Why do people applaud themselves?

lovebeigecardigans1955
^ ... if my dream of winning the top prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? should ever come true I reserve the right to throw my hands up in the air with a huge grin and I may even burst into tears. I hope no-one would begrudge me that!^

In reply to your last sentence, absolutely not - as long as you don't follow that up with footballer-style celebratory antics!

‘Self praise is no recommendation’ was what we had drummed into us BUT if I get an answer right on Only Connect or University Challenge, of course I shout YES, punch the air or even clap.??

I'll let a small cat out of the bag - I was on The Chase and we were encouraged to 'high-five' or hug the others excitedly if we got back to the final round.
@MamaCaz Sadly, we stoics aren't considered to be televisually entertaining. This is a shame as I'll bet that many quizzers are quiet people like myself who have to 'big themselves up' to please.
However, if my dream of winning the top prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? should ever come true I reserve the right to throw my hands up in the air with a huge grin and I may even burst into tears. I hope no-one would begrudge me that!

I think to get on TV now you have to be so over the top. I hate the way they explain what all the wrong answers are and then finally the right one - just say the answer instead of showing off, it has stopped me watching lots of shows.
I think you are forced to do it to get on, if you are not overly animated you won't get on.

I wish people didn't whoop.

Every time I see someone do this, I hear my late DM's voice in my head, saying, 'Only sea-lions clap themselves..!'

I’m put off watching some shows because of the constant clapping! Very distracting. I think it’s encouraged because the show content is short and in some cases they use the clapping time to fill out and use up time. Shame, I love answering the questions!
Got to admit, we had a fully rounded and excellent schooling.

I recall our headmistress sternly telling us that we should not clap ourselves. We Brits do seem to undersell ourselves and be almost apologetic about our successes - a sweeping generalisation, I know. Russians, North Koreans to name but two, are often seen clapping themselves - cultural differences.

That’s because their arms were too full of cabbages grammaretto, ?

They're told to do it, every moment of these programmes is strictly organised. If you get the chance look for Family Feud on Youtube, the US version of Family Fortunes, they have do the oddest things!

Perhaps they're morphing into sea lions?

lovebeigecardigans
I've just texted little bro' to ask about his Pointless experience and he said they were neither encouraged or otherwise to applaud themselves.

That's really interesting to know - and clearly blows my theory out of the water

The point of live performances arent to hear every note in clear definition, the point is to have a connection between the artist and audience and enjoy the atmosphere (if there is one, clearly not if the audience was populated by this thread!)

Performers often take a financial loss on tours but they do it for the love of getting thr feedback from the fans. If a performer goes home at night and tells their partner they had a great gig, the audience was amazing, they are talking about the ones that clearly showed they were enjoying themselves: theyre the ones that create the atmosphere for the performer and the rest of the audience, not the misery guts behind them!

Perhaps Alexander Armstrong hasn’t succumbed to the mass hysteria hype!

notanan2 - obviously very bizarre to go to a music event and expect to be able to hear the music that you’ve traveled miles for, possibly paid for an overnight stay, then have to listen to ear splitting shrill women screeching rather than the music you expected. Why not hire a venue then all just screech away without the bother of an entertainer.

Now that you’ve enlightened me I’ll know not to bother again.

I've just texted little bro' to ask about his Pointless experience and he said they were neither encouraged or otherwise to applaud themselves. I guess it's just a sign of the times.

Or maybe they're enjoying themselves and clapping is a generic expression of glee.

What a dull show and experience it would be if contestants only duty clapped at pre approved times!

Can't we express our own opinions on a topic like this without being nasty to each other?

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well, notanan.

My last two posts mentioned contestants who look like they are only clapping because they are being directed to do it, those whose demeanour suggests that they are not doing it through choice.

They should do what feels right to them!
They are

Well, I'm clearly not the only one who feels like that, so it can't be that odd

And what a fun club you're part of congrats!

notanan

Well, I'm clearly not the only one who feels like that, so it can't be that odd

You ask what I think they should do instead.
If they feel uncomfortable clapping just because that is what they are being directed to do, then I would rather see them do what we traditionally did, and not clap.
Is standing there awkwardly clapping with the camera zoomed in on them any better than standing there awkwardly not clapping with the camera zoomed in on them? They should do what feels right to them!

I've often thought this. You applaud others, but not yourself. It makes me wonder if they've been advised to do so on Pointless - as my brother was on that I must ask him.

If a game show makes you "uncomfortable" because someone clapped at the wrong time (in your opinion), well I find that odd

What should they do instead? Bow? Or just stand there awkwardly with the camera zoomed in on them?

notanan2
It's a game show not church!
You're supposed to want to win and get excited when you do!

I can't speak for anyone else here, but I don't object in the slightest to contestants getting excited and clapping when they win, or do it spontaneously at any point where it seems justified.

However, I do find it both odd and uncomfortable when, for instance, having just finished one of their 'goes' in the middle of the game, the host having said 'well done' (even if they didn't), they then join in when audience claps them for their effort.

I don't feel like that when they all clap with the audience at the end of a round, because they can be clapping their fellow contestants at that point.

I am picturing Pointless here. Quite often, I notice that the contestants in question look quite reluctant / awkward doing this (but only a tiny number don't do it), so I go along with the theory that they are not doing it through choice.