Bob Barker was, for many years, the host of the television gameshow “The Price is Right.” Mr. Barker has died at the age of 99, as was confirmed by his publicist, Roger Neal. Mr. Neal says that Mr. Barker died of natural causes in his home in Hollywood.
Mr. Neal released a statement on Mr. Barker’s passing in which he said, “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us.”
Joining Mr. Neal in releasing a statement on Mr. Barker’s passing was Mr. Barker’s longtime friend, caretaker, and co-executor of his estate, Nancy Burnet. She said, “I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally. We were great friends over these 40 years, and he will be missed.”
PETA, the animal rights organization, also released a statement on Mr. Barker’s passing, as during life he was a staunch advocate for the well-being of animals. That statement came from current PETA president Ingrid Newkirk.
Her statement said, in part, “Bob’s influence on the entertainment industry is indisputable, but what mattered to him most was using his voice and prominent position to protect animals. Of course, everyone is familiar with his “spay and neuter your pets” sign-off on The Price Is Right—a show where he refused to allow fur prizes—but he was also one of the first stars to go vegetarian, more than 30 years ago. He joined PETA in urging families to stay away from SeaWorld, demanded the closure of cruel bear pits masquerading as tourist attractions, implored Hollywood to take action to protect animals used in film and TV, and, as a Navy veteran, called for the end of military medical drills on live animals.”
Barker’s support for animal rights and welfare made headlines during the 1987 Miss USA pageant. At that time, he refused to host if contestants wore real furs for the televised event. The producers of the program acquiesced, and contestants wore synthetic furs for that year’s contest. The following year, however, after 21 years of hosting the pageant, Mr. Barker resigned when producers refused to stop giving fur coats as prizes.
Further, during his final “Price Is Right” show, which aired on June 15, 2007, Barker ended with his familiar plea: “Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered!”
CBS, his network, released a statement on his passing as well, saying, “We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker. During his 35 years as host of “The Price is Right,” Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to “come on down.” In addition to his legendary 50-year career in broadcasting, Bob will be remembered as a dedicated animal rights activist. Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars.”
By Iaksge at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7975580
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