# RIP Bob Barker; August 26, 2023 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [August 26, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148 "2023-08-26T17:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/1 "2023-08-26T17:37:39Z")
99 years old. Dunno what it is about reaching 100 that makes it special, yet I’d like to see more of the good people make it. He was a great animal rights activist. He had a terrific against-character scene in _Happy Gilmore_ yet to me his Price is Right show was the only good thing on TV in late mornings when I was truly home and ill from school. Him and the silly games and of course the models showing off “A new Car” and sailboats. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/2 "2023-08-26T17:40:51Z")
Truth or Consequences was the show I remember. I just looked it up. Wow. !956 to 1975 is a long run. > **[Truth or Consequences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences)** > > Truth or Consequences is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–1958), Bob Hilton (1977–1978) and Larry Anderson (1987–1988). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts. > The daily syndicated show was produced by Ralph Edwards Produ... ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/3 "2023-08-26T17:46:55Z")
Let’s be honest, he was closest to 100 without going over… ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/4 "2023-08-26T17:48:42Z")
Off to the Big Wheel in the sky… ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/5 "2023-08-26T17:50:52Z")
Let’s just hope the announcer doesn’t say " Bob Barker! Come on Down" He’s the reason I ever got a first male cat neutered. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/6 "2023-08-26T17:51:03Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Let’s be honest, he was closest to 100 without going over… You win the thread. (Which makes you eiligible for the Showcase Showdown.) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/7 "2023-08-26T18:03:12Z")
One of my favorite movie scenes is when he beat up Happy Gilmore. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/8 "2023-08-26T18:10:22Z")
I honestly thought he’d died years ago. But I suppose after retiring from _The Price is Right_ he wasn’t exactly regularly making headlines. Used to watch TPiR every day with my grandmother during summer vacations when I was a kid. Have a lot of fond memories with Bob Barker in the background. RIP “Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered.” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/9 "2023-08-26T18:16:18Z")
I long ago came up with “Bob Barker” as a great dog name. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/10 "2023-08-26T18:17:27Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I long ago came up with “Bob Barker” as a great dog name. Same. We had a puggle that barked a lot. We called him Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/11 "2023-08-26T19:47:48Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Used to watch TPiR every day with my grandmother during summer vacations when I was a kid. Have a lot of fond memories with Bob Barker in the background. Me too! The Lawrence Welk show came on afterward. Remember when ladies got to take money out of Bob’s pocket? 😳 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/12 "2023-08-26T20:28:50Z")
I watched Truth or Consequences. I think it was in syndication in the 1970’s. TPiR got me through sick days and when school was out. Bob’s personality was a big part of each shows success. I tuned in primarily for Bob and the games were secondary. Bob, Thanks for decades of entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/13 "2023-08-26T21:03:21Z")
My 12 year old daughter has fallen in love with the old Barker episodes of TPiR on Pluto. It’s been a nice blast from the past for me too. My wife is surprised how patronizingly sexist he could be. A different era, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/14 "2023-08-26T21:11:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Same. We had a puggle that barked a lot. We called him Bob. That’s awesome. I thought I had invented it 😆 mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/15 "2023-08-26T21:14:41Z")
I woulda guessed he’d live to 100.01… More seriously, a charismatic host who seemed like a decent person. I never fail to be surprised by some of the betting strategies. I first learned the word “yodel” thanks to Barker. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/16 "2023-08-26T21:20:10Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > > I long ago came up with “Bob Barker” as a great dog name. > > Same. We had a puggle that barked a lot. We called him Bob. [David Letterman and Merrill Markoe had a dog named Bob, who was featured on the early years of _Late Night with David Letterman_.](https://youtu.be/8QphVvaBXTQ) I have no idea if his name had any connection. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/17 "2023-08-26T21:45:11Z")
I loved watching _ **ToC** _ every weeknight at 18:00 when I was in junior high. In one episode I remember, they dressed a teenager up like Tiny Tim to play a prank on his girlfriend. The setup went something like this: **BOB:** Do you know who Tiny Tim is? **GIRL:** (_Warily_) Yes. **BOB:** Do you like his music? **GIRL:** (_Emphatically_) No! **BOB:** Well, why not? It’s all the rage now. **GIRL:** He sounds like a \*\*\*! The line was bleeped, but it was clear what she’d said. The audience laughed uproariously, but Bob just shook his head. **BOB:** Oh, no. Not on _my_ show! On another occasion, he asked a woman if she thought there was anyone in the audience who had ever done _this_ or _that_. Finally, he asked “Is there anyone here who’s been to the Moon?” The woman laughed and said “No, I don’t think so.” The whole time she was sitting next to Buzz Aldrin, who was doing his best to be inconspicuous. (I spotted him right away.) On yet another show, Bob was setting two women up for some kind of competition by pairing them with guys “taken from the audience.” **WOMAN:** What do I get if I win? **BOB:** (_Thinking fast_) Why, you get a point! **WOMAN:** (_Pointing at her partner_) Is he going to be working with me or against me? **BOB:** (_Aghast_) Wha … what do you mean? **WOMAN:** I’ve been watching your show too long. I _know_ him! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/18 "2023-08-26T22:36:23Z")
Bob Barker was in the Naval Reserve training as a pilot during WW2. Though he didn’t see action, he was probably familiar with salty language. He hosted the Miss Universe pageant for 22 years and was ousted after trying to persuade them not to include fur coats as prizes or in the pageant. He hosted Price Is Right for 35 years. His wife died of cancer. He was once accused of harassment but claimed it was consensual. He said wherever he goes, someone tells him to “Come on down!”. He was smiling when he said that, but it’s gotta wear thin. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/19 "2023-08-26T22:59:00Z")
I worked at the public relations department of CBS when I was about nineteen, as an admin. Bob came in to see one of the PR folks and greeted us office drones kindly. I thought he was so ancient! This was in about 1975 or so. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148/20 "2023-08-26T23:39:10Z")
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery: > [https://youtu.be/4HAkSJWKO4U?t=411](https://youtu.be/4HAkSJWKO4U?t=411) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-barker-august-26-2023/989148.md?page=2)