Hands on A Hard Body Documentary: Full Length on Google Video

[mouser]

I rented this on videotape from my old video rental store (That's Rentertainment) many years ago.. Really great stuff before these kinds of documentaries became popular.  You have to watch this.

It's a full-length documentary from 1998:

Twenty-four contestants compete in an endurance/sleep deprivation contest in order to win a brand new Nissan Hardbody truck. The last person to remain standing with his or her hand on the truck wins. An absurd marketing gimmick at first glance, the contest proves to be much more...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8095362905463165204
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2597323351735568276

from http://waxy.org/links/

[tomos]

thanks mouser, that helped me on my own marathon - doing a years worth of accounts
really enjoyed it

[Rocker452]

The link isn't good but I think this is from my hometown in Longview, Tx. The Nissan dealership here use to have this contest every year up until about 3yrs ago cause some guy after dropping out of the contest went across the street, broke into a Kmart store grabbed a gun and loaded it and shot himself. The family sued the dealership and the contest will not be held again. The lawsuit was just recently settled but the terms weren't disclosed. Here's the story http://tinyurl.com/6jlfls

[zridling]

Thanks for the link, Rocker. Sleep deprivation is crazy, but if you're breaking into gun cabinets, loading a gun, and shooting yourself over a lousy truck, you were f-ed up before you laid hand on car!

[russell.williams]

Reminds of the waitress who won a toy yoda!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/05/09/toy-yoda.htm

[mouser]

Updated first post with new link.

[Rocker452]

Thanks for the updated link Mouser. It is from my hometown. It's a shame it had to end this way but in this lawsuit happy time it was a matter of time till it ended. I feel sorry for the guy's family but the lawsuit in my opinion was baseless, the guy knew the risks going in.

[Veign]

Pretty cool video.

I remember the contest in Sad Diego called 'Whirl 'til You Hurl' where the contestants rode one of San Diego's big wooden roller coasters trying to win $50K.  After 10 Weeks (yes, 10 weeks) they still had 5 people not wanting to give up.

Crazy what people will do for a prize.

[Deozaan]

I like the moral of the story from the documentary. They asked the winner if there was one thing they learned from all this, what was it. The winner replied:

"If you really want something, keep your hands on it."

[40hz]

Thanks for the updated link Mouser. It is from my hometown. It's a shame it had to end this way but in this lawsuit happy time it was a matter of time till it ended. I feel sorry for the guy's family but the lawsuit in my opinion was baseless, the guy knew the risks going in.

Funny how easy it is to absolve someone of behaving irresponsibly by saying somebody else "knew the risks going in."

There are dozens of different ways this competition could have been conducted without resorting to something as dangerous as sleep deprivation - while still providing "strong entertainment value."

Time was when most people understood the meaning of the words "needless" and "sadistic."

Yeah guys, I definitely think there's a moral here. Just not the one the car dealership is pimping.

Sad. Really.