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Something in Deal Or No Deal's recipe of big dollar amounts and smoking-hot, mute models arranged in pyramid formation has connected with America, as it has been racking up decent ratings and multiplying all over the NBC schedule faster than you can say "Who Wants To Be An Oversaturated Game Show?" Part of its success can be attributed to the air of mystery surrounding the proceedings: Just who are these suitcase-wielding sexpots setting back the women's movement five decades? And who is this "Banker," besides a shadowy outline who keeps drunk-dialing every five minutes with a monetary—and who knows what else—offer for Howie Mandel? The show's website offers answers. The models have their own page, although under the heading of less is more, we can't say we recommend it. ("My name is Janelle Lafreniere. Along with modeling, I teach dance and work part time at a local gym.") Even more amazingly, the Banker finally speaks, in the guise of the sparsely updated Banker's Blog:

March 17, 5:00 pm The "geniuses" at NBC have asked me to write a blog about the show. It's not like I don't have better things to do with my time. Frankly, I'd prefer putting a fork in my own eye rather than waste further energy on any of you.

March 31, 2:50 pm The worst part of my job has to be the fact that no one gets to see how incredibly attractive I am. You'll have to take my word for it, but I am seriously hot.

April 03, 5:02 pm Sheetal Shetty returns...No, I am not using "potty talk" (like some of you people who have posted responses). Sheetal's my current victim/contestant. She returns tonight to finish her game.

April 10, 5:22 pm You probably think I'm about to bust on our players' IQs. I don't do that. I don't think the people who come to face me are stupider than I am. Everyone is stupider than I am so there really isn't a point in singling out the contestants.

That Banker is a feisty one! Forgive our incredulousness, but this strikes us not as the voice of a respected captain of finance, but closer perhaps to that of a 20-something PA with sitcom staff writer dreams thrown a bone by the show's producers. In any case, the public appears to be taking the blog at face value, as each of the six posts has gotten somewhere in the vicinity of 600 comments, leading to a sometimes fascinating public dialogue ("I love you banker" Carolyn - April 10, 5:17 pm; "I hate the banker!" Crystle - April 10, 5:28 pm").