The Price IS Right and I Get It

I was out of work sick two consecutive days a couple of weeks ago, which never happens. 

That’s not a brag, I just usually am able to get over whatever it is in about 24 hours, on the rare occasion I actually get sick. 

Not so this time. Your boy was down for the count. I barely made it out of bed the first day.

Like I said earlier, I rarely get sick like this. It took me back to being a kid in school and missing a day: I had my thoughts, some books, and TV. And my phone, but go with me.

Apparently, one of the cornerstones of sick days for 90s kids was summoning up enough energy and courage to watch “The Price is Right.” I did not know this.

Full disclosure: Until two weeks ago, I had never seen an episode of the beloved game show. 

When I was sick as a kid, I’d watch Looney Tunes, or ESPN/Classic, or something like that. The only game shows I saw were Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune with my grandparents.

Imagine my surprise when I saw more and more pop culture references to TPIR being a staple of sick days. I felt like I had missed an important milestone. 

So when I had the misfortune of going down for two straight days, and didn’t leave the bed for the first one, I made up my mind: I couldn’t do much—but I could live out a piece of 90s childhood.

I was going to watch The Price is Right for the first time.

What little energy I could muster was used to take a shower, get back in bed, and prepare myself for Plinko. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and thought “This has to be nostalgia. No cheesy game show can be that good.”

Folks, let me tell you: I was wrong. The Price is Right is pretty awesome.

And let me clarify; I’m talking about the current iteration. Not the Barker years. I can’t speak to those. And this was also seen through the eyes of a grown 90s kid. But I get it. I get why it’s a hit.

For starters, it is silly. And it owns that silliness. The crowd plays up the over-the-top-excitement. The cheering and jumping up and down when selected to play, the boundless energy during all the games, the yelling answers to try and help contestants, it all felt like it was done with a wink and a “yeah, we’re in on the joke too,” not a “we’re all goobers and this is our life.” 

And the games are legitimately fun. The creators/producers have hit on a formula that are essentially interactive without ever having to incorporate an electronic device (other than your TV). You can guess prices right along with Tammy from Paducah on what something costs. Sure, you can’t physically spin the wheel, but you can cross your fingers and hope it stops on 100.

But I think the icing on the cake is the host, Drew Carey. 

I’ve been an appreciator since he hosted “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” but he just seems to embrace and own the silliness and fun of TPIR. And seems to truly care about the contestants. It comes off as not just a job to him, and it’s not his show; instead he’s a piece of the puzzle and lets the games, the contestants and the show itself stand on its own. Very much like a good point guard in basketball: it all goes through him, but he plays to the strengths of those around him.

I think the sign off he uses is pretty telling, too. In the episodes I watched it was never the standard “we’ll see you next time” boilerplate; instead there were messages encouraging the audience to take care of themselves. That they are important and he loved them. Again, I don’t know, I’ve never been on the show, but it felt genuine and stood out to me.

So all this to say I get it. I get why people my age love this show, and why it’s such a staple of sick days. And I’m glad I discovered it when I did, in their era I did, with the host I did. I may even tune in again on a non-sick day.

But it sure is nice to know that for all the craziness in this world, and the anxiety that comes with being sick, there are small comforts out there like The Price is Right.

Makes me almost look forward to the common cold season.