Constructive criticism v. obsessive ranting: A discussion.

Two things:
1) This is a fan forum devoted to Wheel of Fortune. You're going to find some hardcore fans here. (Golden-Road is the same way to The Price Is Right.)
2) I've got my reasons for being how I am toward the show, mainly due to the events of Season 28.

Thanks, CU.

Having been a contestant and spent 12 hours on set with other contestants and the staff, I can attest to how wonderful they are. I believe I've raved before about the contestant coordinators (if you missed it - I LOVE THEM) but I also have a ton of respect for everything that goes on there. Yes, errors get aired occasionally, but there are a lot of things they're incredible about watching for and correcting. The entire staff takes their jobs seriously and it's awe inspiring to watch them work. After 30 seasons, I'd expect them to occasionally experiment with things trying to keep the show fresh, which isn't easy. Like CU said, they're obviously doing something right, and even just a one day view of the operation made it clear that they have put a lot of thought into everything.

Whether or not you agree with the final decisions, that entire team deserves respect - they've certainly earned it.

To CU's post (I apologize that this is putting us off track, but I'd like to get this off my chest),
I have not been on here as long as some people, but I'm glad this was finally said. I know I made a couple of snarky comments (like the Citizen Kane GIF) to express my frustration and I apologize to the moderators that had to correct that. I joined this site because I found some valuable information about preparing for my audition and (presumably) what to expect if/when I get the call and wanted to contribute. I did not want to be part of a forum that primarily bashed the show for what seems to be a grudge for what reasons I do not know, which is why I didn't join Golden-Road. I was really rubbed the wrong way when some of the replies on my thread on what to expect during a final audition, instead of all improving the thread by adding their own experiences and tips, became a soapbox to take shots at the show and staff. The point was to help people who were in my situation have a good idea what to expect if they happen to be invited to a final audition so they are at ease and have a better shot at making it on the show.

Constructive criticism of the show is fine (and I do enjoy a good debate when it comes to rule changes and such), but if you want to keep attracting members and viewers, the what seems to be "bash the show any chance you get" needs to tone down.

To echo what CU said, I don't mind a little constructive criticism of the show. As long-running as it is, Wheel of Fortune is not perfect. Every game (and every show) has its flaws. The trick, though, is to not be so overpowering with the flaws. For a little while, I appreciated the snarky attitude, but once I got on the show and actually noticed what goes into the production of the show, I find some comments to be somewhat insulting.

I have mad respect for all the show's staff members, since they have been keeping the show running for 31 years in nighttime - that's staying power. Yes, you have to keep the show fresh. Some new things work, others don't. The ones that don't, don't last long. The ones that do, stay on, whether one person likes it or not. Yes, there are some decisions the staff has made that I don't like, and I mutter those comments under my breath sometimes, but that's where they stay. Presenting a topic the right way can lead to interesting discussion, but downright insults (especially directed toward other people) do not.

To echo what Kate has said, you can't really appreciate the show and its staff until you're in studio as a contestant. Case in point: on the second show of my tape day, the background screen flickered, leading to a re-shoot, a re-shoot that you probably would not have noticed if I hadn't brought it up. That, to me, shows how much the director (R.I.P., Mark...say hi to Merv and Charlie O up there), editors, and A/V technicians care about presenting a high-quality show. My mention was intended to spark an interesting discussion and give you some behind-the-scenes dirt that you wouldn't get anywhere else, which I thought was the site's intent. Instead, it degenerated into a rant about how the video wall needs to disappear.

Similarly, analyzing a contestant's moves on the show is fine. Sportscasters are paid to do that with top athletes, and interesting discussions flood fan forums and bars all over the world. Implying that the contestant coordinators make people act like loudmouths on TV is not. Like Kate, I absolutely love the contestant coordinators, even though I've only met them in auditions and the show. Gary, the head CC, has been in his job since 1988. Jackie and Shannon have been with the show since the mid '90s. Alexandra, the newest CC, is just as capable, despite only joining the show in 2011. They take such tremendous pride and energy in what they do, and while it's a little over the top, it's genuine. Kate (and other fellow contestants), I think you and I can safely say that the CCs and everyone else cares about the contestants enough to make sure they enjoy their day of "stardom" and win as much as possible.

Bottom line: the show's staff cares enough to make a high-quality show for the viewers and the contestants. If viewers spent less time nit-picking and obsessing over every little flaw, they'd actually notice that. In summary, going into the show, yeah, I knew a few things weren't what I expected or wanted, but I learned to just deal with them.

Ladies & gentlemen, I present constructive criticism at its finest. Take notes, folks. This is how it should be done. We can all learn from this, I'm sure...

I've had some time to think about whether I wanted to say anything and, if so, how I wanted to say it. I hope this is a constructive viewpoint:

As some of you may know, I've been on the internet for most of the past nine years. I was 16 when I joined Golden-Road, and over the years I've said and done things that fully warranted a backlash against me. Such actions got me banned from Golden-Road in 2009, and that's all I'll say about that.

I think my problem with Wheel, and why I've posted what I have on this forum over time, is that my heavy exposure to the pre-Friedman era has colored my judgement against the show as it has been produced since late 2000. I've seen how Wheel used to be produced and how it compares to Friedman's "different direction", and I suppose I'm like those at Golden-Road with Price in that the differences are staggering, noticeable, and in some cases qualify as "You're doing it wrong."

Part of how I feel is because, while Golden-Road has gotten explanations about Price changes from inside sources that sometimes can't be shared with the general public, WOFL/BAV has never had those and Wheel rarely if ever explains its reasons for many questionable changes.

Don't get me wrong -- Harry Friedman has made many positive moves over the years, and I've applauded them. Introducing the nighttime Jackpot wedge, overhauling the puzzle board, branching the show out over a bunch of social media, introducing the Wheel Watchers Club and SPIN ID rewards, and even the Bonus Round going from the W-H-E-E-L setup to the Bonus Wheel were all good moves. I don't even mind the $1,000,000 prize too much, although I don't think it was a wise idea since Harry can't lower it for the sake of the budget without coming across as cheap.

Are there some problems with Wheel? Certainly, and they've drawn my ire for quite some time -- the theme weeks cause the puzzle writing to suffer, the Trip Puzzle skews the game by being guaranteed, the prizes lack any real variety, the Culver City audiences are almost constantly unresponsive to everything, some bonus puzzles are clearly set up to be lost, and the overall presentation is like that of a primetime network game show to the point where I drew clear parallels some months back.

Will the show listen to anybody who makes suggestions regarding these elements? I don't think so. Not because of the "we can't take unsolicited suggestions" rule, but because they have their way of producing the show.

Sure, Wheel's ratings are still on or very close to the top, so obviously they're doing something right. I'm not so sure, though -- like Price, Wheel has been around for a very long time and I have the feeling at least some of the viewership is due to the show being comfort food and "it's always been there".

It's been said many, many times over the years "If you don't like the show, don't watch." I voted with my remote in Season 28, as Charlie's death made me question what benefit Wheel was going to gain from doing what they did, and why they were even going that route in the first place. They didn't seem to act with their viewers in mind, and their reasoning seemed like they didn't think very much of said viewers. Until that point, I still watched the show when I could, but that made me stop and Vanna for a Day's surprise twist only made me feel more justified in my decision. I've barely watched anything past the beginning of Season 29, and almost never sit down to watch first-run unless I see my mother watching it...and even then, I don't stick around for more than a few moments.

I still love Wheel, but I can't bring myself to love the modern-day show because of the above decisions, and it's why I've acted like I have toward those in control of it. Because I immersed myself in researching 1970s-90s footage, I've ended up wanting to see those kinds of production values where the show didn't need an endless run of gimmicks to stay fresh -- Wheel of Fortune stayed fresh by being Wheel of Fortune. Hence, when I see the same problems pop up time and again, my reaction has been "The show should know better because at one point, they did."

Sorry for the long post, and sorry for going way overboard in general, but hopefully I've remained objective and constructive in this post and away from obsession and ranting. Knowing me, I likely failed.