Singletake: Free stuff

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Singletake: Free Stuff" The World and Everything In It
Host: Les Sillers
Release Date: December 14, 2024

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Introduction: A Christmas Tale of Gratitude

In the December 14, 2024 episode of The World and Everything In It, host Les Sillers presents a heartwarming Christmas story featuring Kim Stegel and Juliana Chan Erickson. This episode, titled "Singletake: Free Stuff," delves into their unexpected journey on the long-running game show, The Price is Right, highlighting themes of camaraderie, humility, and recognizing life’s true gifts.

Preparing for the Adventure

Les Sillers introduces Kim Stegel, a contributor for World Teen magazine from South Carolina, and Juliana Chan Erickson, a World Radio contributor based in Washington, D.C. The two friends decided to audition for The Price is Right in Los Angeles, donning coordinated, festive outfits to embody the holiday spirit.

Kim Stegel (00:20):
"We were wearing outfits that we found on Amazon. I was wearing a sparkly red top."

Juliana Chan Erickson (00:32):
"Juliana was wearing a sparkly green top."

Their playful attire included elf hats adorned with gold dollar signs, meticulously arranged to appear as mirror images for their photo opportunities.

Juliana Chan Erickson (00:46):
"I think yours, Kim's, was facing right and mine was facing left so that when we stood for a photo, they would look like they were mirror images of each other."

The Audition Process

On a warm October day, Kim and Juliana flew to Los Angeles to audition for Drew Carey's The Price is Right. The theme for their episode was a holiday office party, but details were kept under wraps until the episode aired on December 4th.

Les Sillers (01:05):
"They flew to Los Angeles a few days before their episode was taped on October 30, 2023."

Determined to stand out, Juliana encouraged Kim to create a unique song and embrace their elf hats with confidence, even if their performance wasn't flawless.

Juliana Chan Erickson (02:03):
"If we're going to rock this, if we're going to get that on the show, we have to make up a song, some sort of gimmick. Even if it's terrible, even if it's pitiful, we gotta sing it and own it and rock our elf hats in front of these people."

Despite some hesitation and a less-than-perfect singing attempt, their effort set the stage for an unforgettable experience.

Awaiting Their Moment: A Test of Patience

Kim and Juliana spent hours at the audition site, a rented church next to the studio, mingling with approximately 150 other contestants adorned in festive attire. The atmosphere was competitive yet spirited, with contestants eager to showcase genuine excitement.

Kim Stegel (03:30):
"Cheering because they say that they're not looking for an actor. They're looking for genuine excitement..."

After their interviews and song performance, Kim and Juliana assumed they were unlikely to be selected, positioning themselves towards the back of the contestant lineup as numbers 47 and 48.

The Call to Stage: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

Against their expectations, both women were called to the stage amidst overwhelming enthusiasm from the audience.

Kim Stegel (04:47):
"And Ivan Gonzalez Wallace, come on down."

The loud cheers from the crowd made it difficult to hear their names being announced individually. Eventually, Kim's name was called, propelling her onto the stage with a surge of adrenaline and excitement.

Kim Stegel (05:04):
"So when they said my name, I didn't hear it... the adrenaline takes over because you're high fiving people."

The Bidding Game: A Lesson in Humility

Once on stage, Kim participated in the bidding segment, starting with a set of expensive golf clubs. Feeling the pressure and influenced by the chaotic environment, she placed a high bid of $5,500, significantly overestimating the clubs' value.

Kim Stegel (06:28):
"I bid. 5,500."

Her overbid was met with surprise from Drew Carey and the audience, leading to mixed feelings of excitement and self-doubt.

George Gray (05:19):
"Prices are blowing my mind tonight."

Despite her initial success, Kim struggled with subsequent bids, ultimately finding herself underqualified for the remaining prizes.

The Showcase Showdown: Tension and Triumph

Advancing to the Showcase Showdown, Kim faced the challenge of spinning a hefty eight-foot wheel to secure her place in the final showcase round. After a successful first spin, she earned $1,000, advancing her to compete for even grander prizes.

George Gray (10:45):
"I got a $1 on my first spin."

The waiting period between rounds was nerve-wracking, as Kim wrestled with the tension of waiting to see if her bids would hold up.

Outcome and Aftermath: Gracious Acceptance

In the end, Austin, another contestant, narrowly won the showcase by staying closer to the actual price. Although Kim did not secure the grand prize, she walked away with $30 in merchandise and $1,000 in cash after taxes—enough to cover her trip to California.

Kim Stegel (15:00):
"I'm going to make a label for my label maker that says, I won this on the Price is Right, and if you come to my house, I might let you use it."

Insights and Lessons: The True Value of Community

Reflecting on their experience, Kim and Juliana emphasized that the most rewarding aspect was not the prizes but the sense of unity and support among contestants.

Juliana Chan Erickson (15:49):
"We all were united in, not just in competition, but in rooting for one another."

Les Sillers connects their story to broader spiritual themes, illustrating that recognizing the true value in life’s "free stuff" is akin to appreciating God’s grace.

Les Sillers (16:59):
"God gives us lots of free stuff. It's called grace."

Conclusion: Embracing Life’s Gifts

The episode closes with a reaffirmation of gratitude and the importance of recognizing that everything we have is a gift, reinforcing the episode’s central message that true joy comes from community and divine grace, rather than material possessions.

Kim Stegel (17:18):
"No merit of my own. I did nothing to get on that stage."

Les Sillers (17:37):
"And you walk out with the recognition that... everything that we have is given to us."

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This episode of The World and Everything In It masterfully intertwines a personal narrative with profound life lessons, encouraging listeners to cherish the intangible gifts of camaraderie and grace alongside any material rewards.

Transcript

[Les Sillers]

From world radio, this is Double Take. I'm Les Sillers. Today we have a kind of a Christmas single take, a shorter story told in this case by just two people. Two people who head out to California to have some fun. And there they realize in a most unlikely place that everything they have is a gift.

[Kim Stegel]

Well, we were wearing outfits that we found on Amazon. I was wearing a sparkly red top.

[Les Sillers]

Kim Stegel writes for World Teen magazine and lives in South Carolina.

[Kim Stegel]

Juliana was wearing a sparkly green top.

[Les Sillers]

Julianna Chan Erickson is a world contributor. She lives in Washington, D.C. they also had elf hats, bent rakishly to the side and sporting gold dollar signs.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

I think yours, Kim's, was facing right and mine was facing left so that when we stood for a photo, they would look like they were mirror images of each other.

[Kim Stegel]

And so I had the red top and had a green headband with red ribbon. And you had the opposite. So we were very opposite but coordinating.

[Les Sillers]

Why, you might ask, were Kim and Juliana dressed up like that on a warm day in October?

[Drew Carey]

Here it comes. From Hollywood, it's the Price is Right. At night.

[Les Sillers]

Yep. They were auditioning for America's longest running game show. Started in 1956, about 5 million viewers a night. Hosted since 2007 by Drew Carey. Juliana's kids started watching the show last summer. She just decided one day to get tickets. Kim hadn't seen the show in years, but she came along for fun. They flew to Los Angeles a few days before their episode was taped on October 30, 2023. The theme was holiday office party, but they couldn't talk about it, even with their closest friends until after the show aired last December 4th. I sat down with Kim and Juliana the day after. On the morning of the show, I.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

Told Kim, hey, if we're going to rock this, if we're going to get that on the show, we have to make up a song, some sort of gimmick. Even if it's terrible, even if it's pitiful, we gotta sing it and own it and rock our elf hats in front of these people.

[Les Sillers]

Can you sing the song for me now?

[Kim Stegel]

Partly.

[Les Sillers]

I think you should try.

[Kim Stegel]

This is the time ba ba this is the day ba ba. And that's where I kind of fizzle out.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

No, it goes something like, this is the show, this is the day, this is the Price is Right. Come on down and play, play, play. Something like that. I'm terrible. I can't sing.

[Les Sillers]

They took an Uber to the studio. It was under construction, but the production Company had rented the church next door to the studio. That's where they staged the Price is Right and let's Make a Deal. Interview the contestants and get them lined up, take away their phones and watches. About 150 contestants came that day. Juliana noticed that when you walk into.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

The church, like, you have these signs that say jesus loves you. And then you walk into the fellowship hall, and all the signs say, all the chairs that you sit in say let's make a deal.

[Les Sillers]

They waited there for a couple of hours. Most people had some sort of holiday outfit. Lots of sequins, candy canes, and glitter. The directors also got everybody to practice.

[Kim Stegel]

Cheering because they say that they're not looking for an actor. They're looking for genuine excitement, and they're looking for sustained excitement, someone who can maintain it through the lengthy taping process. There are people who are auditioning the entire time they're sitting there. The guy in front of us kept jumping up and doing cheers, starting cheers with the whole group. There's a lot of, what would you say? Preening going on where people are trying to get noticed very much.

[Les Sillers]

At Kim and Juliana's interview, the staffer asked for their names and hometowns, their jobs. Someone took their picture.

[Kim Stegel]

At the very end of Juliana's question time, I butted in and said, and we wrote a song, didn't we? And they said, well, let's hear it. So we did it.

[Les Sillers]

And did they seem impressed?

[Kim Stegel]

They thought it was hilarious. I don't know if they were impressed.

[Les Sillers]

After an hour, they all filed over to the studio. Kim and Juliana were number 47 and 48, three rows back, but way over to the side. They figured that meant they were out of it.

[Kim Stegel]

Nobody's ever going to see us. We're way over here. And we were okay with that.

[Les Sillers]

Finally, the announcer, George Gray and Drew Carey came out.

[Kim Stegel]

All of a sudden, we were cheering, and there was a guy holding signs.

[Drew Carey]

And Ivan Gonzalez Wallace, come on down.

[Kim Stegel]

Waving his arms like wild. Cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer. And we were going.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

It's so loud that literally cannot hear the announcer, even though he's using a mic. You cannot hear your name being called. So they have a big white sign with your name written in ginormous marker, black marker.

[Les Sillers]

So you're in there. They call the first name. It's not you.

[Kim Stegel]

Nope.

[Les Sillers]

Second name is you, Morgan, Kyle, Come.

[Kim Stegel]

No, no. It went all the way to. There are nine contestants called down to contestants. Row. I was number eight.

[Drew Carey]

Kimberly Steagall, come on down. You're the next contestant on the Price is right at night.

[Kim Stegel]

So when they said my name, I didn't hear it. And Juliana started pushing me and saying, it's you, it's you. They said your name. So then I stumble out into the aisle and it just. It just takes over. The adrenaline takes over because you're high fiving people. You're running down. And I just thought, please don't fall, please don't fall. The whole time I'm running down there and high fiving people.

[George Gray]

Good luck. Next prize please, George.

[Drew Carey]

Next. Grab a cohort and hit the links with these sets of golf clubs.

[Kim Stegel]

And I had no idea, I mean, none, what to bid. So I turn around to the audience. It is mayhem in the audience. Everyone is screaming a number. And I look at a row of elves in the second row. And one elf makes eye contact with me and says, I'm a golfer. I know these are expensive clubs. Bid. $6,000.

[Les Sillers]

So Kim bid.

[George Gray]

Rachel Kiverle, you're first.

[Kim Stegel]

5,500.

[George Gray]

5,500.

[Kim Stegel]

And Drew Carey looked at me like I had lost my mind. So the next bid comes out.

[George Gray]

Thank you very much, Ivan. 959. Okay, thank you. 950. Morgan.

[Kim Stegel]

I immediately feel like a complete idiot. I have way over bid. I way over bidding.

[Les Sillers]

The other bids were also pretty low.

[Kim Stegel]

So I just was feeling sick. So Drew Carey opens the envelope and.

[George Gray]

Says actual retail price, $9,500.

[Les Sillers]

She won the clubs. She screamed, threw her hands in the air and ran up the stairs. She did not hug Drew Carey.

[Kim Stegel]

And he looks completely stunned by that price. In fact, when I got up there, he said to me, these one bit.

[George Gray]

Prices are blowing my mind tonight.

[Kim Stegel]

I would never have known. Someone in the audience told me I.

[George Gray]

Would have never known either. But George, she's already ahead $9,500 worth. What else do we have for her?

[Kim Stegel]

But then the game.

[Les Sillers]

There were three prizes. A label maker, a set of battery powered self heating lunchboxes.

[Drew Carey]

And finally, take the holiday party leftovers home in your new SUV. It's the 2024 Mazda CX5S preferred.

[Les Sillers]

The game is called 10 Chances. Above each prize was a group of numbers. The game was to rearrange the numbers to guess the exact price of each item. She had ten chances in total. She got the first two items and three guesses.

[George Gray]

Yes, now you're in good shape. You have seven chances to give us the price of the SUV.

[Les Sillers]

All she had to do was put five numbers in the correct order. 0, 1, 2, 3, and 9.

[George Gray]

Use all five numbers.

[Kim Stegel]

Okay.

[George Gray]

32,109. No.

[Les Sillers]

But she got a little flustered.

[George Gray]

39,039. Two hundred and one. No.

[Les Sillers]

Everybody was screaming at her.

[George Gray]

32,091. No.

[Les Sillers]

It was hard to think.

[George Gray]

No.

[Kim Stegel]

Honestly, it is so chaotic up there.

[George Gray]

All right. 29,130. Nope.

[Kim Stegel]

It was total defense. No offense whatsoever.

[George Gray]

Nope. Last chance, Kimberly.

[Les Sillers]

The camera cut to Juliana screaming and waving fingers.

[George Gray]

30,912.

[Les Sillers]

No. Actual retail price.

[George Gray]

32,910. You got a nice golf package for 9,000.

[Les Sillers]

But she wasn't done. All six people who get onto the stage get to spin the wheel to see who gets into the showcase showdown. The wheel is a big deal in more ways than one. It's a huge, upright roulette wheel, basically maybe eight feet tall and heavy. You get two spins to get as close as you can to a total of $1 without going over. Maybe you want only a toaster on contestants row, but one good spin and you're back in the running for the major showcase prizes.

[George Gray]

Time to spin the wheel again. Go ahead, Benjamin.

[Kim Stegel]

Good luck.

[Les Sillers]

She wasn't sure if she could pull it hard enough.

[George Gray]

Come on over here, Kimberly. Good luck.

[Kim Stegel]

I'm thinking that I have a little bit of a shoulder issue. You want to say hi, mom, Je, Cole, and Margaret.

[George Gray]

Thank you. How about a dollar? How about a dollar on the wheel?

[Kim Stegel]

I got a $1 on my first spin.

[George Gray]

Come on over here, Kimberly. You spent a dollar on the wheel. That makes up for a lot. So you got $1,000 for spending the dollar on the wheel. Congratulations. And you're on your way to the showcase automatically.

[Kim Stegel]

The showcase showdown. I'm in it.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

I was just beside myself. It felt like a rollercoaster.

[George Gray]

Showcases are next. We'll be right back, folks.

[Les Sillers]

During the commercial, Kim and the other competitor, Austin, went to the two podiums. The producer came over.

[Kim Stegel]

He said, please, please, please do not overbid. We want to give a showcase away. The audience wants to see a showcase given away. If you overbid, we can't give it to you.

[Les Sillers]

Then back, everybody.

[George Gray]

Austin, Kimberly, welcome to the showcase round.

[Les Sillers]

The first showcase included a portable dance floor, a home photo booth, some digital picture frames, and, of course, in the trunk of your new car, a Toyota crown. Austin passed on the first showcase.

[Kim Stegel]

I immediately have to bid. The first number that popped in my head was $54,000. I don't know why, but then I kept hearing the producer saying, don't overbid. Don't overbid. Don't overbid. So I dialed it back. $42,000.

[George Gray]

$42,000 even. Alrighty. Good luck, Austin. Here's your showcase. Hope you like it. Take it away, George.

[Les Sillers]

The second showcase included a necklace, another car, and a trip to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Austin was very excited about the elephants.

[Kim Stegel]

He was over the moon. Then it was his turn to bid.

[Drew Carey]

I'm gonna say 55,000.

[George Gray]

$55,000. Good luck. Good luck. We're gonna find out who wins right after this.

[Kim Stegel]

Don't go away.

[Les Sillers]

Another commercial.

[Kim Stegel]

So then there's this long waiting time where Austin and I are looking awkwardly at one another. Who's gonna win? Are we both in trouble with the producers for going over what's gonna happen?

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

I think you guys wanted to go to the bathroom really badly too, right?

[Kim Stegel]

I had actually. Right before my name was called, I had considered leaving and going to the bathroom. And I had thought, I'm really going to have to do this. Like, I can't sit here anymore. Then my name was called.

[Les Sillers]

So how long was it from the time your name is called until you're standing up with the showcase waiting to come back from commercial? About how long is that?

[Kim Stegel]

I mean, probably 45 minutes.

[Les Sillers]

And are you thinking to yourself every few minutes, I really gotta go?

[Kim Stegel]

Yeah, like, I can't believe this.

[Les Sillers]

After the commercial.

[George Gray]

Welcome back, everybody.

[Les Sillers]

Austin. I'll cut to the chase. Kim's bid was $16,000 below the actual price. Austin's bid was only $6,000 under his showcase's actual price.

[George Gray]

341. Austin. Congratulations. Kim will be nice meeting you. Take care. Austin cleaned up. He just won $74,775.

[Les Sillers]

So Austin won. But if Kim had bid $54,000, she would have been only $4,000 under. If you'd have gone with your first instinct, you'd have won.

[Kim Stegel]

Yes.

[Les Sillers]

Oh, what? What? What did that feel like?

[Kim Stegel]

It felt like, I really need to go to the. And I was happy for Austin. He was almost in tears over the elephants.

[Les Sillers]

While Austin and his family were celebrating on stage, a producer took Kim below to sign some papers. That was a wake up call. Kim had won about $10,000 worth of stuff plus $1,000 in cash. But to collect the golf clubs, label maker and lunch boxes, she first would have to pay income and sales tax over $3,500. Both Kim and her husband worked from home, so the lunch boxes weren't useful. They don't golf. And she didn't want the hassle of selling the clubs. In the end, she accepted only the $30 label maker and the cash after taxes. She made enough to cover her trip to California.

[Kim Stegel]

And I'm going to make a label for my label maker that says, I won this on the Price is Right, and if you come to my house, I might let you use it.

[Les Sillers]

When Juliana first told me she and Kim went on the show, I thought, I just do not get it. The Price is Right looked to me like a bunch of people getting really excited about scoring free stuff on national television. The Washington Post once observed that fans of the show relish the fantasy that knowing the price of ordinary goods can deliver wealth and untold splendor. But Julianna and Kim said, nah, it's just a game. From what they saw, it really wasn't about the stuff. The most thrilling thing about their experience was the camaraderie.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

Yeah. I can't say I made best friends with anybody that was a contestant there or in the audience, but I feel like in that moment, we were all together and we all were united in, not just in competition, but in rooting for one another.

[Les Sillers]

We talked about this for quite a while.

[Kim Stegel]

As I was leaving the studio, everybody was high fiving me, congratulating me. Good job. Great job. That was so awesome. You did so well. And I was thinking, but I lost. But I didn't lose to them.

[Les Sillers]

Watching the Price is Right, it's easy to fall into the fantasy of winning all that stuff. But this story reminded me that God gives us the ability to play games and to enjoy playing them with other people. Juliana compared it to going to a football game and cheering like crazy for players you don't know. With people you don't know, it seems.

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

Like it's part of being human to just be united with other people, even if you don't know them, and to be united in some sort of purpose together.

[Les Sillers]

It also reminded me that sometimes we're not as excited as we should be about getting free stuff. I mean, God gives us lots of free stuff. It's called grace. It is kind of interesting, though. I mean, you start off this experience with the show by walking into a church.

[Kim Stegel]

Yes.

[Les Sillers]

And you walk out with the recognition that, as we learn in church every Sunday, we are not our own. And everything that we have is given to us. And so that's kind of a nice lesson.

[Kim Stegel]

No merit of my own. I did nothing to get on that stage. Really?

[Juliana Chan Erickson]

You sang a song.

[Kim Stegel]

I sang a song and wore a silly hat.

[George Gray]

Wow. What a night. Thanks for watching the show, everybody. Such a blessing. We got to spend the hour together.

[Les Sillers]

I'm Les Sillers, and I wrote and produced this episode of double take for World radio. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.

[George Gray]

I love you.

[Les Sillers]

Bye.