what a difference a half-century makes... in a game show

Comcast has given me a variety of serial television shows to test-drive this week.

I never would have thought that "Family Feud" would have changed that much, nor had I realized how my perspective toward certain actions have changed in five decades.

I actually found myself feeling a bit squeamish watching those earlier shows!

Wow.

Here are a few examples of those changes, in visual format, as a picture truly is worth at least a thousand words.

 

Here is the part that got to me.

Richard Dawson would kiss all the females on the lips - young, old, white, black, married, single, or even still a child.

Macho entitlement behavior it was, but also part of the culture that still existed in the mid-1970's.

That part I could accept.

Some of those kisses though, like the one above, lingered a little too long.

It's obvious from her husband's expression that he is none too happy about that farewell kiss, but it was the last time Dawson would be kissing his wife, as the team had lost.

But, still, the kiss lasted long enough that I caught the shot easily.

The husband's brother is steadily watching his sibling to make sure he keeps his cool, so there's definite tension.

Still, by the time Dawson made it to the matriarch of the clan, the younger brother was all smiles as he watched mom get smooched.

Like I said, Dawson made sure to kiss all the females, each and everyone, though he did take his time a bit with the PYTs. 

 

How does that compare with Steve Harvey's actions?

In this day and age of "#MeToo", he would be courting a lawsuit to be landing lip smacks on any of them, and he is quite mindful of that.

Harvey may offer handshakes to outgoing teams, but usually only for older players.

 

What other differences were there?

Well, back in the mid-70's to 80's, the central showdown was a small counter space, with the contestants practically in each others faces.

Also, notice the attire of contestants.

Women wore dresses or skirts, men wore suits, and that's exactly the way it was.

The hair was all perfect, too.

Compare that to any episodes aired since the pandemic.

The showdown area consists of two separate counters, with space between.

Players are casual in dress and hairstyle.

During those early years of the show, the contestants would pose in the arched areas, then walk down several steps to the playing area.

Notice the dated color scheme, which would have seemed quite trendy in the 1970's.

Trust me... I grew up then.

The set today seems much brighter by contrast.

The arches to both sides still exist, but serve only to highlight the surnames of the contestants.

When the show opens, the contestants are already in place, awaiting the game host's arrival.

 

 

My guess is the steps were deemed too much of a tripping hazard for eager players, so those were eliminated.

The money has changed, too.

The top prize used to be $5,000, with the contestants facing off in five rounds, and the family reaching 300 points first were the ones who played for that cash.

Today, the top money is $20,000, with only four rounds of questions between the teams, except on those occasions when neither team reached 300 points; then, the fifth member of each team would play a showdown question that determined the winning team.

 

Wondering about that big difference in prize money?

Let me put that into perspective.

In the late 1970's, my paycheck as an E-5 in the Navy netted me about $8000 annually.

That's right: $8,000.

A prize of $5,000 was quite a royal sum of money!

What a difference fifty years makes!