After talking so deeply about everything, I think my last real piece of advice is one I didn’t take but looking back on it, would try to now (I think).
I think game shows are really meant to be fun.
I’ve talked at length about wishing I’d gotten the viral moment of solving a puzzle with no letters. And while I do let that regret get at me sometimes, I would’ve looked reeeeeeeal stupid had I done that for funsies, and not won the game.
But yes, I think we should be playing to win. But we should be playing to have a good time!
And those are quite interchangeable. But you gotta take the pressure off.
You can’t view it as all the money it could be. Too much pressure on it is gonna take away the confidence, which is gonna make you worse at the game, and have less fun.
And my whole life, I’ve hated when people are like “just go out there and have fun” ’cause I’m like “winning and having fun are synonymous! How can you have fun if you don’t win?!”
But first off, I think Ben had fun, and he didn’t win. He had a good vibe though!
And secondly, there are lots of ways to “win” – there’s having a fun viral moment by showing off solving a puzzle with no letters. That could’ve been a ‘win’ in and of itself, even if I hadn’t won the game.
So just… No pressure. Just take the pressure off.
I’ve gotten this type of advice with a lot of things in my life. I went to a marathon talk once where an Olympian said the race is the reward. The training was the hard part. The race is the celebration.
Same with an improv class I did. The final performance was basically a ‘final exam’, but it was also supposed to be a reward/celebration.
So, if you’re on Wheel, you’ve studied your butt off… The game the reward/celebration. Have the best time playing!