No

by Diane Stacey

Created on: July 29, 2007

The Price Is Right recently celebrated 35 years of broadcasting success. In conjunction with this milestone, the show's host decided it was time to retire. Bob Barker has been a game show icon for many years. He seems genuine and the kind of person we hope for the chance to meet. While other game shows offer higher prize potential, people travel far and wide to spend an hour with Bob.

The network executives took some time in their search to find a replacement. I believe that the future success of the show will depend on how well the new host interacts with the show's fans and contestants.

In order to determine the success of a new host, you have to consider what has made Bob Barker so successful in this role. Bob has not been surrounded by a lot of controversy. He expresses concern about things important to us, such as controlling the pet population and finding homes for displaced dogs and cats. He maintains a separation of his private life from his work and doesn't use his celebrity status to promote personal beliefs, political views or sway public opinion. This leaves you feeling like Bob is your friend, even though you have never met, and you feel you have his full support.

Bob treats people as equals and friends. Contestants who have been on stage with him have felt that he really wanted them to go home winners. He was able to make people comfortable and supported their belief that anything is possible. He offered suggestions to help contestants at times and would spin the wheel in the Showcase Showdown for those who didn't have the physical ability to do it alone. When the contestant didn't win their game, Bob displayed his own disappointment and never made anyone feel they weren't up to the challenge.

You also have to figure out why people love the show and want to participate in it. The Price Is Right is a place where you have the potential to win wonderful prizes in less than an hour. It tests your ability on knowledge we should all possess, the average retail price of various items. The show pulls from your desires, offering that new car, camper, boat or trip you have been wanting but perhaps couldn't afford.

In my opinion to be successful, the network has to select a host who has qualities similar to Bob Barker. It has to be someone free of controversy and without strong opinions on subjects that create distention amongst people. Contestants need to believe that the host is on their side, wanting to see them win. They have to be comfortable with the host and walk away feeling good about the experience, regardless of the outcome of their game. If a contestant doesn't win, they still need to leave feeling good about their experience.

The show's executives took a generous amount of time evaluating their options in identifying the new host. Amongst the potential candidates, they finally chose Drew Carey.

The Price Is Right is a legacy and I believe its future will rest heavily on the new host's shoulders. Personally, I am not sure that Drew Carey is the best choice for this job.

While is liked by many people, he also has voiced strong opinions. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and joined the military where he obtained his crew cut hair style. He also wears a pair of signature eyeglasses while he doesn't need corrective lenses in order to see. This fact alone makes me wonder why he feels the need to create a persona that doesn't necessarily represent his truth. He seems to require gimmicks for recognition and should believe enough in himself to not need to pretend to be someone he is not. In my opinion, something as simple as wearing glasses that aren't needed reflects a need to show a pretense to the public and I am not sure when I am seeing his truth.

Drew wrote a book about his life and beliefs. Sometimes I think we can know too much about a person and in the case of hosting this show I think we know too much about Drew. His career has been as a comedian and actor. His personal views and opinions are quite clear as he is very outspoken about what he thinks and feels. He prides himself on the language he prefers which tends to be on the "dirty" side and has shared during interviews that he doesn't care whether his language has an appropriate audience.

While I personally love Drew Carey and find his work to be funny, he does not seem to be the right person to replace Bob Barker. I don't think it is fair to compare people but in order for the show to succeed, the host must be someone the public trusts, believes and feels supports their endeavors. When someone has been critical of a person or particular group, we can develop opinions of that individual that we carry forward.

Drew has a history of expressing his opinions, such as those about politics and not supporting laws to regulate smoking, drugs or immigration. These are all current hot topics in today's world. Fans of The Price Is Right will not want to associate strong opinions of the host with the show. They need that level of comfort in order to "come on down" and play.

As Drew begins this new endeavor I wish him the best of luck and hope I am wrong about the network's choice.

Learn more about this author, Diane Stacey.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.