Chapter 11. Will the real Mr. Smith please stand up?
A glittery wall of yellow, adorned with the images of three blue figures of questionable candor, slides quickly to the left to reveal three mysteriously silhouetted individuals. As the television camera spans the stage and the lights illuminate each one, the host begins to paint an individual’s life story, describing how that person has beaten the odds and found his own slice of success. With the final question from the host, “What is your name, please?” each person confidently responds “I am Mr. Smith!”
This puzzling scenario comes straight from the classic television archives of a game show titled “To Tell the Truth.” The premise is that through a series of questions and answers, the true holder of the claimed identity is revealed. This scenario staged on a Burbank, California television set offers a great deal of entertainment—but when presented with the nightmare of having to prove your identity amid a host of disingenuous characters claiming it for their own, it’s not anyone’s idea of a good time.
