I set my TiVo to record Drew Carey’s first episode of The Price is Right. It was different. Drew’s not a Game Show Host. Yes, I capitalized those for a reason. The Game Show Hosts I know have stature and poise. I can imagine Bob Eubanks dealing with a bomb in the studio with complete calm, noting that “well, it appears we have a studio problem. Everyone leave now. We’ll be back, hopefully.” Bob Barker almost never got flustered.
Drew’s a comedian, and doesn’t have that command of the situation. He had to use more verbal commands that I remember. In his defense, though, his contestants bordered on the insane, particularly in the first half of the show. Who runs to see the jeep before playing the game, like Bernard? Or turns a cartwheel on the introduction of the prize, then falls down upon winning, like Aura? Were they trying to make him fail? Where do these people come from? He did get a perfect show, plus two $1000 spots on the wheel,
The one thing I appreciate is the new host’s sly humor - I laughed two or three times during the show, which Bob Barker - or Ezekiel of Barker’s Bargain Bar - wouldn’t do. It’s a different show with a comedian, even a very good one, than a Game Show Host. I miss the Game Show Host. Could my generation create someone with so much formality? That’s hard to imagine. As you might guess, I’m in favor of elegance and decorum, which is disappearing faster than fried chicken in Kentucky. I’ll like Mr. Carey’s show, but I’ll miss the loss of protocol.
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16 Oct 2007 / Uncategorized
Posted by Adam @ 5:43 pm
