Family Feud: Brought to you by Chick- Fil-A?

So, for two separate days, I was again paid to be a TV extra. This time as an audience member on the Game Show “Family Feud”. …& YES. They do pay people to fill the audience. & YES. Amongst those people who are not getting paid. & YES. Much like a secret spy mission… except minus the danger or excitement. So, here’s how a day a “Family Feud” works: There are no cell phones permitted. You MUST leave all electronics in your car. You then go through security – because we all know how A-list Steve Harvey is. Then, much like other gigs, you wait in a holding area —- & remember, without a cellphone! The first day I did test my memory by writing out a past monologue of mine on a resume I’d been keeping in my purse. I was THAT bored. I also did talk to a guy who worked as Paul Walker’s stand-in. (Apparently Vin Diesel is a huge jerk so – the more you know). But, once inside the studio, you were mandated to put everything under your seats. So, even on the second day when I came prepared with a book and a small notepad, it was essentially pointless. Basically wherever there were seats needing to be filled, we were instructed to sit. We were promptly introduced to Steve Harvey’s cartoonish warm-up guy Reuben. Reuben basically acts as your typical Disney-esqe guide* before the show starts – making sure the audience knows how to clap and cheer at appropriate times disguised through a series of cheesy jokes. It’s bit demeaning and all good fun all at the same time. Anyway, the pattern went like this: Steve Harvey comes out You cheer Families compete You clap Steve Harvey adlibs jokes You laugh Commercial break – “Ask Steve” questions More laughing Families continue competing More clapping Show ends You break Reuben makes sure your clapping/cheering skills are still there You repeat

So, I essentially sat through a total of seven or eight Family Feud games in total. My favorite contestants being the Circuit Family from San Diego who all legitimately looked like celebrity look alikes – Rashida Jones, Paul Rudd, one of the Real Housewives, Andrew Rannells, and Kelly Ripa respectively. They also won a car so, that’s pretty impressive. Then there was a guy who obsessed with the fact that he worked for corporate Chick-fil-a. He worked Chick-fil-a (“the best company in the world”) into almost every sentence. It was almost like he’d been brainwashed. It’s actually safe to assume that their entire family appearance was a ploy by the company for advertisement to daytime game shows watchers. And though they’re edited down, each show taping was MINIMUM an hour due to Steve Harvey’s ramblings (more thoughts on this later). Seriously, I caught myself hoping for families to lose at one point just so I could get home a little earlier. A girl only has energy for so much faux cheer. *Actually, Reuben did work at Disney I found out one commercial break. As a character Chipmunk. …Can you even tell us that Reuben? As a former Disney employee, I’m pretty sure Chip & Dale are real. Duh.