Wheel! Of! Fortune!

I've been getting kind of into Wheel of Fortune lately (as I mentioned on facebook). I used to watch it with my parents, but never made an effort t see it on my own. But then I noticed--I've gotten kind of good at it. It's pretty fun. After the 'sband and I saw a woman win about $50,000 the other day, he was like, "You should go on this show."

It seems like a show it would be kind of trying to be a contestant on. When I was trying out for Jeopardy!, they emphasized that luck is a big factor in how well anybody does--some days the categories will go your way, and some days they don't. But a contestant on Wheel of Fortune is even more at the mercy of luck--leaving aside the caprice of the wheel, there just aren't that many puzzles, so there aren't that many chances to build up your money. On the other hand, you get to keep what you win, no matter what place you come in, which is nice. Out of curiousity, I looked up the application.

Wheel of Fortune seems to have tons of theme weeks, and that's reflected in the application. They ask: are you a teacher? What grade? Are you an NFL fan? Are you an NBA fan? Are you a WNBA fan? Are you an MLB fan? For all those sports, they also ask your favorite team and favorite player. Are you in the Armed Forces? What branch? Are you a NASCAR fan? Who's your favorite driver? Are you a country music fan? Who's your favorite singer? Are you a soap opera fan? What's your favorite soap opera? Who's your favorite soap opera actor/actress? Do you have a child between the ages of 10 and 17? Do you have a son/daughter who will be graduating from high school or college? And, most curiously--do you have a pet, and what kind?

I understand the sports player thing and the kid thing, because they often have teams of two--but the pet thing? They wouldn't have you bring your pet, would they? And if they didn't, what's the point? "Hey, it's theme week--all these players are dog owners! Wow, what an elite group!"

Also, this raises a conundrum. Say I were to apply--would I claim to be a WNBA/MLB/NASCAR fan? I guess that would compromise the integrity of Wheel Of Fortune Sports (and NASCAR) Fan Weeks. On the other hand, it would raise my chances to get on the show, right? And it's certainly more of a gray area to claim to be a fan of something than claiming to be a teacher. But then, back on hand one, who wants to play Wheel of Fortune with some NASCAR dude?

I could say I was an NFL fan with clear conscience, though. I would pick the Packers and A. J. Hawk. (He's my favorite because at the local movie theater, he stars in the little commercial thing telling you to turn off your cell phones.)