Comments on: The Ups and Downs of “Wipeout”

By: John

John — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:58:28 +0000

Hey guys, I was a contestant for this show a few weeks ago. Worst experience ever!! I was giving 10 whopping bucks and a pad on the back. two hours later I ended up in the ER for 4 days, and in debt of hospital bills. I went on thinking it was a family oriented show but came out feeling like If I had been on America Gladiator. Don’t sign up guys, they need laughs at your expense. Worst Experience in my life!!

By: mlp

mlp — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:57:13 +0000

A similar show has been on in France for years (sadly not this one, sniff!), and pits town against town on the challenges – some of which involve being chased and/or stampeded by a vachette, a small, mean, cow with horns. How I miss that show! We don’t get Wipeout here…..

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:32:45 +0000

I recently had as my Facebook status, “It’s nothing that a little Wipeout won’t cure.” My husband and I could be in the midst of a seething battle over some minutia or other, but it’s impossible to hold a grudge through an episode of Wipeout.

Although, I have to agree: that spike wall makes me crazy.

By: Mark Blankenship

Mark Blankenship — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:48:53 +0000

Steven… thanks for this! I cracked up at the bit about the cornfield because it’s so true. I love that they never even try to tell you where they are, and you get the sense that maybe the producers don’t know either.

Also… I love how John and John have clearly filmed all their scenes in one day, six months after the actual competitions were taped. I like to imagine that they both are afraid of getting dirty, the way Marc Somers apparently was on Double Dare.

By: AmyKB

AmyKB — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:21:53 +0000

I completely agree. I love the show as a whole (although now that it’s been on two nights a week recently, it’s losing a tiny bit of charm). But I can’t stand watching every single person get knocked down with that first spike-wall in the final obstacle… they need to change that.

By: Holly F.

Holly F. — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:02:17 +0000

Mark, this could not have come at a better time. I have been fighting Wipeout negativity in my immediate social circle all summer. Though tue main arguments against it seem to be that it’s vacuous and Man’s inhumanity toward Man, I contest that most reality shows that are wildly popular (The Hills, Real Housewives of…, etc.) display those qualities in far greater amounts.

I enjoy a good pratfall, and I know that the courses are padded and completely safe. One can’t say as much for the Jersey Shore.

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:13:53 +0000

I’ve been unabashedly watching this show from the 1st season. Here’s a few follow up thoughts:

Clearly this show’s obstacles are designed by either the top 10% or bottom 10% of the staff that used to design for “Double Dare.” Which is awesome.

The announcers are John Anderson (of ESPN fame) and John Henson (comedian and former talking head of E!’s “Talk Soup,”) which sends the message that this is not a game show. It’s a sport, or at the very least, a competition. It just happens to be a sport of such hilarity that they had to bring in a professional comedian to announce it properly. Also awesome.

Unlike “Ninja Warrior,” the casting guys seem to go out of their way to find EXCLUSIVELY “regular joes” which roughly translates into “no actual athletic ability.” There’s something very inspiring about watching an athlete sculpted from God’s own marble defeat a course on “Ninja Warrior.” There’s something absolutely sublime about watching Jane, mother of 3, wings eating champion of Stokes County epically fail repeatedly, and then to everyone’s surprise, epically fail in just the right way to defeat an obstacle sans wipeout despite herself.

This show is not filmed in a studio. It’s filmed over the course of a day in what looks like a field in Iowa. Like maybe these people are actually picking apples in the neighboring orchard and someone said, “Hey, wanna risk severe spine injuries in a hilarious fashion for a pittance of what your inevtiable medical bills will cost?” AND PEOPLE SAY YES. Either that, or there’s some sort epic road trip to get to the site of this thing…like tourists driving to Mount Rushmore, except it’s half submurged in water and Abe Lincoln is gonna smack You with a giant novelty hammer while everyone else laughs.

On a personal note, this is the only show on tv that routinely makes me giggle. Like a girl. And that feels nice, too.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:23:06 +0000

This is why I vastly prefer Ninja Warrior on G4. On Wipeout, you could fall off the course dozens of times and still win as long as you suck slightly less than everyone else. On NW, as soon as you hit the water, you’re out, so it’s actually impressive when you reach the end, and there are still some spectacular falls.