We began our new series asking What If My Family were a Game Show Host where we shared answers featuring my immediate family which is David, Glenda, Charlie and Suzzane and now were moving on to Gerald, Debbie and Renee then we move on to our Furbabies and end with our family.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with our “What If I Was…?” series, asking ChatGPT to imagine what different members of my family would be if they had completely different careers, personalities, or roles and I hope you’ve enjoyed this new series which you can play along with your family and even use this in #Homeschooling.

This time, we’re stepping onto the game-show stage and I asked ChatGPT to choose a game-show host for each member of my family based on their personality and what it knows about them. And then, of course, I had my own thoughts.

One thing I want to make very clear with this article is that ChatGPT’s answers are ChatGPT’s answers, and my choices are my choices. I may agree with ChatGPT, disagree completely, or see something in the person that ChatGPT didn’t see. That’s what makes this series so much fun. For Part A, we’re starting with Gerald, Debbie, and Renee.

Gerald — ChatGPT chose Alex Trebek, who was the longtime host of Jeopardy!. At first, I had to laugh because Alex Trebek immediately made me think of Charlie, too. Those two can definitely butt heads sometimes, and while they’re uncle and nephew, I’m not always convinced they actually like each other!

But when I thought about why ChatGPT chose Alex Trebek for Gerald, I started to understand it. Gerald is knowledgeable and smart. Alex Trebek had that calm, confident presence.

He wasn’t flashy, and he didn’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be in control of what was happening. And then there’s the look. Alex could give a contestant that little side-eye and somehow say everything without saying much at all. I can see Gerald doing that.

He could sit there, block out all the distractions, keep his focus on the game, and handle whatever was happening without making a big production out of it. So, yes, I can actually see why ChatGPT picked Alex Trebek for Gerald.

Glenda’s Thoughts: When I saw ChatGpT’s answer for Gerald, I would have gone in a completely different direction. I would have picked Richard Dawson, the longtime host of Family Feud.

Richard Dawson was short, funny, confident, and didn’t seem to take crap from anybody. He could have you rolling on the floor laughing one minute and then turn right around and take control of the game.

That’s the Gerald I see. So we’ve got two very different versions: ChatGPT’s Gerald: Alex Trebek. My Gerald: Richard Dawson. And honestly, I can see pieces of both.

Now it’s your turn do you think Gerald is Alex Trebek or Richard Dawsen or is there another Game Show host you think fits Gerald better?

Debbie — ChatGPT chose Vanna White and this one made me laugh because I immediately started thinking about Debbie and clothes. Back in the day, Debbie probably could have given Vanna White a run for her money in the wardrobe department!

ChatGPT made this choice because Vanna has a warm and approachable presence. She doesn’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be noticed. She can make people feel comfortable, and she has that steady, dependable quality that has kept her part of Wheel of Fortune for decades. And that is very Debbie.

Glenda’s Thoughts: Debbie has been at her job forever and a day. She’s steady. She doesn’t just disappear when things get difficult. She’s been dealing with her kids living in her house forever and a day and doing what she can to keep things going.

And Debbie doesn’t like drama. That may be one of the things that makes the Vanna White comparison work so well. She’s dependable and she’s familiar. She’s been there for a long time and snd she knows how to keep going.

So, yes, I can see ChatGPT’s choice for Debbie: Vanna White. But if I were picking a game-show host for Debbie, I would go somewhere completely different to a completely different Game Show host because for me like I said earlier Vannah White is Suzzane. Can’t you see it?

For Debbie I would pick Elizabeth Banks and before anyone gets confused, I’m not talking about Elizabeth Banks only because she hosts Press Your Luck. I’m thinking about Elizabeth Banks as Barbara Jean on Reba.

Elizabeth Banks originally played Barbara Jean Hart on the television sitcom Reba. Barbara Jean was big, bold, hilarious, and had a personality that could fill up a room. She wasn’t afraid to say what she thought, and she certainly wasn’t going to let somebody walk all over her.

And then Elizabeth Banks went on to host Press Your Luck, which makes the game-show connection even better. Because just like her Barbara Jean character she doesn’t mince words.

So my Debbie choice is really a combination of both: Elizabeth Banks as the host of Press Your Luck, with the personality of Barbara Jean from Reba. That is the Debbie I see. b ut ChatGPT sees Vanna White.

I see Barbara Jean standing behind the Press Your Luck podium saying, “Come on down!”—and somehow turning the whole thing into complete chaos. Again, two very different answers. And somehow, both make sense.

Now it’s your turn which Game Show host fits Debbie and why? Or is there someone else you would pick?

Renee — ChatGPT chose Drew Carey. And I have to admit, when ChatGPT said Drew Carey, my mind immediately went somewhere else. I thought of Mimi the lady from his Classic TV Show.

Not because Mimi was a game-show host—she wasn’t—but because Drew Carey immediately brought that Drew Carey Show personality to mind. And I could absolutely see Renee laughing out loud and having some of that Mimi/Drew Carey energy.

Glenda’s Thoughts: I started thinking about what I would actually choose for Renee if I had to put her behind a game-show podium. And this one was hard. There are only certain game shows I watch, but with Renne I thought we should go back to an older game show that we haven’t thought about in a while because like it she is steady and strong and will be here for a long time.

That’s when I landed on The $100,000 Pyramid. That’s my Renee. The Pyramid is about money, fast thinking, questions, and paying attention. There is a seriousness to the game because there is money on the line.

And the host? The host doesn’t need to be cracking jokes every five seconds. There is a time to smile, but there’s also a time to get serious and move the game along. That’s Renee isn’t it?

She’s not necessarily going to be the person standing there laughing through the entire thing. She’s going to be focused and she’s going to be watching. She’s going to be thinking about the money and she’s going to expect everybody else to pay attention, too.

So while ChatGPT sees Drew Carey for Renee, I see the host of The $100,000 Pyramid. And honestly, I think both sides of Renee could exist. There’s the Drew Carey/Mimi side that can laugh and have fun. And then there’s the serious, focused, no-nonsense side that says, we’re here to play the game and win the money.

Did ChatGPT get Renne right or did I? Or is there another Game Show Host that fits Renee better? And this is exactly why I love doing these “What If I Was…?” questions. ChatGPT isn’t inside my family.

It doesn’t know Gerald, Debbie, or Renee the way I do. It takes what I’ve told it and tries to put the pieces together. Sometimes it hits the nail right on the head. Sometimes I think, “Where in the world did you come up with that?”

And sometimes it gives me an answer that I wouldn’t have chosen myself—but after I think about it, I can see it. That’s what happened with all three of the answer’s ChatGPT gave me this time.

For Gerald, ChatGPT saw Alex Trebek, while I saw Richard Dawson. For Debbie, ChatGPT saw Vanna White, while I saw Elizabeth Banks—with a little Barbara Jean from Reba mixed in. For Renee, ChatGPT saw Drew Carey, while I saw the serious, money-focused world of The $100,000 Pyramid.

And maybe that’s the best part none of the answer had to be wrong. We’re simply looking at the same people from two different perspectives. And sometimes, those perspectives come together in the most unexpected ways. That’s the fun of asking, “What If I Was…?”

Make sure you check out Part A in What If I Was a Game Show Host featuring David, Glenda, Charlie & Suzzane. Then check out Part C our furbabies Bear, Pheobie, Sandy and Gunner then Part D our family will end this set of questions.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates