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Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

by Julia Ward, posted Dec 14th 2006 6:43PM
Mark BurnettFox has fast-tracked the production of a new game show from Mark Burnett (pictured) and Mike Darnell. The show, called Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, will take its quiz show questions directly from the textbooks of first through fifth graders. The show could premiere as early as this coming January or February.

The show's set will resemble a classroom with one contestant betting cash on whether or not he or she can answer a series of general knowledge questions. There will be five fifth graders of average intelligence on stage with the contestant to act as lifelines and, this is my favorite part, to "gently mock" the adult.

This show could go one of two ways for me. On the one hand, it could be hilarious. We all know that there is vast chasm between what we learn in school and what constitutes useful knowledge in the adult world. I always trounced my older relatives at Jeopardy not because they were dumb, but because the way we were learning things at school more closely resembled quiz show questions and answers than anything grown-ups were asked to know on a daily basis.

On the other hand, this show could end up being an extended Jay Leno "man on the street" segment - the one where he quizzes random people on geography, history, etc. I always find that bit cringe-inducing because it's shocking to see how unbelievably stupid people are when asked who the third president of the United States was. (Gerald Ford, right?) And, really, what will be sadder? What adults don't know, or how little we expect our fifth graders to know? Could you imagine an episode of Are You Smarter than a French, Japanese or Indian 5th Grader? Just the idea of that potential spin-off makes me weep.

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Pat Haug

i get very upset if i miss my show.its on every nite exceppt sat and sunday. i use it to help my hubby who has alhemizers the questions help him try to remember. i'm trying to get smart enough to go on the show. i love jeff hes so cool and funny. pa13ha@aol.com

June 17 2011 at 4:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shannon

I love the show, even though I am in sisxth grade. I am in a split class, so I have some fifth graders in my class, and we all ask them if they are smarter than each other! Anyway, my only complaint about the show, is how it says "2nd grade geometry" and "3rd grade math", when I am in sixth grade, and I have just learned that stuuf, if not, I haven't learned it yet! Other than that, it's a great show for anyone of any age, to test to see....."ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER?"

March 09 2007 at 7:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jacqueline

all u people need to give the show a f*cking break
u dont like it dont watch it u cannot please everybody the show airs on thursday at 8pm u could watch something else get over it americans

March 09 2007 at 2:06 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mark

I, too, noticed one of the youngsters wearing an earpiece during the introduction segment of the program. I don't have a problem with pitting a foolish adult against a child to see who's smarter, but don't pipe answers or hints to either party - that's just not fair play!

March 09 2007 at 11:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jesse

HOW DO YOU GET ON THE SHOW

March 09 2007 at 1:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rob

you missed the show name
with jeff foxworthy as the host the name should have been: you might be smarter than a 5th grader.

March 08 2007 at 9:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
noelle

........

March 07 2007 at 3:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
hellatia

Whole show is a FAKE.
1. At least 2 of the children are actors (seen one on the Disney channel--Jacob, and one was in IMDB--Laura).
2. The kids probably have all been fed the answers. The probability of them all getting the questions correct is close to impossible.
3. The curriculum is too sophisticated for the grades it's listed in. My daughter is the top of her grade in 4th grade at a Westchester school and she didn't know most of the answers.

I think it's Hollywood's way of showing how American adult society is very stupid. The sad thing is that my daughter's friends are all mocking the adult contestants (who were also probably actors since the kids are actors - if two are actors, then they all are in my book). I'm telling her to spread the word that the whole show is a hoax and you should all do so on your end. Burnett has gone way too far with this one. Children, today, already don't show enough respect for adults and this is just throwing more fuel into that fire.

March 03 2007 at 9:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carl

"If you guys hate the show so much, why waste your time complaining about it? Is it honestly worth your time? Stop your b*tching and get over it...its just a show. If you hate it, DONT WATCH IT. Plain and simple. In MY opinion, its a funny show, but stuck up dumbf*cks may think differently. :)"

WAAAAA! WAAAA! Stop making fun of ma TV show!

*rolls eyes*

This show is garbage and completely fake. I don't think that the contestants are fake.. just the actors and actress' behind the student desks.

Ask yourself a question... Do you really think that 5 random "5th graders" would honestly know the first president to be impeached.... much less know what being impeached is?

WAAAAA!!! WAAAA! I'm tired of insulting television.

March 03 2007 at 9:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sarah

I love this show! I think that the contestants might not have the education the say, but I watched it with some 20 yr. olds who, sadly, missed many of questions.

March 02 2007 at 6:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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