I do believe that what Steve is trying to say is that we are fans, so the sponsors of Price will typically not know about our comments (and further, we are not mocking the prizes themselves so much as mocking the show for using such things). Drew mocking prizes, on the other hand, is noticed because it is being done on (national) television, and hence puts those sponsors in a bad light even if they did not actually provide the items in question; his smashing groceries is far worse, as he has done it with sponsored items as well.
We are not going on television (or product-review sites, for that matter) to mock prizes or smash groceries; Drew is.
I don't disagree with the fact that "we are fans" and can comment. While I don't have any statistics at hand, I would bet $100 that product sponsors, etc. DO read these boards for what we have to say. Watching the show and hearing what Drew Carey has to say about a given product – positive or negative – is hardly the only source.
More than likely, they pay people to read anything and everything where their products ARE and MIGHT BE talked about, including these forums.
Why do I say this? I work in the newspaper industry, and there are companies that have certain "contacts" that read newspapers just to see what writers and others are saying about their products ... and more importantly, to make sure that – if their name is trademarked – it is properly spelled and/or used. At one newspaper I worked for, my boss said he once got a nasty letter (hard to say if it was for that particular newspaper or another one) from the folks who created Scrabble ... a reporter had used a lower case "s" (to make it "scrabble").
Same is true for these boards.
As far as "mocking the show" – what? Why NOT be different, rather than give away the same prizes – refrigerators and micro-compact Kias/Huyndais – all the time? Sure, those prizes are always staples that should be offered, but once in awhile, be different. And if it's not been said before: Yes, I do support TPiR for offering classic cars. Some of the rest don't. Fine. And FTR – I'd think most people would go on TPiR to win cash, maybe a trip or a bigger car, for instance.
Brian