The Price Ain’t Right

The seductive—and scary—sides of winning big on a game show

I won nearly $40,000 on the Price is Right in 2018. Unexpectedly, the experience was almost tantric in its sensuality. The hours-long, anticipatory wait in line, furtive glances at strangers nearby, and sweat (so, so much sweat) as we stood in handmade shirts waiting for the chance to caress Drew Carey in a public forum… it was almost too much.

Interestingly, we weren’t all there for the same reason. Not all of us planned to actually ‘come on down.’ Sure, the vast majority of the hundreds of us who gathered for one of two tapings per day at CBS Studios committed to an afternoon of entertainment. There were California regulars who considered it completely normal to wait to see a live game show once or twice a year, but had low expectations for anything other than maybe seeing someone embarrass themselves on their way up to the stage. There were also the folks you’re probably thinking of, who were at various stages of desperation, trying for the umpteenth time to be selected. This elderly man at my taping nearly brought me to tears. He hobbled up to a producer with a sparkly cane and shirt that said, “This is my 27th show! Pick me!” If anyone deserved a shot, it was him.