HOLIDAY FAMILY FEUD
THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF
CADILLAC NEWS -- DECEMBER 23, 2017
“Family Feud” is one of the most popular TV game shows of all time. The show debuted in 1976 and has run on networks and syndications with various hosts all over the globe. The rules of the game are simple. Two families compete to name the most popular responses to survey questions.
The questions always begin the same general way. For example, in the Christmas category, it might start with something like: “We asked 100 people...What are the most-recorded Christmas songs of all time?” The top three answers are: “Silent Night” (137,315 versions), “White Christmas” (128,276), and “Jingle Bells” (89,681). (Numbers from the Music Reports Songdex registry.)
What makes this game so addictive is trying to figure out what average people are thinking about any given topic. Luckily, theres a service that conducts surveys on all sorts of subjects. “Ranker is a leading digital media company for opinion-based, crowdsourced rankings on just about everything. We put the power in the hands of our audience to answer debates on topics including pop culture, sports, politics, brands and lifestyle. Using Ranker's unique technology, those lists become definitive rankings based on the wisdom of the crowd.” (https://www.ranker.com)
What this means is that by using the Ranker categories, you can actually create your own Family Feud game. Using the website, gather friends and family, divide into teams, choose a moderator, and let the games begin. In keeping with the spirit of the season, there are thirteen holiday lists.
For instance, you might ask: “According to 183 thousand voters, what are the Top Ten best Christmas Movies of all time.” I won't spoil it by revealing that “It's A Wonderful Life” topped the list because there are nine more answers.
However, in addition to the overall results Ranker breaks down the responses by men, women, age, and region. Men ranked “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” as number one, women and Midwesterners chose “A Christmas Story,” and Millennials opted for “Home Alone.”
Other Christmas movie categories are for the worst ever made and the best on Netflix, but there are plenty of other interesting holiday categories. There's a list of the 39 best Christmas beers and it was cool to see a Michigan beer in ranked in the top ten. In “Favorite Foods to Eat on Christmas,” you might be surprised by the fourth place finisher. You wouldn't think Baby Boomers and Millennials would agree on anything, but both age groups agree on the best Christmas song of all time.
Perhaps the most practical category is “The Best Gifts to Regift.” Ranker explains the procedure. “The unofficial rules of regifting: it must be unopened, it must be unused, and it can't have any sentimental value attached to it. if you're going to regift one of your Christmas presents, it needs to be something cheesy and/or general, the kind of present anybody could buy anybody. That way, when you re-gift it for somebody else, nobody asks questions.”
In case you get tired of the Christmas theme, Ranker is true to its claim of “Vote on Everything.” Lists abound: The Very Best Chocolate Bars, The 15 Smartest Animals on Earth, The Best Detroit Lions of All Time, Celebrities Who Should Run for President, The Best Hair Metal Bands Of All Time, and pretty much whatever category you can imagine.
So, as current host Steve Harvey says to start every episode, let's get ready to play “Family Feud.” Get rolling at: https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-christmas-movies-of-all-time.
Finally, don't forget the special Neff Zone Holidays Page at: https://www.neffzone.com/holidays/. In addition to lots of fun and activities, on Christmas Eve the kidlings will want to keep tabs on Santa's flight path with NORAD radar.
Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.
