I always assumed that it was a way to let the guest know to shut the fuck up until Bob pointed the mike at them. The mic if so that we can hear what the guest has to say.
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2026
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Sometimes I stumble on this random YouTube videos where random people interview other random people on the street and they're holding this tiny ass microphone.
It just doesn't hit the same way.
The host of Baby of the Year also uses one of those mics
And Sam Reich in Game Changer too
Bold choice by Sam Reich. That mic is probably half as tall as he is!
What's funny is that Sam doesn't even use the mic, he normally folds it up after the intro and sticks it in his pocket
I remembered about the mic because of the roulette episode where all the three hosts were given mics and went nuts when receiving it.
The host of Baby of the Year
I... what?
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When The Price Is Right went on the air those were the fashionable microphones. Then they just kept it because Bob liked it. I’m pretty sure that by the time he retired and still today it’s just a lapel mic at the end of a stick.
Who can forget the long-mic OG, Gene Rayburn.
With Gene, it's probably the result of a dick joke.
♫ You know that I'm not braggin', have you ever seen a dragon? Gene Rayburn! ♪
Gene Rayburn has always creeped me out for some reason, a visceral reaction
I watch the show and he does get handsey with the stars and contestants but it might be a product of its time (many of the shows I watched were filmed in the 70s)
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Nah its his acrane staff of price estimation. Its how he always knows the price
I assume it's because if you're holding a mic for hours not only is it more comfortable to not have to lift it all the way up but it also keeps your suit from creasing weirdly and pulling the cuffs unflatteringly.
Looking at classic game shows, several hosts used these. Searching "game show microphone" actually brings up a variety of examples.
It makes a lot of sense when you realize that they need to capture the sound of contestants and they are also moving around a lot. There's no way to use fixed mics all the time. Obviously not everyone is provided with a wearable microphone.
And the shorter the microphone is, the more the host has to exert himself by holding his arm up near contestant faces.
A long lightweight microphone is the perfect solution.
Also keeps the host's hand/arm out of close-up shots of the contestants talking.
Good point. Actually, forget close-up shots. They're out of the way even for wide angles. It probably even helps to see the people who are wearing silly outfits.
plus it can be used to spay or neuter a pet.
Oh shit yeah idk if that's The Answer but it's a helluva good one.
You know what they say about guys with long-ass mics.
Big shoes?
Remember to spay and neuter your pets.
I don't get this reference.
Later in his career, Bob Barker became very involved with the humane society and pet rescue. At some point during the 1990's he started to close every show with a reminder to everyone to spay and neuter their pets.
Drew Carry
That's whose line it is, anyway.
They're compensating for their small cars.
Even longer haels?
I guess it's a bit like Freddy Mercury keeping the upper half of the mic stand. For the show, to play with it.
That's a normal stick mic with a long cable.
It is a Sony ECM-51 specifically.
Same model, not Bob's specifically.
When I became a sound engineer I always thought people who were subs public speaking would be like Bob and actually use the microphone instead of hiding from it and asking why no one can hear them.
Shit drives me nuts, so often I’m watching performers not put the mic in front of their mouths. There’s the local wrestling outfit that I like to go watch and the announcer just is unable to just hold it in front of his mouth.
Microphone work and the rest of public speaking can be different skills, especially if you learn public speaking in a way that doesn't involve a mic. Speaking wants you to keep your head scanning the crowd with your body centered when standing still. If your hands are free it's good to use them for emphasis, and you'll want to rest them when not. Standing still in front of a mic feels awkward. This results in decent mic work making you look and feel a bit like a stand up comic. At least that's my experience with it from doing stand up. Mic work was definitely not the hardest part, but it was a constant balance when learning to keep speaking into the mic without coming off wooden or awkward. It's also just awkward to hold something in front of your mouth while speaking.
he had to have something for his other hand and also it helps keep the contestances from getting too wild when they rush him for a hug
the other hand issue is a problem for a lot of TV folks who did theater and try to hold a stage presense in the same way
keep the contestances from getting too wild when they rush him for a hug
You've got me imagining Bob brandishing the microphone at them like someone using a torch to keep a wild animal at bay.
I was picturing him in a fencing stance.
I think it was about the angle of his elbow.
It does kinda makes sense ergonomically. You prevent your arm from being in a raised position for a long time, and it’s more relaxed as you hold it lower.
Didn’t drew carey use the same mic when he took over?
I figure it was because he had issues holding it up/mobility issues.
It was to give him more space between himself and the contestants.
Pretty rich coming from someone who uses a paper towel roll tube for a mic holder.
That's what they use paper towel roll tubes for? I... I have been using mine very incorrectly
it's a complex ritual asserting
- power: he won't smack you but the length of the microphone means it would hurt
- dominance: he's always holding the microphone up,
- influence: the cord connects him all the way back to the production team and if he whips it they will dance
also, he ain't give a f https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py805hYfopw
Everyone must stand alone
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