-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Here's Why 'The Price is Right' Gave a Treadmill to a Contestant in a Wheelchair
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
Is it really a faux pas? They were selected to 'Come on Down' and priced something to get on the stage. I'm sure what's offered for the contests is decided in advance and has to meet the sponsor requirements, etc. It's not like the person can't sell it. Kind of a ridiculous thing for people to get upset about.
If they had made the change and word of that got out, people would still make an issue of it, most likely.
If they had made the change and word of that got out, people would still make an issue of it, most likely.
That's the issue with society these days. They find the littlest thing possible to complain about and tell it on the internet and spread like a virus. She won both prizes and I'm sure she can give the treadmill to someone she knows can use it. It's not like Drew (even though I don't like that he's the host but whatever) said, "you only win the treadmill. Congratulations!"
I'm sure due to her wheelchair status she could have traded it in off-camera for a prize of equal or lesser value. Or like the other poster said, give it to someone else in her family who wants it.
I know for darn sure that if I win a treadmill, it's not going to me! I cannot fit the large thing in a small 2 bedroom apartment, where I live.
-crainbebo
I know for darn sure that if I win a treadmill, it's not going to me! I cannot fit the large thing in a small 2 bedroom apartment, where I live.
-crainbebo
When a mistake comes up like this the show will usually comment that the prizes were planned ahead of time before the contestant was picked. If they did this on TPIR I don't know. I can remember when I was a kid seeing an episode of Let's Make a Deal where a couple from Hawaii won a trip to guess where... Hawaii!!! 
I can also remember other game shows giving away trips to Memphis or Nashville and thinking I could drive there, why do I need to win a trip there??
I can also remember other game shows giving away trips to Memphis or Nashville and thinking I could drive there, why do I need to win a trip there?? When a mistake comes up like this the show will usually comment that the prizes were planned ahead of time before the contestant was picked. If they did this on TPIR I don't know. I can remember when I was a kid seeing an episode of Let's Make a Deal where a couple from Hawaii won a trip to guess where... Hawaii!!!
I vaguely remember a game show(although I forget which one) that gave away'a trip to California' (either L.A. or S.F.) to someone who lived in or near the 'vacation destination'. I'm pretty sure the show taped in Southern California, anyway, so anyone not from there would have already 'taken a trip' to get there.
Right prizes are picked in advance. One of the other four could have won the chance to come on stage and try for the treadmill. And the prizes are there as product placements. Manufacturers make a deal to get their stuff on the show. Contestants are there just to provide an excuse to promote the product. The show is one long contestamercial.
Besides, most contestants can't afford to keep the prizes any way. The IRS is ready to pounce to collect income tax on the suggested retail price of any products they win. Most contestants don't have the cash, so they have to sell the products.
And I agree. Some people are looking for stuff to complain about. However, since contestants are picked after being screen while waiting to come in, the producers who knew a treadmill would be coming up should have not called the woman in a wheel chair to "come on down" until after they did the treadmill give-away. It did create an awkward moment and could have been avoided.
Besides, most contestants can't afford to keep the prizes any way. The IRS is ready to pounce to collect income tax on the suggested retail price of any products they win. Most contestants don't have the cash, so they have to sell the products.
And I agree. Some people are looking for stuff to complain about. However, since contestants are picked after being screen while waiting to come in, the producers who knew a treadmill would be coming up should have not called the woman in a wheel chair to "come on down" until after they did the treadmill give-away. It did create an awkward moment and could have been avoided.
Let's not forget the infamous 2012 Australian Price is Right on Seven Network, which is essentially one big infomercial for Big W, a Walmart-style retailer Down Under. And the only car given away was a Nissan Micra, whatever that is.
Here are two articles from Game Show Garbage:
http://www.gameshowgarbage.com/ind127_priceaussierevival.html
http://www.gameshowgarbage.com/gsgcomm_43.html
Incidentally, Big W's parent Woolworths Limited sponsors the annual Christmas concert Carols in the Domain, also on Seven, which has become an infomercial of its own with plugs for Disney movies. Here are some promos:
2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtG37o4l940
2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NghCr6CMXy0
2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cphf0SKkx68
2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjixND_Kgi0
Last edited:
Problem is, those called to "come on down" are in contestants row until they either win a bid to get on stage, or all the games are over. Anyone called at the beginning of the show could be up there for as many as six games. No practical way to work around any prize conflicts.
If you want to be part of a game show, you have to realize that any prize you win might not be something of any value to you.
People who can't drive for whatever reason win cars. People who are nowhere near water win boats. People who aren't rich enough to live in mansions win grand pianos.
It also could be argued it wouldn't be fair to keep from calling her down until X point in the show simply because she perhaps couldn't use the given prize. (Yes, someone will inevitably be last to come down, and so forth.) You're then deliberately keeping her from the possibility of winning other prizes solely because of a disability, not an inability to actually play the game, and even then there could be workarounds (see the time when Wheel had someone spin for the contestant, but otherwise have no involvement in the game).
This is less controversy or awkwardness than click-bait nonsense on behalf of far too many site with far too much space to fill.
How did a person in a wheelchair get on stage?
And I remember someone on crutches was still able to climb the steps to play Plinko. I'm wondering how Plinko would work for someone who couldn't. Probably the person would tell one of the models or perhaps Drew where to position the chip.
On "Concentration" in the days when there was an actual noise instead of an annoying sound effect, if a contestant won two TVs or something, he or she would usually give the extra one to the other player.
And I remember someone on crutches was still able to climb the steps to play Plinko. I'm wondering how Plinko would work for someone who couldn't. Probably the person would tell one of the models or perhaps Drew where to position the chip.
On "Concentration" in the days when there was an actual noise instead of an annoying sound effect, if a contestant won two TVs or something, he or she would usually give the extra one to the other player.
It's a studio that allows access to the general public. You can be damn sure CBS Television City is up to code on the Americans w/ Disabilities Act. While a contestant in a wheelchair cannot possibly come up on stage via the traditional method of using the stairs next to Contestants Row, all they do to get the wheelchair up on stage is use a lift somewhere in the studio (probably backstage) and make a jump cut edit on the broadcast tape for the time it takes to do so. It's not difficult to see where the edit occurs. The contestant celebrates his/her win in Contestant's Row and then *cut* there's a shot of Drew on stage and the contestant rolls up to greet him. They've been doing this for years even in the Bob Barker days. Do you really think Granny Gums poking along in her walker suddenly gets a burst of speed just because she bid closest for a grandfather clock?
The contestant or more importantly, the person responsible for paying the taxes on the prize has to be touching the Plinko chip. In versions of TPIR where kids play with their parents, the kid cannot drop the Plinko chip alone. Their parent or guardian also has to be touching the chip for the drop to count. Same deal with the Big Wheel, while a contestant may not be physically able to spin the wheel a full turn and can ask for help he or she has to have their hands on the wheel in some capacity for the spin to count. I'm sure this all falls back to the tight Standards & Practices for games shows that have to be followed to the letter. A show like TPIR wouldn't be on the air for as long as it has if it at any time bent the Standards & Practices rules.
Now about this 'incident':
The contestant that won the treadmill spoke with KCBS-2 Los Angeles news the other night. She's an unknown comedian who thinks this Internet blow up is much ado about nothing. Even though the prize is absolutely worthless to her and was thinking about selling the prize, because of this silly uproar on the net she is considering keeping the prize as a goof and use it as an instant conversation starter as to why she has a treadmill in her home. She even asked if Drew Carey would sign it. She finds the whole thing hilarious.
The contestant has no beef about the incident and neither should anyone else. TPIR has a long tradition of giving away prizes that are not practical to the person that won them. I recall seeing many a blue haired grandmother winning motorcycles. Indeed life and TPIR will continue along and the sun will once again rise from the East. I'm positive about that.
I don't recall, when Bob spun the Big Wheel, that the contestant was touching it at all.
Well I'll be.
Every wheelchair contestant I've seen on the Drew Carey run of TPIR attempts to spin the wheel themselves with Drew helping out so I thought they had to physically touch the wheel in some way.
Before anyone else extends this woman any sympathy (and based on her reaction to all that's come of this she doesn't need any) let's remember that she basically set herself up for what came in Game 6. There's a little thing I call "The Rules of One-Bid Thumb," and she violated them bigtime not once, but twice. By the way, the Rules are:
Rule 1: Never ever bid under $400 (no One-Bid item costs less than that).
Rule 2: Never ever bid over $5000 (same deal - no One-Bid item costs more than that, except under very exceptional circumstances).
Rule 3: Never ever bid $1 unless you are the LAST bidder and nobody has violated Rule 1.
Rule 4: Never ever underbid anyone who bids $400 or less (you'll never escape if you do).
Rule 5: Never ever underbid anyone by $1.
In the third One-Bid Danielle bid $1 on designer sunglasses after the opening bidder said $350 and two bids later another bid $300. That violated Rules 1, 3 & 4. In the next round she bid $8500 on an electric fireplace (one seen somewhat regularly on Price). That violated Rule 2 and common sense.
Anyone planning to see a taping of Price is highly advised to memorize the above. You may not make it on stage, but at least your bidding will look a whole lot better if you stay within the letter of the Rules.
Rule 1: Never ever bid under $400 (no One-Bid item costs less than that).
Rule 2: Never ever bid over $5000 (same deal - no One-Bid item costs more than that, except under very exceptional circumstances).
Rule 3: Never ever bid $1 unless you are the LAST bidder and nobody has violated Rule 1.
Rule 4: Never ever underbid anyone who bids $400 or less (you'll never escape if you do).
Rule 5: Never ever underbid anyone by $1.
In the third One-Bid Danielle bid $1 on designer sunglasses after the opening bidder said $350 and two bids later another bid $300. That violated Rules 1, 3 & 4. In the next round she bid $8500 on an electric fireplace (one seen somewhat regularly on Price). That violated Rule 2 and common sense.
Anyone planning to see a taping of Price is highly advised to memorize the above. You may not make it on stage, but at least your bidding will look a whole lot better if you stay within the letter of the Rules.
Last edited:
Some people may study strategy, but many may just be there to have some fun, and in the excitement of the moment, not worrying about so-called rules about prizes up for bid. And whether or not any player deserves "sympathy" shouldn't be judged by knowledge of said so-called rules. It's just a game, and people just want to play, not over analyze bubble-gum television.
Folks tried hard to make this the Social Media OUTRAGE of the Day, I don't think they had that much luck on that, because most people "get it". Folks really thought they'd stop down the production of the show for however long it would have taken to swap out the prize? That would have gone viral too. I'm imagining a lot of prizes end up on eBay to pay taxes on other prizes
Let's also not forget the men who won women's jewelry or such, as one example. Perhaps a contestant has a loved one who could make use of a prize. Easy solution. Heck, half the prizes they give away would be utterly impractical in my life for many reasons. Such is the way things go on that particular show.
men could also pawn the jewelry at pawn shop near Television City
- Status