# Bob Barker's Microphone

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 16, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011 "2004-11-16T04:58:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011/21 "2004-11-18T07:22:50Z")

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> [@jgroub](#):
>
> Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Court TV type-shows - they’re at a podium with a mike, or there are only three of them, so they’re already miked up.

A podium is a stage or platform; you stand _on_ a podium. The contestants on _Jeopardy!_ (like me) stand behind lecterns with fixed mikes.

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011/22 "2004-11-18T10:40:23Z")

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Assuming no one’s adverse to WAGs: (oops)

_He doesn’t know what to do with his hands, and thus needs a mike, but doesn’t want a big fat phallic symbol there all the time._

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011/23 "2004-11-18T10:47:42Z")

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It’s probably in security-blanket territory by now. Barker likes it, he feels comfortable with it, he’d feel uncomfortable _without_ it, so why mess with it?

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**Author:** ![jgroub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@jgroub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jgroub)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-barkers-microphone/275011/24 "2004-11-18T17:27:24Z")

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> [@Walloon](#):
>
> A podium is a stage or platform; you stand _on_ a podium. The contestants on _Jeopardy!_ (like me) stand behind lecterns with fixed mikes.

:smack:

Aaagh!

Don’t I feel like the dolt!

Slight hijack:

Hey, Walloon, if that really is your background, would you care to chime in on my thread about Dutch and Flemish not being separate languages?

I have now asked in that thread whether Belgium should be carved up between France and the Netherlands. Any thoughts? (Post 'em over there.)

BTW, no offense, it’s a silly question, I know.

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread. 🙂

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