Barker's Beauties
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Barker's Beauties are the models on the American game show The Price Is Right. The term, coined by Mark Goodson, is derived from the name of the show's former host, Bob Barker. With Barker's retirement, the title is no longer officially in use, and new host Drew Carey has indicated in an interview with USA Today that he prefers to simply refer to the models by name as opposed to giving them a nickname.[citation needed]
Over the years, there have been many Price Is Right models. The best known include Janice Pennington, who was with the show from its premiere in 1972 to 2000; Dian Parkinson (1975-1993); Holly Hallstrom (1977-1983 and 1984-1995); and Kathleen Bradley (1990-2000). For the first three years of The Price Is Right, there were just two Barker's Beauties - Pennington and Anitra Ford. Parkinson joined the cast in 1975 as the third Beauty after having been Ford's substitute for several months. Traditionally there are three models, although for a period in the early 1990s, there were four (Pennington, Bradley, Hallstrom, and Parkinson (1990-1993), then Gena Lee Nolin (1993-1995).
Since the departures of Heather Kozar, Nikki Ziering, and Claudia Jordan in the early 2000s, the models have been on a rotation. In addition to several models who are more or less a permanent part of the cast, new models appear every few weeks who sometimes eventually join the rotation or other times do only a single set of tapings.
In February 2006, supermodel Tyra Banks appeared as a guest "Barker's Beauty." She assisted on It's in the Bag and Card Game.
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[edit] Conflict with Bob Barker
There have been conflicts between Barker and a number of the models over the history of the show. Several of the models, along with other staff members, filed lawsuits against Barker and the program, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.[1] After Parkinson brought forth sexual harassment allegations against Barker, he called a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her.[2] In 2000, Pennington and Bradley were fired, allegedly for testifying on Hallstrom's behalf in her own wrongful-termination lawsuit against Barker and the show.[3]
When asked in a USA Today interview about the four most famous Beauties, Barker replied, "They've been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They're disgusting; I don't want to mention them." However, Barker has had praise for the more recent models, including Lanisha Cole, Phire Dawson, Brandi Sherwood, and Shane Stirling, calling them "the best models we've ever had."[4]
All the lawsuits except for one were settled out of court at the production company's insistence.
[edit] Nighttime versions
On the first two syndicated nighttime versions of the show, the daytime models did double duty, with a few notable exceptions. In the earliest episodes of the 1970s nighttime show, a third model named Harriet was present; her last name is unknown, but she holds the distinction of being The Price Is Right's first black model. Additional models besides Parkinson were also featured on the nighttime show during Ford's leave in 1975, including Janice's sister Ann Pennington.
For the 1994 syndicated show hosted by Doug Davidson, however, an entirely separate cast of models was featured: Julie Lynn Cialini, Ferrari Farris, and Lisa Stahl.
Since the debut of the CBS primetime series in 2002, there are often situations where four to six models are used on the show.
[edit] List of Barker's Beauties/Price Is Right Models
| Name | Debut | Departure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Aletter-Oldham | 1981 | 1996 | Substitute model |
| Kathleen Bradley | 1990 | 2000 | |
| Starr Campbell | 2004 | 2005 | |
| Lanisha Cole | 2003 | present | |
| Phire Dawson | 2005 | present | |
| Chantel Dubay | 1996 | 1999 | |
| Jennifer England | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Anitra Ford | 1972 | 1976 | |
| Lisa Gleave | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Teri Harrison | 2003 | 2005 | |
| Holly Hallstrom | 1977 | 1995 | Left in '83, returned in '84 |
| Claudia Jordan | 2001 | 2003 | |
| Heather Kozar | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Amber Lancaster | 2008 | present | |
| Cindy Margolis | 1995 | 1996 | Substitute model |
| Tamiko Nash | 2007 | present | |
| Gena Lee Nolin | 1994 | 1996 | |
| Gwendolyn Osbourne | 2005 | present | |
| Dian Parkinson | 1975 | 1993 | |
| Janice Pennington | 1972 | 2000 | |
| Rebecca Mary Pribonic | 2004 | 2006 | |
| Rachel Reynolds | 2003 | present | |
| Stephanie Leigh Schlund | 2008 | present | |
| Brandi Sherwood | 2002 | present | |
| Shane Stirling | 2002 | present | Left in '07; Returned June 6, 2008[5] |
| Gabrielle Tuite | 2003 | present | |
| Nikki Ziering | 1999 | 2002 |
[edit] References
- ^ Joanne Weintraub. "Barker still a prize: Durable host gave 'Price Is Right' a long spin", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2007-05-09.
- ^ "Interview with Bob Barker". Larry King Live. CNN. 2002-12-26. Transcript.
- ^ Jessica Su. "Bob Barker to face courtroom battle after model's suit ruled valid", Court TV, 2004-10-16.
- ^ William Keck. "The time is right for Barker", USA Today, 2007-05-14. (sidebar: "Game Show Family Had Its Share of Losses, Turmoil")
- ^ [1]
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