Yes. It is here. The post about my time on Supermarket Sweep. I know you have been waiting with bated breath, waiting to hear how I kicked some serious ass on Supermarket Sweep (circa 2001).
Oh, where to begin? Should I start with the perky jogging on set? Should I start with high fiving the host, David Rupret? Or perhaps I should start with my big hair and bright pink cardigan set? My best friend Julie and I had this great idea to go on a game show. In college, my roommates and I would watch the show everyday. It is an easy enough show to play and potentially win. Julie and I had to try out to be contestants on the show. The only requirement was that we had to be perky (puleez) and we had to have some knowledge of a grocery store. Once we made it through casting, I spent the next month taping (not tivo'ing) Supermarket sweep and studying the show. What type of groceries did they always throw in the cart during the "big sweep"? I paid extra close attention at my own grocery store to products and their prices. Once it was our show day, I was ready.
If you have never seen Supermarket Sweep, the premise is this...answer a few questions about pricing and products to earn seconds to add on time to the "big sweep. " Our first question went like this:"Healthy eaters this is up your alley. Granola bars from ___________." The answer was, of course, Nature Valley. I was the first to buzz in with the answer which added 10 seconds on to our time. Julie, my partner, was then instructed to run through the grocery store to find the product. If she could bring back the granola bars within 30 seconds we could add another 30 seconds to our time. This is key!! Unfortunately, Julie was unable to spot the granola bars that were
right in front of her. We did not earn the extra time. But, never fear...there are more games to be played.
During the next segment, the host chats it up with the contestants. He asks our names and does a little witty chatter with the other contestants. Mine went a little something like this:
Host,"So, Jennifer tell me how you know Julie."
Me, "We've been best friends since high school."
Host, "Tell everyone your last name."
Me," My last name is Lopez."
Host,"So, you mean to tell me you are Jennifer Lopez?!?!"
Me, "Yes, I have been for a year and a half now."
Host," Oh, so you married Mr. Lopez."
Me, "Yes, I did."
*End scene*
Enough chit chat. Now, back to the game. The next game is the "missing letter game". They show you the first and last letter of a product and give you three clues. At any time, you can buzz in. This was Julie's turn to be up. Out of 4 questions, we only got 1 answer, adding another 10 seconds to our time. We are in 2nd place with Team #1 in the lead.
Next up, Julie has to buzz in with scenes from a commercial. This girl loves TV almost as much as me. We're taking the other competitors out! We were 2 for 4 in this round and are now in the lead with 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
Now it is my turn and we are playing the famous Round Robin Game. This is where I start to kick some serious shopping butt. Round Robin is a scrambled letter game with clues given. I get 4 out of 5 answered correctly and cinch the lead.
Final Scoreboard: Team #1 has 2:20. We have 2:40. Team #3 has 2:00.
At this point, we have changed into our team sweatshirts. Julie and I are in red with the big #1's on the chest ala LaVerne. Hold onto your hats, because now it is time to "Run like wild through the aisles" for the big sweep! Naturally, I am going to be running the sweep because nothing spells fun like a cameraman filming your ass running around a grocery store. My goal is to fill my baskets up with as much product as possible so that at the end of my 2:40 I have the biggest grocery bill. I can also pick up an inflatable bonus along the way, or grind some coffee(rookies always do this...it takes too much time for the amount of money you earn, people!!), or bag some candy, or look for the hidden clues on the monitors around the store. My plan is to fill my cart and carry a bonus across the finish line.
And I'm off...(it is important to note that the last thing Julie said to me before I began my big sweep was, "Eye of the tiger, Jennifer. Eye of the tiger.") I go straight for the meat section. If you know me at all, that is hilarious in itself. But, listen people, that's a big ticket item!! I grab roasts, ham, turkey, and ribs. I am a meat grabbin' fool! Next, I'm on to contact lens solution ($9 a bottle) and diapers. I also grab pots and pans and big jugs of Bertoli Olive Oil. In the last few seconds, I grab a blow up Arizona Tea bonus and race back to the check out stand.
After the commercial break, the checkers have added up all of our groceries and the moment you have all been waiting for is finally here. Here's the final grocery bills:
Team 3 $746. Team 2 $971. If we have shopped for more than $971 we are the big winners. Our grand total was...
$1099!!!!!!!!!!
All right, here is where it gets tricky. Julie and I are now trying to get the clues to win the $5000. The first clue is, "A child draws a picture on your wall. Use the evergreen cleaner called _________". Pine sol is the answer. Julie and I run to the cleaning section and grab the marked bottle of Pine sol. Now we read the next clue:
"Little girls might get all dressed up with these "frilly" snacks."
So, there we are. Running around trying to look for a "frilly" snack. What's a frilly snack? Damn you David Rupret!! I am sad to report that Julie and I never found that frilly snack. We did not win the $5000. We won a grand total of $1,299. Not bad for a days work, right? If you have learned anything from this long winded post, hopefully it is this:
Next time you are in the aisle and you hear that beep...think of the fun you can have on SUPERMARKET SWEEP!!
All right...so what's the answer? What is a frilly snack??
