebag. But he did the perfect strategy for the Tournament of Ten, so you can’t really fault him. The tie breaker is the amount of time you spent answering the questions. The faster he went the better shot he had of making it. I’d almost guarantee we’ll see him in November playing for $1,000,000 (which I guess is after his birthday). But jesus, he was just a bit too much for me. I know he wants the million dollars (on his birthday) but it’s just a television show. I could barely watch that it was so awkward. But yet again, this should be the ultimate evidence of having the clock start after the choices are read. It felt completely bizarre and Meredith looked confused and agitated.
This further PROVES the clock MUST start AFTER the last choice is read. I can understand why they put that rule in there. I'm more worried about the civility aspect of it all. With what happened recently, I''m not sure if even that's the case with you Alan. Granted, you won $25K & staked a spot in the tourney. I didn't mean to label you a "jerk" like that. It's just I've been caught up in the celebrity outburst parade this week, that's all.
Anything more than having the full amount of time left (rollover) will be too complicated to watch; and if a contestant needs that time at $50K and uses it in effect having less time for the $100K question, so be it, rollover time still beats what we have now which is too little time guaranteed for every question at that level.
Yeah, I can understand that, but I'm NOT Kanye. This isn't the first time he's gotten on stage when an award didn't go the way he thought. President Obama is right, he's a jackass.
And to think this was the guy from Seattle; our local newspaper(the Tacoma, Wa News Tribune)actually had a small story about him. Irregardless of that, I always like to see people from the Seattle-Tacoma, WA area on game shows.
Wow, you only make $25 grand a year? Dude, quit fooling around with trivia games and get yourself a decent paying job!
Alan, I gotta say you were the guy who I loved to see go down in flames. Your cockiness and rudeness made you look like a complete and utter tool, especially after you and your wife said you were there to get the million bucks. Typically I root FOR the contestants, but this time it was nice to see someone crash and burn. I have a feeling that most people felt the same way.
That $25K is just the cash value of my compensation. I also have a company truck, medical benefits, and free DirecTV service. My wife and I have no children, so with her disability pay on top of my salary and benefits, we're not hurting. Sure, I'd rather have more, but I just started with the company less than a year ago, and in this economy, any job is a good job.
You're right, it would be too complicated, but the clock is irritating to begin with, but if you're going to have it I would enjoy it the way I described. Rollover would be less convoluted but a bit more unfair.
Yeah, I am going to have to say that it’s really rude to interrupt and talk over a TV host and announce that you’re here to win a million dollars–TODAY. The whole “You gotta problem with that?” question was waaayyyy off the chain and out of line. I’m not going to engage in a name-calling session here, but the arrogance was more than I could stand and probably contributed to your downfall. Confidence is a very different animal than arrogance and Americans love to see a know-it-all get shot down by his own self-defeating behavior.
Yeah, my comment comes a year after the fact, but the show is in sydication and I saw the re-run just tonight. Regardless, I couldn’t help but say something.