S11.E14: Stranger Spouse

[qtpye]

23 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

"Armani" is the default auto-correct. 😁 

At the very, very end, Bennett was shown with his hair slicked back. Add his moustache and he looked rather dashing! 😇 But a true romantic, he is not. Not only did he totally ruin the silly "letter" exercise for Amelia by writing solely about some trading card; he also  previously gave less than zero thought to his 1-month anniversary gift for Amelia. 

Amelia and Karen have some killa games skillz! 🏀

I'm tired of Miles. Dump Karen, Miles! At least then she'll respect you! 

Henry's version of eye-rolling is slanting his head like a parrot! 

 

 

 

Bennett is very lucky.

Not only is Amelia totally enamored of him but she seems to be the most easy going person on earth.

I do like him quite a bit.

However, I kind of wonder if Amelia's accomplishments are starting to make him want to step up his game a little? I don't mean in a sexist way, but I did notice how he mentioned getting a steady job when he was talking with Cal the last episode. Of course, Amelia is more than happy to be the breadwinner but maybe that is why Bennett is lamenting the card so much....he wanted that 20K for his new family.

[TheMediumBopper]

42 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

 

Henry's version of eye-rolling is slanting his head like a parrot! 

 

 

 

Haha, yes. The head tilt is one of my favorite Henryisms, and Christina sure is getting a lot of them. Deservedly so. 

[ECM1231]

4 hours ago, JapMo said:

If you mean Dave & Amber, I liked Dave too.  But Dave was done early on IMO by Amber's histrionics and would have pulled the plug sooner if he could have.

I like Brett but was not a fan of Dave.  Yeah, maybe Amber was a bit high strung and a bit too much but Dave knew early on that he wasn't going to say yes on Decision Day and yet he kept boinking her every single damn day. I think that's reprehensible. Dave could never get over the fact that Amber had 'dated' some bro he knew at the gym.  Even Will had the good sense to keep Jasmine at arm's length knowing he was going to say no on DD.

[Jeanne222]

When Bennett and Amelia were packing for the getaway she asked him which toothbrush to take!!!  Do they share a toothbrush when they travel???

[pdlinda]

28 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

When Bennett and Amelia were packing for the getaway she asked him which toothbrush to take!!!  Do they share a toothbrush when they travel???

Now that's almost to horrible to contemplate!!  I wouldn't be so forceful in my assessment of such a disgusting practice during "normal" times but the thought of a health professional sharing a toothbrush with another adult during this COVID situation is really too much!!  NONONONONO...let's hope she meant something else!!

[ChiMama]

4 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Well, you can't really relax when shit is going on all around you.  And this might have been right after George Floyd's murder.

And, if I recall correctly, Miles prefaced his comments with "I honestly didn't feel like coming this weekend, because" and then explained his position, with (I interpreted) the implied conclusion that he was, however, glad he had come to spend the weekend with everyone and was enjoying the experience (he may have said that outright -- I don't remember).  Amelia's response was perfect. Christina tried to pretend she gave a shit, Karen was cold, except in her talking head where she said she was proud of him for speaking up (why can't she talk directly to HIM like that -- maybe she does?).

[Soup333]

33 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

When Bennett and Amelia were packing for the getaway she asked him which toothbrush to take!!!  Do they share a toothbrush when they travel???

These two. Bennet chastised her for her tidiness and then we come to find out he doesn’t even wipe his ass throughly. If they share a toothbrush between them I wouldn’t even be surprised. 

[Jeanne222]

6 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

Now that's almost to horrible to contemplate!!  I wouldn't be so forceful in my assessment of such a disgusting practice during "normal" times but the thought of a health professional sharing a toothbrush with another adult during this COVID situation is really too much!!  NONONONONO...let's hope she meant something else!!

Well I thought about that!  It just seemed strange she would ask his opinion..yellow or blue..if it was going to be used only by her!

[endure]

23 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I have said this every season, and I'll say it this season.

It's dumb luck that any couples on this series stay married.

I don't think it's that easy to pick people for this show.  For one, they need to find people who....

• Are the age range the show is looking for
• Are willing to get married at first sight.
• Are willing to be filmed for X number of weeks and won't get into any trouble with their employers
• Have the support of their families, if they don't, they need to have friends who support them
• Are camera ready and physically healthy (no drug addicts or alcoholics, though some might slip in)
• Not outwardly fame whorish (no cosmetic surgery addicts)

So the pool of candidates is limited, it's a wonder anybody stays together.

I too don’t think it’s that easy to find people who can carry themselves on TV even TV game shows need people with personality or charisma and also not be too over the top.  I read an article a few seasons back that said they recruit a lot of the people for this show rather getting them all from the applicants.

Edited October 16, 2020 by endure

[Alexander Pope]

On 10/14/2020 at 7:02 PM, Straycat80 said:

Amani and Woody already seem like an old married couple arguing about laundry lol! 
Bennett and Amelia are so cute together, they’re like kids. Is that a stuffed snake in bed with them? 

a stuffed snake and a plate of snacks! 

[Alexander Pope]

10 hours ago, gingerandcloves said:

This really should be the Woody and Amani show. In fact, can we bring them back next season to replace the experts? I think they would do a better job and be more entertaining.

Poor Henry was SO twitchy when he was doing the letter exercise with ChristinA. I'm tired of ChristinA's dramatics. She doesn't seem to have much insight into her own behavior. And she couldn't find the text, my fanny.

Amelia and Bennett are entertaining and compatible, but it still feels like they miss each other in communicating sometimes. I don't think they're great at telling each other their deep emotions.

Miles and Karen are still Miles and Karen. I don't blame Miles for being frustrated. Karen has barely warmed up to him. What's going to change in the next two weeks to make them want to stay together?

Did not miss Brett and Olivia. Olivia is dullsville. There is nothing fun about her. Woody cracked me up with his reaction to ChristinA's hysterobabble about them.

Every season is pretty much the same - the couples settle into a pattern around week 3, and nothing much happens to rock the boat. Good couples get better and bad couples get worse and it's all pretty predictable.

 

Woody's facial expressions when Henry was telling him about ChristinA's accusatory text were EVERYTHING.

[JapMo]

20 minutes ago, endure said:

I too don’t think it’s that easy to find people who can carry themselves on TV even TV game shows need people with personality or charisma and also not be too over the top.  I read an article a few seasons back that said they recruit a lot of the people for this show rather getting them all from the applicants.

In 1984, I was a contestant on Wheel of  Fortune.  They repeatedly said they were looking for average, ordinary people that the viewers could relate to.  They announced on the air that they were looking for contestants in my town because they were getting great ratings there.  I mean everybody watched it.  There was a number you had to call to reserve a spot at their audition, and my husband called it over and over for 5 days before he finally got us both a spot.  It turned out to be my birthday.  We were in a big room of about 50 people, and the first "test" was a written test where you filled in puzzles like on the show.  We made it through that round, and it turned out to be a series of 5 or 6 eliminations and we kept making the cut.  During a break I look up and my husband is sitting across the room.  I go over and ask him what's the deal, and he says he thought we would have a better chance if they didn't realize we were related.  I'm like 'fine, sit by yourself then'.  But in hindsight, he was correct.  Out of......get this.......5,000 people they auditioned over a 2 day period, they picked 35 people to be on the show.  We both got selected.  They told us later that they didn't realize until the final cuts that we were husband and wife.  I always told everyone they wanted the most bland, boring people and who's more boring and bland than us, LOL.

I think they want you to be very outgoing and rah rah on Price is Right, but on Wheel they wanted people who could relate to the audience, AND were not just from California.  I got these questions many times from people so I'll answer them right now:

• No, the show did not pay our way to California.  They were VERY emphatic if you wanted to be on their show you it would be on your dime.
• That board with the letters......it's on wheels.  When they first reveal the puzzle, the 3 contestants have to turn their backs and a second or so before the show starts taping, Vanna holds on for dear life as they push that board onto the set.  They don't have it sitting out earlier because they don't want the contestants to start trying to figure out the puzzle in advance.
• They tape 5 shows in one day and usually film 3-4 days a month.  So that's pretty much all they work, though I'm sure the crew works for different shows too.  Though my husband and I auditioned on the same day, he taped 3 days before me.  They tape around 4 PM but the contestants have to be at the studio by 10 AM so they can go over the rules, let you tour the set, and see what you brought to wear for the show.  You had to bring 2 outfits...no stripes or plaids because they dance around too much on camera.  Only Vanna can wear all white or all black.  I wore pearls and the sound guy came over and said 'what the hell is that noise?'  The necklace was clanking against the microphone.  I had to take it off.
• My husband was on the show first, so he tipped me off to concentrate on the puzzle when it wasn't my turn.  Hubby solved a big puzzle and went to the bonus round, but picked an "A" for the vowel instead of an "E".  Puzzle turned out to be "Say Cheese".  But I wasn't upset.  He won a lot of cool prizes and he looked so relaxed and handsome.  They called me from the audience and I stood right off camera range.  If he solved the bonus puzzle I could run up and hug him; otherwise just stay behind the camera.  
• The wheel is really hard to turn.  They made everyone practice a few times to make sure they could get it all the way around on one spin.  I couldn't get enough oomph into it, so they had me stand on a box.  
• In the morning on tape day, you had to pull out a number between 1-5 out of a bag.  There were 3 of the same number in the bag, representing 3 contestants per show.  My husband picked #2, so he was assigned to the second show.  I picked #5 so I was going to be on the last show.  If you picked #3 or higher, you got to each lunch with Pat & Vanna.  Well, they ate across the room from us peons but it was still exciting.  My husband was on show #2 so no free lunch for him. 
• This is what the show's producers repeatedly tell you from 10AM to 4PM of tape day........just because you got a letter from us inviting you on the show and just because you spent a lot of money to come to California and told all your family and friends, if you get stagefright, feel queasy, or feel like you are going to throw up, we will pull you from the show.  This scared the crap out of everybody because yeah....we all did spend a lot of money and took vacation from work and all our friends and family were rooting us on and we didn't want to look like idiots.  In fact, that was the common thread among all the other contestants I talked to (and all of them are extremely friendly and excited).  They didn't care how much or little they won, they just wanted to solve a puzzle.  But the biggest thing I heard......no one wanted to look like an idiot on TV.
• I told myself if I could just get through the first part of having to say a little bit of stuff about myself to Pat, then I would be OK.  But the theme music started up, and I'm listening to the other contestants talk to him, I started breathing really heavy and thinking....40 million people are going to see you.   This never happened to me before or since, but from the tips of my toes I could feel heat rising up, and it went all the way up to the top of my head.  I felt like my face was on fire but Pat started talking to me and somehow I said I was married and had 3 children and blah blah blah and it was over.  The game started.  
• You have about 5 inches to move either way.  The camera is really close...like 3 feet from your face.  And there's a guy with a sign directly under the camera that says SMILE.  With all that plus having to smile and make sure you clapped and rooted for the other contestants, it's a wonder anyone can remember to concentrate on the puzzle.  And I kept getting Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, even though I didn't get a chance to even pick a letter.  First puzzle was solved by Bob, a really nice guy from Ohio.  I had no clue what it was.  The second puzzle was a big one, and the answer jumped out at me really fast.  I kept counting the letters to make sure I was correct about it.  I was so scared my competitors were going to solve it before me, but thankfully they were clueless.  When it came to me, I spun about 4 times, called out 4 correct letters, and then the 5th time it looked like it was going to go on Bankrupt.  You can actually hear me on tape squeaking "no, no, no", LOL.  But it barely got on to $400 and I called out a letter and then said I want to solve it.  Pat seemed a little surprised, but I did not want to take the chance of continuing on since I was already on friendly terms with Bankrupt and Lose a Turn.
• I won $2500 in prizes, which put me in the lead for the Bonus Round, but the guy from Ohio guessed the last puzzle which put him over the top with a whopping $3,000.  The contestant from California didn't win anything.  Bob didn't solve the bonus puzzle, which I didn't figure out either, so our show was the lowest as far as money/prizes won out of the entire 5 shows.
• Because my husband went to the Bonus Round, he was ineligible for those wonderful "parting gifts".  But I was entitled to them, and for about 2 weeks it was Christmas every day.  The postman brought a case of Rice-a-Roni, Sherwin Williams paint, Maybelline makeup, and I can't remember the rest.  The prizes I won were delivered over the course of about a month. 
• We both became celebrities for about 2 months after the show aired.  I gotta say it was kind of cool to have people yelll "I saw you on Wheel of Fortune". 
• I still have the tape we made when our shows aired.  Yeah, it's a VCR tape...that's how long ago it was.  My husband passed away 16 years ago next month.  My kids and I dust it off and watch it every Christmas along with old VCR tapes of Christmases when they were little (one of the prizes my husband won was a camcorder.  It was huge, but we taped about 6 or 7 Christmases and it's still fun to watch, even though my son gripes every time about having to get the VCR out of storage to play them).  

[Adeejay]

2 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

When Bennett and Amelia were packing for the getaway she asked him which toothbrush to take!!!  Do they share a toothbrush when they travel???

The exchange of whether they should take the blue or purple toothbrush made my jaws hit the floor. I hate to say this, but their personal hygiene habits leave a lot to be desired. 

A poster upthread said that Olivia mentioned that Brett was very nice when the cameras weren’t around. I would bet good money that he was trying or hoping to get “some”.
 

[rebel2u]

JapMo, that was fascinating!  Thank you for sharing!  I love hearing people's stories.  Everybody, tell your stories. And sorry for your loss.

And to keep it on point,  Miles, dump her.  You sought treatment for depression prior to going on the show; this should be a fun time and not a situation that piles on more unhappiness.  There's a woman out there, maybe watching the show, maybe not, who is waiting for a guy like you.  Go out and find her. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by rebel2u

[LennieBriscoe]

K & M: Karen for sure isn't going to be intimate with Miles at this late date, not least because she wouldn't want the fact loudly announced by him! 😄 I don't think she thought this whole TV gig through very well. 

A & B: I have always thought the "simultaneously shared bathroom sinks" concept a severely flawed one, but a shared toothbrush?! "One-Sheet" Bennett of Ye Olde Tiny Shed might be an increasingly-not-so-secret Extreme Cheapskate! 

Me: My story of being on "Jeopardy!" in 1992 (taped in 1991) is remarkably similar---from multi-stage auditions to paying your own way to multiple tapings a day to parting gifts to being recognised later (for me it was one young man in an Acme, haha!), etc.---to the experience of JapMo! Even the "standing on a box"! Throughout I kept reminding myself to smile. Heh. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by LennieBriscoe

[endure]

1 hour ago, JapMo said:

In 1984, I was a contestant on Wheel of  Fortune.  They repeatedly said they were looking for average, ordinary people that the viewers could relate to.  They announced on the air that they were looking for contestants in my town because they were getting great ratings there.  I mean everybody watched it.  There was a number you had to call to reserve a spot at their audition, and my husband called it over and over for 5 days before he finally got us both a spot.  It turned out to be my birthday.  We were in a big room of about 50 people, and the first "test" was a written test where you filled in puzzles like on the show.  We made it through that round, and it turned out to be a series of 5 or 6 eliminations and we kept making the cut.  During a break I look up and my husband is sitting across the room.  I go over and ask him what's the deal, and he says he thought we would have a better chance if they didn't realize we were related.  I'm like 'fine, sit by yourself then'.  But in hindsight, he was correct.  Out of......get this.......5,000 people they auditioned over a 2 day period, they picked 35 people to be on the show.  We both got selected.  They told us later that they didn't realize until the final cuts that we were husband and wife.  I always told everyone they wanted the most bland, boring people and who's more boring and bland than us, LOL.

I think they want you to be very outgoing and rah rah on Price is Right, but on Wheel they wanted people who could relate to the audience, AND were not just from California.  I got these questions many times from people so I'll answer them right now:

• No, the show did not pay our way to California.  They were VERY emphatic if you wanted to be on their show you it would be on your dime.
• That board with the letters......it's on wheels.  When they first reveal the puzzle, the 3 contestants have to turn their backs and a second or so before the show starts taping, Vanna holds on for dear life as they push that board onto the set.  They don't have it sitting out earlier because they don't want the contestants to start trying to figure out the puzzle in advance.
• They tape 5 shows in one day and usually film 3-4 days a month.  So that's pretty much all they work, though I'm sure the crew works for different shows too.  Though my husband and I auditioned on the same day, he taped 3 days before me.  They tape around 4 PM but the contestants have to be at the studio by 10 AM so they can go over the rules, let you tour the set, and see what you brought to wear for the show.  You had to bring 2 outfits...no stripes or plaids because they dance around too much on camera.  Only Vanna can wear all white or all black.  I wore pearls and the sound guy came over and said 'what the hell is that noise?'  The necklace was clanking against the microphone.  I had to take it off.
• My husband was on the show first, so he tipped me off to concentrate on the puzzle when it wasn't my turn.  Hubby solved a big puzzle and went to the bonus round, but picked an "A" for the vowel instead of an "E".  Puzzle turned out to be "Say Cheese".  But I wasn't upset.  He won a lot of cool prizes and he looked so relaxed and handsome.  They called me from the audience and I stood right off camera range.  If he solved the bonus puzzle I could run up and hug him; otherwise just stay behind the camera.  
• The wheel is really hard to turn.  They made everyone practice a few times to make sure they could get it all the way around on one spin.  I couldn't get enough oomph into it, so they had me stand on a box.  
• In the morning on tape day, you had to pull out a number between 1-5 out of a bag.  There were 3 of the same number in the bag, representing 3 contestants per show.  My husband picked #2, so he was assigned to the second show.  I picked #5 so I was going to be on the last show.  If you picked #3 or higher, you got to each lunch with Pat & Vanna.  Well, they ate across the room from us peons but it was still exciting.  My husband was on show #2 so no free lunch for him. 
• This is what the show's producers repeatedly tell you from 10AM to 4PM of tape day........just because you got a letter from us inviting you on the show and just because you spent a lot of money to come to California and told all your family and friends, if you get stagefright, feel queasy, or feel like you are going to throw up, we will pull you from the show.  This scared the crap out of everybody because yeah....we all did spend a lot of money and took vacation from work and all our friends and family were rooting us on and we didn't want to look like idiots.  In fact, that was the common thread among all the other contestants I talked to (and all of them are extremely friendly and excited).  They didn't care how much or little they won, they just wanted to solve a puzzle.  But the biggest thing I heard......no one wanted to look like an idiot on TV.
• I told myself if I could just get through the first part of having to say a little bit of stuff about myself to Pat, then I would be OK.  But the theme music started up, and I'm listening to the other contestants talk to him, I started breathing really heavy and thinking....40 million people are going to see you.   This never happened to me before or since, but from the tips of my toes I could feel heat rising up, and it went all the way up to the top of my head.  I felt like my face was on fire but Pat started talking to me and somehow I said I was married and had 3 children and blah blah blah and it was over.  The game started.  
• You have about 5 inches to move either way.  The camera is really close...like 3 feet from your face.  And there's a guy with a sign directly under the camera that says SMILE.  With all that plus having to smile and make sure you clapped and rooted for the other contestants, it's a wonder anyone can remember to concentrate on the puzzle.  And I kept getting Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, even though I didn't get a chance to even pick a letter.  First puzzle was solved by Bob, a really nice guy from Ohio.  I had no clue what it was.  The second puzzle was a big one, and the answer jumped out at me really fast.  I kept counting the letters to make sure I was correct about it.  I was so scared my competitors were going to solve it before me, but thankfully they were clueless.  When it came to me, I spun about 4 times, called out 4 correct letters, and then the 5th time it looked like it was going to go on Bankrupt.  You can actually hear me on tape squeaking "no, no, no", LOL.  But it barely got on to $400 and I called out a letter and then said I want to solve it.  Pat seemed a little surprised, but I did not want to take the chance of continuing on since I was already on friendly terms with Bankrupt and Lose a Turn.
• I won $2500 in prizes, which put me in the lead for the Bonus Round, but the guy from Ohio guessed the last puzzle which put him over the top with a whopping $3,000.  The contestant from California didn't win anything.  Bob didn't solve the bonus puzzle, which I didn't figure out either, so our show was the lowest as far as money/prizes won out of the entire 5 shows.
• Because my husband went to the Bonus Round, he was ineligible for those wonderful "parting gifts".  But I was entitled to them, and for about 2 weeks it was Christmas every day.  The postman brought a case of Rice-a-Roni, Sherwin Williams paint, Maybelline makeup, and I can't remember the rest.  The prizes I won were delivered over the course of about a month. 
• We both became celebrities for about 2 months after the show aired.  I gotta say it was kind of cool to have people yelll "I saw you on Wheel of Fortune". 
• I still have the tape we made when our shows aired.  Yeah, it's a VCR tape...that's how long ago it was.  My husband passed away 16 years ago next month.  My kids and I dust it off and watch it every Christmas along with old VCR tapes of Christmases when they were little (one of the prizes my husband won was a camcorder.  It was huge, but we taped about 6 or 7 Christmases and it's still fun to watch, even though my son gripes every time about having to get the VCR out of storage to play them).  

That’s  quite the story and I can appreciate how stressful it must have been on so many levels.  I’m a fairly outgoing person but also quite reserved.  Several years ago I was in a drug study and the lead Dr asked if I would do a Tv news interview, he had every confidence in me, I seriously considered it for about 15 min and then said sorry there’s no way I could do it so I know I couldn’t have done what you did and nor could I be on a reality show. That’s cool you have the tape especially with your late husband.

[JapMo]

8 minutes ago, endure said:

That’s  quite the story and I can appreciate how stressful it must have been on so many levels.  I’m a fairly outgoing person but also quite reserved.  Several years ago I was in a drug study and the lead Dr asked if I would do a Tv news interview, he had every confidence in me, I seriously considered it for about 15 min and then said sorry there’s no way I could do it so I know I couldn’t have done what you did and nor could I be on a reality show. That’s cool you have the tape especially with your late husband.

I don't think I actually ever really believed we would ever get selected, since the odds were so astronomical, so I went into the auditions just thinking it would be cool to play against other people and see how I did.  

I worked in Human Resources for 20 years from a company I just retired from, and my department was just 4 women.  The Culture Dept wanted to tape us talking about what we did in our jobs, to sort of identify the face behind the voice since 99% of our job was talking to active and retired employees with problems they were having with their benefits.  They wanted me to explain on camera the rules of our tuition reimbursement program...just talk naturally and no big deal.  I was terrible.  Just awful.  I'd get 99% finished with my speech and flub it.  They rerecorded 4 times, and then finally said take a break and we'll return in a few days to do it again.  They never came back, LOL.  They scrapped the whole idea.  I appeared on national TV but couldn't manage to complete a tiny video that was only going to be seen by the employees of the company.

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I agree, these are challenging times, but I thought the main purpose of the getaway was to, you know, have some fun and relax.  That could have been a discussion for a different time, that's all.  I'm sure he's not the only one in the group feeling some kind of way, but his depression was out there for all to see and hear.  

Eh, I'm actually of the mind that there was more reason for Miles to be depressed than not, especially at that time, even at an event that was supposed to be fun and relaxing.  I don't think even I could have fun and relax during those weeks when it seemed like every other week there was another shooting, and even NOW considering all that is going on out there these days.  I think it was totally appropriate.   He was the one person courageous enough to address the elephant in the room.  I agree with you that every one of them should be feeling "some type of way" about the pandemic and other current events at that time, but if so they all should have addressed it instead of leaving him out there alone, exposed and vulnerable, acting like deer in the headlights of his oncoming train.  I know they're young and perhaps that makes them unable to give more of a mature response, but I wanted to slap them for making me believe that most of them are really that sheltered and clueless about his experience that they can't respond with more than careful, PC platitudes.  Instead we get a disingenuous "apology" from wacko Christina.  Gee, thanks, that's worth less than if she would have kept her stupid mouth shut.  And yes to the person who said that Karen should have come stand by him and at least put her arm around him.

It just made me feel like none of them really wanted to be forced into facing the reality that their little TV show "bubble" was protecting them from.  And while usually I might agree with you that such a getaway is supposed to be about escaping reality, they're ALREADY "escaped" from reality by being on that stupid show and needed to have a dose of reality for maybe an hour or so before going back to their "regularly scheduled program already in progress".  But that's just my opinion, LOL.

[Yeah No]

13 hours ago, qtpye said:

Even though everyone is different, I can usually tell when a lady is into a guy even if they are not having sex. For instance, Virgin Iris was always rubbing up and trying to snuggle with Keith. I could see that she was very attracted to him

Karen is always keeping Miles at arm's length. She is treating him like an annoying little brother, not a a man who lights her fire. We would be seeing a whole different Karen if she actually like Miles in a physical way.

That being said, she might say yes on decision day because she does not want to be alone.

Miles, please do not say yes. You might be tempted because you like Karen and she is very attractive and put together. However, you deserve much more and your sensitive nature will not be happy. Her coldness will start to wear down your naturally happy disposition. 

I think what really hurts is that Miles was originally selected for the show and Woody came along for the ride. Now, Woody has probably found his soul mate and Miles will (and should) divorce. 

I agree with you that Miles deserves more, but I disagree with you that Karen is not into Miles "that way".  I think she is, but her own personal hang ups and issues are preventing her from fully feeling it and acting upon it (hence her coming off as "cold").  Otherwise she would be complaining more to the camera and otherwise showing her distaste for him.  But she is not - instead she is imploding and acting completely overwhelmed, which tells me her reticence with him is more about HER and her baggage than it is about how she really feels about HIM.  I think she is the one that needs someone to be "patient" with her until she can get over her hang ups.  The problem is, will she ever?  Will she before he gives up on her?  I agree that she might say yes on decision day because deep down she knows she might make a big mistake walking away when it's her issues that are keeping them apart.

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I didn't get this either and if there was mention of testing, I missed it. Stay-at-home orders lifting and things reopening are, frankly, meaningless from a public health perspective; the pandemic hasn't gone anywhere, as evidenced by the uptick in cases. I had the same thought when Henry and Woody were talking at Henry's place (or it could have been Woody's; their apartments are identical) - clearly they were aware of COVID since they elbow-bumped instead of shaking hands or bro-hugging, but then why are y'all indoors, like 18 inches apart, with no masks?

I know, don't get me started about this.  I get it that they have a show to film but all of their get togethers and outings are not observing social distancing, etc.  Meanwhile some of them are going to work on the front lines or otherwise putting themselves in risky situations and then coming together with the group.  The CDC is already calling for more education and pressure on young adults to observe better social distancing and mask wearing in groups of people not in their own household (especially indoors), because contact tracing is showing that they are the ones driving the pandemic right now due to behavior like this.  And this show is not setting the right example for them (as usual, what else do we expect from this show?)  🙄

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, rebel2u said:

JapMo, that was fascinating!  Thank you for sharing!  I love hearing people's stories.  Everybody, tell your stories.

I appeared on TV 3 times in 2010.  They were completely unrelated.  Somehow that year was my year to be on TV.  It did help that I was unemployed at the time.  I appeared as an "audience guest" on the Rachael Ray Show in a segment on menopause, in a commercial for a local discount store chain where I said, "beautiful leather gloves at such a great price!" (Ocean State Job Lot), and on an episode of "Restaurant Impossible" where I was asked how I liked the meatballs at the reopening of a local newly renovated restaurant (I said they were just like my Sicilian grandma used to make, LOL).  I'd love to tell the stories but perhaps will save them for the small talk thread when I have the time.

[Hangin Out]

Why is Amani taking Christina’s side?  Because girls have to stick together ?
 

[Hangin Out]

8 hours ago, JapMo said:

In 1984, I was a contestant on Wheel of  Fortune.  They repeatedly said they were looking for average, ordinary people that the viewers could relate to.  They announced on the air that they were looking for contestants in my town because they were getting great ratings there.  I mean everybody watched it.  There was a number you had to call to reserve a spot at their audition, and my husband called it over and over for 5 days before he finally got us both a spot.  It turned out to be my birthday.  We were in a big room of about 50 people, and the first "test" was a written test where you filled in puzzles like on the show.  We made it through that round, and it turned out to be a series of 5 or 6 eliminations and we kept making the cut.  During a break I look up and my husband is sitting across the room.  I go over and ask him what's the deal, and he says he thought we would have a better chance if they didn't realize we were related.  I'm like 'fine, sit by yourself then'.  But in hindsight, he was correct.  Out of......get this.......5,000 people they auditioned over a 2 day period, they picked 35 people to be on the show.  We both got selected.  They told us later that they didn't realize until the final cuts that we were husband and wife.  I always told everyone they wanted the most bland, boring people and who's more boring and bland than us, LOL.

I think they want you to be very outgoing and rah rah on Price is Right, but on Wheel they wanted people who could relate to the audience, AND were not just from California.  I got these questions many times from people so I'll answer them right now:

• No, the show did not pay our way to California.  They were VERY emphatic if you wanted to be on their show you it would be on your dime.
• That board with the letters......it's on wheels.  When they first reveal the puzzle, the 3 contestants have to turn their backs and a second or so before the show starts taping, Vanna holds on for dear life as they push that board onto the set.  They don't have it sitting out earlier because they don't want the contestants to start trying to figure out the puzzle in advance.
• They tape 5 shows in one day and usually film 3-4 days a month.  So that's pretty much all they work, though I'm sure the crew works for different shows too.  Though my husband and I auditioned on the same day, he taped 3 days before me.  They tape around 4 PM but the contestants have to be at the studio by 10 AM so they can go over the rules, let you tour the set, and see what you brought to wear for the show.  You had to bring 2 outfits...no stripes or plaids because they dance around too much on camera.  Only Vanna can wear all white or all black.  I wore pearls and the sound guy came over and said 'what the hell is that noise?'  The necklace was clanking against the microphone.  I had to take it off.
• My husband was on the show first, so he tipped me off to concentrate on the puzzle when it wasn't my turn.  Hubby solved a big puzzle and went to the bonus round, but picked an "A" for the vowel instead of an "E".  Puzzle turned out to be "Say Cheese".  But I wasn't upset.  He won a lot of cool prizes and he looked so relaxed and handsome.  They called me from the audience and I stood right off camera range.  If he solved the bonus puzzle I could run up and hug him; otherwise just stay behind the camera.  
• The wheel is really hard to turn.  They made everyone practice a few times to make sure they could get it all the way around on one spin.  I couldn't get enough oomph into it, so they had me stand on a box.  
• In the morning on tape day, you had to pull out a number between 1-5 out of a bag.  There were 3 of the same number in the bag, representing 3 contestants per show.  My husband picked #2, so he was assigned to the second show.  I picked #5 so I was going to be on the last show.  If you picked #3 or higher, you got to each lunch with Pat & Vanna.  Well, they ate across the room from us peons but it was still exciting.  My husband was on show #2 so no free lunch for him. 
• This is what the show's producers repeatedly tell you from 10AM to 4PM of tape day........just because you got a letter from us inviting you on the show and just because you spent a lot of money to come to California and told all your family and friends, if you get stagefright, feel queasy, or feel like you are going to throw up, we will pull you from the show.  This scared the crap out of everybody because yeah....we all did spend a lot of money and took vacation from work and all our friends and family were rooting us on and we didn't want to look like idiots.  In fact, that was the common thread among all the other contestants I talked to (and all of them are extremely friendly and excited).  They didn't care how much or little they won, they just wanted to solve a puzzle.  But the biggest thing I heard......no one wanted to look like an idiot on TV.
• I told myself if I could just get through the first part of having to say a little bit of stuff about myself to Pat, then I would be OK.  But the theme music started up, and I'm listening to the other contestants talk to him, I started breathing really heavy and thinking....40 million people are going to see you.   This never happened to me before or since, but from the tips of my toes I could feel heat rising up, and it went all the way up to the top of my head.  I felt like my face was on fire but Pat started talking to me and somehow I said I was married and had 3 children and blah blah blah and it was over.  The game started.  
• You have about 5 inches to move either way.  The camera is really close...like 3 feet from your face.  And there's a guy with a sign directly under the camera that says SMILE.  With all that plus having to smile and make sure you clapped and rooted for the other contestants, it's a wonder anyone can remember to concentrate on the puzzle.  And I kept getting Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, even though I didn't get a chance to even pick a letter.  First puzzle was solved by Bob, a really nice guy from Ohio.  I had no clue what it was.  The second puzzle was a big one, and the answer jumped out at me really fast.  I kept counting the letters to make sure I was correct about it.  I was so scared my competitors were going to solve it before me, but thankfully they were clueless.  When it came to me, I spun about 4 times, called out 4 correct letters, and then the 5th time it looked like it was going to go on Bankrupt.  You can actually hear me on tape squeaking "no, no, no", LOL.  But it barely got on to $400 and I called out a letter and then said I want to solve it.  Pat seemed a little surprised, but I did not want to take the chance of continuing on since I was already on friendly terms with Bankrupt and Lose a Turn.
• I won $2500 in prizes, which put me in the lead for the Bonus Round, but the guy from Ohio guessed the last puzzle which put him over the top with a whopping $3,000.  The contestant from California didn't win anything.  Bob didn't solve the bonus puzzle, which I didn't figure out either, so our show was the lowest as far as money/prizes won out of the entire 5 shows.
• Because my husband went to the Bonus Round, he was ineligible for those wonderful "parting gifts".  But I was entitled to them, and for about 2 weeks it was Christmas every day.  The postman brought a case of Rice-a-Roni, Sherwin Williams paint, Maybelline makeup, and I can't remember the rest.  The prizes I won were delivered over the course of about a month. 
• We both became celebrities for about 2 months after the show aired.  I gotta say it was kind of cool to have people yelll "I saw you on Wheel of Fortune". 
• I still have the tape we made when our shows aired.  Yeah, it's a VCR tape...that's how long ago it was.  My husband passed away 16 years ago next month.  My kids and I dust it off and watch it every Christmas along with old VCR tapes of Christmases when they were little (one of the prizes my husband won was a camcorder.  It was huge, but we taped about 6 or 7 Christmases and it's still fun to watch, even though my son gripes every time about having to get the VCR out of storage to play them).  

Wow, that was such a nice story.  It’s amazing what you have to go thru to be on that show.  I would have fainted on the set, haha.  My husband LOVES that show and has to watch it every night.  Good for you, and I’m sorry you lost your husband.

[spunky]

The stranger spouse game was very telling for me. The couples who are head over heels in love with each other knew the least about each other, while Karen and Miles knew each other the best. They're either keeping their serious conversations private or the producers are editing their interactions to look a certain way. 

Karen looked so proud when Miles was addressing how all the social injustice was affecting him as a black man. I also liked that Karen addressed the very real fear and worry that a lot of black wives/mothers face.  

I like Amelia and Bennett, but sometimes I think they're trying too hard to be the "quirky couple". I can see Amelia reigning herself in once she starts her residency. 

Woody and Amani seem to be the most stable couple at this time. 

Henry trying not to burst out laughing several times when Christina was talking or being dramatic was hilarious.  The looks on everyone's faces when Christina started fake crying over Olivia not being there said it all. Henry is going to ride this out until decision day.

[Hangin Out]

18 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

So where was the horrible editing? Her perpetual harping on issues with an endless torrent of words we had plenty of Olivia. Brett's had plenty of time to redeem himself and make himself likable...he just isn't. Most comments here have been negative toward both of them.

All the people who participate have ample opportunity to tell us if its all rigged. There marriages and divorces are public documents.

This show is a crapshoot.  You don’t know the person until the wedding day.  In a real marriage, you know the person for awhile, but still don’t REALLY know them until after marriage.  In both instances, it’s a gamble.  Today, the divorce rate is high.

You guys, today is my wedding Anniversary.  Married 55 years.  And, still going.  Loved him from the minute I saw him.  Yes, I’m that old, lol.

[spunky]

49 minutes ago, Silver Bells said:

This show is a crapshoot.  You don’t know the person until the wedding day.  In a real marriage, you know the person for awhile, but still don’t REALLY know them until after marriage.  In both instances, it’s a gamble.  Today, the divorce rate is high.

You guys, today is my wedding Anniversary.  Married 55 years.  And, still going.  Loved him from the minute I saw him.  Yes, I’m that old, lol.

Congratulations!! 

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, Silver Bells said:

This show is a crapshoot.  You don’t know the person until the wedding day.  In a real marriage, you know the person for awhile, but still don’t REALLY know them until after marriage.  In both instances, it’s a gamble.  Today, the divorce rate is high.

You guys, today is my wedding Anniversary.  Married 55 years.  And, still going.  Loved him from the minute I saw him.  Yes, I’m that old, lol.

Congratulations!  

And you're 100% right.  This show is a crapshoot.  It's all a crapshoot really.  You loved your husband the minute you saw him.  That's great and that's luck.   Most things in life are luck really.  Some of the couples on this show make it, others don't.   It's not that the experts are bad, or are good, it's just life.  

[Rae Spellman]

2 hours ago, Silver Bells said:

Why is Amani taking Christina’s side?  Because girls have to stick together ?
 

It’s what she does. When she told Miles he was the best dishwasher they ever has, that was the nicest thing she said to him. If Bennett didn’t want to go to Virginia, she probably would have been on Amelia’s side. It could be a matter of taking the side of the person she met first or has talked to the most. 
 

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Silver Bells said:

This show is a crapshoot.  You don’t know the person until the wedding day.  In a real marriage, you know the person for awhile, but still don’t REALLY know them until after marriage.  In both instances, it’s a gamble.  Today, the divorce rate is high.

You guys, today is my wedding Anniversary.  Married 55 years.  And, still going.  Loved him from the minute I saw him.  Yes, I’m that old, lol.

How wonderful!  That's quite the accomplishment! 🥂🍾

[Hangin Out]

19 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Congratulations!  

And you're 100% right.  This show is a crapshoot.  It's all a crapshoot really.  You loved your husband the minute you saw him.  That's great and that's luck.   Most things in life are luck really.  Some of the couples on this show make it, others don't.   It's not that the experts are bad, or are good, it's just life.  

Thank you.  You are right.  It’s luck, patience, forgiveness and lots of things.  If a partner is decent and you know what you have, better to work it out instead of jumping the gun.  Sometimes it’s worse around the corner.  Nothing is easy, especially if there’s kids involved.

 

 

 

 

[JapMo]

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I appeared on TV 3 times in 2010.  They were completely unrelated.  Somehow that year was my year to be on TV.  It did help that I was unemployed at the time.  I appeared as an "audience guest" on the Rachael Ray Show in a segment on menopause, in a commercial for a local discount store chain where I said, "beautiful leather gloves at such a great price!" (Ocean State Job Lot), and on an episode of "Restaurant Impossible" where I was asked how I liked the meatballs at the reopening of a local newly renovated restaurant (I said they were just like my Sicilian grandma used to make, LOL).  I'd love to tell the stories but perhaps will save them for the small talk thread when I have the time.

When you appeared on Rachel Ray as an audience guest, did they pay you for that, or were you just stopped by someone on the show standing outside trying to get people to come in?

Years ago on my husband and my first trip to California, a nice person stopped us on the street in L.A. and asked if we wanted to be in the audience for the game show Concentration (I know some of you remember that).  We thought OK, cool.  Little did we know they were taping like 5 shows and we could not leave.  We were stuck there, and OMG all they wanted us to do was clap the entire time.  My hands were red from all the clapping, and we wasted almost a whole day of our vacation being locked in a soundstage.

1 hour ago, Silver Bells said:

You guys, today is my wedding Anniversary.  Married 55 years.  And, still going.  Loved him from the minute I saw him.  Yes, I’m that old, lol.

Congratulations.  Hope you have something cool planned to celebrate.

[JapMo]

9 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Me: My story of being on "Jeopardy!" in 1992 (taped in 1991) is remarkably similar---from multi-stage auditions to paying your own way to multiple tapings a day to parting gifts to being recognised later (for me it was one young man in an Acme, haha!), etc.---to the experience of JapMo! Even the "standing on a box"! Throughout I kept reminding myself to smile. Heh. 

That's cool, Lennie.  Was that with Art Fleming?  He was on a local radio station for years and always said the standards were much higher when he was emceeing the show, and anyone who tried out had to really be smart.

[Hangin Out]

13 minutes ago, JapMo said:

When you appeared on Rachel Ray as an audience guest, did they pay you for that, or were you just stopped by someone on the show standing outside trying to get people to come in?

Years ago on my husband and my first trip to California, a nice person stopped us on the street in L.A. and asked if we wanted to be in the audience for the game show Concentration (I know some of you remember that).  We thought OK, cool.  Little did we know they were taping like 5 shows and we could not leave.  We were stuck there, and OMG all they wanted us to do was clap the entire time.  My hands were red from all the clapping, and we wasted almost a whole day of our vacation being locked in a soundstage.

Congratulations.  Hope you have something cool planned to celebrate.

Thank you.  With this epidemic, I am scared shit to go anywhere where there’s a lot of people or in a hotel where you don’t know who slept there before you.  I heard they are not cleaning as well as we think.  No restaurants either.  So, I just threw in a stuffed roast chicken in the oven, and we’ll watch scary movies.  I’ll have a big Bloody Mary and wash it down with all my medications, lol.

Edited October 16, 2020 by Silver Bells

[Alexander Pope]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I know, don't get me started about this.  I get it that they have a show to film but all of their get togethers and outings are not observing social distancing, etc.  Meanwhile some of them are going to work on the front lines or otherwise putting themselves in risky situations and then coming together with the group.  The CDC is already calling for more education and pressure on young adults to observe better social distancing and mask wearing in groups of people not in their own household (especially indoors), because contact tracing is showing that they are the ones driving the pandemic right now due to behavior like this.  And this show is not setting the right example for them (as usual, what else do we expect from this show?)  🙄

I was somehow assuming they all got tested before heading to the country--but who knows?

[Crashcourse]

Miles needs to stop flopping on the bed and looking up at Karen like he's a puppy begging for crumbs.  Just leave her alone.  Be nice to her like he's always been, and let her make the first move (which she probably never will, but at least he'll know to stop trying).   Also, what's up with him wearing his hoodie with the hood up over his head when he's inside?  Is his head cold?    

[princelina]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Eh, I'm actually of the mind that there was more reason for Miles to be depressed than not, especially at that time, even at an event that was supposed to be fun and relaxing.  I don't think even I could have fun and relax during those weeks when it seemed like every other week there was another shooting, and even NOW considering all that is going on out there these days.  I think it was totally appropriate.   He was the one person courageous enough to address the elephant in the room.  I agree with you that every one of them should be feeling "some type of way" about the pandemic and other current events at that time, but if so they all should have addressed it instead of leaving him out there alone, exposed and vulnerable, acting like deer in the headlights of his oncoming train.  I know they're young and perhaps that makes them unable to give more of a mature response, but I wanted to slap them for making me believe that most of them are really that sheltered and clueless about his experience that they can't respond with more than careful, PC platitudes.  Instead we get a disingenuous "apology" from wacko Christina.  Gee, thanks, that's worth less than if she would have kept her stupid mouth shut.  And yes to the person who said that Karen should have come stand by him and at least put her arm around him.

It just made me feel like none of them really wanted to be forced into facing the reality that their little TV show "bubble" was protecting them from.  And while usually I might agree with you that such a getaway is supposed to be about escaping reality, they're ALREADY "escaped" from reality by being on that stupid show and needed to have a dose of reality for maybe an hour or so before going back to their "regularly scheduled program already in progress".  But that's just my opinion, LOL.

I agree with you that Miles was totally appropriate, and I got the sense that the others felt so too.  In my mind I could hear the producers saying, "Thanks for expressing yourself Miles.  Now Bennett, could you get the talk back on yourselves and your marriages please?" 🙄

[Soup333]

Happy Anniversary @Silver Bells!!

I know sometimes people complain about getting too personal on this forum but I’ve really enjoyed the personal stories in this thread.

[Empress1]

58 minutes ago, Silver Bells said:

I heard they are not cleaning as well as we think.

This is a very safe assumption to make re: hotels in general, not just during the pandemic.

1 hour ago, JapMo said:

When you appeared on Rachel Ray as an audience guest, did they pay you for that, or were you just stopped by someone on the show standing outside trying to get people to come in?

I was in the audience of a talk show when I was in college. We weren't paid. It was actually an orientation activity, if you can believe that.

3 hours ago, spunky said:

I like Amelia and Bennett, but sometimes I think they're trying too hard to be the "quirky couple".

Yeah. I feel this way more about Amelia than Bennett for some reason - Amelia feels like she's trying really hard (I think I would find her tiring if I knew her) and Bennett's quirks feel more organic. Bennett also feels more mature to me than Amelia. 

(Do they only use one toothbrush between them? I had an argument with an ex who used my toothbrush once. He was like, we have sex though, so is it really that weird? I was like, I understand your point but do not use my toothbrush, kthx.)

I give Bennett credit for recognizing that, one, the pandemic has tremendous financial implications (how could he not recognize it when he can't do any of the jobs he does?), especially in New Orleans, and two, recognizing that his way of living isn't really conducive to raising a family, even if Amelia is the breadwinner. He was basically like "Yikes, I gotta get my shit together."

[Starlight925]

I don't understand why they made the spouses remain quarantined together for an extra 2 months, postponing their decision.  

Couldn't they have had "Decision Day" virtually?

These spouses are cooped up in these small, noisy apartments (remember they said they could hear their neighbors walking above them, and dogs barking down the halls), and they are removed from their own familiar homes, family, things.

 

[cinsays]

11 hours ago, JapMo said:

In 1984, I was a contestant on Wheel of  Fortune.  They repeatedly said they were looking for average, ordinary people that the viewers could relate to.  They announced on the air that they were looking for contestants in my town because they were getting great ratings there.  I mean everybody watched it.  There was a number you had to call to reserve a spot at their audition, and my husband called it over and over for 5 days before he finally got us both a spot.  It turned out to be my birthday.  We were in a big room of about 50 people, and the first "test" was a written test where you filled in puzzles like on the show.  We made it through that round, and it turned out to be a series of 5 or 6 eliminations and we kept making the cut.  During a break I look up and my husband is sitting across the room.  I go over and ask him what's the deal, and he says he thought we would have a better chance if they didn't realize we were related.  I'm like 'fine, sit by yourself then'.  But in hindsight, he was correct.  Out of......get this.......5,000 people they auditioned over a 2 day period, they picked 35 people to be on the show.  We both got selected.  They told us later that they didn't realize until the final cuts that we were husband and wife.  I always told everyone they wanted the most bland, boring people and who's more boring and bland than us, LOL.

I think they want you to be very outgoing and rah rah on Price is Right, but on Wheel they wanted people who could relate to the audience, AND were not just from California.  I got these questions many times from people so I'll answer them right now:

• No, the show did not pay our way to California.  They were VERY emphatic if you wanted to be on their show you it would be on your dime.
• That board with the letters......it's on wheels.  When they first reveal the puzzle, the 3 contestants have to turn their backs and a second or so before the show starts taping, Vanna holds on for dear life as they push that board onto the set.  They don't have it sitting out earlier because they don't want the contestants to start trying to figure out the puzzle in advance.
• They tape 5 shows in one day and usually film 3-4 days a month.  So that's pretty much all they work, though I'm sure the crew works for different shows too.  Though my husband and I auditioned on the same day, he taped 3 days before me.  They tape around 4 PM but the contestants have to be at the studio by 10 AM so they can go over the rules, let you tour the set, and see what you brought to wear for the show.  You had to bring 2 outfits...no stripes or plaids because they dance around too much on camera.  Only Vanna can wear all white or all black.  I wore pearls and the sound guy came over and said 'what the hell is that noise?'  The necklace was clanking against the microphone.  I had to take it off.
• My husband was on the show first, so he tipped me off to concentrate on the puzzle when it wasn't my turn.  Hubby solved a big puzzle and went to the bonus round, but picked an "A" for the vowel instead of an "E".  Puzzle turned out to be "Say Cheese".  But I wasn't upset.  He won a lot of cool prizes and he looked so relaxed and handsome.  They called me from the audience and I stood right off camera range.  If he solved the bonus puzzle I could run up and hug him; otherwise just stay behind the camera.  
• The wheel is really hard to turn.  They made everyone practice a few times to make sure they could get it all the way around on one spin.  I couldn't get enough oomph into it, so they had me stand on a box.  
• In the morning on tape day, you had to pull out a number between 1-5 out of a bag.  There were 3 of the same number in the bag, representing 3 contestants per show.  My husband picked #2, so he was assigned to the second show.  I picked #5 so I was going to be on the last show.  If you picked #3 or higher, you got to each lunch with Pat & Vanna.  Well, they ate across the room from us peons but it was still exciting.  My husband was on show #2 so no free lunch for him. 
• This is what the show's producers repeatedly tell you from 10AM to 4PM of tape day........just because you got a letter from us inviting you on the show and just because you spent a lot of money to come to California and told all your family and friends, if you get stagefright, feel queasy, or feel like you are going to throw up, we will pull you from the show.  This scared the crap out of everybody because yeah....we all did spend a lot of money and took vacation from work and all our friends and family were rooting us on and we didn't want to look like idiots.  In fact, that was the common thread among all the other contestants I talked to (and all of them are extremely friendly and excited).  They didn't care how much or little they won, they just wanted to solve a puzzle.  But the biggest thing I heard......no one wanted to look like an idiot on TV.
• I told myself if I could just get through the first part of having to say a little bit of stuff about myself to Pat, then I would be OK.  But the theme music started up, and I'm listening to the other contestants talk to him, I started breathing really heavy and thinking....40 million people are going to see you.   This never happened to me before or since, but from the tips of my toes I could feel heat rising up, and it went all the way up to the top of my head.  I felt like my face was on fire but Pat started talking to me and somehow I said I was married and had 3 children and blah blah blah and it was over.  The game started.  
• You have about 5 inches to move either way.  The camera is really close...like 3 feet from your face.  And there's a guy with a sign directly under the camera that says SMILE.  With all that plus having to smile and make sure you clapped and rooted for the other contestants, it's a wonder anyone can remember to concentrate on the puzzle.  And I kept getting Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, even though I didn't get a chance to even pick a letter.  First puzzle was solved by Bob, a really nice guy from Ohio.  I had no clue what it was.  The second puzzle was a big one, and the answer jumped out at me really fast.  I kept counting the letters to make sure I was correct about it.  I was so scared my competitors were going to solve it before me, but thankfully they were clueless.  When it came to me, I spun about 4 times, called out 4 correct letters, and then the 5th time it looked like it was going to go on Bankrupt.  You can actually hear me on tape squeaking "no, no, no", LOL.  But it barely got on to $400 and I called out a letter and then said I want to solve it.  Pat seemed a little surprised, but I did not want to take the chance of continuing on since I was already on friendly terms with Bankrupt and Lose a Turn.
• I won $2500 in prizes, which put me in the lead for the Bonus Round, but the guy from Ohio guessed the last puzzle which put him over the top with a whopping $3,000.  The contestant from California didn't win anything.  Bob didn't solve the bonus puzzle, which I didn't figure out either, so our show was the lowest as far as money/prizes won out of the entire 5 shows.
• Because my husband went to the Bonus Round, he was ineligible for those wonderful "parting gifts".  But I was entitled to them, and for about 2 weeks it was Christmas every day.  The postman brought a case of Rice-a-Roni, Sherwin Williams paint, Maybelline makeup, and I can't remember the rest.  The prizes I won were delivered over the course of about a month. 
• We both became celebrities for about 2 months after the show aired.  I gotta say it was kind of cool to have people yelll "I saw you on Wheel of Fortune". 
• I still have the tape we made when our shows aired.  Yeah, it's a VCR tape...that's how long ago it was.  My husband passed away 16 years ago next month.  My kids and I dust it off and watch it every Christmas along with old VCR tapes of Christmases when they were little (one of the prizes my husband won was a camcorder.  It was huge, but we taped about 6 or 7 Christmases and it's still fun to watch, even though my son gripes every time about having to get the VCR out of storage to play them).  

Love your story!

I am surprised they don't pay anything to cover your expenses.  Boo hiss...  

Have you considered getting the tape converted to a DVD?  If the VCR fails you will miss having that tape to watch and that would be awful.

[cinsays]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Eh, I'm actually of the mind that there was more reason for Miles to be depressed than not, especially at that time, even at an event that was supposed to be fun and relaxing.  I don't think even I could have fun and relax during those weeks when it seemed like every other week there was another shooting, and even NOW considering all that is going on out there these days.  I think it was totally appropriate.   He was the one person courageous enough to address the elephant in the room.  I agree with you that every one of them should be feeling "some type of way" about the pandemic and other current events at that time, but if so they all should have addressed it instead of leaving him out there alone, exposed and vulnerable, acting like deer in the headlights of his oncoming train.  I know they're young and perhaps that makes them unable to give more of a mature response, but I wanted to slap them for making me believe that most of them are really that sheltered and clueless about his experience that they can't respond with more than careful, PC platitudes.  Instead we get a disingenuous "apology" from wacko Christina.  Gee, thanks, that's worth less than if she would have kept her stupid mouth shut.  And yes to the person who said that Karen should have come stand by him and at least put her arm around him.

It just made me feel like none of them really wanted to be forced into facing the reality that their little TV show "bubble" was protecting them from.  And while usually I might agree with you that such a getaway is supposed to be about escaping reality, they're ALREADY "escaped" from reality by being on that stupid show and needed to have a dose of reality for maybe an hour or so before going back to their "regularly scheduled program already in progress".  But that's just my opinion, LOL.

I agree that it needed to be discussed and think even more highly of Miles for doing so.

Shocking to me was the comment Amani made about being glad COVID happened because it allowed the couples more time together.  Huh?

[spunky]

13 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

This is a very safe assumption to make re: hotels in general, not just during the pandemic.

I was in the audience of a talk show when I was in college. We weren't paid. It was actually an orientation activity, if you can believe that.

Yeah. I feel this way more about Amelia than Bennett for some reason - Amelia feels like she's trying really hard (I think I would find her tiring if I knew her) and Bennett's quirks feel more organic. Bennett also feels more mature to me than Amelia. 

(Do they only use one toothbrush between them? I had an argument with an ex who used my toothbrush once. He was like, we have sex though, so is it really that weird? I was like, I understand your point but do not use my toothbrush, kthx.)

I give Bennett credit for recognizing that, one, the pandemic has tremendous financial implications (how could he not recognize it when he can't do any of the jobs he does?), especially in New Orleans, and two, recognizing that his way of living isn't really conducive to raising a family, even if Amelia is the breadwinner. He was basically like "Yikes, I gotta get my shit together."

I won't even share my toothbrush with my own mother and she gave birth to me, I'm sure as hell not sharing my toothbrush with a SO. I think reality smacked Bennett in the face during lockdown. 

[KateHearts]

I can definitely say that my leanings toward each individual on this show have solidified at lot this episode:

Bennett: what a thoughtful, kind human he is. He listens, he doesn't foist his advice or his lifestyle on anyone else. He is carefully cautious with his relationship, but willing to put his all into it to see where it goes. Yes he's a goofball andhis ambition in terms of providing for himself in the future is a little weak but he is a genuinely good person.

Amelia: she's nurturing the relationship and seems to definitely consider Bennett's feelings.  And she looks a little less like a disheveled hippie with her haircut and perhaps some less questionable wardrobe choices.

Karen: way to make Covid a reason to continue your dance of indecision. I do appreciate that she liked Miles' baring of his emotions without throwing him shade about his "feminine" side. But she is really still keeping him at arm's length which to me shows she's already halfway out the door.

Miles: he is trying but he realizes his potential is waning. She goes on  and on about "getting to know each other" and all the other things she should be past and he knows it.

Woody: he can really read a room. His commentary on Christina was spot on. He seems to be very devoted to the concept of a committed marriage. He's entertaining, caring and funny.

Amani: I have really come to like her entire personality. Yeah, she and Woody are cute together but she's also sincere and caring with others as well. She asks questions and wants to know the answers. She was very kind with helping Olivia move her belongings.  And she didn't reveal the personal details to the group that Olivia shared with her, which I give her great points for. 

Christina: fake, fake, fakeity-fake.  What the hell? Crying? Over Olivia and Brett? And then she trash talks Brett, "confesses" that she's dated a lot of assholes (why to they bleep out the "holes" part rather than the "ass" part?)  I'm sure the others were inwardly rolling their eyes at her phony drama.  And that clip of her revealing that she used to be a big liar? I think the pathology runs extremely deep here. 

Henry: very twitchy at times tonight; I was so hoping he would tell the group in front of Christina that she accused him of not being attracted to her because he was gay; that she "lost" the text from the supposed informant, etc. He had sooo many chances. I do like him and I know he's already thrown in the (wet, on the floor) towel.  He just can't pull his trump cards and he is so justified to do so. I guess because he's a decent guy and doesn't want to embarrass her.  But she is doing a very good job of doing that all by herself.

[Hangin Out]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Miles needs to stop flopping on the bed and looking up at Karen like he's a puppy begging for crumbs.  Just leave her alone.  Be nice to her like he's always been, and let her make the first move (which she probably never will, but at least he'll know to stop trying).   Also, what's up with him wearing his hoodie with the hood up over his head when he's inside?  Is his head cold?    

Haha .. maybe he’s hiding from the world.  If he stops playing the “woe is me”, maybe she will have some respect for him.  He’s acting like a wimp.  I know he’s depressed, but so are lots of people these days.  He has to get a grip.  He wasn’t show appeal, unless production picked him for that role.  Henry was rejected, but he took it with a grain of salt and is fighting back with dignity.

[Adeejay]

12 hours ago, JapMo said:

Years ago on my husband and my first trip to California, a nice person stopped us on the street in L.A. and asked if we wanted to be in the audience for the game show Concentration (I know some of you remember that).  We thought OK, cool.  Little did we know they were taping like 5 shows and we could not leave.  We were stuck there, and OMG all they wanted us to do was clap the entire time.  My hands were red from all the clapping, and we wasted almost a whole day of our vacation being locked in a soundstage.

I had a similar experience with the Dr. Oz show.  Last November, went to a live taping of The View.  We were in and out within two hours.  On our way out, we were offered tickets for Dr. Oz which was scheduled to start taping within the hour.  Long story short, what was pitched as a 90 minute sojourn turned into a four and a half hour odyssey.  Never again. 

I am curious as to why Karen and Woody didn't join their respective group for the "bonding session".  

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Adeejay

[Ilovepie]

15 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Dave knew early on that he wasn't going to say yes on Decision Day and yet he kept boinking her every single damn day.

Sigh. Shouldn't have brought this back up, but here goes: Dave actually said yes on Decision Day. They stayed together, and one day he came home and SHE had moved all of her stuff out. He was still in it. I don't want to get into it again because there is already a thread for their season, but I kind of feel like people forget he stayed and she left him. Okay - back to the current group.......

[Alexander Pope]

33 minutes ago, cinsays said:

I agree that it needed to be discussed and think even more highly of Miles for doing so.

Shocking to me was the comment Amani made about being glad COVID happened because it allowed the couples more time together.  Huh?

Yes I had the same reaction, and I'm the one who dumped on Amelia last week for singing cheerily as she biked down empty Bourbon street.  Love and the bubble can make people unintentionally selfish I guess.

[Jeanne222]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Miles needs to stop flopping on the bed and looking up at Karen like he's a puppy begging for crumbs.  Just leave her alone.  Be nice to her like he's always been, and let her make the first move (which she probably never will, but at least he'll know to stop trying).   Also, what's up with him wearing his hoodie with the hood up over his head when he's inside?  Is his head cold?    

Those are all the actions of a vital, hormones raging, young man.  The exact opposite of what Karen wants.  

This was a terrible match!

I am suspecting whatever Miles was putting on his Instagram and Karen read told the tale of a bad matchup!

So here we are!

[Jeanne222]

1 hour ago, cinsays said:

I agree that it needed to be discussed and think even more highly of Miles for doing so.

Shocking to me was the comment Amani made about being glad COVID happened because it allowed the couples more time together.  Huh?

I'm going to give Amani some Grace and am thinking she meant good for her and Woodys relationship!  Certainly not good for the world!

[ECM1231]

47 minutes ago, Ilovepie said:

Sigh. Shouldn't have brought this back up, but here goes: Dave actually said yes on Decision Day. They stayed together, and one day he came home and SHE had moved all of her stuff out. He was still in it. I don't want to get into it again because there is already a thread for their season, but I kind of feel like people forget he stayed and she left him. Okay - back to the current group.......

Wow, really? I don't remember that it went down that way at all. Lol

Mea culpa