Transcription
And it's going to be given away to them. It's the Offspring's money. You guys are going to get uh [cheering] rich here pretty quick.
The first musical [music] instrument he ever played was the trumpet at age 10. Um, he graduated from Pacifica High School.
>> What happens when the prize of a lifetime becomes a lifelong nightmare? We've all dreamed of winning that one in a million phone call that changes everything. A new car, maybe a pile of cash, your own private island. In the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, one channel turned this fantasy into an art form: MTV. At the height of its cultural power, music television wasn't just about videos. It was about creating massive, legendary events. Their contests were the ultimate promise. They would pluck you from your normal life and drop you right into a rock and roll fantasy. But what happens when that fantasy implodes? When the dream prize has a hidden cost so high, it nearly ruins you. From winning the iconic Batmobile only to be handed a useless shell, to being saddled with a rockstar's childhood home, to a million-dollar prize that wasn't what it seemed. In today's video, we're exploring the most disastrous contests in MTV's history. These were promotions that started out as cultural phenomenons, but ended in chaos, legal nightmares, and public humiliation. This is the story of when winning was the worst thing that could possibly happen.
First up on our tour of catastrophic contests sees us head back to 1983. The Police were, without a doubt, one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their fifth album, Synchronicity, was a global monster with timeless hits like "Every Breath You Take." The tour was a massive, stadium-filling spectacle. It would also serve as the band's final artistic gasp. At the absolute peak of their fame, MTV launched a contest that seemed way too good to be true. And as the winner would soon find out, it was.
The contest was called MTV's Party Plane. The prize was pure 80s wish fulfillment. One winner would get to take 25 friends on a private jet, hang out with original MTV VJ Martha Quinn, and fly to Montreal, Canada, to see The Police play a huge festival. Now, I do want to point out I wasn't able to find the actual promo clip for the contest, but there's plenty of articles written about it. The prize winner, on top of seeing The Police, would even get to see a screening of the new movie National Lampoon's Vacation on a private jet, and everyone would go home with brand new KCO Visions. It was sold as a non-stop party in the sky.
The winner ended up being a 30-year-old man from Pennsylvania named Charlie Wellock. That was it. The moment he and his dozen friends had been waiting for. The day started with a fleet of limousines picking up the group in suburban Philadelphia to take them to an airfield in Philly where they were supposed to meet MTV VJ Martha Quinn, The Police's management team, and some journalists who were tagging along. The party was on, but the problem: the limos that picked up The Police's management, Martha Quinn, and the journalists in New York City immediately drove the wrong way. Instead of heading to Philadelphia, the convoy found itself deep into Delaware, about a 100 miles from the airfield. Hours behind schedule, the fleet of limousines stopped at Burger King, where MTV VJ Martha Quinn was instantly mobbed, creating a total scene.
By the time they reached the correct airfield, Wellock and his party were already waiting for 3 hours on the plane with no food other than pretzels and a fully stocked bar. By the time Martha Quinn and company showed up, Wellock's party was pretty intoxicated and resentful, of course, over the long wait. The private jet was supposed to be long gone, but MTV's lawyers, terrified of a lawsuit, had forced the plane to wait, fearing the contest winner could sue if the network didn't deliver on all the contest prizes. Wellock told the LA Times it was a complete mess. "Everything was orchestrated. They were so busy bugging us to pose for stuff, we only got to spend 2 hours enjoying ourselves." As for the promised movie screening, that was actually held for the return flight, again on the advice of paranoid lawyers trying to assure every part of the prize was technically delivered. The flight to Montreal was just a tense, booze-fueled journey of angry Pennsylvanians.
When they finally did land, their misery was compounded. They had missed two of the four bands on the bill. By the time they arrived in Montreal, Talking Heads were partway through their set. The contest winners didn't even get to meet the members of The Police and were quickly rushed past the band to get to their seats. When the party finally reached their seats to see The Police, they weren't front row. They weren't VIP. They weren't even on the floor. They were given awful, nosebleed seats in the massive Olympic stadium. The frustration soon boiled over. Some reporters covering the event even noted that the winner got into a bitter argument with his wife in the stands. Laura Hunt, who actually documented the disastrous contest, wrote, "The wife said, 'Go yourself.' And he responded, 'If I could do that, I wouldn't have had to marry you.'" Silence fell over the group.
The trip home was just as bad. Because the flight was so short, the winners couldn't actually watch the entirety of National Lampoon's Vacation. So, the flight had to circle Philadelphia until the film was over. So, all the obligations of the contest have been met. When the group finally landed back in Philly, they were harassed by customs agents. But the final crushing blow came weeks later. A massive bill from the IRS. All prizes are considered taxable income, and the fair market value of a private jet, 26 concert tickets, limousines, and 26 KCO systems were astronomical. The winner was now on the hook for taxes on a prize that brought him nothing but stress and misery. Initially, it was estimated that he owed taxes on $26,000 worth of prizes, but MTV claimed it was only $10,000. Feeling bad for Wellock, his friends chipped in as much money as they could to help him pay the tax bill. Wellock later called the whole thing a complete waste of time and money and swore he would never enter an MTV contest again.
Just when you thought prizes couldn't get any more complicated, 1989 delivered another legendary fiasco as Bon Jovi was set to release their album New Jersey. MTV wanted to do a tie-in with Jon's New Jersey roots. And they had a few ideas, including buying and giving away the house of Jon's guitar teacher, giving away a New Jersey boardwalk, or even giving away a bar. MTV soon cooked up a promotion that seemed perfectly on brand. Win Jon Bon Jovi's childhood home. The grand prize was exactly what it said on the tin: the actual four-bedroom house in Sayreville, New Jersey, where the rockstar grew up. The idea actually came from Jon's younger brother, who was still in high school and was living at home with his parents. He suggested MTV buy the family home to give them more privacy from the constant fan traffic. The fan attention had gotten so bad in front of their house that the police had to be frequently called. The network soon ran with it, creating a promo where Jon himself pitched the contest.
Hey Tom, I heard that you're giving your house away or something. Yes. But it's winter time. What are you going to do? Well, this isn't just a house, man. It's the place where I grew up. Oh, I get it. You're giving away your parents' house. What are you going to do with your parents? It's my boyhood home, man. This is Sayreville, New Jersey. This is the place where I learned about the finer things in life like rock and roll and women. Down in that basement of yours, I remember that. It's not [music] Graceland, but this is our own little piece of New Jersey Bon Jovi-style rock and roll history. And I want you TO HAVE IT. YOU CAN WIN THE HOUSE WHERE John Bon Jovi grew up [music] in MTV's giving away Bon Jovi's home contest. Just watch MTV March 28th. When you see three [music] Bon Jovi videos in a row and a message from Jon, call the flashing 900 number to win. We'll fly one randomly chosen winner and friend to New Jersey [music] so Jon himself can conduct a personal tour of the place and hand over the keys and deed to his Graceland [music] a two-story colonial in beautiful Sayreville with four bedrooms, two and a half baths and pool. We'll also throw [music] in $10,000 bucks for property taxes, plus a Kawasaki Eliminator motorcycle for Bennett off to party with the rest of the band when we fly you to Jon Bon Jovi's next gig. Dude, you sure you want to go through with this? Ah, what the hell? I'll have other childhoods.
The fair market value for the home at the time was estimated to be about $300,000. Nearly a million calls flooded MTV's phone lines, blowing out circuits in both Chicago and Newark. The lucky winners were a couple, Jay and Judy Frappier, from Pennsylvania, who called the 1-900 number 15 times to get through. The couple were flown to New Jersey, given a personal tour by Jon himself, and handed the keys on live television in front of huge crowds.
But the rock and roll dream quickly became a suburban nightmare. The first problem was the house's fame. Even after Jon's family moved out, fans were a constant presence. Judy Frappier later recalled washing dishes and seeing camera flashes going off through her kitchen window. Then came the real nightmare. Do you guys even need to guess where I'm going with this? There's only two things certain in life: death and taxes. That $10,000 MTV threw in for property taxes didn't even touch the income tax bill for the prize package. The fair market value of a famous rockstar's home plus the motorcycle and cash left the Frappiers with a tax bill reportedly in the $70,000 range. They were now responsible for a house that they couldn't afford in a neighborhood that viewed their home as a tourist attraction. Trapped by a massive tax burden and a constant lack of privacy, the Frappiers had to make a tough choice. Not long after winning, they were forced to sell the house and move to Texas, where they currently reside. The ultimate piece of rock and roll memorabilia had turned into a crushing financial weight.
If The Police and Bon Jovi contests were a disaster of logistics, our next story is a perfect example of bureaucratic nonsense. In 1985, MTV teamed up with Coca-Cola and pop icon Cyndi Lauper for a giveaway that seemed to dwarf all others: The MTV Coca-Cola Island Giveaway. The grand prize: your very own private 25-acre island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
You are about to assume a grave and awesome responsibility. You [bell] are about to become [music] king or queen. First it was a house, then it was a town. Now you can win your own private Caribbean retreat. It's the MTV Coca-Cola Island Giveaway. You and 24 second [music] place winners will be flown to Miami where you board Carnival Cruise Lines Funship Ship Jubilee. Your cruise queen, Cyndi [music] Lauper. She'll perform live on board and preview her hot new picture, Vibes. Plus, there's more. $5,000 bucks courtesy of Coca-Cola Classic, the official soft drink of summer, and a Kawasaki jet ski. To win, just send a postcard with your name, address, age, and phone number to MTV Coca-Cola Island, PO Box 12. 25 acres of virgin sand, crystal blue water, and one power-mad fool. It was the ultimate escape. Half a million people sent in their postcards hoping to become the king of their own island.
The winner was a video store clerk from Michigan named Tracy McDonald. McDonald had actually grown up in the US Virgin Islands and loved water sports. For him, this was a dream come true. On the cruise, Cyndi Lauper drew his name, putting a royal robe on his shoulders and handing him a crown in a treasure chest. MTV also offered him an alternative of $50,000 cash, but McDonald initially refused, proudly telling magazines, "I want to be the king of my own island."
But the fantasy quickly crumbled. First up, as always, were the taxes. To take possession of an island, McDonald would have to pay income tax on its full fair market value. A brutal surprise for anyone who doesn't have that kind of cash lying around. But the tax bill was just the tip of the iceberg. Environmentalists in Puerto Rico were actively fighting to prevent any construction on the island, arguing it would destroy local marine life. On top of that, high tides would submerge a huge portion of the 25-acre island twice a day. The situation soon spiraled into a political mess with Puerto Rican politicians taking sides on whether an American contest winner should be allowed to develop the island. The dream of a private kingdom was now a quagmire of red tape and environmental regulations. It became apparent MTV also didn't do their homework. When a defeated McDonald finally changed his mind and took the $50,000 cash prize, an MTV spokesman admitted the network was, and I quote, "pretty relieved." They even joked to a magazine, "Maybe next year we'll give away a quiet volcano."
Our next story takes us to 1989, the year of Batman. Tim Burton's dark, gothic take on the Cape Crusader was a massive success. And at the center of it was his incredibly awesome Batmobile. It was a 20-foot long, jet-powered beast, and everyone in America wanted to get behind the wheel.
Do you have the guts [music] to steal the Batmobile? Find out Sunday between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. 5 and 7 central when you see the MTV logo transform into [music] the Batmobile. Call the 900 number on the screen immediately. The Batmobile [music] and $25,000 in cash could be all yours courtesy of MTV. [laughter]
MTV got nearly a million calls for the contest, with the winner being a 23-year-old bartender from Richmond, Virginia named Patrick McClennon. McClennon didn't even own a car, getting around on a skateboard and a bike. One night, the Bat-Signal flashed on his TV during a Prince music video, and he called the 1-900 number about 20 times before he got through. The next day, he got the call. He had beaten a million other people. He had won the Batmobile, a car which was set to have been worth about $60,000.
The presentation was a huge media event. About 800 people gathered to watch Robert Wool present McClennon with a giant prop check. The Batmobile was there, looking sleek and powerful. McClennon was a local hero, but there was a huge catch, and it was hiding right in plain sight.
"Now, we've removed the engine so you don't go driving around and bust your butt, but it's still one amazing collector's item. And MTV will deliver it personally to your door along with a check for $25,000."
As McClennon soon found out, this wasn't a joke. The prize was, for all intents and purposes, a beautifully designed, oversized paperweight. The steering and brakes worked, but everything that made the car actually run had been completely gutted. He had won the Batmobile, but he couldn't drive it. His dream car was just a prop. And to make matters worse, McClennon had signed a contract forbidding him from exhibiting the car for money. He couldn't take it on tour or charge people to even see it. He lent it to a local science museum for a while, but during its time there, someone stole the shift lever. The curse had begun.
Things only got weirder from there. The company that built the car allegedly offered to buy it back, throwing in a new Corvette and $50,000 cash. McClennon refused the deal, a decision he would later regret. He claimed at the time he thought he could sell it between $125 to $300,000. And then the inevitable happened. The IRS came knocking. The car and cash prize at a high value, and McClennon was soon hit with a staggering tax bill of around $70,000. He was later audited for tax evasion. For years, McClennon stored the car in various warehouses with him and his friends hanging out in the vehicle, frequently drinking whiskey and smoking pot. He eventually did manage to sell the iconic vehicle in 2003 for about $100,000. It was enough for him to get out of his tax problem. He had stolen the Batmobile only to have it stolen from him by taxes, insurance, and the brutal fact that it was a hollow shell. It was the ultimate bait and switch and a painful reminder there's a reason only a millionaire could be Batman.
As the new millennium dawned, the music world was being turned upside down by Napster. In the year 2000, punk rock band The Offspring decided to lean into the chaos to promote their new album, Conspiracy of One. They initially planned to give the entire record away for free online. Now, as you can imagine, the record label Columbia threatened to sue. So, the band pivoted to a new idea. They would instead give away $1 million of their own money to what they called their biggest fan, live on MTV, but it would culminate with one of the most awkward and painful moments in MTV contest history. Anyone who downloaded their new single, "Original Prankster," at the time, was entered for a chance to win. The final winner would be decided by an Offspring trivia contest on MTV's Total Request Live. Now, what should have been a contest between their two biggest fans resulted in two people who didn't seem to know anything about the band. It was just pure cringe.
And it's going to be given away to them. It's the Offspring's money. You guys are going to get uh rich here pretty quick. The first musical [music] instrument he ever played was the trumpet at age 10. Um, he graduated from Pacifica High School. Again, if you ring your buzzer, you're you're locking into an answer. He has a cat named Woody. [music] It's 0-0 still. His birthday is February 4th. He's the oldest member of The Offspring. Ashley. Noodles. You're going to say Noodles. That's your answer. So, Noodles. You won a million dollars. Ashley, 14 years old, just took home $1 million.
However, the fallout began almost immediately. It turned out there were two winners. Ashley had made a pact with the other contestant that regardless of who won, they would split the prize money. To make matters more bizarre, it was reported that The Offspring wasn't even Ashley's favorite band. Slipknot was. And in later interviews, the band expressed disappointment with the contest outcome, noting that they lost touch with the winner and that squabbles reportedly erupted over the money. The million-dollar giveaway, intended as a punk rock gesture of generosity, became a messy and uncomfortable lesson in the complexities of life-changing money.
As the 1980s came to a close, a new cultural villain had emerged: the Yuppie. Young urban professionals with big salaries and even bigger attitudes. They were seen as a symbol of the decade's greed. Now, capitalizing on this resentment, MTV and Levi's Jeans launched a contest in 1989 dripping with attitude, titled "Foreclosure on a Yuppie's Home." The promo ads were class warfare, complaining that yuppies had infested people's neighborhoods and lived in greedy luxury while you starved in a closet. The prize was the ultimate revenge fantasy, as shown on the ad for the contest here.
Your favorite restaurants into screaming hell holes of Buffalo wings, bad jokes, and bogus margaritas. $15 bucks for chili. And then he says, "Is that a bonus or you just glad to see me?" Too bad. Lived in greedy luxury [music] while you starved in a closet. Grief is good. But on January 1st, you can avenge the scourge [music] of the 80s and all it stood for. I'll be right back, Beamer. On January 1st, you can foreclose on a yuppie. You'll repossess all the worldly possessions of money-grubbing yuppie Gavin Baris of Manhattan's Upper West Side. You'll get the luxury apartment, the TV, the stereo, the dog, and the car. You'll win a professional financial adviser. And to give you something to play with, we'll pay you $50,000. Let's get busy. We'll even throw in a personal valet to take you shopping for your new '90s wardrobe. Shall we buy some shoes, sir? Why not? It's your money, Gavin. Take the '90s off. Repossess a yuppie's apartment, car, TV, stereo, and pet dog Beamer, plus $50,000.
The winner ended up being a 23-year-old named John Rogers from a small town in Ohio. The perfect anti-yuppie. At the time he won, Rogers was unemployed, living in a small house, and he had recently recovered from accidentally shooting himself in the foot. He also had so many family members in the area he lived in that he unknowingly dated a distant cousin. He was the ideal candidate to take down a yuppie, but the victory lap was tragically short.
First, the prize wasn't exactly as advertised. The luxury apartment wasn't part of the final prize, and the Akita puppy was replaced with a $1,000 cash prize after animal rights groups raised concerns. Then came the familiar curse of taxes, which took a $60,000 bite out of his winnings. But the real disaster, however, happened behind the wheel of his new BMW. While driving to pick up his fiancée, Rogers lost control of his car on a tight curve, crashing into a tree. He wasn't wearing a seat belt, and the accident left him partially paralyzed. His cash prize, already drained by taxes and impulse buys, like a drum set and Nintendo, as well as an engagement ring, was quickly consumed by staggering medical bills. He was even later sued by the hospital for unpaid expenses since he didn't have health insurance. His engagement was soon broken off, and the dream prize became a source of unimaginable hardship. His life was changed forever, but not in a way that MTV had promised.
From a drunken plane ride to nowhere, an island of red tape, a car with no engine, and a life rewritten by a marketing team, MTV's biggest contests were an example of unintended consequences. They were born from the wild ambition of mostly the 80s, a time when it felt like TV could do anything, even deliver a perfect life in a prize package. But as these stories show, reality always wins. The fine print, the tax laws, and the messy nature of human beings were obstacles that no amount of hype could ever overcome. These winners were promised a fantasy, but were often left with debt, disappointment, and a bizarre story to tell. They're cautionary tales that remind us that sometimes the best prize is avoiding the winner's circle altogether.
So, what do you guys think? Which of these contest failures is the most unbelievable? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And thanks for watching. And we'll see you again on Rockult True Stories.