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Full episode
62: Something for Nothing
Act One

Hands On A Hardbody

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A contest held every year by a Nissan dealership in Longview, Texas in which twenty-four people stand around a $15,000 hard body pickup truck. When the starting whistle blows, each person puts one hand on the truck. They wear gloves, so as not to mess up the paint job. And they stand there ... and stand there ... until one by one, people get tired and drop away, and one person is left standing. That person gets to keep the truck. Excerpts from a documentary (Hands On A Hard Body) by filmmakers Rob Bindler, Chapin Wilson and Kevin Morse. We hear a long interview with Benny Perkins, who won the truck one year and was back the year they made their film to try to win again. He says a contest like this is not easy money. You slowly go crazy from sleep deprivation. (17 minutes)

By

Rob Bindler
Kevin Morse
Chapin Wilson

Song:

“Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley

More in Automobiles

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513: 129 Cars
Dec. 13, 2013

Act Six

The last day of the month begins.
513: 129 Cars
Dec. 13, 2013

Act Ten

The last day of the month ends.
513: 129 Cars
Dec. 13, 2013

Act Three

Salesman Bob Tantillo has the fewest sales of anyone at Town and Country this month.

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Lissa Yellow Bird searches for missing people. She's great at it. But then, her niece goes missing.

513
Dec. 13, 2013

129 Cars

One car dealership tries to make its monthly quota: 129 cars. It is way more chaotic than we expected.

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This American Life is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange.

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