No, I’m not ending the blog just yet, though I post so seldom these days that I might as well. Of course, I and this piddly little thing is hardly a legend or an era. But I digress. . . .
No, this post is about none other than Mr Bob Barker, and his 50-plus years entertaining America, 35 of which are on the legendary program The Price is Right.
image credit to reuters.
As is well known by now, having been annonced far and wide, Mr Barker is retiring after giving away this season’s “Golden Road” worth of refrigerators, living rooms, and Dodge Vipers. Already he’s won countless Emmys, had the studio where TPiR tapes named after him, cameoed in a major motion picture, and is known world ’round as W. G. M. C. (World’s Greatest Master of Ceremonies).
image source: Tony Harrison’s TPiR fansite.
The Washington Post did a great piece about his career and retirement that is well worth reading:
Up on that stage, they [the contestants] get bleary-eyed and sometimes tell Barker about being sick a lot in first grade, or about endless days spent at Meemaw’s house watching TV, or they have him sign the tattoo they’ve gotten of his famous smiling face. Sometimes it’s Bob on the shoulder, or else Bob on the calf, Bob on the biceps. It puzzles him and he does not question it.
Barker’s wife, Dorothy Jo, has been dead 25 years, and he misses her greatly. They never had children. He has millions of grandchildren, though. . . . Barker considers this concept for a moment, as if it has never been suggested to him, and says yes, that’s a good point, that’s probably true.
source: washingtonpost.com article
Who hasn’t tuned in as an adult and wistfully remembered snow days or stomach flu on the sofa with Bob? Are you young enough to not know life without Bob? I am. He is as familiar to me as my own grandpa.
What will next season bring? You can bet your jazzy scooter that it’ll be something along the lines of “a new car!”, even if Bob isn’t the one to give “One Away”. . . .
If fans can rally behind the new host, or maintain their love of the experience despite him (”him” because the three finalists are all male), we’ll have many more years to “Come on Down!”
Credit to forum readers at Golden-road.net for posting a link to the article.
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