My Experience With The Longest Running Game Show In History . . . The Price Is Right!
For those of you who haven’t heard my Price Is Right story (and I can’t imagine I haven’t told everyone in the state about it by now) here it is. . . I have always had the dream of being a contestant on the Price Is Right game show. I had traveled to Los Angeles, California three different occasions back in the 1990s to be a part of the iconic game show. The first time I went there was in 1993 when I traveled with my friend Tanya Shows. She was called out as a contestant but didn’t make it out of contestant’s row. The other two times I went I was not called out. Most people do not realize that all (up to) 340 audience members are briefly interviewed while standing in line for the show. It is a quick interview where the producers form their opinion if you will make a good contestant or not. I just figured I wasn’t what they were looking for at the time.
On January 20, 2008 I traveled to Las Vegas with Ray Trinanes for the 2008 Miss America Pageant. I still had the Price Is Right dream going around in my head so I convinced him to drive over to Los Angeles with me for the taping of the game show the following day. On January 21, we got up at 2 a.m. and went and stood in line at the CBS Studio in the freezing cold weather. We received our numbers at 6 a.m. and had to be back in line at 7 a.m. We met the nicest family from Pennsylvania while standing in line. They were Bill, Lisa and son Kyle who had been fans for years like me. After a total of waiting for 10 hours in line together, we finally got into the studio. The show started and none of our names had been called out. Then halfway through the taping, the next name called out was Bill from Pennsylvania. We were thrilled for him. He won his way on stage but failed to win his game and the prizes. I knew after he was called out, we would not be called out since we were all in the same group being interviewed. I was feeling happy and excited for Bill and was so glad I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself since my dream didn’t come true. Before the show, I had talked to so many people in line who were true fans of the show. Some had been there 5 times before, 10 times before and one claimed 100 times before. So many people love this show and I really just felt good just getting to be a part of it.
We drove back to Las Vegas to enjoy the pageant and the rest of the vacation. I did not realize that there were also two other versions of the Price Is Right game show throughout the country. One is in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the other was in Las Vegas. As soon as I discovered this I became excited all over again. We immediately got tickets to the show. By this time, the rest of our group had arrived in Vegas. Edith Beeson of Crystal Springs had also joined us in Las Vegas.
On Thursday, January 24, Ray, Edith and myself all went to the Las Vegas version of the Price is Right. It was a little different from the televised version in Los Angeles but still very exciting. The audience was about 200 hundred people instead of the 340 in Los Angeles. When the four contestants are called out to bid on the “item up for bids”, one wins their way on stage and the other three go back to the audience and they just receive a t-shirt. Well, they played three pricing games and then called out three people from the audience to spin the “Big Wheel”. Then they played another pricing game and still none of us had been called out. We were all having a great time and just enjoying being a part of the show. Then they had one more pricing game to play. Deep inside, I was hoping one of us would be called out but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much because this was not my first time to sit in the audience and watch others have the time of their lives. While watching the other contestants called out during the previous games, my mind started daydreaming. I thought if my name was called out I would hug Edith and Ray and then “cooly” walk on down to contestant’s row and get ready to bid on the prize.
Well the announcer was getting ready to announce the final four people out of the audience who would have a chance to play the pricing game. The first name he called out was Chris.... I didn’t even get excited because I had seen so many other people before the show and they had a “Chris” name badge on their shirts. Then he said Shannon. I thought I had a heart attack or had been shocked by lightening. I jumped up so high and ran down to contestant’s row as fast as I could. I had forgotten to hug Edith or Ray. I forgot to act calm and cool. I acted like your typical crazy person called out on the show.
When I was in contestant’s row I could not stay still. I felt so much energy rushing through my body. It seemed like it took forever for the other three contestants to make it to contestant’s row. It was such an out-of-body experience because I had dreamed of this for so long. When all four of the contestants arrived in contestant’s row, they brought out the “item up for bids”. For those who do not watch the Price Is Right, they bring out an item to bid on. The one of the four contestants who bids closest to the actual retail price without going over, wins the prize and wins their way on stage to play a game for a bigger prize. If a contestant gets the price exactly right, they win a $100 bonus for a perfect bid. The item that was brought out for us to bid on was an electric garbage can.
The first lady bid $99. The second lady bid $75. The third man bid $64. Since I had been watching the Price Is Right ever since I was a child, I knew I had to bid $1.00 to be the lowest bidder or bid $1.00 more than the highest bidder. I turned around to look at Edith and Ray, and it seemed as though they were telling me to bid $1.00. I thought to myself, “that’s too low.” So I decided to bid $1.00 more than the highest bidder. So I bid $100.00.
The host for the Las Vegas Price Is Right was David Ruphrecht from the cable game show, Supermarket Sweep. The bell went off. The host said, “One of you has a perfect bid and will win a $100 bonus also.” I was thinking to myself, it’s either me or the lady who bid $99. The host said, “The actual retail price is $100.” He pointed at me. My mouth immediately dropped wide open and I turned around in shock to Edith and Ray. I started shaking. . . like some kind of chicken dance or something. I really can't remember. My dream just came true! I won in contestant’s row. I was in shock and shaking in the corner between contestant’s row and the stairs to go on the stage. I thought I was having an anxiety attack.
The announcer said, “Chris come on stage.” I went on stage still shaking and he started talking to me to calm me down. I had told him that we had just returned from the Price is Right in Los Angeles and we didn’t get called out. I told him I kind of felt a little rejected after that experience. The audience moaned and felt my pain. Then I felt the audience get behind me and start cheering for me. After he finally calmed me down he then said are you ready to see what game you get to play?” I nervously said “yes”. He said, “You get to play Plinko with the chance to win up to $2,500.”
I guess I started jumping up and down like a nut again because I ended up at the back on the stage somehow. This is my favorite game on the Price Is Right. How could I be so lucky to have had my name called out, win my way on stage and then play my all time favorite game. He had to calm me down again. Plinko is a game where you try to win chips to place against a giant maze-like board. You release the chip at the top of the board and the chip works it’s way down through the maze of pegs to the bottom. You want the chip to go to the center of the bottom of the board for the largest prize. The largest prize was $500 in the center of the board, with two zero slots on both sides of the $500, followed by two $200 prize slots, two $100 prize slots and two $50 prize slots. He handed me one chip just for winning my way on stage. Then the models brought out four small prizes. I had to guess whether the first number or the last number was the correct number for the prize. I won twice and lost twice. So this means I won two more chips to go with the first chip he handed me.
I had to walk up a flight of about 6 stairs to be at the top of the game. I held the chip flat against the board and released it. I couldn’t see anything but a bunch of metal pegs sticking out to form the maze. I heard the crowd getting very excited and then they yelled and cheered really loud for me. My chip had gone into the top prize of $500. Then I released the second chip and it went into the $100 slot. Then my final chip went into the $200 slot. So I won $800 playing Plinko, $100 for getting my bid exactly right and then I won the $100 electric trash can. After I won, one of the Price Is Right models congratulated me and she was originally from Mississippi also.
Since this was not the televised version of the Price Is Right, I did not get to spin the “Big Wheel” to try to win a spot in the Showcase Showdown. The announcer called two people from the audience and it was a girl sitting right next to us. She won several prizes, a cruise and a brand new car.
This was one of the best times I had ever had in my life. I am very thankful that this was not the televised version because I think I REALLY embarrassed myself in front of everyone. I lost control of any coolness or calmness I have ever had. I was the typical crazy acting contestant we see on the daytime game show. I was so excited Edith and Ray were there cheering me on and could be a part of my dream. I asked the producers if you could order a DVD of the show and they said they did not tape it. I guess that was a blessing in a way. I probably would have died of embarrassment if I could witness the way I acted.
After the experience was over I still wanted to try to go back to Los Angeles one day and try to be on the televised version. But if you are called out on the televised version, you can not try out again for 10 years. So maybe I’m glad things worked out as they did. I lived my dream but since I was called out on the Vegas version of the show, my dream is still floating around in my head a little. As I tell girls that I work with almost everyday of my life, “Never give up on your dreams. If you don’t succeed one day, you go out and try again the next.” I think I’ll follow my own advice.
Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we expect
Most of you haven’t heard about my SECOND experience. Before I begin, let me go ahead and acknowledge that I KNOW I am a big nerd. LOL. I embrase my nerdness and except it. I love having fun in life and pageants enable me to do that. Watching the Price Is Right always makes me smile too. The opportunity arose for me to go back to Las Vegas in April of 2008, so of course I had to drive back over to Los Angeles again to try out for the game show. I had talked my friend Vivian from Chicago to go over with me. We woke up at 1 a.m. and drove to Los Angeles and arrived at the studio around 6:30 a.m. The ushers were already getting ready to go back inside, the line of people was gone. Had we missed it? We ran up to the ushers and they gave us numbers. So when we came back to get in line, we were told we were put in the “Stand By” line. There was no guarantee we would even get in to watch the taping of the show. I was in a small panic in my head at this time.
Back in January when Ray and I were not called out for the show, I realized I needed to find a way to stand out a little more in line. Well I knew I would one day go back to the show so I began painting a Price Is Right shirt. I love to draw and paint so this was a labor of love for me. Everyday during the Price Is Right I would pull out my shirt and paint. I worked on the shirt for over two months. It turned out awesome. I showed my friends and family and they were all saying there was no way I wouldn’t be called out.
We got in line and found out that we WERE going to get to watch the taping. What a relief. We were numbers 254 and 254 out of a crowd of 310 that day. I keep my jacket on until it was time to get in the final line because I didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to myself just yet. So there I am in California, wearing this flashy, painted with bright colors and glitter, Price Is Right shirt. People start coming up to me saying you will be called out. They would take pictures of my shirt, ask about it and again tell me I would be called out. Even the ushers and security guards started commenting on how great it was. I was trying not to get my hopes up at this point because I didn’t want to be devastated if I didn’t get called out.
The time came for me to be interviewed in front of the producer and I had kind of planned what I wanted to say. He threw me off guard when it was my turn. He said, “You’ve been here before but didn’t wear that shirt.” I was speechless he remembered me out of all the thousands of people he sees a week. I commented something to him but then thought I really didn’t have that great of an interview. When our group left the interview line, people were telling me I was “golden”. He remembered you, you are going to get called out.
The show began and the first four contestants were called out. Then the next, the next and the next, etc. I was not called out. I felt embarassed I had gone to the extreme to be noticed and still didn’t make it. I was smiling enjoying the end of the show and trying not to let my disappointment show because I knew a lot of eyes were on me at this time. It was near the end of the taping and this group of ladies I had spoken with earlier got my attention and told me to show Drew Carey, the host of the Price is Right, my shirt. I shook my head “NO” quickly. They didn’t listen. They got Drew’s attention during a commercial break and told him about my shirt. When I saw what was about to happen, I sent up a little prayer to help me look happy and excited. Heads turned my way like a domino effect. He made me stand up and show everyone how awesome my shirt was. They all clapped for me. I asked him if he would autograph the shirt and he had me go down to the front of the stage where he was. He signed the shirt and shook my hand. He chatted with me for several minutes. Then I went to sit back down in my seat on the back row and he was still chatting with me. I was thinking to myself, “Ok, let’s get the attention off of me.” LOL
I was confused as to why I wasn’t called out. Had I been disqualified since I was already on a local game show just a few months earlier, or was I just not selected as a contestant? We were offered the opportunity to stay for the second taping since they needed more audience members but we decided not to stay since we had a long journey back to Vegas. A month later after I watched the second taping on TV, several of the people I had thought would have been called out during our taping were called out for the second taping that day. I might would have been called out for THAT show but now will never know.
I was ok for now. I was disappointed but tried to stay happy to make Vivian’s trip enjoyable. We finally got back to Las Vegas and met up with Ray. It took forever to get back due to Los Angeles five o’oclock traffic. We all went out to eat and went back to the house we were staying out. I told Ray and Vivian I was exhausted and needed to rest. I went up stairs and all of the sudden, I was emotional. I just let it all out of my system. I never pray for things for myself but I had this time. Not to win materialistic things but to get to have the experience that I had always wanted. I made peace with it and knew God always gives us what we need and excepted it. It was done, I got it out of my system. Again, I already know what a nerd I am so you don’t have to tell me.
The next day we were exploring having fun in Vegas and I had decided I wanted to go back to the Las Vegas Price Is Right game show that I had been called out 2 months before. They have a rule that you can appear on their show every 30 days. I didn’t have ANY expectations of being called out a second time but JUST wanted to go and enjoy this show. The contestants are called out at random in Vegas so you don’t have to have your feelings hurt if you are not called out. I ended up going to this show alone. No one wanted to go with me this time. I barely made it to the show due to Las Vegas traffic. I had about 10 minutes before the show started. I sat at a table full of strangers. I was quiet at first. Then I thought to myself I need to meet these people and have fun with them in case one of them is called out as a contestant. I told them I had been there before and was called out as a contestant back in January. They had so many questions for me. We were all getting along great.
The show started and contestants were running down from every part of the theater. The audience was much larger this time with about 500 people there. The second group of contestants was called out and the announcer said Chris........ Clark. I knew it would not be me again. Then they called out the three people to go spin the “Big Wheel”. A lady from our table was called out. She didn’t win but we all cheered for her. It made me realize I was a good person and really do get excited for other people when they have good luck. It was now time to announce the fourth group of contestants. The second name called out again was Chris ..... and before I knew it the announcer said Shannon! OH MY GOD!!!! I just got called out again at the Vegas Price is Right. I think I screamed. I jumped up and ran down to the front.
You know I never in a million years would have thought I would be called out again in Las Vegas. I was pretty confident that I would be called out in Los Angeles the day before though. I guess this was just a big life lesson for me to learn. Never count your chickens before they hatch. God will give you what you need. And it may sound petty, but I really needed this.
Back to the story, the item up for bids was a 24-karat gold plated flatware service for 12. My heart started beating so fast at this time. This was one of the same prizes they had brought out when I was a contestant back in January. I knew ABOUT how much it cost. I couldn’t remember if if was $230, $240 or $250. I tried to take a few deep breaths and regain my composure. The first lady bid $875. I knew she had overbid. Then I bid $230 because I didn’t want to go over. I started thinking, “Don’t let either of these last two contestants bid $1 more than me and beat me!” The guy next to me bid $210 and the final lady bid $175. I was thinking to myself, Oh My God I think I’ve won this! It was like slow motion then . . .the actual retail price is $246. I looked at the host’s face as he looked at me and said, “Chris you win!” I knew I had won before he even said it but I just lost control and started jumping up and down again. I ran on stage and he said you get to play, “Hole In One” It is a miniature golf game. If you putt the ball in the hole you win the prize. My prize I could win was an air-hockey table and a kids Rock Band Drum Set. I didn’t even focus on the prize when they were showing it off. I was looking at the six grocery items I was going to have to put in order to putt closer to the hole. I told the host I am horrible at minature golf!!! They started describing the six grocery items and I would have to put them in order from least expensive to most expensive. The first three were easy for me. . . cookies, bottle water and microwave popcorn. The next three were very difficult. They were fancy olive oil, calcium tablets and hand lotion. I didn’t have a clue! I started looking out in the audience for older women who I thought did the grocery shopping in their family. Two women caught my eye. They were motioning with their hands for me to choose the hand lotion. So I picked hand lotion, olive oil and then calcium tablets. Some of the audience started “booing” me because they thought I was wrong. The models started showing the prices and I got all six right. I couldn’t believe I was so lucky. I got to putt very close to the hole. I sent a little pray up not to look like a total idiot and miss the shot since I was so close. I made it in!!! I won the prizes! What a great experience.
I guess the moral of the story is I had my hopes so high to be called out as a contestant in Los Angeles I let it hurt my feelings when I was not. As in the pageant world, if you don’t get “called out” don’t let it effect you like it effected me. Remember there are other days and God has his plans for all of us. You never know what the next day is going to bring.
I now don’t have any expectiations of ever being called out at the Price is Right in Los Angeles. I just don’t feel like I am what they are looking for. BUT that won’t stop me from going back. Even if I never get called out in Los Angeles and get to be on the televised game show, I enjoy going to it. So even if I never “win”, it’s something I enjoy doing and will do until I decide I don’t want to anymore. Just like a pageant, if it brings you joy, just do it. Just learn from my mistake, don’t count on winning. Go there to have fun and if you win it’s just icing on the cake.
A Quick trip to Las Vegas for my birthday
Ray surprised me with Las Vegas tickets for my birthday this year. ( I know, Vegas three times in one year is unbelievably crazy). His mom is here visiting from the Philippines so she and our friend Vivian from Chicago all went to Vegas. We had a ball. We all went to the Price is Right in Vegas for fun. I've been about to die for Ray to get his named called out to have the fun I had. We couldn't believe it but Ray's mom got called out this time. We helped her win her way on stage and she got to play Cliff Hangers. (The mountain climber game who yodels as he climbs the mountain) We lost the game for her. We were disappointed but hey she got her name called out and got on stage!!!! I call that a winner in my book. I won a T-Shirt this time for answering a trivia question right. Just Ray and I went back on Sunday to see if he could get called out and guess what...... he did get his name called out but it was at the worst possible time of the show. He just won some bonus points for their casino card. We both thought, of all the times to have your name called out LOL.
Well the story might continue in 2009. We are going back to the Price is Right in the summer of 2009 just to have fun. I’m taking a group with me next time and just hope that someone out of the group gets called out. It will loads of fun regardless though.
Update For Spring 2009
Well we went back with a small group of four, all with custom painted shirts! Although the producer seemed to really like us during the interviews, we were not called out AGAIN. I haven't decided if I will go back or not. I know I will go back to the Las Vegas version of the Price is Right because those names are called out randomly. But I don't know if my poor fragile ego LOL can take any more of the rejection from LA.
Update December 2009
We went on vacation to Las Vegas for a week after the state pageant. we decided to go back to the Las Vegas Price is Right where we've had luck before. ( We also tried Let's Make a Deal two times but didn't get called out for that.) Ray Trinanes and I went the first day we were in Vegas and there were not many people at all at ththis taping. We actually thought we would have a good chance of getting called out with this small group. Needless to say, no such luck! We decided to go back two days before the end of our trip but this time there were so many people there. There had to be 400 people there. We didn't get our hopes up. It's really hard to have your name picked and called out just at the right time.
They were about to announce the next four contestants who had a chance to play the third game. The first name called out was RAY... we looked at each other.... TRINANES!!!! We both jumped up. Finally!!!! Ray would the chance to bid and try to win his way on stage. They brought out an outdoor patio heater. He was the luckily the last one who got to bid. He was looking at me and I was telling him $151.00. That was $1 more than the highest bidder of $150. He couldn't really see what I was telling him to bid so he bid $171.00. I was hoping that would still be good enough! The actual retail price was $219.00 RAY WON! He got to go onstage. The host Todd Newton chit-chatted with Ray a little and then told him he would get to play Cliff Hangers (the mountain climber game). The first prize Ray had to bid on was a Snuggie blanket. He bid $16. It was $15 so the mountain climber only moved one step! YES! The second prize was a fancy Monopoly game. He bid $22 it was $35 so the mountain climber moved 13 steps plus the 1 from the previous guess. That was 14 steps. He had 11 more steps before the mountian climber would fall off and he would lose. The last prize to guess was a waffle iron. He guessed $45. It was $54 so he moved up another 9 steps! He was 2 away from falling off the cliff! Very Nerve Racking but he WON!!!! He won a brand new Washer and Dryer valued at $1,300. It was such a great way to end the trip.
Left: After waiting in line beginning at 2:30 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles at the CBS studio, we finally got our tickets!!!!
Right: Here's my Price Is Right shirt I painted. Drew Carey signed it on my shoulder. I'm making our whole group painted shirts for the 2009 trip!
Left: It's daylight. All the hours waiting in line were over.
Below here we are in our AWESOME painted shirts!
