Goon-2 Review of Press Your Luck

Press Your Luck (1983–1986)

Basically, it's watching people gamble, but the Whammies are worth it

[9 November 2001]

"Press Your Luck" was taped in California, but I'm surprised it wasn't Las Vegas, since it's more or less one big game of chance just like gambling. First contestants answer remarkably simple questions to get "spins" and then they take their turns going around a big, flashing board while screeching things like "big bucks and no whammies," until they stop on a space. The prizes range from vacations, to money and an extra spin, to just money. However, if a contestant lands on a "whammy," all of their money if lost. It sounds "sad" and would be, except the whammies are so darned cute, it almost makes me root for people to lose. Who thought up Whammies? What a cool idea!! They're cute, for one thing, and look like little furry purple monsters, and they're funny, too. Some of them speak or sing(a female Whammy "country singer," for instance, warbles something about "Who would ever hurt a wham-my")or some of them just perform actions like break dancing or playing in a band, but in the end they always end up "stealing" the money from the contestant. The Whammies are what really makes this a show of gambling, but I guess all game shows are pretty much, and at least they're fun to watch. Quite fun.