The Mt. Rushmore Sculptors Have Already Begun Their Work

Listen, we knew the final Oprah Winfrey show was going to be an extravaganza, and probably one which would tilt toward over-blown fanaticism, but reading about the show's taping has left even us stunned. The actual final show will be shown on May 25, but the May 23 and 24 episodes have just been taped and the details are astounding. Those two shows were staged in Chicago's United Center in front of 200,000 cheering audience members, with host Tom Hanks, and making appearances, and/or performing were Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Beyonce, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Rosie O'Donnell, Maria Shriver, Josh Groban, Madonna, and the list goes on and on. (What, no Kathy Griffin?) Of course, everyone showered love on Oprah as Oprah cried and cried... oh my. Why do we feel the need to take a shower? We don't know what will take place on the final May 25th episode, but after the May 23 and 24 shows, what's left? Will Oprah masturbate and upon climax shower golden coins on her audience, who were all hand-picked because they watched Oprah their entire lives and named children after her? Okay, we'll burn in hell for that one, but come on. Yes, we know, Oprah is a great woman, truly. She has inspired millions, she took the high-road on her show when it was much more popular to be trashy, she encouraged people to read, (no small task in our modern tech era), and she's raised millions and millions for charity. Hey, the woman deserves accolades. But just remember, sometimes a little modesty goes a long, long way.



Bob Barker's t.v. career spanned fifty years, twice as long as Oprah's, and even though he didn't change the world, he was an incredibly beloved figure and never once failed to be at the top of his game. He was one of the best we'll ever see on t.v. And the day that Bob Barker ended his half-century career, there were no parties, no celebrities, no fanfare, the man signed off his show that day with a thank-you message to his fans that lasted less than twenty seconds. And part of that twenty second message wasn't even about himself. Now, that's class. We love you, Oprah, but sometimes, even you can afford to learn from someone who did it better than you. Take notes, Oprah, take notes.

Bob Barker, Come On Down!

There are legends, and then there are legends. December 12 is the birthday of two major legends in their respective fields.
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(sinatra with the love of his life, ava gardner)

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Frank Sinatra, winner of 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, is arguably the greatest pop vocalist of all time. There are many other pretenders to the throne: Elvis, Dylan, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Roy Orbison, Sam Cooke, etc., but for sheer popularity over a long time span plus real technical skill, not forgetting the gorgeous sound of that voice, it would be hard for anyone to take Sinatra from the top of that list. Oh, and in addition to that little singing thing he did, he also found time to become a major film actor, even winning an Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1954 for "From Here to Eternity". Sinatra died in 1998; today would have been his 95th birthday.
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The other legend celebrating his 87th birthday today, (he's still with us!), is t.v. performer Bob Barker. Before his retirement in 2009, Barker spent an astounding 53 years on television. He's best known for hosting two game shows, "Truth or Consequences" from 1956 to 1974, and "The Price is Right" from 1972 to 2009. But like Sinatra, it's not so much the quantity of Barker's work which puts him at the top of any list in his profession, but the quality. Barker might have "only" been a game show host, but he was so damn good at it. Every single day that he was on t.v., he was always enthusiastic, he was always likable, he was smart, savvy, witty, funny and just so damn charming. We doubt that the guy ever had an "off" day on camera. You've heard the old phrase, "It doesn't matter what you do; if you want to be a garbage collector, be the best garbage collector in the business", well, that phrase certainly applies to Bob Barker. Many in the t.v. industry will always smirk at game show hosts, but he was the best game show host we'll ever see. But the real genius of Bob Barker is that his talent transcended being a game show host, he was the consummate television performer. He was so good in front of the camera that he was one of a handful of people in the 1950's who literally defined how one should perform in the new medium of television. In other words, he set the gold standard in his profession, and everyone in t.v. that has followed him has tried to meet his standard.

What? No Happy Gilmore Moment?

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Bob Barker quickly retreated from his statement that Drew Carey was "not exciting" as the host of CBS' long-running daytime gameshow, "The Price is Right". He apologized yesterday for his earlier statement to a TMZ reporter in which, when asked what he thought of his replacement on the show, Drew Carey, Bob screwed up his face and said, "I tried to make the show exciting, Drew doesn't." When Barker saw how much media attention his remark was garnering, he quickly apologized and withdrew his earlier remark. It was noted that Barker continues to collect royalties from the show as long as it's being broadcast, so it was not in his financial interest to besmirch the show. But Barker is also a very sophisticated, classy man, and we believe that being snarky about another entertainer is just not in his nature. Drew Carey commented that he didn't take Barker's original comments personally.

More Like a Lob

We love Bob Barker. He's smart, classy, sophisticated, and a t.v. legend. He was on t.v. for over fifty years hosting two long-running shows, "Truth or Consequences" and "The Price is Right", and never once failed to make his daily appearances on those shows fun and entertaining. He finally retired from television in 2009, handing the hosting job of "The Price is Right" over to Drew Carey, and suddenly, overnight, one of our favorite shows wilted before our eyes. We know Bob Barker, we love Bob Barker, and Drew Carey, you are no Bob Barker. Carey adds no zip to the show, no sense of fun; he just seems to go through the motions while fumbling or laughing uncomfortably. He just doesn't have the personality of a Bob Barker, and never should have taken over the reigns of this show.
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We've often wondered what Bob Barker thought of his replacement and today, we got our answer. Bob was caught by a TMZ videographer on the street who asked him what he thought of Drew Carey, and Bob said, to paraphrase, that "...he, (Bob), tried to make the show exciting, and Drew doesn't do that...". The media is blaring with headlines like, "Bob Barker Slams Drew Carey!". Don't believe everything you read. If you watch the video, Bob doesn't "slam" him at all, it's more like a soft lob. Bob simply makes a quiet comment about the difference between he and Carey. And it's true; Bob was an old-fashioned entertainer, he knew how to sell the show, thus the name "Barker". His style was like a carnival barker's, whose job it is to sell tickets, no matter how weak or corny the show inside the tent. Drew is too ironic, too post-modern to allow himself to wallow in the corn of the show; not that he's not funny or talented, he's just not the right person to host a daytime t.v. gameshow.
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Despite the inflated dust-up between Bob and Drew, the other thing we noticed when watching the video on Bob on the street is how, at 86, the man is still alert, funny, interesting and loaded with charisma. Why is this guy not still on t.v.? He's more entertaining in a 30 second video on the street than most people are with a script and millions of dollars of production values. Forget Betty White, it's Bob Barker who needs to be back on t.v.!
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Below is the link to the video of Bob Barker on TMZ:
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=e9a41ac7-42ca-4975-8f6b-6eccc816924d&isShareURL=true