> >
> No one has ever accused Merv Griffin of lapses in taste. If
>
> it was his decision for Alex to tape the intro explaining
> that
> the woman survived the hurricane THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE
> SHOW
> WAS TAPED (or someone high up in the production chain made
> the
> call), it was the right one. I wonder if they would have
> aired the show had she not survived.
Good question, but one I hope would be asked whether or not it was a hurricane that could have impacted someone. Consider if it had been a car accident or other tragedy that struck someone before a taped show aired? Would a taped intro be appropriate on the first airing? Absolutely. But should it be pulled entirely? I'd say no, under nearly any circumstances. There are other contestants who deserve their "day in the sun" for making it onto the show.
> Perhaps there wouldn't be such a fuss about that Price Is
> Right
> rerun where a trip to New Orleans was a prize if CBS had put
> in
> a disclaimer saying that it was a rerun of a months-old
> episode,
> maybe even saying it was airing as a tribute to New Orleans.
>
I think where I, personally, make a distinction is that Price didn't have a contestant from New Orleans on that show, just one of a multitude of prizes, and I truly can't imagine that anyone who stopped to think about it long enough to even care there was a vacation to N.O. being offered wouldn't also realize the show had been pre-taped. Even if, hypothetically, it had been the original broadcast of the show, airline tickets and a hotel stay seems different to me than someone from the city being on the show. Either way, I say they should air, but I didn't see any reason to go out of the way for a prize.