All right, so let's see if this makes any sense to you: A young twentysomething woman must convince her family that she has won $5 million in some nondescript Internet lottery, an event that instantly transforms her from a sweet small-town girl to a self-centered, materialistic snob. [...] the result is really the same: a cruel, uncomfortable joke that sheds little light on the human condition. "$25 Million Dollar Hoax" is deception for deception's sake, playing the audience for fools as much as it does the featured unwitting clan. If NBC chief Jeff Zucker is wondering why his floundering network can't catch a break lately, he should look no further than this bizarre travesty that is supposed to pass for sweep-time entertainment.

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