The Reference Desk

Come on down! You’ve been accused of cheating on The Price is Right!In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Terry Kneiss’ perfect showcase bid. In 2008, a man named Terry Kneiss had a perfect bid on his showcase. But he was robbed of his celebratory moment when new host Drew Carey and tPIR producers assumed the historical bid was the result of cheating. While Kneiss maintained that his perfect bid was a combination of careful studying and a bit of sheer luck, producers thought he’d been given the winning number from audience member Ted Slauson, a lifelong PIR superfan. The scandal that ensued changed the way the beloved TV game show was played forever. Recommended Reading:The Running Man by Stephen KingThe Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean WeirA Head Full of Ghosts by Paul TremblayChain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahPriceless Memories by Bob BarkerBackstage at The Price is Right: Memoirs of a Barker Beauty by Kathleen BradleyGame Show Confidential: The Story of an American Obsession by Boze HadleighDocumentary film: Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much by CJ Wallis. Sources:How one San Antonio man’s obsession with ‘The Price is Right’ almost destroyed the showThis Guy's Victory On "The Price Is Right" Made Them Change Their Entire System - Urbo15 Showcased Facts About The Price is Right | Mental FlossThe Price Is Right Secrets That Will Leave You Jumping For Joy15 Showcased Facts About The Price is Right | Mental Floss  Support the show

In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the favorite game show of sick children everywhere, The Price is Right. For over 50 years, The Price is Right has ruled the early-afternoon TV lineup, with millions of viewers tuning in each day to see who will be the next to COME ON DOWN! What is it that makes the Price is Right so endearing? Maybe it’s the long, skinny microphone that looks so fun to hold. Or the games that reward you for remembering the price of Capzasin arthritis cream. Or the endlessly enthusiastic shouting from the audience about the price of said arthritis cream. From Barker’s Beauties to the drama of changing hosts after 35 years, we’re digging into all the behind-the-scenes and on-screen dynamics that have turned the Price is Right into a cultural touchstone. All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!Staff picks:Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness (especially the audiobook!)Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe (available 8/20/24)Living for the Dead on HuluSources:What Made Bob Barker the Perfect Host for 'The Price Is Right' | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine Bob Barker: Biography, Game Show Host, The Price Is RightThe Price is Right (1956 – 1965, U.S. Version)PlinkoPunch a BunchCliff Hangers This Is Where The Prizes For The Price Is Right Are Actually StoredSexual harassment, serial killers & cheaters: The dark side of game showsWinning The Price Is Right: Strategies for Contestants’ Row, Plinko, and the Showcase Showdown.Barker's Larry King Interview Interview with Roger Dobkowitz, Part 4: “Everything You Wanted to Know About Price: The ’90s” Support the show

In this episode, Hailee explains the quirky and beloved tradition of Groundhog Day in America, from origins in ancient beliefs to a quaint local observance to a nationally recognized phenomenon. We will also explore a few other quirky American traditions, including the Presidential turkey pardon and a unique form of communication in the rural south. All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop! Staff picks:Big by Vashti HarrisonThere Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jerome and Jeremy PumphriesRecommended readingNon-Fiction Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Mark Moran and Mark SceurmanFictionOpposite of Always by Justin A. ReynoldsThe 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart TurtonNeverworld Wake by Marisha PesslSources:Groundhog Was Once on Punxsutawney’s MenuThe Curious (and Possibly Murderous) Origins of Punxsutawney Phil's NameThe bizarre history of Groundhog DayThe Surprising History Behind Groundhog DayPardoning the Thanksgiving TurkeyHollerin’ History“The Lost Art of Hollerin’”The Rise and Fall of North Carolina’s National Hollerin’ Contest Support the show

In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the lives and legacies of Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam CJ Walker. Many of us are familiar with the story of Madam CJ Walker, often cited as the first self-made Black millionaire, but fewer recognize the name Annie Turnbo Malone. Years before the formula for Walker’s hair treatment came to her in a dream, Malone was dominating the hair care market. It was her Poro Company system that brought Sarah Walker’s hair back to life, inspiring the happy client to join Malone’s sales team before striking out on her own under the moniker Madam CJ Walker. The two entrepreneurs each faced challenges, shattered glass ceilings, and left legacies that improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Black women across the world. We may never know who was the first to reach a million dollars, but there is no doubting that their lasting impacts were each remarkable in their own way. All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!Staff picks:The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains by Lisa JewellThe most wholesome librarian: Mychal3ts on TikTok Recommended reading:The Black Rose by Tananarive DueCarolina Built by Kianna AlexanderA Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. JohnsonOn Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam CJ Walker or Self Made by A’Lelia BundlesAll About Madam CJ Walker by A’Lelia BundlesA Friend to All Mankind: Mrs. Annie Turnbo Malone and Poro College by John H. WhitfieldWonderful Hair: The Beauty of Annie Malone written by Eve Nadel Catarevas and illustrated by Felicia MarshallSelf Made miniseries [Netflix] Sources:https://hereshistorypodcast.libsyn.com/tom-turpins-rosebud-cafeAfrican American Inventors-Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone Text- MAY 2021- jackyCAnnie Malone: First African American Millionairess (Educator, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist) -- Courtesy of The Freeman Institute -- www.PoroCollege.comAnnie Turnbo MaloneMeet Annie Turnbo Malone, the hair care entrepreneur Trump shouted out in his Black History Month proclamationAnnie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker: Pioneers of the African American Beauty IndustryAnnie Turnbo Malone - SHSMO Historic MissouriansPrices and Wages by Decade: 1900-1909Hair Care Helped a Community: Black Entrepreneur Annie Malone and Poro College | National Trust for Historic PreservationFast Facts - ANNIE MALONE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Support the show