Following tonight’s American Idol auditions, I watched FOX’s new game show Moment of Truth hosted by Mark Wahlberg, while I wrote up my American Idol recap. TV Week quoted Mike Darnell, FOX’s president of alternative entertainment, as saying, “This is going to be the talk of the town and knocked out of the park. You’re either going to love it, or think it’s the end of Western civilization. And that’s the stuff that works.” He’s right about one thing you either love this show or hate. My wife loved it. I hated it.

So here is how the show works, a contestant is given a lie detector test and asked 50 questions before the show. The truth of the contestant’s answers are determined by a certified polygraph examiner, but the contestant is not told the results. Then, when the contestant appears on the show, he is asked 21 of these questions in front of a live audience. Just to make it interesting, the contestant also has three friends or family members with him. Each of them has an opportunity to veto a question once during the show If they do not want him to answer the questions, they each get on opportunity to have a question passed so that he does not have to answer it. The contestant doesn’t get off the hook that easy though. The passed question is then replaced by another which he has to answer. Here are several examples of the questions: “Are you sexually attracted to one of your wife’s friends?”, “Are you a member of the Hair Club for Men”, and “Do you think you’ll still be with your husband five years from now?”

While Moment of Truth will not ask questions regarding felony-level activities, they have no problem revealing family secrets and private opinions. Moment of Truth is the Jerry Springer of game shows. The only difference is that if you tell the truth about who the baby’s father is you go home with cash and prizes instead of getting punched in the face. This show is especially uncomfortable to watch with friends and loved ones because they all want each other to answer the questions as well. You know at least one couple somewhere in America will be getting a divorce after watching tonight’s episode.

The contestants are more than likely to get divorced as well. Basically these people are trading their relationships for money. They are obviously delusional about the strength of their relationship, stupid for risking it, or just plain mercenary. You know the producers are going to pick the worst, most revealing questions out of the 50 they made you answer to win the big money. If they contestants are smart they will spend the time between the polygraph and the taping confessing to their loved ones everything they have ever even considered doing. While I think FOX has a chance of pulling big rating with Moment of Truth, I found it highly uncomfortable to watch and will probably not tune in next week.

Check out the rest of Wild Bluff Media’s TV News and Reviews