Bob Barker Writing Autobiography, With Help From Founder of L.A. Times Book Review
Bob Barker from The Price is Right is writing an autobiography! Center Street, the imprint of Hachette Book Group that specializes in "wholesome entertainment" and books that champion "traditional values," plans to publish it in 2009.
Mr. Barker, 84, left The Price is Right this past June, after hosting the iconic game show for almost 35 years. His co-writer for the project is Digby Diehl, a noted book reviewer and serial co-writer who founded the Los Angeles Times Book Review back in 1969. Recently, Mr. Diehl has made a career of helping people write their memoirs; to date, he's co-written books with/for CIA operative Duane Clarridge, singer Natalie Cole, and actress Esther Williams.
According to the announcement from Center Street, Mr. Barker's book will include "stories and anecdotes from his personal and public life, including his childhood, marriage, early career and experiences" in television.
Bob Barker is immensely talented and charismatic. Hosting a game show is not as easy as it looks and there's only a select few who master the craft year-after-year. Decades is extremely rare. Bill Cullen was in a league by himself and so is Bob Barker. Wink Martindale is down the list a bit. Way down!
From what I've read, Bob Barker has a dark side. A very dark side. I used to watch The Price Is Right years ago, and there were hints of this dark side with the contestants in the form of putdowns and ridicule. It was all in the name of fun, but nonetheless it was putdowns.
A number of former employees of the show have filed lawsuits and I think most of them, if not all of them, are women. I'm only familar with two women: Parkinson and Hallstrom. One lawsuit was of a sexual nature and the other lawsuit was due to a firing. Several months ago. I read another lawsuit has been filed which has racial overtones. There was a fairly recent mass firing on one day, and Barker's explanation for this mass firing was economics.
I hope Bob Barker will address these issues in the book, and I'm sure his version of what happened will be quite different. I'm of the opinion Bob Barker has a dark side, because there's been too many lawsuits. As I said previously, you saw little hints of this dark side on the show. If the contestant didn't do the right thing, he was impatient. Something along the lines: "You're not yelling loud enough. Louder. I mean louder. What's wrong with you. Do you want this car. You can putt better than that. Audience, let's here a boo. Spin the wheel, NOW. NOW. That's not how you spin it."
Who the hell cares?? You can discern he had a dark side because he told contestants to hurry up and spin the damn wheel?? Nine out ten people didn't spin that stupid thing properly. After 90 years hosting that show you would get aggravated too.
As far as the sexual dealings, that goes on at all workplaces, some people get sued for it, some get fired for it.
I think the average age of people reading this book will be about 85.
At least Pat Sajack has a little substance behind his inane talk; he puts people down too you'll notice.
I disagree with your conclusions.
"Sexual dealings" in a work environment can lead to very expensive lawsuits. Employers and employees should be aware that even a whistle, or non-verbal communication, can land you in court.
I think there's a disconnect between YOUR loathing of Bill Clinton's sexual infidelities, and your statements implying these types of "sexual dealings" happen on a regular basis in the work environment. Why is oral sex in the White House any worse than oral sex in the conference room? Or in the broom closet for that matter? Why would the morals of the boss, Joe Blow, be any worse than Bill's? I don't get it?
I have noticed a tendency for you to, once, or twice, or 123 times, to bring up horndog, Bill Clinton.
"Sexual dealings" will be a non-issue in the work environment, if everyone is spayed and neutered.
"Sexual dealings" will be a non-issue EVERYWHERE, if everyone is spayed and neutered.
Where in my response do you see Bill Clinton?
My point is that no one gives a sh*t about Bob Barker or his years on TPIR and Truth or Consequences. He's 100 years old about in the grave.
Sexual harassment is serious, and employers bend over backward to deal with it whether there is any truth to accusations or not. It's become an important weapon women use in the workplace, rightly and wrongly.
By all accounts, the Boy President had the consent of his intern when he stuck it to her. What I don't agree with was that he lied to a grand jury and got away with it. You and I would not have. He should have resigned in 1998; Al Gore would have become president, easily being re-elected in 2000. His vanity wouldn't let him, and now we are where we are.
The black woman, a former TPIR employee, gives a sh*t about Bob Barker. She's currently suing him.
I just checked the Internet as to the total number of lawsuits filed against Bob Barker, or TPIR. The current lawsuit is the tenth, so your statement that no one gives a sh*t about Bob Barker is wrong. Before Bob Barker is put away in a nursing home, 10 former employees want to COME ON DOWN to a Los Angeles County courthouse and see Bob part company with a few million bucks. For these former employees, they hope THE PRICE IS RIGHT.
I just have the impression you're putting Bill into a box, all by himself, when you acknowledge sex happens in the workplace.
I'm not going to defend Bill's lying, because he was dishonest. However, the lying about a sexual infidelity hardly warrants a resignation. Senator John McCain openly acknowldges that he was an adulterer. I think he's one of the first presidential candidates to discuss his sexual behavior.
BTW, my employer is cute, so "bending over backwards" might invite sexual harrassment. Not good!
Fair enough.
Good luck to the TPIR girls in their lawsuit, and seeking justice.
Likewise, I wish TPIR former employees good luck seeking monetary compensation through the legal system, if the legal system deems the work-related injustices to have merit.
As far as I know, Holly Hallstrom settled her lawsuit out-of-court for a sizeable amount of money. Parkinson dropped her lawsuit, which was of a sexual nature, due to increasing legal costs which were draining her financial resources.
Here's a semi-vague timeline of lawsuits from 1993-on. I may be missing one or more, and as for who's right or wrong, who knows. I wasn't there. I'm just going by news sites, biographies and other related information.
1993: Dian Parkinson resigns as a "Barker's Beauty", is actually given the opportunity to say goodbye to the audience (and does), Barker announces she's leaving "To pursue other interests". Tabloids print about her leaving because of a fight with model Janice Pennington (whom she didn't get along with).
1994: Parkinson sues Barker for sexual harassment, seeking something in the neighborhood of $8 million. Barker admits to a consensual relationship with her that didn't work out. He also asks model Holly Hallstrom to appear on talkshows and interviews to defend him by calling Parkinson a liar. Hallstrom does not want to get involved, and Barker is angry about this.
1995 (early): Parkinson drops her lawsuit, saying that it was taking a toll on her health, and that she couldn't match the finances of Barker or his legal team.
1995 (fall): Holly Hallstrom is fired from the show. She announces that she was fired because Barker was not happy with a 14-pound weight gain due to a prescription medication. Barker sues her for slander and defamation of character, a lawsuit he ultimately loses. Holly soon countersues for wrongful termination.
2000 (fall): Models Janice Pennington and Kathleen Bradley are fired shortly after being subpoenaed to give testimony on Holly Hallstrom's behalf in her wrongful termination lawsuit. Three other women are fired the same day. All sued for wrongful termination and have since settled out of court for undisclosed amounts, except for former production assistant, Linda Riegert, whose case is still pending.
2003: Model Claudia Jordan is fired and sues for wrongful termination and racial discrimination. On an unrelated note, announcer Rod Roddy tragically dies late this year of cancer.
2005: Holly Hallstrom settles her lawsuit for a substantial amount of money (she will only say "in the millions"). She also sets up a foundation with some of the money to help people in similar situations, but don't have the financial resources to take any action.