#gniac

The name game is set to music. Originally by Shirley Ellis in the 1960s, I’m rather partial to the recent remake you should hear by Jessica Lange. Because, well...Jessica Lange. The game promises to make a rhyme out of any name. But it’s pretty lazy in its execution, as you’ll see.

Game play: Say a person’s name. Say it again. Then things get “interesting.” You say “bo” and then say the name a third time, only now you drop the first letter and replace it with a “b”... You know what, let’s just use my name. This is how you play:

“Jason Jason Bo Bason Banana Fana Fo Fason Fee Fye Mo Mason. Jason!”

That’s pretty much it. There is one caveat that mixes things up: When dealing with a name that starts with a “B” an “F” or an “M”, you drop the first letter of that person’s name when it would just sound exactly the same as the person’s name 

Example:

“Barry Barry Bo Arry Banana Fana Fo Farry Fee Fye Mo Marry. Barry!”

This game is pretty dumb. I should give it an “Eff Eff Bo Beff” simply for it’s failed claim to be rhyming when it is, in fact, simply making up nonsense words to do so. However, I’m giving it a D+ because it’s a really fun way for kids to sing about their friend Mitch and Chuck. This comes in handy on long road trips when you want to sneak in a curse word while sitting in the back of the car.

GRADE: D+

Jason

Why am I qualified to write this? Because I won the Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right. Is that related? No. Shall I press on? Yes.

1. Know all the different variables you would accept before going in. If you can be decisive and clear in the moment, it works to your advantage. -If your point of entry is $100,000 for 10%, would you go up to 25%? 45% -Is there a different variable for different sharks? -Would you take one of Kevin’s royalty deals? If so, up to what amount?

2. If you sell something online, know how much it costs to acquire a new customer. If you don’t know this, do some online marketing until you do. I also suggest having an additional creative marketing plan that can act as more firepower, in case they ask.

3. Make sure you have real answers to their questions. If what you have is something that Kevin O’Leary will say is totally replicable, or there’s nothing proprietary, make sure you don’t dodge the answer, or say that you’re a hard worker. Figure out what the true value of your company or product is, and pitch that.

4. Don’t value your company at a ridiculously high number for a low percentage of Shark ownership. I imagine a lot of people do this because they mainly just want the publicity, but some honestly looking to make a deal have been excluded almost solely based on their insane valuation.

5. How can you add value to the Shark’s portfolio? Try to present yourself in a way that shows confidence and the ability to create a good business, without seeming like you need a shark. Being open to learning and flexible with decisions is a huge bonus, but if they feel like you are going to be a big drain on their time, they’ll swim away.

6. What is the most successful part of your business? What is your plan for the sharks’ investment money? If these two don’t have at least some overlap, then your chances drop dramatically.

7. What is your competition? Learn all you can about them. 

8. Have fun. If the sharks are laughing, and it’s not at you, they seem much more amiable to making deals...because they’re investing in YOU.

Now go get that green!

Barry

Jason and Barrry break it down...

1978 - Barry and Jason are born by different mothers in separate states.

1996 - Barry and Jason meet on the first day of school at UCLA.

1997 - Barry and Jason and Andy Coyne start a comedy band called The Bicycling Mariachis. This band goes on to play all over LA, and numerous shows included help from our friends in Maroon 5. (Although at the time their band was called Kara’s Flowers.)

1998 - Barry wins the Showcase Showdown on The Price is Right.

2001 - Jason goes on Jeopardy. He doesn’t get first place, but he does win a vacation to his own hometown of Laguna Beach. (Seriously.)

2006 - Barry and Jason are roommates in Mid-City Los Angeles, and begin hosting nights of Dirty Balderdash. This game is now in the GNIAC collection as Wordy Durds. One person makes up a word, everyone else makes up a dirty definition. Simple. Fun. Nasty.

2010 - Barry becomes a host at a game show themed restaurant called Vodvil. The idea is great, but the execution doesn’t quite work. Vodvil closes one year later.

2011 - Barry hosts Game Nights at bars and restaurants.

2013 - Jason joins Barry to host Game Nights. 

2014 - Barry and Jason come up with the idea of Game Night In A Can. Then they forget about it.

2015 - Game Night In A Can is brought back to life while Barry co-hosts Jason’s podcast Creative Confidants. 

2016 - Hoverboards!!