Former contestants: how often do you bring it up?

[DoorNumberFour]

When I was younger/in college, I used to wear my game show achievements on my chest. I was SO proud. Nowadays, I’m still proud of everything I’ve done, but I’m MUCH less likely to freely mention it in conversation. I find it more fun to let people find out on their own...it’s a cool hidden fact, I think.

How about you? How often do you talk about your appearances, and to what degree does your achievement work its way into your personality?

[chrisholland03]

A coworker of mine won $32k on the Viera version of Millionaire.  He will sometimes include it when we have get-to-know you sessions at work.  Sometimes not.

I went to church with a lady who won big on $25k Pyramid.  I only found out when GSN reaired the episodes. 

In my opinion, if there's context to share I think it's a cool little nugget.  If there's no context to share, it has the potential of coming across badly.

[Strikerz04]

My nametag from Wheel hangs outside my office. I get questions about it from some of the students; but I don’t go out of my way to say that I was on the show.

[vtown7]

I'll bring it up now and then.  Students in my grade school classes know it's my passion (as I coach quiz bowl at my school).  I was on vacation recently in Curacao,  which was a direct link to me winning a prize on Price that I was awarded the cash equivalent for.
Also I find that if I bring up a game show appearance that I often hear about someone else's game show appearance which is pretty cool.  In the Greater Toronto Area it seems like everyone knows someone else that has been on Defintion, Bumper Stumpers, Just Like Mom or Canadian Supermarket Sweep, for example.
Ryan.

[Brian44]

These days I won't go out of my way to mention my appearance on The Price Is Right, only incidentally in a conversation that someone else has started. For instance, over the holidays, I made a pumpkin cheesecake and a chocolate mousse using the mixer I won playing Bonus Game, which is how I segued the conversation into my being a contestant. Then I'd get into some long-winded explanations of how Bonus Game is played because nobody, and I mean NOBODY, I ever speak with is familiar with that particular pricing game

[Sonic Whammy]

My only physical (sort of) game show appearance sadly only gets mentioned in a negative context.

When I submitted video questions for Trivial Pursuit: America Plays, I was all excited the first time I found out they were using one of my questions. When I was telling colleagues at work that it was coming up, our principal at the time decided to lord his superiority by replying:

"You know why they call it Trivial Pursuit, right? It's trivial. It's not important. Now when you get on IMPORTANT Pursuit, you let me know."

If there wasn't a 30-foot table separating us and I was of less scruples, I'd have dropped him where he stood. It was things like this why we all hated him.

[clemon79]

Then I'd get into some long-winded explanations of how Bonus Game is played because nobody, and I mean NOBODY, I ever speak with is familiar with that particular pricing game

"Okay, so there's four prizes, and one of them has BONUS behind it?"

"Yeah."

"And which one has BONUS is decided before the game?"

"Yeah."

"So why bother with the other three prizes, if they don't matter?"

"Screw y'all. No dessert for any of you."

[Kevin Prather]

Very rarely. If someone else brings it up, I'm happy to talk about it, but I don't like to blow my own horn.

[clemon79]

"You know why they call it Trivial Pursuit, right? It's trivial. It's not important. Now when you get on IMPORTANT Pursuit, you let me know."

If there wasn't a 30-foot table separating us and I was of less scruples, I'd have dropped him where he stood. It was things like this why we all hated him.

Nothing like an educator with no respect for obtaining and/or retaining information. I can only assume he was promoted to Superintendent.

[TimK2003]

Nowadays, we only will mention my wife's appearance on TPIR is when someone comes to our house for the first time -- we will mention the bar set in the corner of the dining room as being our "Price is Right Bar".  If our guests want more information on why it is named as such, we will tell the story from 15+ years ago.

Otherwise, meh...she was the last contestant called, had only one shot and ultimately remained in Contestant's Row.

[JasonA1]

When I was younger/in college, I used to wear my game show achievements on my chest. I was SO proud. Nowadays, I’m still proud of everything I’ve done, but I’m MUCH less likely to freely mention it in conversation. I find it more fun to let people find out on their own...it’s a cool hidden fact, I think.

I can totally get that, and I can probably guess why you would say that...but (for anybody reading who's been a contestant) why do you think those achievements took a back seat, beyond the reason you gave? Because by sheer odds, it's an experience most people you're talking to wouldn't have had themselves, so one could understand how it would come up more often than it doesn't.

-Jason

[Clay Zambo]

I never *bring* it up, but if somebody says, "You love game shows, ever been on one?" I'll tell the story.

[parliboy]

"You know why they call it Trivial Pursuit, right? It's trivial. It's not important. Now when you get on IMPORTANT Pursuit, you let me know."

"Thanks.  Say, do you know how planning periods get their name?"

[pacdude]

I bring it often, but only during gigs where I'm hosting live trivia. In friendly social situations, I don't like to bring up that I've been on game shows unless it comes up in conversation.

For instance, I was at MagFest earlier this month when I joined two people playing Wheel of Fortune on an old IBM PC. When I beat them, they asked why I was so good at the game. I then told them I was on the show, then gave them some stickers and pins to make up for me accidentally hustling them. lol

[Sonic Whammy]

"You know why they call it Trivial Pursuit, right? It's trivial. It's not important. Now when you get on IMPORTANT Pursuit, you let me know."

If there wasn't a 30-foot table separating us and I was of less scruples, I'd have dropped him where he stood. It was things like this why we all hated him.

Nothing like an educator with no respect for obtaining and/or retaining information. I can only assume he was promoted to Superintendent.

Thankfully, no. I think we'd have all slit our wrists if that happened. He retired the following school year in 2010. And I was actually thanking the heavens for the fact that his final graduation ceremony got rained out and had to be done inside in our auditorium (which, trivia, is now named the Connie Francis Theater) instead of our football stadium.

And as a small footnote, I will at least say that one of the choir members at my church in town happened to see me on the show and complimented me on it. So, for half a second, it did produce a happy memory.