Robin Gurney has been in charge of wardrobe for the show since 2000. Here is an interview with her: LA City Beat

And add another name to the list of interviewers who think the "Showcase Showdown" is the Showcase.

And add the writing staff of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", who did that faux pas this past weekend when they did a round devoted to TPIR Trivia.

/I never realized until WWDTM that TPiR stopped giving away trips to Paris!

Okay, I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm totally missing it.

At least Bob can enjoy eating a few Freedom Fries during his retirement.

No jokes. According to the story that supplemented the Wait Wait question, after the "Freedom Fries" incident in the Congressional commissary, the TPiR staff stopped giving away trips to France. Something about not wanting to send contestants where they wouldn't be welcome.

Confirmed in Stan's book as well...it's about three or four paragraphs before the "no-fur" statements on page 23 (I think).

Now THAT is idiotic.

They still send them to New York City, don't they?

Honestly, if that's the actual reasoning, I think it's pretty funny. (Goofy, mind you, but funny nonetheless.)

Just a thought, but with much of the country galled by the Gauls at the time, perhaps they were more concerned that the studio and/or home audience (or even the contestants) would have a negative reaction to such trips. Yes, it's still kind of silly, but it makes a little more sense.

By the way, the congressman who led the "freedom fries" campaign is now one of the staunchest opponents of the Iraq war on the GOP side.