Transcript 5/5/2011 - Will Kang (carryover contestant)

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Will Kang
Hackensack, NJ
Professional poker player

Will intimidates opponents with a "Hello, Kitty" figurine. He puts it on top of his stack of chips. Will has $52,000 but no lifelines.

Topic Tree: (randomized)
6 - Sound of Gossip
4 - Fake Lake
9 - First Pitch
10 - Food for Thought
3 - Garden Fun
8 - What is It?
1 - Camera Ready
5 - Reading Adventures
7 - Rap & Rock
2 - Good Causes

Question #7 (Food for Thought - Level 10)
Dragée is the fancy but correct term for the type of edible made by what popular snack brand?
A - Oreo
B - Triscuit
C - Mentos
D - Twizzlers

Will doesn't think it's

Spoiler

Twizzlers or Oreos

. He's going to have to walk away.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Mentos)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $26,000

[SportsFan68]

I was doomed on this one. I don't think I had any lifelines left either.

[earendel]

Will Kang
Hackensack, NJ
Professional poker player

Will intimidates opponents with a "Hello, Kitty" figurine. He puts it on top of his stack of chips. Will has $52,000 but no lifelines.

I can understand why that would be intimidating based on what I've seen here.

Question #7 (Food for Thought - Level 10)
Dragée is the fancy but correct term for the type of edible made by what popular snack brand?
A - Oreo
B - Triscuit
C - Mentos
D - Twizzlers

Will doesn't think it's

Spoiler

Twizzlers or Oreos

. He's going to have to walk away.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Mentos)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $26,000

No idea, but since I would have had lifelines, I'd use one and JTQ.

[willkang]

I knew the answer (after a lot of thought) but a producer came on stage and told me that I had to walk. So much stuff got edited out on that last question.

[earendel]

I knew the answer (after a lot of thought) but a producer came on stage and told me that I had to walk. So much stuff got edited out on that last question.

Hey, Will. Good to hear from you. I'm sure the Bored denizens would be interested in hearing more about this - I know I would. How much editing was done and how long did you deliberate before you were told you had to walk?

[silvercamaro]

Welcome, Will. We'd love to hear more about your entire experience with WWTBAM.

[Bob78164]

I knew the answer (after a lot of thought) but a producer came on stage and told me that I had to walk. So much stuff got edited out on that last question.

Welcome aBored!

Count me as one of the many who would love to hear more detail about this. --Bob

[willkang]

So I see the category for my 1st holdover question. I'm relatively thrilled to see the category of Cooking.

Not so thrilled when I see the actual question since I had never heard the term dragee before.

I randomly blabber about possible choices even though I have no real clue.

I finally decide to take a shot and start to give an answer about Triscuit - even though I know Triscuits are an early 20th c American creation.

There's a obvious groan of disappointment from the audience from my answer, so I hesitate and rethink some more. About a minute has passed at this point.

A little late a producer comes out (the young blond one) and tells me that I need to give an answer right now.

I take about 30 more seconds when I make the connection that dragee is a European term and that Mentos are the only real European answer. I enthusiastically say something along the lines of "OMG, Mentos has to be it. The European fresh-maker."

I'm about to say "C. Mentos, final answer" when I get a tap on the shoulder. It's the same producer and she says that I have to walk. I'm stunned for a second. Then Meredith says, "Say it!" I'm really confused now.

I'm 95% sure of my answer. I'm at $52k. But no lifelines and I have to answer a bunch of more questions to get to Round 2 (to keep all the money) and all the big money is already gone. And I feel like I already got a pass from the free anti-ATA. I take the "easy" way out and do what the producer says.

Afterwards, the lead counsel chases me down on to the street to reassure me that this is what they do all the time. No idea what that means. I'm assuming it was some pre-emptive thing or gauge to see if I was inclined to sue them. Or maybe he felt bad - he did say during his orientation spiel that there was no real time limit anymore.

So I wish I had trusted Meredith. And I wish I had gotten clarification on why I was told to walk.

[Bob78164]

So I see the category for my 1st holdover question. I'm relatively thrilled to see the category of Cooking.

Not so thrilled when I see the actual question since I had never heard the term dragee before.

I randomly blabber about possible choices even though I have no real clue.

I finally decide to take a shot and start to give an answer about Triscuit - even though I know Triscuits are an early 20th c American creation.

There's a obvious groan of disappointment from the audience from my answer, so I hesitate and rethink some more. About a minute has passed at this point.

A little late a producer comes out (the young blond one) and tells me that I need to give an answer right now.

I take about 30 more seconds when I make the connection that dragee is a European term and that Mentos are the only real European answer. I enthusiastically say something along the lines of "OMG, Mentos has to be it. The European fresh-maker."

I'm about to say "C. Mentos, final answer" when I get a tap on the shoulder. It's the same producer and she says that I have to walk. I'm stunned for a second. Then Meredith says, "Say it!" I'm really confused now.

I'm 95% sure of my answer. I'm at $52k. But no lifelines and I have to answer a bunch of more questions to get to Round 2 (to keep all the money) and all the big money is already gone. And I feel like I already got a pass from the free anti-ATA. I take the "easy" way out and do what the producer says.

Afterwards, the lead counsel chases me down on to the street to reassure me that this is what they do all the time. No idea what that means. I'm assuming it was some pre-emptive thing or gauge to see if I was inclined to sue them. Or maybe he felt bad - he did say during his orientation spiel that there was no real time limit anymore.

So I wish I had trusted Meredith. And I wish I had gotten clarification on why I was told to walk.

Thanks for coming back to give us the rest of the story. --Bob

[willkang]

The actual time might have been a bit longer. Definitely less than 3 minutes though. And I actually don't know how much was edited out since my holdover broadcast got pre-empted. I sort of made assumptions about what they would cut out.

[MarleysGh0st]

So I see the category for my 1st holdover question. I'm relatively thrilled to see the category of Cooking.

Not so thrilled when I see the actual question since I had never heard the term dragee before.

I randomly blabber about possible choices even though I have no real clue.

I finally decide to take a shot and start to give an answer about Triscuit - even though I know Triscuits are an early 20th c American creation.

There's a obvious groan of disappointment from the audience from my answer, so I hesitate and rethink some more. About a minute has passed at this point.

A little late a producer comes out (the young blond one) and tells me that I need to give an answer right now.

I take about 30 more seconds when I make the connection that dragee is a European term and that Mentos are the only real European answer. I enthusiastically say something along the lines of "OMG, Mentos has to be it. The European fresh-maker."

I'm about to say "C. Mentos, final answer" when I get a tap on the shoulder. It's the same producer and she says that I have to walk. I'm stunned for a second. Then Meredith says, "Say it!" I'm really confused now.

I'm 95% sure of my answer. I'm at $52k. But no lifelines and I have to answer a bunch of more questions to get to Round 2 (to keep all the money) and all the big money is already gone. And I feel like I already got a pass from the free anti-ATA. I take the "easy" way out and do what the producer says.

Afterwards, the lead counsel chases me down on to the street to reassure me that this is what they do all the time. No idea what that means. I'm assuming it was some pre-emptive thing or gauge to see if I was inclined to sue them. Or maybe he felt bad - he did say during his orientation spiel that there was no real time limit anymore.

So I wish I had trusted Meredith. And I wish I had gotten clarification on why I was told to walk.

They do this all the time, huh? I admit that I haven't been to a taping in the last two seasons, but I never saw them do that before then. Did their legal briefing contain an explanation that the instructions to "answer right now" came with an implicit X-second clock to say what you want, or else it's an automatic walk?

If you wanted to answer the question, I'd have done just that, loudly and clearly. Then, if the producers were unhappy with that response, make them stop the tape and explain, in front of Meredith and all of the audience, just what they were forcing you to do.

[secondchance]

So I see the category for my 1st holdover question. I'm relatively thrilled to see the category of Cooking.

Not so thrilled when I see the actual question since I had never heard the term dragee before.

I randomly blabber about possible choices even though I have no real clue.

I finally decide to take a shot and start to give an answer about Triscuit - even though I know Triscuits are an early 20th c American creation.

There's a obvious groan of disappointment from the audience from my answer, so I hesitate and rethink some more. About a minute has passed at this point.

A little late a producer comes out (the young blond one) and tells me that I need to give an answer right now.

I take about 30 more seconds when I make the connection that dragee is a European term and that Mentos are the only real European answer. I enthusiastically say something along the lines of "OMG, Mentos has to be it. The European fresh-maker."

I'm about to say "C. Mentos, final answer" when I get a tap on the shoulder. It's the same producer and she says that I have to walk. I'm stunned for a second. Then Meredith says, "Say it!" I'm really confused now.

I'm 95% sure of my answer. I'm at $52k. But no lifelines and I have to answer a bunch of more questions to get to Round 2 (to keep all the money) and all the big money is already gone. And I feel like I already got a pass from the free anti-ATA. I take the "easy" way out and do what the producer says.

Afterwards, the lead counsel chases me down on to the street to reassure me that this is what they do all the time. No idea what that means. I'm assuming it was some pre-emptive thing or gauge to see if I was inclined to sue them. Or maybe he felt bad - he did say during his orientation spiel that there was no real time limit anymore.

So I wish I had trusted Meredith. And I wish I had gotten clarification on why I was told to walk.

Ya know what- this sounds like the exact same thing that must have happened to the guy with the Mt. Rushmore/South Dakota question! Apparently if the audience appears to influence your decision, they producers "make" you walk. And how is that fair to the contestant? After all, the audience has been wrong en masse on ATA'a on many occasion... That really sucks, Will. If there's nothing about this in the instructions, either make the audience shut up, or let the contestant go the way he wants to go...

[christie1111]

Congratulations on getting into the Hot Seat!

Very interesting story about the forced to walk part.

I wish you had done what Meredith said!

Tha being said, the only time I have heard the term 'Dragée' is for a cookie/cake decoration. Those little silver balls that can break your tooth on christmas cookies. It would have taken me some time to connect them to Mentos. But I guess they are made through a multi-layer coating process so probably the only one that fit the technique.

Don't know if I could have pulled the trigger on that kind of logic.

It certainly would have taken me quite a while to get there in the thought process though.

[ten96lt]

So I see the category for my 1st holdover question. I'm relatively thrilled to see the category of Cooking.

Not so thrilled when I see the actual question since I had never heard the term dragee before.

I randomly blabber about possible choices even though I have no real clue.

I finally decide to take a shot and start to give an answer about Triscuit - even though I know Triscuits are an early 20th c American creation.

There's a obvious groan of disappointment from the audience from my answer, so I hesitate and rethink some more. About a minute has passed at this point.

A little late a producer comes out (the young blond one) and tells me that I need to give an answer right now.

I take about 30 more seconds when I make the connection that dragee is a European term and that Mentos are the only real European answer. I enthusiastically say something along the lines of "OMG, Mentos has to be it. The European fresh-maker."

I'm about to say "C. Mentos, final answer" when I get a tap on the shoulder. It's the same producer and she says that I have to walk. I'm stunned for a second. Then Meredith says, "Say it!" I'm really confused now.

I'm 95% sure of my answer. I'm at $52k. But no lifelines and I have to answer a bunch of more questions to get to Round 2 (to keep all the money) and all the big money is already gone. And I feel like I already got a pass from the free anti-ATA. I take the "easy" way out and do what the producer says.

Afterwards, the lead counsel chases me down on to the street to reassure me that this is what they do all the time. No idea what that means. I'm assuming it was some pre-emptive thing or gauge to see if I was inclined to sue them. Or maybe he felt bad - he did say during his orientation spiel that there was no real time limit anymore.

So I wish I had trusted Meredith. And I wish I had gotten clarification on why I was told to walk.

Ya know what- this sounds like the exact same thing that must have happened to the guy with the Mt. Rushmore/South Dakota question! Apparently if the audience appears to influence your decision, they producers "make" you walk. And how is that fair to the contestant? After all, the audience has been wrong en masse on ATA'a on many occasion... That really sucks, Will. If there's nothing about this in the instructions, either make the audience shut up, or let the contestant go the way he wants to go...

The audience has seemed to be more vocal this season than when they had the hot seat. I remember when in the audience the most noise I ever made during game play was a slight whisper to people around me during ATA when they were asking what to vote. Other than that I was silent (although in my head I was screaming the answer; ex: CAPTCHA with clem) until after final answer was said or the contestant walked away. If they don't like the way the audience is making noise, don't be afraid to tell them to quiet down or throw out the question and make the audience understand why they had to do it. Don't punish the contestant because you can't control the audience.

[MarleysGh0st]

The audience has seemed to be more vocal this season than when they had the hot seat. I remember when in the audience the most noise I ever made during game play was a slight whisper to people around me during ATA when they were asking what to vote. Other than that I was silent (although in my head I was screaming the answer; ex: CAPTCHA with clem) until after final answer was said or the contestant walked away. If they don't like the way the audience is making noise, don't be afraid to tell them to quiet down or throw out the question and make the audience understand why they had to do it. Don't punish the contestant because you can't control the audience.

Were you in the audience, too, that day?

I agree that the audience is less self-controlled than they used to be--and that's TPTB's fault. The warm-up comedian should be cautioning them about such things, along with his instructions about how to applaud, etc. However, I still think the order to walk was in response to Will's delay after being told to "answer now," not in response to the audience reaction.

[ten96lt]

The audience has seemed to be more vocal this season than when they had the hot seat. I remember when in the audience the most noise I ever made during game play was a slight whisper to people around me during ATA when they were asking what to vote. Other than that I was silent (although in my head I was screaming the answer; ex: CAPTCHA with clem) until after final answer was said or the contestant walked away. If they don't like the way the audience is making noise, don't be afraid to tell them to quiet down or throw out the question and make the audience understand why they had to do it. Don't punish the contestant because you can't control the audience.

Were you in the audience, too, that day?

Yep, I think we discussed this in Clem's thread or the 09 audition thread.