Roger Dobkowitz, a producer on The Price is Right for over 30 years, is defending the show and its host, Bob Barker, following the release of a recent documentary. The documentary, which aired as part of the E! series Dirty Rotten Scandals, painted the show and its legendary host in a very negative light.
Among the many allegations made against Bob Barker was that he ordered there be no more than two Black contestants per show taping. Some of the game show’s former models also alleged that the producers fostered a culture of sexual harassment, which culminated in model Dian Parkinson filing an $8 million lawsuit that she later dropped. Another model, Holly Hallstrom, also sued Barker for wrongful termination and malicious prosecution after she claimed he fired her because she gained weight.
Longtime producer of ‘The Price is Right’ speaks out
Roger Dobkowitz, who produced The Price is Right from 1972 to 2008, took to Facebook this week to voice his displeasure with the Dirty Rotten Scandals episodes.
“Many of my friends have asked me for my comments in regards to the E documentary that was recently shown on their network,” he wrote. “However, up until now, I avoided commenting on it because I didn’t want to add any social traction to such an obvious ‘hit piece.’ The ‘documentary’ should just quietly disappear into the bottom of a TV equivalent of a waste basket along with all the other forgotten so-called ‘exposes.'”
Dobkowitz went on to say that the docuseries made him “realize that there are some people in this world who will happily exaggerate and create falsehoods in order to justify a personal hateful vendetta against a person in order to draw attention to themselves.”
He added, “Most people in society and individuals move on with their lives, especially after court rooms have settled disputes and they are closed. Most people are happy that a headache in their lives is over. Such closure is usually a life-marker to remind the person to grow and put things behind them. When someone feels the compulsion to constantly bring it up for another 30 years is a sign that something could be wrong with their capacity to reason maturely.”
Dobkowitz, who is 80, also said that someday he will write a book. In it, he claims, he will “clear up lots of misconceptions and dismiss many wrongful accusations.”