The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Shredder on November 08, 2003, 09:33:36 AM
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"Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of Zonk Prizes"
So tell me, what's the reasonable duplicate of a gigantic stuffed moose, or whatever it was today?
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[quote name=\'Shredder\' date=\'Nov 8 2003, 09:33 AM\'] "Some traders accept reasonable duplicates of Zonk Prizes"
So tell me, what's the reasonable duplicate of a gigantic stuffed moose, or whatever it was today? [/quote]
Monty told me they often offered cash and/or prizes that had been plugged (paid for) but not won. The "zonkees" loved the opportunity for something other than 5 live baby elephants, as did the show. Apparently some of that livestock was surprisingly expensive, and never available in exchange for mentions as the breeders had no retail business that would benefit from exposure.
The term "reasonable duplicate" does seem a bit afield of the reality. But remember that TV is in the business of illusions. While the FCC requires disclosure that a substitute prize may have been awarded, it would sure kill one of the show's more unique moments of illusion to say that all that crazy crap the viewer envisions zonkees having to take home never really went out the door.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
PS: Barker's 80th birthday primetimer is a KILLER show!
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Of course, the option of trading a zonk backstage for a nicer prize isn't mandatory -- someone mentioned that a farmer got a cow or a steer as a zonk -- and decided to keep it. While zonks are supposed to be worthless, the producers of LMAD ended up paying lots of money for that one.
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"Reasonable substitute" is the more apt phrase.
I'm not sure the FCC requires that kind of disclosure when it comes to game show prizes. Rather, I think it's one of many disclaimers that anal-retentive lawyers came up with to cover the networks' asses (and station licenses) in the backlash of the quiz scandals, along with that most ubiquitous of all disclaimers: "Contestants must meet eligibility requirements". I sleep better at night knowing that.
Barker's 80th birthday primetimer is a KILLER show!
Clearly you don't mean this in the literal sense. I hate to see the words "80th birthday" and "killer" in the same sentence ;-)
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[quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Nov 8 2003, 12:13 PM\']Of course, the option of trading a zonk backstage for a nicer prize isn't mandatory -- someone mentioned that a farmer got a cow or a steer as a zonk -- and decided to keep it. While zonks are supposed to be worthless, the producers of LMAD ended up paying lots of money for that one.[/quote]
Sounds like something I'd say - or, more specifically, something I read in TV Guide once. The same article mentioned that they also had an oil derrick (the kind that bobs up and down at one end) as a zonk once (actually worth more than that day's Big Deal, too), but they did manage to get whoever "won" it to accept a color TV (back in the days when they were big and expensive) in exchange.
-- Don (and there have been times when "worthless" zonks were traded in for a door in the Big Deal)
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I remember seeing a playing of Door #4 where the contestant spun "ZONK." They received a t-shirt that said something to the effect of "I got zonked on Let's Make a Deal." Always seemed like a reasonable way to reward the zonked to me.
--
Scott Robinson
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[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' date=\'Nov 8 2003, 05:09 PM\'] I remember seeing a playing of Door #4 where the contestant spun "ZONK." They received a t-shirt that said something to the effect of "I got zonked on Let's Make a Deal." [/quote]
IIRC, it was actually "I got zonked by Monty Hall!"
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[quote name=\'TonicBH\' date=\'Nov 9 2003, 02:36 PM\'] IIRC, it was actually "I got zonked by Monty Hall!" [/quote]
I am almost certain you recall incorrectly. I vividly remember the LMAD logo on the shirts. Mighta said "I got Zonked by Monty Hall on LMAD", but the name of the show is in there.
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I'm fairly sure it was just "I got zonked by Monty Hall"; sometimes, a smaller version of the shirt was given away as a zonk as well.
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Well, Google appears to agree with you guys, so I will defer.