Wrapped Up Like a Blog

I have always said that I want to be an astronaut, a comic book writer or a game show host. My love of game shows started early, and I spoke of it briefly when Dick Clark died (I knew him as the mediocre host of the Pyramid shows first and foremost). And one of my favorite shows as a kid was Family Feud.  There was a reason I cajoled my family into trying out for it a while ago! That was the show I wanted to host more than anything. I mean, the host's name was RICHARD for gosh sakes!

It was a fun program, and even as a kid, I could play along with it. And the host was cool and funny, with a great accent and he kissed the ladies. Plus, he probably got as many free Tootsie Roll pops as he wanted!

Then, when I found out he was NEWKIRK FROM HOGAN'S HEROES, it blew my mind. My tiny brain could not fathom that the funny British dude on the WWII POW comedy (which I adored. I walked around screaming "I know nothing!" like Sgt Shultz throughout my childhood. Nowadays, it still applies) was the same guy as the host of my favorite game show. It was huge moment in my child hood and I loved Richard Dawson even more.

Later in life I saw Dawson try and return to Family Feud, unable to capture lightning in the bottle twice. And I have seen him on Match Game quite a bit. I see his personality as classically 70s, the kind of suave chauvinism that would not play today, but made him an icon then. Other hosts have improved on the FF hosting style (I currently love Steve Harvey, and I dug Richard Karn's style, too), but Dawson was one of my first game show idols and an icon from my youth. Hopefully, he'll find a secret tunnel under his bunker in heaven so he can come and go to the earthly plane as he pleases. But if anyone asks, "I KNOW NOTHING!"