THE `PRICE' OF BARKER'S FAME WAS A REAL %*@#&.Byline: - David Kronke Bob Barker Robert William "Bob" Barker (born December 12 1923) is a nineteen-time Emmy Award-winning former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right took his victory lap Thursday afternoon at the semiannual Semiannual An event that occurs twice in a calendar year. Notes: A bond with semiannual coupons would issue payment once every six months. See also: Annual, Bond, Coupon Bond TV press tour in Pasadena. Taking the stage to some applause to discuss his career and impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. retirement after 50 years in television This page indexes the individual year in television pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point. 2000s - 1990s - 1980s - 1970s - 1960s - 1950s - 1940s - 1930s - 1920s - 1900s 2000s
After receiving a more enthusiastic response, he declared, ``On `Price Is Right,' I get a standing ovation.'' When a reporter stood, Barker joked, ``That man gets the refrigerator.'' Barker will tape his last episode on June 6; it will air later in the month. Repeats will run through the summer, and the show will return with a new host - not yet selected 7/8 in September. Barker, 83, was asked what kept him going on the show for so long. ``In truth, one thing - I really enjoy what I do,'' he said. ``If I didn't enjoy it, I probably would've retired a long time ago.'' Asked how he managed to maintain his energy on the show for so long, Barker deadpanned, ``Booze Booze sold cheap whiskey in a log-cabin bottle. [Am. Hist.: Espy, 152–153] See : Drunkenness .'' A beat. ``Not actually.'' Another beat. ``Well, actually, yeah.'' Barker recalled some memorable moments in his 35 years on the show. ``I had a Samoan woman pick me up as if I were a child and just throw me around,'' he remembered. ``Frankly, I was terrified ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. . But I thought, that'll never happen. A year or so later, another Samoan woman won her way onstage on·stage adj. Situated or taking place in the area of a stage that is visible to the audience. adv. In or into the area of a stage that is visible to the audience. Adj. 1. , she picked me up and threw me around. Another year or so, another Samoan woman came up. I made her vow that she would not touch me if she won anything and she did, she promised. She won a car, and she picked me up higher than either one of the other two had picked me up. ``I'm never going to Samoa; my feet would never touch the sand,'' he concluded. The secret to his success, Barker said, is that ``one thing at which I excel is listening. I listen to what the contestant says. Some hosts are so concerned about what they'll say next, how they'll top them, they're not really listening. Those people are giving you little gems that will provide laughter.'' Barker was at a loss to explain his show's wild popularity with college students. ``If I could explain that, man, I could make millions of dollars,'' he said. ``Any show would love to have what we have going for us. We now have college groups at almost every taping from every corner of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . They are wonderful. They make good contestants and they show energy. How it got started, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. , but it's a cult thing.'' Of ``Happy Gilmore,'' the Adam Sandler film whose highlight is the host's beat-down on Sandler, Barker said he thought the movie helped ``a little, I won't say a lot.'' ``I don't tape a show that someone in the audience doesn't bring up that movie: `How was it beating up Adam Sandler?' `Do the line!' '' The line? Barker glowers over Sandler's prostrate pros·trate tr.v. pros·trat·ed, pros·trat·ing, pros·trates 1. To put or throw flat with the face down, as in submission or adoration: form and declares, ``The price is right, bitch.'' ``They love that,'' Barker said, laughing. ``Here I've been in TV for 50 years, and what am I going to be remembered for? `The Price is right, bitch!' '' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Bob Barker, longtime host of ``The Price Is Right,'' reveals the secret to his 35 years on the show: ``I really enjoy what I do.'' |
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