Most TV in Japan is variety shows and insane game shows. Both of which I despise.

Here's the summarization:

China, Korea, Europe, Caribbeans, Latin America, SouthEast Asia:
Game Shows focus on the actual acts of competition with final prizes that are rewarded being only an afterthought, albeit equal part of the event.

North America:
Game Shows consistently try to be original to top the previous act. Competition is dragged out, losers are quickly forgotten, and the prize at the end is the biggest focus of the event that it worshiped the most.

Japan:
Game Shows are meant to exploit contestants with unfathomable challenges meant simply to cause them the most discomfort. Winners are forgotten about and brushed aside so that the losers can be subjected to the highest of all ridicule, which was the purpose of the competition to begin with.

You would almost be right if you had remembered WHO is competing. With game shows in the US, and likely in other places, the people competing are normal people given the opportunity to win something. In Japan, those on the shows are famous entertainers (95% of the time comedians) - who use the show as another venue to entertain. As they already are famous, the motivation of trying NOT to be the loser is higher than the motivation some generic prize would offer. (Plus, the loser having something funny to "suffer" through is a lot more in line with comedic entertainment).

I think way too many people make the mistake of assuming those people on Japanese "game" shows with clips all over the web are normal people participating. They`re not.

The shows that DO use regular people don`t show up on Youtube because they`re pretty much normal. There also aren`t that many as the normal thing here is to give random gifts to viewers who call in or write in.

No, it's just showing a polarizing tendencies in those three groups. Forgot to tell you, this was from another internet forum.

No, Nyororin is right.

What we call "game shows" in the West are full of "contestants" that are normal people who apply to be on the show.

What we call "game shows" in Japan are variety shows featuring comedians, actors, models, and "talent" who are for all intents and purposes "actors" appearing on a show. There is no assumption that the "game" has been created for anything other than to entertain the viewing audience.

For the record, what I meant was in line with what Nyororin and MMM have said. This is why I put variety shows and insane game shows in the same sentence.

I think that is a correct designation.