[Robotgroup] ABC WifeSwap - wouldn't know a robot if it bit 'em on the... :)

[Vern Graner]

Ok, so it turns out that I have "no robots" in my home... Let me
explain.. :)

I hadn't caught everyone up on the results of ABC contacting us in re:
being on the WifeSwap show. For reference, here's the story from the
beginning:

Around Nov 11th these emails started appearing on various robotics forums:

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Subject: For families who are interested in robots,
         ABC television is looking for you!
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:36:33 -0000
From: wife_swap_casting <melissa.rothschild at rdfusa.com>

My name is Melissa Rothschild and I am a Casting Producer for ABC's,
"Wife Swap". The premise of "Wife Swap" is that one parent from each
household swaps places for five days to experience how another family
runs their lives.  It is an incredible family experience and
opportunity to both learn and teach different family values.  The two
married couples see themselves and their spouses in a whole new light.

I am currently looking for families interested in robots. Potential
families can live anywhere in the United States (The only places that
are not eligible are Canada, Hawaii and Alaska), but we do ask that
families who apply consist of two parents that have at least one
child, ages 5 or older, living at home.

Families featured on the show will receive a $20,000 honorarium. If
you recommend a great family that ends up on our show you get a
finders fee of $1000 *Family must complete taping and show must air*.

Please speak with anyone who is interested and have them contact me at
the below number or at this email address.

Look forward to hearing from you and the interested parties!

All the best,
Melissa
---------------------/CLIP ------------------------

Soon after, I received an email from Melissa saying Nuts and Volts
magazine had recommended me for r the show and asking if we would be
interested.

She wanted to send down a "film crew" to shoot video of our house and
robots. We agreed and thats when I sent out the S.O.S. call to this list
asking to borrow some bots (11/15/06) :) I wanted to spruce up the place
with lots of eye candy for the show and the Robot Group members responded!

On 11/17, ABC sent one young lady out with a fairly nice camcorder (this
is their idea of a "film crew"?). She arrived at around 7:00pm and told
us to just  act "naturally" so she could tape us.. We didn't even get
through dinner before we started to get "directions" from her, "Have
Sami sit down there.. have Nic play with that robot.. Call Nic on the
phone again" etc.

She interviewed each of us separately and took video of many of the bots
around the house. As a recap, what we had on display was:

Gator Girl
Babbling Head
Maxx Steele
Robosapien V1
Robosapien V2
WooWee Robopet
Parallax BOEBOT
Tab Robotics SUMOBOT
R2D2 animatronic phone
Tai Chi Charlie
6 Therepings
Lost In Space B9 mini model
Denise's Mechanical Flower
The Sisyphus sandart machine
The Dungeon Keeper animatronic coffin
The S.U.V (Shy Ultra Violet)
The Robo Spin Art Machine
4 CardBots (in various poses and places)

She finished up around 1:30am and hustled out the door to get the tapes
to a courier meeting her at the hotel at 2:00am to get the tapes back to
New York.. Things were happening fast and furious! and then... nothing...

So, I sent a follow-up email to Melissa to let her know of my good
fortune in becoming the President of the Robot Group to let her know
Kym's new status as the "First Lady" of robotics. :) I was quite
surprised to see this response:

------------------------- CLIP ----------------------------
Vern,

Unfortunately, after looking at the tapes we felt that your family had
been misrepresented as a "robot family" due to the fact that there were
no robots in the household.

I appreciate your time and I wish you luck as the new President of the
robot club.

Best,
Melissa

Melissa Rothschild| Casting Associate Producer | ABC's, "Wife Swap"
RDF USA| 440 9th Avenue| 11th Floor| New York| NY 10001
tel. + 1 212 404 2444| fax. + 1 212 404 1423
melissa.rothschild at rdfusa.com | www.rdfusa.com
------------------------- /CLIP ---------------------------

Though I toyed with leaving this alone, I decided to send a response in
an attempt to correct what I felt where serious misconceptions on their
part:

------------------------- CLIP ----------------------------
No Robots!? I suggest you review the definition of "robot":