‘Family Feud’: A Contestant’s Savage Answer Revealed a Harsher Reality
Family Feud has been on the air for years entertaining game show fans. Aside from its already entertaining format, it also has two other advantages going for it: it has a funny host in Steve Harvey who feeds off the energy of the live audience. It also has some funny contestants who can give some wild, unexpected answers.
On one episode of the program, one contestant gave an answer so far out of left field that it nearly left Harvey speechless. Let’s take a closer look at one Family Feud contestant’s savage answer and the harsh reality it revealed.
The format of ‘Family Feud’
Family Feud features two teams made up of families that square off against each other. To begin the game, two members of each family are asked a question. For the show’s questions, the show surveys random people to ask them questions. Their answers are then used for the show.
The host will ask a question, and the first person to buzz in has to give an answer they believe the most people responded with. If it’s the top response, that team wins the board. If it doesn’t top the board, the other player can give an answer that then “steals” the board.
Whichever team controls the board, they then can guess the rest of the survey’s responses. They can get three guesses wrong before the board goes back to the other team.
At the end of regulation play, the highest-scoring team gets to play a final round in which two of the team members are asked to guess the top responses on several questions. If they can get up to 200 points between them, their family wins the game.
The improvisational nature of the current version of ‘Family Feud’
There have been multiple hosts throughout Family Feud’s existence. The original host was Richard Dawson, the Hogan’s Heroes star who became famous for frequently kissing the female players. The next host was Ray Combs. Other hosts since those two include former Seinfeld star John O’Hurley, comedian Louie Anderson, and former Home Improvement star Richard Karn.
The current host is the comedian, radio host, and author Harvey. Harvey is known for his off-the-cuff responses to wild and outlandish contestant answers. Harvey can often generate big laughs from the studio audience with a simple look and no words. Harvey is also known for his improvisational responses to crazy answers as well.
The savage answer on ‘Family Feud’ that revealed a harsh reality
According to Good Housekeeping, there was one question Harvey wanted to “boycott” before even seeing the responses. Harvey told the contestants to fill in the blank of the phrase, “All men are dogs that need to be _____.” The contestant (named Jessie Sanchez) shocked Harvey with the response, “Spayed.” Even more shocking? 26 respondents had given the answer of “neutered.”
Harvey couldn’t believe it, saying:
“Spayed. Wow…Really? Spayed? Dog? Really? Really? Jessie.”
After the reveal, Harvey was nearly apoplectic at what it meant: the harsh reality that 26 women had come up with this very dark answer:
“Twenty-six women thought we ought to be neutered. Wow…All men are dogs. That’s not true. It’s not. Jessie’s a good man … Steve Harvey’s a great guy!”
The answer revealed a harsh truth about how many women view men in this country (and quite possibly, how men view themselves). It also showed how much stronger the show is with Harvey in the role of host.
Harvey’s ability to react to hilarious questions and answers is part of what makes the show so entertaining. The audience never knows what to expect. Harvey doesn’t see himself as someone up there to read cards — he’s a part of the game. He makes it less like a game show and more like a night at a comedy club.
