My reaction to the show is kind of like my reaction to The Hills: I don't get how...it's a show. There's just so little there. But unlike The Hills, Deal Or No Deal doesn't make me feel old. Quite the opposite, in fact! A show so obviously designed for viewers so elderly that they can't play along by answering trivia questions and instead just get to yell out random numbers and curse the people on the TV for not hearing them -- it makes me feel young.

And even though Deal Or No Deal doesn't actually have any skill component, I still would rather watch it than 1 Vs. 100 or (back in the day) Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, shows that take the whole freaking hours to get through like nine questions. For those of us raised on Jeopardy!, those are excruciatingly slow and annoying and do we need to hear the contestant's entire step-by-step thought process before she answers? REALLY?

I mean, it's not defensible to watch this show. (Or, rather, "show," since I'm not sure the term merits application to a televised hour with so little content.) But it makes perfect background noise by which to post recaps; I'm way too embarrassed to record it at home, but my desk at work is a different story!

Oh -- and given that Howie Mandel is a known germaphobe just makes it all the more hilarious when the contestants can't resist hugging him. Hee.