The Price is ALWAYS Right Boo

(Reader Warning: BE ADVISED: One of my most illegible posts ever, and that's saying something since the words are being typed)

I'm not sure that I've met anyone who does not enjoy The Price is Right. This fact could not surprise me less, because well, it's game show gold. I'd like to list a few of my favorite things about TPIR and why these things have added to its folklore over the 35+ years it's been on air.

First off, I don't think many would disagree that Bob Barker will always be the face of the show. Drew Carey may be his replacement as host, but in our hearts, Bob made the show what it is today. The man is a legend, and in addition to being the best game show host ever, he probably would be the only senior citizen I'd be legitimately scared to leave a girlfriend around, cause I have no doubts his game is second to none. Still, he retired, and as the old saying goes, the show must go on.

I don't think there's any non-sports television programming outside of TPIR that gets me legitimately excited. I route for and against contestants on the show and with a vigor that is only bested by that which I show during a big Philly sporting event. I was watching the other morning, and there was a really boisterous, yet charming, woman who won the opportunity to drop a total of 5 chips down the Plinko board in an attempt to win cash. (If you don't know what Plinko is, you should get out from under the eco-friendly box you've been living in, stop "going green," and start studying up on TPIR) The woman got a 0 and $1,000 with her first two chips as the crowd and I awaited the drop of the third. She dropped it, and as it clanked around the plastic rungs, it built anticipation in the hearts of all who watched with a "drum-roll" like sound echoing through the Los Angeles Studio air. Then....bam! $10,000!!! I literally did a leaping fist pump in a room by myself and let out a shout, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!!" Then she doubled up on the 5th chip with another 10K. It goes without saying that I had another victorious fist pump to celebrate her $21,500 Plinko experience.

There are so many unbelievably creative pricing games that the show has thought up over the years. Like the golf game, where a contestant has to sink a put to win a car. The kicker is that the distance of the put is based on the number of items that they can guess (with a hint) the prices of. Then there's the dice game, where a person rolls a huge die then has to determine the last 4 numbers of the price of a car based on whether they think it is higher or lower than the number they rolled. These games are magnificent. And I haven't even mentioned the gigantic showcase showdown wheel. (which weaklings struggle to get the full way-round, and military dudes give power-spins to) How have I not been a contestant on this show yet. I'm an embarrassment...

Another awesome moment on the show comes when the tension rises between the 4 contestants bidding on items to get up on stage. The bidder closest to the actual retain price of the item without going over wins the item and a shot at more. Say me, Billy, Johnny, and Mary Kate are all contestants (because apparently I'm on the redneck version of the show) bidding on items. The next item up for bids is "a faaaaabulous leather loooove seat." Billy bids $500, Johnny bids $650, and Mary Kate bids an Ashley Olsen-sized $1 (did I just take an accurate shot at a celebrity? Time to call it quits, life-wise) At this point I can tick Johnny off and bid $651 or face Mary Kate's evil stare if I bid $2. Bottom Line: If I think that sucker's in between $1 and $500, I'm going strategic on MK's sorry behind and yelling at Drew "TWO DOLLLLLLLLARS DREW," with the energy of a toddler-legion. If I think it's over $650, you better believe the smart option is taking Route 651 northbound to the stage where another prize awaits my keen pricing ability. Constant battles like this make (even a minor)addiction to TPIR unavoidable.

These are the moments that TPIR continually delivers. It never disappoints in the clutch, and always brings home the bacon, which incidentally is 3.99 if you're playing the grocery game.

There are sooo many more things that make TPIR the best game show ever. I could write about TPIR all day, but I already lost one reader who glanced at the size of the post and was already turned off (*cough*cough* Tricia *cough*) so I'll stop here in a shameless effort to keep the attention spans of the 4 of you that do glance at this. What a sellout move. I wouldn't sellout like that would I? Maybe....if the price is right...(*wickedly smiling at the intentionally off-the-charts cheesy level of my conclusion*)

Till your eyes play plinko with my words again sir or madam....