Author Topic: Wheel of Fortune Contestants (Read 7087 times)

Jeremy Nelson · « **on:** September 20, 2007, 08:02:58 PM »

Is it just me, or does $25,000 no longer excite contestants on Wheel? Over the past 3 years, everytime I saw a contestant win it in the bonus round, they gave an emotionless cheer and a dejected face. If I didn't know any better, these people borrowed their facial expressions from some Jeopardy! winners. I know Wheel is way past having $25K as their only top prize, but jeez, isn't $25K still worth something to people?

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2007, 08:24:20 PM »

It's certainly something, but it's the lowest prize available in the bonus round. You don't go into it thinking "I hope I win the $25,000." That's like playing Punch-a-Bunch and hoping for $500. Sure it's good money, but nothing compared to what's possible.

Steve McClellan · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2007, 08:34:52 PM »

What Kevin said, pretty much. As soon as you've solved the bonus puzzle, you know you've won $25,000. When the envelope opens, there's a 1/3 chance that you'll win more money ($5,000 to $75,000 more), a 5/12 chance that you'll (basically) have to buy a car with your winnings (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the circumstances), and a 1/4 chance that you'll end up with just what you already knew you had.

A $25,000 envelope is basically a zero. It's not really that conducive to glee. What could be done about that?

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2007, 08:40:42 PM »

[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' post=\'164408\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 05:34 PM\']
A $25,000 envelope is basically a zero. It's not really that conducive to glee. What could be done about that?
[/quote]
Um, get contestants that aren't so damned greedy as to look mournful when they win $25,000?

/anyone who wants to give me their zero-value $25,000 check, please contact me

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2007, 08:40:46 PM »

[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' post=\'164408\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 07:34 PM\']
What could be done about that?
[/quote]
I don't know what you can do. If you raise the minimum prize to say, $50,000, then you'll have people disappointed about winning that.

Perhaps it'd be best to throw a bunch of prizes onto the wheel, and offer only a sprinkling of cash prizes.
Either that, or cast better contestants.

Quote

A $25,000 envelope is basically a zero. It's not really that conducive to glee.

Oh, bull. $25,000 would pay off just about all my debts. I sure as hell wouldn't be bitching about being debt-free.

clemon79 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2007, 08:45:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'164411\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 05:40 PM\']
I don't know what you can do. If you raise the minimum prize to say, $50,000, then you'll have people disappointed about winning that.
[/quote]
Well, stepping away from the issue of idiot contestant coordinators for a moment, here's the solve: go through all of that before you play the endgame.

If you MUST do the variable-prize thing, you select and find out what you are playing for BEFORE you play for it. That way, if you win it, you're happy you won it and that is that. Any "disappointment" at playing for the minimum prize (and if those people are truly "disappointed", I'd like to "meet" them so I can "deliver" a "cockpunch" unto them) is over and done with before the Big Moment, and likely minimized because they still need to get themselves up to win *something*.

(Personally, I'd be thrilled as hell to win $25K, because I don't have to flip $25K like I would have to with a car. For my money, the REAL Whammies on the Prize Wheel are the trips.)

BrandonFG · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2007, 09:00:08 PM »

I've never noticed someone look "disappointed" per se, but they do sometimes look devoid of any emotion, almost like "Damn...that's it?!" I mean, can you really be upset when your chances of $100K are 1-in-24?

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164412\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 08:45 PM\']
(Personally, I'd be thrilled as hell to win $25K, because I don't have to flip $25K like I would have to with a car. For my money, the REAL Whammies on the Prize Wheel are the trips.)
[/quote]
Not to go Horan on you, but it's just cars and money. And yes, the $25K could at least pay off my car, and still have some left over, not to mention what I've won in the maingame, assuming that's at least $10K cash, give or take a couple thousand.

I'd even take the car, considering that's gonna be at least another $25K, and I can at least sell to a dealer. Granted, it won't be the full $25K, esp. after taxes, but it's several thousand more than I walked in with.

Steve McClellan · « **Reply #7 on:** September 20, 2007, 10:18:46 PM »

The point I was going for, was that the $25,000 win is several seconds old by the time the envelope is revealed. (And believe me, several seconds is an eternity under those conditions.) You know you have at least $25,000 the instant you figure out the puzzle - now, what you're hoping for is a large number to add to it. If you don't get any more, I can imagine the feeling being similar to, that of missing the bonus round but still having, say, $36,000 from the game.

I know that in my case, I was extremely happy when I knew the solution, and immediately after I gave it (knowing I've just picked up $25,000, but will it be more?). After a couple seconds, my attention at once turned to that envelope. And yeah, if it had been $25,000 in there, I was just going to make a conscious effort to continue the happiness from solving the puzzle. As Pat opened the envelope to look for himself, I saw four trailing zeroes and a hook at the bottom of the first digit. I was prepared to ramp my happiness a bit for a $30,000 win. When I finally saw the $50,000, there was a major shot of glee.

So, yeah, I can kinda see the mindset that would cause that kind of reaction, but there's definitely no excuse for letting that show on the air.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 20, 2007, 10:22:34 PM »

[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' post=\'164415\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 09:18 PM\']
If you don't get any more, I can imagine the feeling being similar to, that of missing the bonus round but still having, say, $36,000 from the game.
[/quote]
Yeah, well...fools and their never-ending demand for 'mo money, I guess.

I seem to recall having this same debate a few years ago over the top prize on Pyramid or another series where some five-digit amount was deemed miniscule.

I just don't see how winning $25,000 can be such a letdown. I haven't even made that much this year.

xavier45 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 20, 2007, 10:30:39 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'164417\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 10:22 PM\']

I just don't see how winning $25,000 can be such a letdown. I haven't even made that much this year.
[/quote]
I think Wheel has just been throwing so much money at these contestants, that when they get to the Bonus Round, they want to win a whole bunch more. So if they have like $30,000 already from the game, $25,000 to them is very small. And when they lose the Bonus Round and see the 25 grand was their, Most times their reaction is "Oh Well".

Now if I won $25,000 I would be screaming and Jumping up and down, because that is still in this world today a lot of Money.

TLEberle · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2007, 10:33:05 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'164417\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 07:22 PM\']I just don't see how winning $25,000 can be such a letdown. I haven't even made that much this year.[/quote]It's all in the potential. If you're on a state lottery show, with a chance to win a million bucks, but only come away with $25,000; you might have a case of the "What Might Have Beens." "If only the wheel would have moved a peg more, I could have had $100,000," or some such.

Which is not to say I wouldn't turn up my nose at $25,000.

Timsterino · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2007, 10:53:41 PM »

[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' post=\'164408\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 08:34 PM\']
A $25,000 envelope is basically a zero. It's not really that conducive to glee. What could be done about that?
[/quote]

I completely disagree, Steve. As also a former contestant on Wheel of Fortune, if I had been fortunate enough to go to the bonus round and win $25,000, even after taxes, my debt would have went bye bye.

Like when I tell people I only won $2,250. The first thing most say is "Only? I would kill right now for $2,250!"

Tim :-)

Strikerz04 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2007, 11:08:59 PM »

[quote name=\'Timsterino\' post=\'164422\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 09:53 PM\']
[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' post=\'164408\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 08:34 PM\']
A $25,000 envelope is basically a zero. It's not really that conducive to glee. What could be done about that?
[/quote]

I completely disagree, Steve. As also a former contestant on Wheel of Fortune, if I had been fortunate enough to go to the bonus round and win $25,000, even after taxes, my debt would have went bye bye.

Like when I tell people I only won $2,250. The first thing most say is "Only? I would kill right now for $2,250!"

Tim :-)
[/quote]

That goes double for me. Winning $9,300 alone was amazing, and when my friends back at NIU found out, they were excited that I got that much. To college students--broke college students--$9,300 is sweet.

Keep in mind, if I went to the bonus round, I would be excited if I even solved the puzzle. I guess the moral of the story is "the greedier you get, the higher the disappointment level"

\And for the record, I wasn't greedy on my show. I just couldn't solve the damn puzzle.
\\The puzzle was "Handcrafted Silver Jewelery"
\\\Blew a trip to Mexico and $8,100 also. Meh.

clemon79 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2007, 11:13:42 PM »

No, I see Steve's point. The Moment of Winning is passed. The moment you're seeing a tepid reaction to is the Moment of Winning More. Which is why I propose burying that moment to before the puzzle.

Timsterino · « **Reply #14 on:** September 20, 2007, 11:24:41 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164424\' date=\'Sep 20 2007, 11:13 PM\']
No, I see Steve's point. The Moment of Winning is passed. The moment you're seeing a tepid reaction to is the Moment of Winning More. Which is why I propose burying that moment to before the puzzle.
[/quote]

I can understand Steve's point also as I read the thread further. I would still be excited no matter what, I guess I would not be overanalyzing the situation. There are still plenty of contestants who get excited at $25,000, I know I would have been one of them.