Female Game show hosts?

[TravisP]

There have been quite a lot of female GS hosts in the UK:

Davina McCall - Big Brother & The Vault (2002)
Melanie Sykes - Celebrities Under Pressure & The Vault (2003 - covering for Davina's Materinty Leave)
Sophie Raworth - Judgemental (2002)
Carol Vorderman - Grand Slam & Britain's Brainest
Kirsty Young - The People Versus (2000 - Primetime, 24 Hours before Link first began)
Kaye Adams - The People Versus (2001 - Daytime)
Melandra Burrows - Soap Addicts
Lisa Rogers - Celebrity Addicts
Rhona Cameron - Russian Roulette
Tess Daly - Britains Brainest Kid 2002 (Heats Only)
Sarah Cawood - Cruel Summer & Cruel Winter
Jayne Sharp - Little Monsters & Cruel Summer 2: Cruel School
Haley Evetts (Pop Idol singer) - Cruel Holiday
Sarah Kennedy - Busmans Holiday
Cilla Black - Blind Date & The Moment Of Truth
Jenny Hull - Take A Letter
Melinda Messenger - Fort Boyard (Channel 5 1998-2001)
Jodie Penfold - Fort Boyard (Challenge 2003)
Ruby Wax - The Waiting Game

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'JMFabiano\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 02:54 AM\']re: Blind Date, if you mean the UK version, and since I will take any opportunity to name drop '60s female singers, allow me to add Cilla Black to the list.[/quote]
Who also hosted "Moment of Truth" (aka "Your Big Moment," aka "Happy Family Plan") and the not-really-a-game-show "Surprise Surprise."

A few weeks ago, BBC Radio 2 aired a documentary on Cilla's life, narrated by Paul O'Grady, who's also a game show host under the guise of his Lily Savage character on "Blankety Blank."  It included the interesting info that she was originally not considered for "Blind Date" and that she talked LWT into giving her the gig.  The highlight of the portion I listened to had nothing to do with game shows, though:  It was a demo of the theme song for her first BBC variety series, written by Paul McCartney and with Macca joining her in song.  Neat stuff and a nice little career connection, since she was the coat check girl at the Cavern Club while the Fab Four were playing there at the beginning of their respective careers.

[tommycharles]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 12:21 PM\']
A few weeks ago, BBC Radio 2 aired a documentary on Cilla's life, narrated by Paul O'Grady, who's also a game show host under the guise of his Lily Savage character on "Blankety Blank."  It included the interesting info that she was originally not considered for "Blind Date" and that she talked LWT into giving her the gig.  The highlight of the portion I listened to had nothing to do with game shows, though:  It was a demo of the theme song for her first BBC variety series, written by Paul McCartney and with Macca joining her in song.  Neat stuff and a nice little career connection, since she was the coat check girl at the Cavern Club while the Fab Four were playing there at the beginning of their respective careers. [/quote]
 Hang on a minute - did O'Grady narrate it as himself or as Savage? For the record - Lily Savage's Blankety Blank isn't all that bad (but then I haven't seen the previous versions to compare it to).

[Jimmy Owen]

So would Lily Savage count as a femcee?

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 08:33 PM\'] It used the similarly titled Rufus/Chaka Khan song as the theme. [/quote]
 Nope...that's the actual title of the song.

ObGameShows: I always thought "I Feel For You," another Chaka Khan song, sounded like the current Feud theme. :-P

[Winkfan]

Arlene Francis hosted a sort-of-game-show called "Blind Date" back in the early '50s, IIRC.  Unfortunately (for those who were watching back then), the animated thought bubbles, hot girls, and omnipresent sex weren't there until a few years later.

That's because it was an altogether DIFFERENT show!

And as Ed Gardner ('Archie the Manager' of radio's Duffy's Tavern) would say, 'Leave us not forget Stephanie Miller of Oxygen's I've Got A Secret fame.' (At least that version had a pretty good set!)

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Anita Gillette of the Big Board!'

[CherryPizza]

[quote name=\'TravisP\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 08:32 AM\']

There have been quite a lot of female GS hosts in the UK:

<snip list>[/quote]

Methinks you left one off the list. Didn't Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch air in the UK?

Or are you gonna try telling us that Dame Edna's not a woman?

Cherry "there IS a tooth fairy, there ARE weapons of mass destruction, and Big Brother IS educational television" Pizza

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 12:46 AM\'] [quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 01:22 AM\']
You are all wrong. To be technically correct, there have been no female gameshow hosts.  They are hostesses. (sp) [/quote]
Nope. The word is gender neutral in English. [/quote]
 I think the proper way to address a femcee is by calling her a hostess. Evidence by Charlie O's speil from WoF in the early- to mid-90s. "And now here is your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"

[CherryPizza]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 06:20 PM\'][quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 12:46 AM\'] [quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 01:22 AM\']
You are all wrong. To be technically correct, there have been no female gameshow hosts.  They are hostesses. (sp) [/quote]
Nope. The word is gender neutral in English. [/quote]
I think the proper way to address a femcee is by calling her a hostess. Evidence by Charlie O's speil from WoF in the early- to mid-90s. "And now here is your host and hostess, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!"[/quote]
The term "hostess", like "actress" or "heroine", is an affected term, created to endorse patriarchal principles.

A "host" is much like a "manager". A female who manages a business can reasonably be called a "manager" or a "manageress", but in a situation where there is a male manager, a female who is made a "manageress" is often an "assistant manager". This is much the same way that Pat is a "host" and Vanna is a "hostess".

Much the same way that a Queen can be a soverign ruler, but (at least in the Commonwealth system) if there is a King and a Queen, the King is the ruler, the Queen is given that courtesy title.

A woman hosts the show, she is the central presenter and comunicates directly with the audience... she performs host duties and therefore deserves the full title.

Cherry "not a feminist, just an English major" Pizza

(you lot DO know I'm male, right?)

[Jay Temple]

All of this could be avoided if we went back to the word "emcee."  Yes, it stands for "master of ceremonies," but "mistress of ceremonies" abbreviates to MC as well.

ETA:  I'll call female thespians actors when they compete head-to-head with men at the Oscars, Emmys and Tonys.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 01:42 PM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jan 12 2004, 12:21 PM\']
A few weeks ago, BBC Radio 2 aired a documentary on Cilla's life, narrated by Paul O'Grady, who's also a game show host under the guise of his Lily Savage character on "Blankety Blank."  It included the interesting info that she was originally not considered for "Blind Date" and that she talked LWT into giving her the gig.  The highlight of the portion I listened to had nothing to do with game shows, though:  It was a demo of the theme song for her first BBC variety series, written by Paul McCartney and with Macca joining her in song.  Neat stuff and a nice little career connection, since she was the coat check girl at the Cavern Club while the Fab Four were playing there at the beginning of their respective careers. [/quote]
Hang on a minute - did O'Grady narrate it as himself or as Savage? For the record - Lily Savage's Blankety Blank isn't all that bad (but then I haven't seen the previous versions to compare it to).[/quote]
As himself--he's done some TV documentaries as himself over there.

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 08:31 PM\']Hmm. There's one woman, I can't think of her name...hmm...I know it's Vanna something. [/quote]
Vanna Stafford, I believe.

If we're going to count them (Ms. White and Susan), and I believe we should, we also have to count all of the substitute letter-revealers over the years. (No, I cannot list them.)

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Jan 13 2004, 02:30 PM\'] [quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 08:31 PM\']Hmm. There's one woman, I can't think of her name...hmm...I know it's Vanna something. [/quote]
Vanna Stafford, I believe.

If we're going to count them (Ms. White and Susan), and I believe we should, we also have to count all of the substitute letter-revealers over the years. (No, I cannot list them.) [/quote]
 The only one I can remember is Summer Barthomolew, for obvious reasons. :-)

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jan 13 2004, 02:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Jan 13 2004, 02:30 PM\'] [quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 08:31 PM\']Hmm. There's one woman, I can't think of her name...hmm...I know it's Vanna something. [/quote]
Vanna Stafford, I believe.

If we're going to count them (Ms. White and Susan), and I believe we should, we also have to count all of the substitute letter-revealers over the years. (No, I cannot list them.) [/quote]
The only one I can remember is Summer Barthomolew, for obvious reasons. :-) [/quote]
 The other, I believe was a lady named Vicky McCarthy--although I can't recall any other specific work that she did.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Jan 13 2004, 02:30 PM\'] [quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jan 11 2004, 08:31 PM\']Hmm. There's one woman, I can't think of her name...hmm...I know it's Vanna something. [/quote]
Vanna Stafford, I believe.

If we're going to count them (Ms. White and Susan), and I believe we should, we also have to count all of the substitute letter-revealers over the years. (No, I cannot list them.) [/quote]
 Tricia Gist did a week or two of the syndicated WOF(not sure about the daytime show) in January 1991, in the wake of Vanna's getting married. And Pat did a turn at the puzzle board in November 1996 when he had a bit of laryngitis, while Vanna hosted a bonus round. Nancy Jones did a turn at the puzzle board on a few syndicated episodes, with Pat, Vanna, and Charlie O attempting to solve the puzzle for money for an audience member IIRC. Lesly Sajak turned letters with Pat and Vanna played on the 4/1/97 episode(with Alex Trebek hosting).