At 80, Bob Barker is still in the game

sptimes ^ | dec 9 2003 | ERIC DEGGANS

[stainlessbanner]

Remember, help control the pet population, have your pet spaed or neutered.

[sirshackleton]

I think they should give him a nice Pontiac Sunbird with high performance disc brakes, rear window defogger, preferred options package 3A, high back seats, and California emissions.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Only if he jumps up and down screaming and practically wetting his pants at the sight of it

[smith288]

"The price is WRONG..."

[Eris]

I thought the guy was dead. Like Abe Vigoda and Henry Kissinger.

[mountaineer]

Before "The Price is Right" he hosted "Truth or Consequences," on which my mother and brother appeared (a parent-teenager bit) in 1964.

[milli]

I was gonna ping this thread but instead -
PLINKO

[The South Texan]

Has he not he been sued for sexual harrasment a few times by some of those gals that flip over numbers and show off the prizes?

[SB00]

Yup - he was sued by one of his longtime models Diane Parkinson. Can't remember if anyone else did.

[dakine]

"A BRAANNND NEW CAR!" bump....

[yarddog]

I think I would have had trouble not harassing some of those girls.

[Wright is right!]

"Let wienies such as Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak tape a month's worth of shows in two days."

"Wheel" doesn't tape "a month's worth of shows" in two days. They tape a WEEK's worth in two days. Three one day, two the next. Although the show's air running time is about 20 minutes (minus most of the commercials and all the promos), it takes far longer than that from start to finish. Each complete game sequence takes longer than 20 minutes and has to be edited to fit. Sometimes, sequences have to be reshot for technical reasons, like if some equipment just refuses to work. Usually, if you watch the credits at the end, you'll see a notice that a portion of the game not affecting the outcome was edited.

Plus, there's the audience warmup, keeping the audience amused between tapings (there's potty breaks), getting everyone back in their seats - three shows can be a fairly long production day. Even with no changes to the set.

Not to belittle what Barker does, nor his approach to it. As he says, he's learned his one song and he sings it.

Michael

[Libertarian444]

Times: You're still taping five shows a week at age 80. How do you keep going?

[whereasandsoforth]

Wasn't the whole thing dropped when it became apparent that Bob and Ms. Parkinson were known to be "bump uglies" partners on a mutually agreed and regular basis?

[yarddog]

I have no way of proving it but I have always suspected the PIR was rigged. I have not watched all that much of it but I have more than a few times predicted the winners.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Truth or Consequences the only TV show I know of with a city named after it!

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

[Wright is right!]

" have no way of proving it but I have always suspected the PIR was rigged. I have not watched all that much of it but I have more than a few times predicted the winners."

There is always a small but skeptical part of the population that thinks all game shows are "rigged." The problemo is, WHY rig a game show? It's done for the purpose of delivering advertisers an audience, and that audience wants to watch a fun show, which is easy to produce without "rigging." There is no incentive for the producers to rig the game. In fact, there is a HUGE DIS-incentive. Rig it and do time.

TPIR does select contestants whom they think will produce the best TV, so some who show up have no chance of doing anything other than remaining in the audience. If that's "rigging" to you, then that's your choice. But the production company, which has a fortune at stake, takes great pains to run an honest game show.

Michael

[laotzu]

Truth or Consequences is one of the oldest cities in the US, and pre-dates TV.

[yarddog]

I really do think Price-is-Right is rigged although probably in very subtle ways.

First of all, as you point out, in the selection of the contestants. Also Barker in ways that are not even that subtle, offers hints and help to some and not others. Of course that could be just random and would be nearly impossible to prove.

I suspect the games are probably not rigged, except for the big wheel which clearly spins more easily at times than others. I really do think that one is probably influenced at least. It is also by far the most important one.

[GreenLanternCorps]

But, from the Truth Or Consequences website:

http://www.truthorconsequencesnm.net/ralph_edwards.htm


How Hot Springs Became Truth or Consequences

Courtesy of Herald Publishing, The Chaparral Guide-January 2000

Just off Interstate-25 midway between the thriving metropolitan cities of El Paso and Albuquerque is one of the most publicized and unique health resorts in the United States. Originally named "Hot Springs" and now called "Truth or Consequences", this city has received more national publicity via television and radio than any city of it's size in the United States. So naturally, one of the first things people who come here ask is, "How did the town get it's name?"

In 1950, Hot Springs New Mexico, was plodding along slowly and fairly comfortably, much the same as hundreds of other small resort cities. Tourist trade, practically speaking, was the city's only industry. The majority of visitors here sought the town's health facilities and found the little community offered more for their money than they found almost anywhere else under the sun. The cost of living was, and still is, extremely reasonable, and visitors and residents alike did, and still do, relax in the healing, naturally hot mineral baths, bask in the almost ever present sunshine, fill their lungs with the fresh, pure air that envelopes the city and surrounding areas, fish a little, and play dominoes and shuffleboard at the Senior Citizens Recreation Center.

Another pastime years ago was sitting in groups on the sidewalk benches to watch a few travelers as they passed on the highway, usually without stopping. Recreation then was undeveloped to it's full potential and the town was lost among hundreds of other " Hot Springs" scattered all over the United States; the name indicating nothing more significant than the likelihood that some hot springs were located in the area.

Then in 1950, NBC television and radio producer Ralph Edwards, on the 10th anniversary of the Truth or Consequences radio program, called his staff together and said, "I wish that some town in the United States liked and respected our show so much that it would like to change it's name to 'Truth or Consequences.'" On hearing the proposition, the New Mexico State Tourist Bureau relayed the news to the manager of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and the news spread like wildfire.

Here was an opportunity to advertise the city and it's resources free of charge! Better still, no longer was our city to be confused with that "other one" in Arkansas and the others throughout the nation (California alone has more than 30 towns called "Hot Springs").

So, in a special city election, 1,294 of the town's residents voted for the change to "Truth or Consequences." On the other hand, 295 area residents opposed the change and a protest was filed, so the city returned to the polls and again voted- by a margin greater than four to one- to go ahead with the name change.

Almost 14 years later, in January 1964, the question went to the people again and they voted to keep the city's unique name. A fourth election was held on August 18, 1967, and once more a majority voted to keep the name Truth or Consequences.

Ralph Edwards and his entire NBC production, acting and show crew came here in 1950, aired the first live, coast-to-coast broadcast of Truth or Consequences from the city of Truth or Consequences, and the residents of his adopted home are very pleased to say he has been coming back every year since- with his Hollywood friends- to celebrate the anniversary of the name change, and to help spread the news about this oasis of hot springs, two of the state's best lakes and many other recreational opportunities throughout Sierra County.