Now in its fourth season, The Masked Singer has found a fervent fanbase intent upon guessing the identities of each and every masked performer. Although the show does provide judges and viewers with clues, the height of host Nick Cannon has emerged as an innovative and essential part of determining who's who.
Although some clues have made certain identities rather obvious, it is more often than not quite challenging to determine who the show's contestants really are. The clues are intentionally cryptic, and the singers' voices are distorted ever so slightly. As a result, fans have had to turn to other means to support their sleuthing, and Cannon's height is perhaps the most crucial example.
At just over 6'0", Cannon acts as a perfect comparison for the various celebrities that cross The Masked Singer's stage. Cannon's height is most useful in helping fans narrow down their guesses. Obviously, the clues provided by the show are needed in order to formulate ideas of who might be beneath a costume, and a close listening to a character's voice can be a huge help as well. But once you have a shortlist of who a singer might actually be, comparing the costumed creature to Cannon can be a great way to lock in a guess. Several successful guesses in the past have applied this method, as well as several more that are shaping up to be correct.
Of course, even the most well-reasoned of guesses, which do tend to rely on Cannon's height among other factors, can be subject to complete surprises. No one considered, for example, that this season's Baby Alien could possibly be former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez, as his involvement with the show came completely out of left field. Additionally, some costumes on The Masked Singer are so outrageous in their proportions that they could not possibly indicate who is beneath the mask. The Giraffe, for example, was obviously much taller than Cannon, but it was also much taller than the man inside the costume, who was revealed to be 90210 actor Brian Austin Green earlier this month.
Surely, The Masked Singer will only make things more challenging for its judges and its viewers as its time on television continues. Therefore, fans will need to keep finding creative solutions for their final guesses, such as comparing contestants' height to that of host Nick Cannon. Because Cannon consistently joins the contestants at centerstage after each performance, the strategy shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on Fox.