FULL RECAP - TPiR 05/29/2008

[OCSO407]

IUFB 4 -- The first thing I thought as soon as I heard $9000 was...

Am I having an Ila flashback??
Is this Ila's aunt or sister???

LOL... 

[ayoung]

Voltron, i know you like going to the shows, and i do think it sucks that you waited in line with your family for so long to only get 5th row... but.. if they've been moving you back on purpose for a while and you know it, then you obviously knew there was a chance they were going to do it again this time. Maybe taking a break from attending the show for a while and then bringing your family with you (beginning of next season perhaps) would have been a better option.

[MrPlinko]

From the show's perspective, you have to look at it like this.  There is a difference between looking at any member of the audience and looking at Voltaire.  Voltaire is on his stuff and he knows prices.  No, he is not cheating, he is just good.  While I don't think he should be shut out of the show or silenced, I do agree with Steve.  When Voltaire is there, The Dob is stopped. 

My view is that I don't believe Voltaire was treated fairly.  I think it is WONDERFUL that he is a LTAT and because he is there numerous times is able to listen and help.  He knows the games and the prices, what's wrong with shouting out good constructive advice?  Some studio audience members will always be louder than others, some will give varying degrees of advice, both good and bad.  A show with this tremendous variety and diversity of games and contestants should be very proud and fortunate to have a LFAT who knows what he/she is doing.

The thread also explains Michael not looking at Drew during his Card Game playing, and using hand signals.  I was wondering, "What's up with that?"  I did observe that he seemed angry at some audience members for their advice on changing his Showcase bid.

It sucks that they are editing out excessive double overbids now.  I loved it when Bob would make some great lines, after their had been 3 overbids in a row.  But since excessive overbids appear to be edited out of the show, we won't be able to hear Drew's reactions to them.

Joe

[JohnHolder]

I don't think it's quite accurate to describe Volt specifically as just another person trying to tell the contestants what to do.

You're absolutely right, but I was wondering how the show knew that. Volt clarified things in a PM.

I just don't think this is an issue that can be examined fairly by only looking at it from one side.

I agree. Having heard both sides of the story, thanks to Volt's fair and objective description of it, I can see the show's side, and why they might think they should be concerned even though he hasn't done anything "wrong" or unethical. I don't want to elaborate, because that's based on my PM with him, but I don't think he should take his treatment personally. He can't possibly be the only person in 36 years that this has happened to.

John (someone who knows that much about the inner workings of the show should be hired there, don't you think?)

[PriceFanArmadillo]

It sucks that they are editing out excessive double overbids now.  I loved it when Bob would make some great lines, after their had been 3 overbids in a row.  But since excessive overbids appear to be edited out of the show, we won't be able to hear Drew's reactions to them.

It could just be that Drew's reactions aren't worth keeping.  If he said something that was worth the time, they'd probably keep them in.

[catdogwheel]

I don't have much to say but Michael at first was a fantastic contestant, and had tons of energy. But then when he was in the showcase he looked really pissed at his friends in the audience when Drew revealed the ARP. Luckily he didn't do the one thing I thought he would do, which was flipping off his friends on National TV!

[Heidi]

A couple of comments on this show:

If Drew is going to change the reveal of the ARP in Card Game, the camera needs to zoom in on the price tag for the audience to see.

Second, things must really be expensive in Italy in order for the contestant to think that those prices were low in Buy or Sell.  I could have sworn that I saw the '-' work on the display.

[Kyle]

As far as the whole Voltron situation goes, I offer this food for thought...

The creators of "South Park", Matt Stone and Trey Parker, have often times said that they have to make fun of everything and not start making exceptions or saying "we can't make fun of that" because then they'd be hypocrites. Either everything is okay to make fun of or nothing is.

I believe that a similar sentiment should be considered in this situation. True, Voltaire knows a lot more about the prices of certain prizes than others, but, there are 325 people in that audience; who knows what prices of what prizes they might know? To single Voltaire out because of that is grossly unethical. If the producers insisted that he remain silent during the show, then everybody in the audience should have been forced into silence as well. Either everyone is allowed to shout out answers or no one is.

I've also read Voltaire's Facebook post about this situation as well where Roger asked him not to talk to anyone in the line waiting to get in on the second day as well. That, I'm sorry to say, is simply crossing the line. If Roger wanted to ensure that Voltaire not say anything about prices to the others in line, then he should have pulled him and his family out of the line and let them sit at the producers' table or something along those lines during the taping. I mean, for God's sakes, this kid is spending his own cash to fly to Los Angeles to see their show in person and this is how they treat him for being a "loyal friend and true"? By even approaching him in line like that, it seems to me that Roger almost all but confirmed that he wouldn't be selected as a contestant.

If it was me, I'd save my air fare next time...

[ayoung]

If it was me, I'd save my air fare next time...

I have a feeling this is what roger wants.
If i was in charge of a game/contest and someone kept showing up repeatedly who knew all the answers and made it known to everyone that he knew all the answers i might be doing the same...

[PriceFanArmadillo]

I've also read Voltaire's Facebook post about this situation as well where Roger asked him not to talk to anyone in the line waiting to get in on the second day as well. That, I'm sorry to say, is simply crossing the line. 

The problem, the way I understand it, is that unless either everybody or nobody listens to Voltaire, his mere presence is unfair for the people that don't know who he is.  Therefore, Roger (and/or whichever higher-ups were involved; doesn't really matter who) decided it would be easier if nobody knew to look to him than if everybody did.  Yeah, it sucks, but what can you really do about it?

[SteveGavazzi]

This is my understanding of the situation, as well.  As I've said, Voltaire is not your average audience member -- he goes to the show enough for the staff to know very well who he is, and he knows the prices of pretty much everything, and as such, he's something of a special case.  And yes, anyone who knew to look at him for prices would have a distinct advantage over anyone who didn't...and while that doesn't have much bearing on the pricing games, it certainly does on Contestants' Row and the Showcase.

("A special case"...Lord, that sounds impersonal.  I can't think of a friendlier way to phrase it that still gets the point across, though.)

[JohnHolder]

Try to imagine this scenario, folks:

Your dream of a lifetime has come true. The very first time you came to see The Price Is Right, you got picked as a contestant.  Now you're in the Showcase.  You bid on the first one. It's a nice one - ends with a Lincoln Town Car. While Rich is describing the second Showcase, you notice that the other player seems to be intently watching a specific person in the front row and exchanging hand signals with him. You know you've seen that person before. You watch the show every time it's on. You pay very close attention to the people on the show, just as others pay very close attention to production details ("Hey! That Goodson Asterisk has eight petals instead of six!" "They brought out Hi-Lo a different way this time!")  Now where have you seen that guy? Oh, yeah - he's come on stage at the end with two recent Showcase winners, including one of the millionaires. He must come to the show a lot, but you were in a different part of the line, so you didn't see him or get a chance to talk to him while you were waiting to get in. He might have been giving you signals during your Showcase, too, but you didn't know that and you didn't see him, because you didn't know to look for him. You don't know any of that. For all you know, he works for the show. He's sitting in the best seat in the house.

Drew reveals your price first. You watch the show every day, and you remember most of these prizes, so you're a good bidder. On the basis of nothing but your faithful viewership, and with no help from anyone, you gave a bid that was only $230 under the price of your showcase. Way to go! You're a Double Showcase Winner. You're going to come away with about $70,000...unless the other guy's even closer. That couldn't happen, could it?

The other guy is $200 away. You lose. The DSW horns go off, the other player jumps for joy, and his friends come up from the audience - including the guy who was giving him the hand signals. As the cameras follow them and everyone waves goodbye, a stagehand motions you to take the Invisible Loser Walk offstage right and go to sign the paperwork for the prizes you did win.
 
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Dobkowitz? I don't mean to seem ungrateful, sir. I really appreciate the elliptical trainer I won in the One-Bid and the brass bed from Squeeze Play, and I know that only the person who was closest without going over wins the Showcase, but...the other guy was getting signals from someone in the audience, and he only missed his Showcase by $200, and he beat me and won $70,000 in prizes that I didn't get.

I think he cheated."

What does Roger do? Actually, that's a serious question. From those of you who know him and who've been backstage, how would the show handle that situation? How could Roger satisfy that contestant that nothing happened?

It only takes one contestant who thinks they've been wronged to complain to their local paper or TV station when they get home, and the story is all over the Internet the next day. Even though nothing really happened, the show now has a perception that it'll never live down. They can't afford to risk that. Unfortunately, that comes at Voltron's expense.

Just a little more food for thought. Sorry for rambling.

John

[Casey]

Then quite simply, no one in the audience should be allowed to participate in the playings.  Doing that would allow anyone to attend, avoid any sort of impropriety, and avoid any messy "you can sit here, but you can't sit here, and you can't say anything to anyone" situations...

[SteveGavazzi]

Why?  Voltron is the exception to the rule.  There can't be even ten people in the whole country that they've had to do this to.

[BigJon]

Voltron, in case my mind slips (haven't made as many taping as you), i need you to make sure you are there when i go again!
Those people who are loyal friends and true will always have an advantage.... and I see zip wrong with looking in the audience for help from them... Shoot, i know I was telling the people in line when i went to the specs various "known" game rules.. zero rule for 10C, 4 nows and 2 thens in now or then, etc....