What About Bob?

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This week marks the end of an era. This Friday, Bob Barker's final episode of "The Price is Right" will air on CBS. Those of use who are loyal fans of the show (TPIR, as we call it) knew that this day would come, but that doesn't make it any easier. Bob Barker is on my own short list of iconic people who make this world a better place. Johnny Cash is on the list too, and I have no qualms about admitting that I shed a tear when I heard the news that the man in black had joined June and Mother Maybelle. In a different way, this Friday will be just as sad for me.

TPIR is not what you'd call high-brow entertainment. It's really just one big hour-long commercial for Proctor & Gamble, interrupted by commercials for the scooter store, liberty medical, denture adhesive and life insurance.

The beauty of TPIR is in Bob's ability to make guessing the price of a can of Campbell's soup so exciting. It's the cheese factor on the pricing games. It's the original reality TV show. Once you've seen a Marine win a new jeep or some housewife (yes, I used the term housewife, get over it) win a trip to Jamaica, you know what real emotion looks like. Forget Dr. Phil and "The Donald" - reality is watching some newlywed's face when Rich Fields says "Steve, you're going to play PLINKO, with a chance to win up to $50,000 in cash." You can't stage that, and you can't fake it either.

For many of us, Bob's departure also marks the end of our childhood. I still have fond memories of sitting on my family room floor, in front of the couch, eating a PB&J with some NutterButters for dessert and watching Bob Barker work his magic. That was a quarter-century ago.

The guy just has charisma. Sure, sometimes you wonder if it's that creepy Bill Clinton type charisma when you hear about some former Barker's Beauties filing lawsuits, but come on now. You don't sign up to be a "Barker's Beauty" thinking that you've been hired for your brainpower. They now rotate the models every few shows and bring in new ones all the time so that none of them get too uppity. At least on TPIR they still serve some semblance of a purpose. Vanna White has been useless on Wheel of Fortune for 10 years now (they went to digital "letters" in 1997) but that doesn't stop her. Ironically, Vanna's first TV appearance was on the TPIR (aired June 20, 1980). Don't you love Wikipedia?

Anyway, I'm sure sorry to see Bob go. Apparently they're planning to replace him, but they haven't announced any names yet. It doesn't really matter though - I'll be surprised if TPIR survives his departure.

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