Bob Barker reflects on fame as game show host, golf pugilist

Six reasons "The Price Is Right" host Bob Barker has our undying respect: (1.) He once trained under Chuck Norris; (2.) His seven Emmys; (3.) He stopped dying his hair; (4.) His animal rights activism; (5.) His fling, at 70, with a "Price Is Right" spokesmodel, and most of all ... (6.) He beat up Adam Sandler on screen.

As Barker embarks on his 45th year on national daily television — he hosted "Truth or Consequences" from 1956 to 1974, and "The Price Is Right" since 1972 — TV Guide named his show No. 1 in its recent cover story titled "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time."

Here, Barker speaks about "trash" TV, retirement rumors and the infamous tube top incident.

Q. Do you ever see the "trash" TV shows you’re up against, such as "Jerry Springer"?

A. Well, I don’t want to mention any shows specifically. But I see some of them as I’m going around the dial, and I’m aghast. I really am. I wonder to what level we are sinking. But apparently, they do get some viewers. They play to a certain type of individual, I guess. They’re getting reasonable figures, or they wouldn’t be on.

Q. In all the years of "Price Is Right," do you have a favorite blooper?

A. There’s no doubt about the most talked-about incident in the history of "Price is Right." It occurred more than 20 years ago now. There was a young woman in the audience wearing a tube top. And her name was called to be a contestant. She jumped to her feet, began jumping up and down, and both of them came right out of the tube top. She "came on down," and they came on out, on CBS.

Q. Many of us are grateful for the time you punched out Adam Sandler in "Happy Gilmore."

A. Adam, you know, is a big star now. His pictures do terrifically at the box office. And no one had ever heard of Adam Sandler until I beat him up! I always point out that he hit me first, and he knocked me down and he said, "All right — that’ll take care of you, old man." And I got to my feet and struck a blow for Sun City.

Q. People also admired you for letting your hair go white. Were there panicky meetings over it?

A. Yes, there were definitely meetings. But the interesting thing about that was that we had taped ahead. So on Monday or Tuesday, I had dark hair. And on Wednesday, on tape, I came through the doors with white hair. And I got a card from a gentleman in the Midwest who said, "Bob — you must have had one helluva night!"

Q. Didn’t you announce a retirement date recently?

A. No. That was one of the tabloids. In fact, it was a headline on the front page: "Bob Barker to quit." Then, if you read the story, they took remarks that I had made in other interviews, you know, and tried to imply that I had said I was going to quit.

Frankly, for the last few years I’ve gone into each season thinking, "Well, at the end of the year, I’ll look the situation over and make a decision." This season won’t be over until June. By then, I’ll make a decision about another year. Of course, the next year would be the 30th year (of "Price Is Right"), which would be good to wind up with. Better than 29, probably, as far as keeping score is concerned.

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