Drew Carey just isn't quite right. While that statement may be true in a myriad of entendres, I am speaking of the fact that, to me, Bob Barker will always be THE host of The Price Is Right, the Hour of Power of TV game shows. Barker is the quintessential American host, slim, slick-haired, tan, Californian white male, wrapped in the ultimate pitchman demeanor, as seen through my young immigrant eyes. I came to the U.S. as a wide-eyed 10-year-old, and watched this game show that embodied what America is all about: an unabashed and unbridled glorification and celebration of consumerism that cuts across all racial, ethnic and social class lines. The more I think about it even as an adult, the more I marvel and believe it to be true, still, even though I now rarely watch it all the way through.
Indulge me to walk you through the format of the show for those of you who have never watched it, heaven forbid. By some pick of the lottery, four contestants are called out, "Joe Shmoe, come on down!" There is no discrimination here as the only requirement is that you are in the audience at the time of the taping (do they even use videotapes nowadays, albeit digital?). Equality. Everyone is welcome in this melting pot or mosaic or what have you.
Next, Bob Barker (sorry, Drew Carey, I can't help it) the host is introduced; the crowd goes wild for he is the man in charge, directing the contestants, laying out the rules and informing them of what is to come and what the result is. Out comes the first or the next item up for bid. Pure capitalism and free market auctioning with a twist. You must guess the retail price of the item "without going over" the actual price. Four contestants call out their bids, and the item is usually some mid-priced merchandise like an appliance or some furniture piece. And this is where it gets interesting. Joe? 1000. Mary? 1200. Steve? 1190. Ann? 1201. Inevitably, if someone thinks that another person's bid is very close to the actual price or that all other bids are too low, then he or she would essentially lock out the rest and up their bid by one dollar, the lowest increment possible. This rather cutthroat maneuver usually works but not always. Then, Bob would announce the moment of truth, "The actual retail price is...1239! Ann, you're our next contestant on The Price Is Right!" Nothing is more egalitarian and democratic than the finality of judgment by mathematical means tied to cold hard cash.
Ann jumps for joy and bounds on to the stage, flying next to Bob and, if so inclined, gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Ah, Americans are so publicly affectionate and demonstrative; I always envied and admired that, but also somewhat mystified by it since my Korean upbringing is so staid and square, almost Victorian. But the excitement is only beginning. Bob engages in a brief small talk then he would cue the announcer, "Johnny, tell us what she can win!" After a short pause which seems like an eternity, sometimes, if you've watched the show enough times, you can feel it with your sixth sense what the next prize is going to be...."A brand new CAR!" The whole place goes wild and crazy, screaming in amazement and the sheer thrill of knowing that someone could win a new car. And what is more American than a brand new automobile? That brand new car smell? That shiny and polished exterior and interior? It almost doesn't even matter what the car is. Who cares?! You could win a new ride for free on a game show in America, and it doesn't matter where you come from and what you had done before you got here. It just doesn't matter. The rest of the show pretty much goes like this, and they usually give away one or two cars per show, so that's how you can sense who the lucky dog is gonna be if a car hasn't shown up by the first half hour of the show. Ah, easy, eh? And the show culminates with its prize bonanza, the Showcase Showdown, a giveaway of thousands of dollars in merchandise and travel packages. This is the rarefied air of hitting pay dirt. American success! Jackpot! Sure, one could make the similar analogy and metaphor with Las Vegas, but the gambling aspect of it ruins the innocence of it all for me...
But "ain't that America for you and me?" One can get lucky or strike it rich just by being here and living here. That in a nutshell is the American Dream. That is why so many of us have come to these shores by boat or by plane, gazing at the majesty of the mountains and the oceans and the Statue of Liberty, crossing the borders to the north and to the south. We are all Americans looking for freedom, equality, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And no matter how high the cost to attain them, the price is always right.
The Price Is Right (Wikipedia)
[Footnote: Apparently, Bob Barker has very ethnic roots and ties to the Pacific Northwest. It reaffirms my belief that he is still the host that embodied America, the Land of Opportunity. Wikipedia: Bob Barker]
No comments:
Post a Comment