Steve Harvey: Sleep tied to poverty
'Family Feud' host Steve Harvey unveils new celebrity edition, says he'll sleep when he's dead
Over the past two weeks, two viral clips from the generations-old game show “Family Feud” in which host Steve Harvey and the contestants erupt in hysterical laughter over sexually explicit jokes have spread online.
The show has always pushed boundaries. Longtime host Richard Dawson gave each woman who appeared on the series a cringe-worthy kiss on the lips. But with recent racy surveys questions, is the show made for families becoming less family-friendly?
In one clip, posted on Sept. 18, Harvey asks a contestant to name "the last thing you stuck your finger in." The player responds, “My wife.” Harvey laughs and then tells the contestant, Kevin, “Kev, I’ve had a lot of good answers. [That was] my favorite answer of all time.” The host then quickly adds: “Don't do that no more.”
In another clip, posted on Sept. 28, Harvey prompts the contestants to “name the first part of a woman you touch to get her in the mood.”
The somewhat uncomfortable contestant replies, “Um, that would be the lower front or the vagina,” before erupting in giggles. He then adds, “I didn’t want to say it” before getting a hearty high-five from Harvey.
Both of the eyebrow-raising answers were shared on YouTube by the official “Family Feud” YouTube channel. The videos each garnered more than 800,000 views. The first warranted comments like, “I think this is one of those questions that the writers of this show were obviously begging for a dirty answer. Come on now, seriously?” The second prompted a user to muse, “Man this show is really milking the sex thing.” Another noted, “First it was the ‘My wife’ guy, now it's this dude. G--damn.”
On a People.com article that included a clip of the “my wife” answer, readers reflected on the show’s choice to include the racy response.
“This used to be a good family show. Every question now is phrased so the contestants will say something that is construed as nasty. I hate the show now...” one user wrote. Another revealed, “Stopped watching a long time ago. The questions are too risqué and the answers are sometimes downright vulgar... John O'Hurley was my favorite host and I don't remember the questions and/or answers being raunchy during his time there. Clean it up, Family Feud. You are losing viewers.”
Several commenters complained about the answer being included in the series because the show airs in many areas when children can tune in. “Children watch the show!” one user chastised.
Another speculated, “If Richard Dawson would have asked a question like that, he'd been kicked off TV forever!”
An article posted on Us Weekly’s website that embedded a video of “name the first part of a woman you touch to get her in the mood” moment elicited similar criticism.
“I used to watch this with my grandparents but it's become quite risqué. Or, I should say, to (sic) risqué to watch with, you know, family. It's as if the questions are formed to get such answers,” one commenter wrote. Another suggested the show be renamed. “I don't think the word ‘family’ belongs in the title anymore. How about ‘The Feud.’”
Yet another clip posted and promoted on the officially “Family Feud” website under the headline “That’s some HANDY man” featured the question: “Name something you fantasize your handyman will do.” The female contestant replied, “make love to me,” laughing and declaring she loved her husband after her reply. The answer was on the board, under the headline “Do Me/ ‘Tool Time.’”
Dan Gainor, VP of Business and Culture at the Media Research Center, told FOX411 game shows have always pushed the limit, and the recent episodes of “Family Feud” are simply the result sexual content becoming more commonplace on TV.
“I think what has changed is that Hollywood has so undermined and coarsened our culture, that these answers have become the norm… Sex acts many Americans had never even heard of are now typical dialogue,” Gainor said in an email. “Shows like ‘Scream Queens’ and ‘Scandal’ are trying to see how far they can go. And TV is always trying to go further.”
Harvey took over hosting duties in 2010. Some questions asked during his tenure include “name something you put in your mouth but don’t swallow,” “name something that has white balls” and “name something than can never be long enough.”
Ratings-wise, Harvey has helped the show. Since the comedian became the host, ratings have been steadily climbing.
This summer, for the first time ever, “Family Feud” reached the top of the syndication ratings chart, besting “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.” ABC also aired the six-week summer series titled “Celebrity Family Feud” and hosted by Harvey. It earned 8.7 million viewers for its finale and was the No. 1 primetime telecast in the 18 to 49 year old demographic.
A rep for the production company behind “Family Feud” did not return FOX411’s request for comment.
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