Our obsession with/horror at the guest host gigs on WWE’s Monday Night Raw continued last night as Bob Barker stepped into the arena to serve as emcee in Chicago. If you saw his name trending on Twitter, that’s why. (Breathe! The man is alive and well and looking great.) What does Bob have to plug, you ask? His autobiography Priceless Memories, from which all proceeds go to his DJ&T Foundation. The opening of the show was the most painful. After Barker received a warm response — “I thank you for that wonderful welcome. I wish I had a refrigerator for everyone!” “We are really going to party tonight!” — we were forced to watch him play “The Price is Raw” with a few of the WWE stars bidding on the upcoming Best of Smackdown DVD. Chris Jericho literally got in Bob’s face for referring to him as “Chris” instead of “Mr. Jericho,” and Bob gave it right back to him: “The man talks. He’s actually speaking!” (You go, Bob!) After Barker threatened to take him over his knee, we mercifully moved on to action in the ring.
Sure, we might have died a little inside seeing the 19-time Emmy winner at a WWE event, but the man did appear to be having a great time. He was all smiles when he introduced a body slam contest. (How was the face-off between Big Show, “the world’s largest athlete,” and Mark Henry, “the world’s strongest man,” that boring though?) The only two segments that got me grinning were Bob’s sitdown interview, when he recounted the infamous tube top incident on The Price is Right and shared his injuries (i.e. a contestant once stepped on his broken toe), and when he pretended to go Chuck Norris on Chavo Guerrero’s ass.
How do you think Barker stacked up against previous Raw guest hosts like Jeremy Piven and Freddie Prinze Jr.?
Comments (1-30) of 39 Add your comment
Bob was awesome, seriously. And WWE really was honored to have him, they didn’t do anything to embarrass him in the least. They gave him a lot of airtime and even the sit-down interview, which never has been done for a guest host. WWE did right last night.
It was interesting,brings back memories of happy gilmore. Bob’s great..glad he’s still alive, thought he was sick and that is why he left the PRice
Being and avid wrestling and ‘Price’ fan I loved it. He was the best guest host, not associated w/ wrestling, they had. Mandi get off your soapbox. Your comments about it being ‘painful’ just made you sound like a snob.
I have to agree with my good friend Peter. We get it, you think you’re a superior human being because you think wrestling is bad. Then again, you also think the xth rehash of “Hitler in a Bunker” is hilarious.
Dissing the WWE is another form of racism that wrestling fans have to contend with on a daily basis. You are a racist, Mandi, if that is your real name.
Racist how?
Pro-Wrestling, and respones to it, fall into many categories. Class-ist, maybe. Sexist-absolutely. Elitist-yes. But as a sometime wrestling fan, I’ve always liked that it welcomes competitors and fans from all races and cultures, and I haven’t really seen anyone condemn it on racial issues before. And Mandi wasn’t snarking on wrestling because of racial issues – not to speak for her, but it seems to be coming from a place of feeling superior in her regular tv viewing habits…
I’m not attacking you – I’d honestly just like to know why you feel that way.
She’s racist against wrestling fans.
I don’t think Rob knows that wrestling fans are not a “race.”
Well, he is a wrestling fan, so perhaps not all that surprising.
As a wrestling fan, please ignore Rob. Wrestling fans aren’t a race.
Wrestling fans are a race, and if you don’t agree with me then you are racist too.
I thought this was a great show, and I don’t know why you have a problem with it. Maybe it’s the result of some pent up urges, or a secret wish to be on a stage (which, let’s face it, is why you took a job with EW in the first place).
Loved it! I thought Bob Barker did a great job. It was fun!
I think he did an amazing job. I spent the entire show just saying this awesome over and over again. I especially loved when after slapping Chavo around a little he still reminded us to help control the pet population. All done with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye.
Sadly, I didn’t see it (I work evenings), but if that clip is any indication of what the show was like I think I missed out.
Bob Barker was quite awesome. The guest host thing has been going on for awhile now and you tend to get some funny moments in there. Despite that, you still get people who cant get past the fact that wrestling matches are predetermined and label it “fake”. Its a performance art, not a sport.
Now if only we could sic Bob on Spencer Pratt…
I haven’t watched wrestling for years. But I surfed by and saw the Price is Right graphics and immediately stopped for a while. I found the whole bit with “Chris” wearing his name tag shirtless absolutely hilarious. Bravo for handling Bob Barker with absolute respect WWE.
I saw Bob at O’hare airport on Sunday evening and he couldn’t have been nicer – signing autographs for everyone and talking to people while he and his peeps waited for luggage. He’s looking great for his age but did sit down on a bench to sign for a while. I would too.
You’re being too hard on WWE. It was a great show and very entertaining. Bob’s still got that awesome charisma he’s had for the 50+ years he’s been on tv.
Aww man that was a really great show last night,awesome love Bob Barker
Wow, EW covering wrestling- never thought I’d see the day!
Barker seemed to have a lot of fun. As cheesy as this guest host business has been, I’ve really been enjoying it, and it has livened up Raw. Trish Stratus next week! Thank you, Mandi! even if this is probably a one-time deal
Not being on there. I forgot to finish it.
Pretend? Bob Barker does not pretend, Ma’am.
This is fact.
Bob was great and Chris was so great with Bob. Chris and Bob were the best part last night.
If you dont like the show, dont watch it and dont write about it. Bob Barker was as magical last night as he has been for the 30+ years he was on The Price Is Right.
To criticize good TV makes you look pompus and not to mention idiotic. Go write about some thing else.
That is all.
Best Raw Guest Host to date, even though I totally disagree with the idea of celeb hosts. After reading Mandi’s “sarcastic” article trying to get a cheap pop, I just have to ignore the fact that she really doesn’t “get” the business of wrestling itself. I may be a Mark for the industry/former wrestler myself, but I do know good clean entertainment and I’d rather watch Bob Barker argue with Chris Jericho than watch EW News/Read the Magazine talking about Celeb Gossip or why John Hates Kate over and over.
How could anyone with the ability to laugh hate the opening segment?
If you dislike professional wrestling due to it being “fake” take a look on a video website and look up worst wrestling injuries, thenyou’ll see how fake it is.
Why would we die inside by seeing Bob Barker at a WWE event? How is that shameful? If he made an appearance on 24 should we die inside? It’s no different.
Mandi Bierly = out of touch desk jocky
I thought the show was great. WWE did a great job with him hosting and the fans seemed to love him.After the show I could only say one thing BOB BARKER IS STILL THE MAN
He actually helped save the show last night as they should have him host it every week.
Mandi Bierly is too pretentious to ever like WWE. But anyone that has been following WWE and knows Chris Jericho’s character would find that whole “Price is RAW” segment hilarious. I don’t know how Bob Barker and “Mr. Jericho” didn’t crack up during that segment. I thought that segment was priceless.
I didn’t die any inside seeing Bob at RAW, in fact, it made me watch the show completely all the way through for the first time in several weeks. For once, I thoroughly enjoyed RAW and I credit Bob Barker and the way everyone carried on with them. You could just tell everyone was having a great time with Bob and thrilled to have him there. Even Jericho.
Wow, you can’t right an article without keeping personal opinions aside. Report on the subject, not about how “horrifying” you thought it was. And it wasn’t horrifying if you don’t like wrestling don’t watch it. I am quite disappointed in the way you handled this subject.