Several years ago, a black stand-up comic I was watching did a bit about why you don't see black game show hosts.
The reason: We use too much profanity. The shows would have to be on cable.
"Spin the wheel, mother----er!" the comic cracked, pretending what it would be like if a person of color hosted "The Price Is Right" instead of Bob Barker.
Well, times have changed.
Steve Harvey is doing a terrific job hosting "Family Feud" without kissing all the female contestants all smarmy-like. He's maintained his street edge while hosting a game show that appeals to millions of white viewers. If an answer is stupid --like many of them are -- he'll roll his eyes and say so, just like he does on his syndicated radio show. The producers are letting Steve be Steve. After all, you don't buy a Lamborghini and keep it locked up in the garage.
Now the Game Show Network announced that Sheri Shepherd will be the new host for "The Newlywed Game," the show that made Bob Eubanks a household name and the word "whoopie" a funny euphemism for sex.
Shepherd is quickly becoming one of the hardest working black women in television. She's a co-host on "The View," she plays Tracy Morgan's lunatic wife on "30 Rock" and she recently starred in her own Lifetime sitcom.
Tapping Shepherd to host was smart. Like Harvey, she's funny and quick on her feet. The producers will probably let her go off script, which should make this age-old game show funnier than it's been in past years.
Considering her nasty break-up with her ex-husband, Shepherd will also probably have a few choice words on marriage for those wide-eyed newlyweds.
You know how they say things happen in threes, right?
If I were "The Price Is Right" host Drew Carey, I'd be looking over my shoulder. D. L. Hughley is always available, funny, and...black.
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