The answer is: "Basic economics." The question is: "What don't they teach at the University of Missouri?" We know this to be true thanks to Jeannette Walls on MSNBC, who reports that some students at the university are furious that a student organization paid Evan Marriott, the star of Fox's Joe Millionaire, a speaker fee of $11,000 to appear on campus.

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Why were they furious? According to an editorial in the student newspaper, "The truth is, Marriott offered nothing in the way of intellectual stimulation, or entertainment, except for the occasional laugh at his own expense." Of course, to enjoy even those laughs, students had to pay to attend the event, and tickets cost a minimum of $5.

Well, for the benefit of Missouri Tiger students who fail to appreciate the "dismal science" of economics, we should point out that the sponsoring organization brought Evan Marriott to campus not as part of the university educational curriculum, but rather as part of an entertainment package. The ticket price range indicates that the organization was just trying to do a little better than break even. If they failed, the sponsor will learn a valuable lesson about supply and demand for yesterday's reality TV stars -- which seems educational to us.

Meanwhile, Evan, who was described by Joe runner-up Sarah Kozer (appearing on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Show to plug her photo spread in the June issue of 'Playboy') as someone who would "fall hook, line and sinker" for everything, may have a job opportunity waiting around the corner. According to the Press of Atlantic City, Evan claims that Fox has told him he's "not marketable," but at least one person disagrees. A senior vice president of Trump Hotels and Casinos offered Evan a job as a "casino host" (in other words, a greeter) if his acting career doesn't work out. We think Evan would make a great casino greeter; all a greeter has to do is be recognizable and friendly -- intelligence is not a requirement.

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