Thursday, January 08, 2009

Playboy TV's "Show Us Your Wits"



Everyone knows that men shed at least a few dozen IQ points when it comes to sex. Jokes have been with us through the ages about the effects of the reconnoitering of the blood from the brain to erections. Whether gay or straight, men do and say appallingly stupid things when frisky. From President Bill Clinton to Jesse Jackson to Senator Craig to Rob Lowe to John Leguizamo -- all ages and cultures and colors and orientation of men have made asses of themselves in the sexual gladiatorial fundament.

Men are especially stupid in strip clubs. How stupid do men get in strip clubs? Remember Diplomat Muna Tasneem's husband Tauhidul Chaudhury who charged $130,000 for a seven hour session at scores? His wife was recalled by Bangladesh!

Four years later, Playboy TV is premiering the game show "Show Us Your Wits" on Saturday. Playboy Playmate and former Passions star Daphnee Duplaix hosts the program in which unsuspecting patrons at a gentlemen's club who think they are being whisked into the back room for a lap dance find themselves contestants on Playboy TV's newest game show answering not too taxing questions, competing for cash. Here's the twist: they have to answer the questions while the dancers do their best to distract them.

The Corsair emailed Todd Schwartz, VP of Programming, Playboy TV, to get the skinny on "Show Us Your Wits."

The Corsair: How did this idea come about? Please tell me it was in the
champagne room.

Todd Schwartz: Playboy TV is always looking for new and unique ways to entertain adults. "Show Us Your Wits" is a way to put the whole "men only have one thing on their minds" debate to rest....as in "it is very true, men do only have one thing on their minds." The show was developed and brought to us by MarkMark Productions who also produce the IFC hit series Z Rock. We went through extensive testing of multiple variations on the format to develop the right balance of trivia and lap dance. There was no shortage of contestant volunteers.

The Corsair: Show Us Your Wits" premiers Saturday, January 10. Was there an audition process? How did you decide on the lovely Playboy Playmate Daphnee Duplaix as host?

Todd Schwartz: We did hold a traditional casting call audition process and the response was fantastic. We looked at over 100 finalists but Daphne was a unanimous choice. Daphnee is the perfect host for the show. Not only was she a Playboy Playmate in 1997, but she has on-camera experience from her days on the soap opera "Passions." She is vibrant and has a fantastic personality, not to mention, incredibly sexy.

The Corsair: How hard are the questions? I mean, you can't ask something like "What's 1 + 1" because even a lovestruck dude can get that, right?

Todd Schwartz: They are basic pop-culture trivia questions that the average person would know, or should know. Contestants are asked all types of questions, ranging from geography to politics to sports and more. You'd be pretty amazed at some of the answers that are given when guys are faced with "beautiful and sexy" distractions. Questions from the show included: Q: Who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling? A: Michelangelo. Q: What chronic neurological disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of sleep? A: Narcolepsy. Q: What variety of Apple shares a name with Japan's highest mountain? A: Fuji. Q: What bourbon-based cocktail is the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby? A: Mint Julep. Q: What TV chef makes "30-Minute Meals"? A: Rachel Ray.

Show Us Your Wits" premiers Saturday, January 10 on Playboy TV.

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