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May 26, 2012

The Five: Reasons I'll miss Bob Barker

by Julia Ward, posted Nov 1st 2006 12:41PM

Bob BarkerNews of Bob Barker's departure from The Price is Right at the end of this season may have come as a surprise to you because A) you weren't aware that he was still alive and B) you haven't watched The Price is Right since the late 70s when Barker's Beauties still included the redhead Holly.

I knew Barker was still alive and kicking, and his Dick Clark-like ability to age more slowly than the rest of us mortals didn't surprise me. But none of that meant that hearing news of his departure didn't send me on crazy trip down memory lane.

So in tribute to Barker, here are five nostalgic bits of Price is Right goodness that I'll miss:

5. Barker's Beauties. They won't be "Barker's" anything any more, will they? Just lowly spokesmodels, aiming for Vanna's solo gig. I still haven't gotten over the replacement of Janice, Diane and Holly in the early 90s.

4. Bob's comedic fear of Samoan Ladies. For some unknown reason, there was a strange running gag in the late 70s and early 80s that whenever an exceptionally large person of Samoan descent would win something, Bob would receive this ecstatic bear hug in which he'd get raised three feet off the ground. Seemed a little offensive even then, but hey, that's Bob -- the timid recipient of our consumer love.

3. His animal-friendly sign-off. How will any of us remember to get our pets spayed and neutered?

2. The good games. I haven't watched The Price is Right in years, but I can only imagine that Bob's departure will bring significant change to the show. What is to become of Plinko? Punch-Out? The one where the little yodeler slides down the mountain whenever you can't guess the price of Rice-A-Roni within fifty cents? Heck, for all I know, what has become of them? Remember the good old days, Bob?

1. The hundred dollar pocket. I always found the hundred dollar pocket mildly perverted. Even as a child I found there to be something slightly sinister about a man who asked young women to reach into his pocket for a special treat. Turns out that if you guessed a product's price right on the nose and got selected as a contestant, you could take your place next to Bob, reach inside and find out that he was, in fact, happy to see you.

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uagent

@#1: Ah, the inspiration putt. I remember he used to put people to shame from the back line, one-handed, while speaking into the microphone, then they'd miss it from the front line. Unfortunately, this was also the signal to me of Bob's decline, as in recent years he's been missing the putt. Breaks my heart, I mean, how is someone supposed to make the putt without the inspiration of the host?

June 15th (the airdate of the final show) will be a tearful day indeed for myself. I'm 22, and I grew up watching TPIR with my grandmother. We always dreamed of going on the show and winning $50k @ Plinko. Alas, it was never to be.

Call me closed-minded, but I don't *want* the show to continue on without Bob. Bob Barker *IS* The Price is Right, and I don't care how good the new host is, they're never going to fill Bob's shoes. It was kinda like when they replaced Rod Roddy in 2003, just never quite the same. :(

June 06 2007 at 4:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Orion

I'd heard that one of the Samoans cracked his ribs picking him up and hugging him like that. I saw the show where Samoan Lady #3 swore she wouldn't hug him then went ahead and did it anyway after winning a car.

June 06 2007 at 2:08 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CJ

The best thing about the show is the display, games, cards, sign are so simple and low-tech. This is the way a game show oughta look!

May 16 2007 at 1:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Adam

Uh, Bob hasn't done the $100 pocket thing in about 15 years. He just hands the winner the money.

November 16 2006 at 10:14 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
erroneous_nick

Heh, didn't even know there was a "corrections" link on the right. There's so much crap over there taking up real estate that could be used for articles that I just block most of it out. I bet most others do, too.

You guys ever consider a serious re-design?

November 01 2006 at 10:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Julia Ward

Correction made. Thanks. If you catch anything else, feel free to use the "corrections" form on the right.

November 01 2006 at 3:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jen

Spaded? Seriously?

November 01 2006 at 2:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joe Winter

It's "spayed". If you spaded your pet, the ASPCA would pick you up for hitting your poor animal with a small shovel.

November 01 2006 at 2:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
erroneous_nick

I guess I misunderstood about the future of TPIR when I first read a blurb about Barker's retirement, but it seemed to insinuate that the show would also retire. I haven't watched in years and years, so it matters not to me.

BTW, it's "spayed" not "spaded".

November 01 2006 at 1:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
M-D

I'm surprised the $100 pocket makes the list, but not Bob's infamous Hole in One "inspiration putts".

November 01 2006 at 12:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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