What's in It for You?

[Timsterino]

I really do it for the experience first. Now, the money and prizes of course are not bad end results.

Even though I won small change (what is considered small on Wheel of Fortune that is), I would not trade the experience of Pat, Vanna, spinning the wheel, saying "I would like to buy a vowel and I would like to solve the puzzle," and especially all of my buds who came to watch me for anything.

It is true that once I got on Millionaire, I wanted to go on almost every one.

[chad1m]

For me, I love game shows and have since I was three days old. I've always wanted to be on one, and the fact that big bucks come along with it is just a bonus. I know and appreciate that I'm really lucky to have been selected for two, considering most that have the same dreams as I don't get on any.

[peacock2121]

Pretty much what MMFF said for me.

If I can do it and it looks like fun - why not?

Setting a goal and achieving it. Being in a small minority of people in life, not because I was lucky, but because I took it on and didn't stop.

I do think that if I were smarter, knew more stuff and all that, it would be about the money. I am not informed enough to make enough money to have it be that.

I am not interested in Deal or No Deal, mostly because it would be all luck. Not much fun in a game like that, for me.

[Appa23]

I will give you my son's answer -- it is all about being on television.

It really sticks in his craw that I have been on television, and he has not.


On the positive side for him, he appears to be the "perfect" game show contestant -- he is very smart, with a great memory for trivial things, and has a ton of personality and humor. Plus, it does not hurt that he wants to be a movie actor (well, he wants to appear in the remaining Harry Potter movies. LOL)

Marley, don't grumble at my son.

[MarleysGh0st]

Marley, don't grumble at my son.

But...but...but I have to grumble at the What Elses!

[ulysses5019]

Marley, don't grumble at my son.

But...but...but I have to grumble at the What Elses!

He's not a WE yet. Heck he hasn't even moved to NYC.

[MarleysGh0st]

Marley, don't grumble at my son.

But...but...but I have to grumble at the What Elses!

He's not a WE yet. Heck he hasn't even moved to NYC.

Right. A little pre-emptive grumbling now might save him from a lifetime's mistake!

[minimetoo26]

I'll be a pain and not vote, because my choice isn't up there. And it isn't Naomi's favorite radio station.

The only reason I auditioned is basically other people wanted me to. When Wheel of Fortune came out, we'd watch it in the bar where I worked, and I could fill in the puzzles with very few letters, so when they ran contests my customers would have me fill in their entries, but I never thought to try to audition. When Millionaire came around, people kept telling me I should be on, until one day I ran someone's stack to $250k without a lifeline and my husband picked up the phone, dialled the number, then handed it to me. I told him I'd call when the phone lines open, and I did.

I called every night, with varying amounts of success, but no callbacks. Then auditions came around, and I went twice, passed twice, and no callback. So, I'm done. I never really gave a shit on my behalf, just other people's behalf, I guess. I don't go out of my way to even watch most shows, let alone go try to be on them. So every once in a while my kids tell me I should go on J! or Wheel or even Cash Cab, and I tune them out. Because I really don't care enough.

But I love hanging out with you guys!

[littlebeast13]

But I love hanging out with you guys!

Yeah, that's why you have about 8 kajillion frequent flyer miles and they always keep a room on reserve for you at Disney World.....

lb13

[minimetoo26]

But I love hanging out with you guys!

Yeah, that's why you have about 8 kajillion frequent flyer miles and they always keep a room on reserve for you at Disney World.....

lb13

I wish! We outgrew the Disney rooms and have to stay offsite. And it's my husband who is racking up the miles (Chicago this weekend--he's at the airport as we type), plus we get them through credit cards.

So, HA!

[ulysses5019]

I'll be a pain and not vote, because my choice isn't up there. And it isn't Naomi's favorite radio station.

The only reason I auditioned is basically other people wanted me to. When Wheel of Fortune came out, we'd watch it in the bar where I worked, and I could fill in the puzzles with very few letters, so when they ran contests my customers would have me fill in their entries, but I never thought to try to audition. When Millionaire came around, people kept telling me I should be on, until one day I ran someone's stack to $250k without a lifeline and my husband picked up the phone, dialled the number, then handed it to me. I told him I'd call when the phone lines open, and I did.

I called every night, with varying amounts of success, but no callbacks. Then auditions came around, and I went twice, passed twice, and no callback. So, I'm done. I never really gave a shit on my behalf, just other people's behalf, I guess. I don't go out of my way to even watch most shows, let alone go try to be on them. So every once in a while my kids tell me I should go on J! or Wheel or even Cash Cab, and I tune them out. Because I really don't care enough.

But I love hanging out with you guys!

But you would have been the perfect reluctant contestant. Marley would have showered you with grumbles.

[littlebeast13]

But I love hanging out with you guys!

Yeah, that's why you have about 8 kajillion frequent flyer miles and they always keep a room on reserve for you at Disney World.....

lb13

I wish! We outgrew the Disney rooms and have to stay offsite. And it's my husband who is racking up the miles (Chicago this weekend--he's at the airport as we type), plus we get them through credit cards.

So, HA!

We'll make you start carrying a laptop around so that you never miss us. I'd hate for you to get suddenly depressed in the middle of one of your vacations because you didn't have a chance all day to torture your favorite pain in the ass.....

We'll even find one with a keybaord that's resistant to mai tai spills....

lb13

[littlebeast13]

I'll be a pain and not vote, because my choice isn't up there. And it isn't Naomi's favorite radio station.

The only reason I auditioned is basically other people wanted me to. When Wheel of Fortune came out, we'd watch it in the bar where I worked, and I could fill in the puzzles with very few letters, so when they ran contests my customers would have me fill in their entries, but I never thought to try to audition. When Millionaire came around, people kept telling me I should be on, until one day I ran someone's stack to $250k without a lifeline and my husband picked up the phone, dialled the number, then handed it to me. I told him I'd call when the phone lines open, and I did.

I called every night, with varying amounts of success, but no callbacks. Then auditions came around, and I went twice, passed twice, and no callback. So, I'm done. I never really gave a shit on my behalf, just other people's behalf, I guess. I don't go out of my way to even watch most shows, let alone go try to be on them. So every once in a while my kids tell me I should go on J! or Wheel or even Cash Cab, and I tune them out. Because I really don't care enough.

But I love hanging out with you guys!

But you would have been the perfect reluctant contestant. Marley would have showered you with grumbles.

Speaking of showering, ease up a bit on the spittle there, Sgt. Squirrel....

lb13

[minimetoo26]

Yeah, that's why you have about 8 kajillion frequent flyer miles and they always keep a room on reserve for you at Disney World.....

lb13

I wish! We outgrew the Disney rooms and have to stay offsite. And it's my husband who is racking up the miles (Chicago this weekend--he's at the airport as we type), plus we get them through credit cards.

So, HA!

We'll make you start carrying a laptop around so that you never miss us. I'd hate for you to get suddenly depressed in the middle of one of your vacations because you didn't have a chance all day to torture your favorite pain in the ass.....

We'll even find one with a keybaord that's resistant to mai tai spills....

lb13

How about resistant to being spun on Mission:SPACE of soaked on Kali River Rapids or scorching heat and high humidity.... ?:P

Mrs. T's mai tai mix tastes like cough syrup. That is all on that subject.

[ulysses5019]

I'll be a pain and not vote, because my choice isn't up there. And it isn't Naomi's favorite radio station.

The only reason I auditioned is basically other people wanted me to. When Wheel of Fortune came out, we'd watch it in the bar where I worked, and I could fill in the puzzles with very few letters, so when they ran contests my customers would have me fill in their entries, but I never thought to try to audition. When Millionaire came around, people kept telling me I should be on, until one day I ran someone's stack to $250k without a lifeline and my husband picked up the phone, dialled the number, then handed it to me. I told him I'd call when the phone lines open, and I did.

I called every night, with varying amounts of success, but no callbacks. Then auditions came around, and I went twice, passed twice, and no callback. So, I'm done. I never really gave a shit on my behalf, just other people's behalf, I guess. I don't go out of my way to even watch most shows, let alone go try to be on them. So every once in a while my kids tell me I should go on J! or Wheel or even Cash Cab, and I tune them out. Because I really don't care enough.

But I love hanging out with you guys!

But you would have been the perfect reluctant contestant. Marley would have showered you with grumbles.

Speaking of showering, ease up a bit on the spittle there, Sgt. Squirrel....

lb13

I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?

[Psycho Beast]

But you would have been the perfect reluctant contestant. Marley would have showered you with grumbles.

Speaking of showering, ease up a bit on the spittle there, Sgt. Squirrel....

lb13

I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?

Sir! I have my full metal straightjacket on and ready for inspection, sir!

[MarleysGh0st]

I'll be a pain and not vote, because my choice isn't up there. And it isn't Naomi's favorite radio station.

Someone else who didn't catch Fanny's statement that not voting is a vote.

But when a "not vote" vote is voted, it doesn't appear in the poll tallies with the other votes, so it's not the same as a vote vote.

This is why the WGAS choice is mandatory on all Bored polls!

[ulysses5019]

Speaking of showering, ease up a bit on the spittle there, Sgt. Squirrel....

lb13

I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?

Sir! I have my full metal straightjacket on and ready for inspection, sir!

Were you born a fat, slimy, scumbag puke piece o' shit, Psycho Beast, or did you have to work on it?

[minimetoo26]

Someone else who didn't catch Fanny's statement that not voting is a vote.

But when a "not vote" vote is voted, it doesn't appear in the poll tallies with the other votes, so it's not the same as a vote vote.

Which is why I made it clear my unvote was not part of the official tally! I could break out the MM and do some serious damage on poll results, you know! But I am helping to keep fanny's numbers legit by telling her my vote was a non-vote vote.

[littlebeast13]

Someone else who didn't catch Fanny's statement that not voting is a vote.

But when a "not vote" vote is voted, it doesn't appear in the poll tallies with the other votes, so it's not the same as a vote vote.

Which is why I made it clear my unvote was not part of the official tally! I could break out the MM and do some serious damage on poll results, you know! But I am helping to keep fanny's numbers legit by telling her my vote was a non-vote vote.

I have 104 or so votes for sale.....

lb13

[nitrah55]

Here's my take on the choices:

Money. Maybe Ed or Nancy could overrule me on this, but I would guess any money one could win on a game show would suddenly be not enough once you have it.

Smarts. Just so long as you're also willing to have the world see how brilliant you aren't, this is a reasonable choice.

Glory. See "how brilliant you aren't" above.

Having been on a game show and having it not work out from a victory or success standpoint as well as I would have liked (and I am not alone on this board in this experience, to be sure), I have to say I would do it again only for the fun and to see if I still have the chops, which, by the way, I don't believe I do.

When I departed the J! set, I was not so upset that I had lost than I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to play again.

[tanstaafl2]

Like others it is somewhere between 1 and 2 for me although I voted for the 2 option because I think that is closer to my true motivation.

The money would be nice but mainly the format of the original show and the phone game made it the first game show I would have wanted to try for. Presuming one got past the phone game and the original FF and got in the hot seat, neither of which was easy but both of which seemed realistically doable for some one who did not live in NY or LA, the competition was ideal for me. Never much good at instant recall I would likely not have been successful at J! even if I could have gotten on the show. But BAM was perfect. If you could get through the phone game you got flown to the show. If you got through the FF then it was just you against the questions. The answer was right in front of you, there was no time limit and my strength was recall. If I had seen it before I felt I had a decent chance to recognize it again. In the early days and from the safety and comfort of my living room, unlike now, I rarely had trouble getting to at least 32K, often without a lifeline. I wanted to test myself to see if I could do it under the bright lights as well!

And I firmly believe I would have played to at least 32K even if I had to burn every lifeline and take a 1 in 4 guess to do it. The money itself at that level was and is less important to me than the competition and testing myself.

[silvercamaro]

For me, it was and is all about the challenge.

I've always loved quiz shows, but having lived in the middle of the country, I never considered myself a likely contestant. Millionaire's phone game suddenly made that seem theoretically possible, but I never got a single callback. By the time the auditions were instituted, however, my image of myself as a prospective contestant had changed. I was not selected from the first audition, but that only proved to increase my determination to figure out what it would take. In the process, my conception of "wasting money on taking another audition trip" was converted to "investing in myself."

I was happy to win some money, but it wasn't as much as I would have liked at the time. In retrospect, it turned out to be exactly as much as I needed for what was most important to me. My show offered me the opportunity to feel "smart" and humbled within the same stack of questions, and "glory" is a relative term. The single best feel-good moment came via a 12-year-old I knew from dance class, who might well have thought of me as an eccentric older woman, but who told her mother with delight, "Mom, my friend Judy is going to be on television!"

So now I want to be on Jeopardy! I can't pretend that I wouldn't have been a relatively better J! contestant when I was 30 or 40, but I don't care. It's about the challenge of trying to get there. If I make it, I fully intend to spend more than third-place winnings on the trip to the taping, just to insure that I remain motivated about that darn signal button.

The next game show is my Mount Everest. It's there, and it needs to be conquered.

[TheCalvinator24]

The choices are so severe that it's really tough to pick one over the others.

Given the choices, I'll say the money, with a little of the other two sprinkled in. However, I wouldn't want to go on J! and look like an idiot. I know that nobody who gets on the show is truly an idiot, but some of them sure like it.