If you’re a college graduate with a mountain of student debt, this might pique your interest.
“One of the mantras is ‘an absurd show to match an absurd crisis,’ ” Torpey toldThe Washington Post. “A game show feels really apt because this is the state of things right now.”
On the show, three contestants square off forJeopardy-style rounds of easy, college-oriented trivia. Contestants, who are mostly in their late 20s or early 30s, must be carrying college debt to appear on the show. The lowest-scoring contestant leaves each round, but there’s no penalty for incorrect answers and nobody goes home empty-handed.
According to thePost, student debt afflicts as many as 44 million Americans, with the total amount owed in the United States exceeding $1.3 trillion.
Torpey, 38, devised the idea for the show while he and his wife were struggling with student debt.
“My wife and I struggled with student debt and could only pay it off because — true story — I booked an underwear commercial,” he reveals in the clip above. “But what about the other 45 million Americans with student loans? Sadly, there just aren’t that many underpants commercials. That is why I made this game show.”
Speaking to thePost, Torpey admitted the concept ofPaid Offis “a little ridiculous.”
“But in a way the show matched my family’s story,” he said. “The only way we could pay off student loans was because I booked an underpants ad? That’s insane.”
Though no politicians are scheduled to come on for the game show’s first season, Torpey is still urging his audience to get politically active at the end of each episode: “Call your representatives right now,” he says. “And tell them you need a better solution than this game show.”
source: people.com
