$ale of the Century - Confetti Question

[clemon79]

Right here

Great! Let us know what you find.

[MSTieScott]

Why not, I'll play the "what if" game...

The two times that I've seen a balloon drop on a TV set, the clean-up procedure was as follows: A few stagehands wander around the floor, each one holding a stick with a few nails embedded in one end. Pop, pop, pop. Another stagehand follows with a vacuum cleaner. Assuming that's the procedure that was used on "Sale of the Century," the stagehands would never come into direct contact with the balloons.

[PYLdude]

Is señor Mario modded? I don't understand why this needed to be asked.

[Dbacksfan12]

I now want to ask: were there any contestants or crew members that ever got sick from the confetti drop?

~Ben

How would they have gotten sick?

He or she could have been sneezing and/or coughing violently on the set. Watery/itchy (red) eyes, skin rashes, and shortness of breath (asthma) are other symptoms associated with allergic reactions.

I didn't know people were allergic to paper.

[Mario]

Is señor Mario modded? I don't understand why this needed to be asked.

It's because I was curious about this part of the show.

~Ben

[TLEberle]

I wonder if our plumber realizes that lots of time during the show's run where you could have a victory dump every day.

[BrandonFG]

There's quite a few game shows that have used balloons and/or confetti, and not once have I ever heard of contestants having issues. Not to say it's not possible, but I think it's a very, very, VERY low probability, mainly because of how far you'd have to go to even qualify for such a celebration.

In the meantime, there was this in New England:



Speaking of which, I sure hope all those people in Times Square are okay with all that confetti. Although I'm sure some other forms of latex were used last ni........you know what, I'm just going to leave. :-P

[TLEberle]

Brandon, you didn't hear of that one winner on Name That Tune in 1984 who perished under an avalanche of balloons, did you. There was so much stuff on stage they couldn't get to her for two whole weeks. The worst bit is she never got to drive home in her new Pontiac Fiero.

[BrandonFG]

Brandon, you didn't hear of that one winner on Name That Tune in 1984 who perished under an avalanche of balloons, did you. There was so much stuff on stage they couldn't get to her for two whole weeks. The worst bit is she never got to drive home in her new Pontiac Fiero.

Oh I did...I still can't bring myself to read about that tragedy, although the rock stars gathering to sing that song in her honor was indeed touching. I also gained a new respect for Jim Lange when I learned he decided to donate his week's salary to her family.

/Tommy Oliver and the band playing 99 Luftballoons was a bit inappropriate though...

[trainman]

Okay, I can't believe I actually bothered to look this up, but the California law regarding helium-filled mylar balloons is found in the state penal code, part 1, title 15, chapter 2:

   653.1.  

(a) No person shall sell or distribute any balloon that is constructed of electrically conductive material, and filled with a gas lighter than air without:

(1) Affixing an object of sufficient weight to the balloon or its appurtenance to counter the lift capability of the balloon.

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(2) Affixing a statement on the balloon, or ensuring that a statement is so affixed, that warns the consumer about the risk if the balloon comes in contact with electrical power lines.

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(3) A printed identification of the manufacturer of the balloon.

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(b) No person shall sell or distribute any balloon filled with a gas lighter than air that is attached to an electrically conductive string, tether, streamer, or other electrically conductive appurtenance.

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(c) No person shall sell or distribute any balloon that is constructed of electrically conductive material and filled with a gas lighter than air and that is attached to another balloon constructed of electrically conductive material and filled with a gas lighter than air.

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(d) No person or group shall release, outdoors, balloons made of electrically conductive material and filled with a gas lighter than air, as part of a public or civic event, promotional activity, or product advertisement.

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(e) Any person who violates subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (d) shall be guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100). Any person who violates subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (d) who has been previously convicted twice of violating subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (d) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

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(f) This section shall not apply to manned hot air balloons, or to balloons used in governmental or scientific research projects.

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(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 193, Sec. 141. Effective January 1, 2005.)

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Note the date, though -- this exact wording of the law wasn't in effect during the run of SOTC, and I definitely don't feel like trying to find old versions of the statutes.

[SuperMatch93]

Interesting stuff, but that mostly applies to trying to lessen the impact of helium balloon releases, not helium (Thanks, Jimmy) balloon drops on game shows. (Semi-interesting question, though: I wonder if any game show actually did have a helium balloon release when somebody won?)

Mostly trying to stop more events like this: http://www.synthetri...30BR/index.html

[TLEberle]

I wonder if any game show actually did have a helium balloon release when somebody won?)

Hollywood Squares from the mid 80s would do that when they did shows outdoors.

[Jimmy Owen]

Wouldn't helium balloons go up rather than drop?  The Gong Show had to deal with this on a daily basis, most likely.

[Jeremy Nelson]

Okay, I can't believe I actually bothered to look this up, but the California law regarding helium-filled mylar balloons is found in the state penal code, part 1, title 15, chapter 2:

legal mumbo jumbo

Note the date, though -- this exact wording of the law wasn't in effect during the run of SOTC, and I definitely don't feel like trying to find old versions of the statutes.

Whoever had January 1 2013 as the day the well went dry at the GSF, please come to the door to collect your prize.

[tvwxman]

I've a question about $ale of the Century (1983 U.S. version): regarding any episodes in which a contestant successfully wins the big prize of the day (in which a confetti drop featuring balloons results), I'm wondering if, for those unlucky winners and crew members that are allergic to latex--which is the material that was used for the balloons you're seeing during the last few minutes of the show--for the outgoing winner, at his/her request, they could've opted to give him/her a bouquet of a dozen foil (often, and erroneously, called mylar) balloons colored silver and gold, usually of the 18" round circle type, with at least one gold and one silver dollar-sign foil balloon for great measure, all on (non-metallic) strings and with one weight per balloon, as per California law?

That kind of idea would mean a cleaner set (only the confetti paper will remain among the mess), and the # of people (esp. the crew members) that stayed home due to allergic reactions from latex would be reduced.

What do you think?

~Ben

What do I think? I think your posts are weird. And I hope you're not serious about this - but I also think you are.