According to an article on buzzerblog.com & Susan Eskander, Bart's wife, on Golden-road.net Bart was not fired but he retired after 30 years with the Goodson organization. Maybe some of us in the know can confirm or deny? Is it just me or is something not right about all of this?

Buzzerblog Article

Golden-Road.net Topic

So Eskander was not a casualty of the Curling lawsuit?

My head is spinning.

Not a latest casualty of the dreaded trio of Carey-Vinnedge-Richards?

/Not Jacoby and Meyers, I know.

Eskander...."voluntarily left the show".

Hmmm, where have I heard that phrase before? Oh yeah, "Dian voluntarily left the show." Oh and, "Holly voluntarily retired."

Riiiiiiiight. ;)

That's almost as tinged as the phrased "asked to resign".

Sure seemed voluntary to me.

Oh good lord Steve.

Tyshaun

What?

Seriously, what's wrong with pointing out that they went out of their way to let Dian have a respectful exit? Hell, they even taped the show out of order so that she could do it on the season finale (she wasn't present on the two previous episodes, which were taped a week later). That hardly seems like an accomodation they'd make for somebody they wanted gone as soon as possible.

Translation: "Don't make waves, and we'll let you have a nice send-off."

I don't know..... maybe the fact that everyone else left on bad terms? Or maybe that Dian sued Barker a year later? But I digress.

Tyshaun

Nothing, except that you appear to be presenting that as proof her departure was voluntary, and you're smart enough to know better. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes stuff that just about any remotely serious fan knows about, to just point to a video and say since everyone's smiling, everything must be okey-dokey, reeks of a naivete that we know you don't have.

I'm hardly claiming that there was no bad blood between Dian and and the rest of the staff. I'm just saying that she was given a courtesy that hasn't been afforded to anyone who left the show on bad terms either before or sense; no one else was even given so much as a passing acknowledgement by Barker, let alone an on-air goodbye. It seems entirely possible that Dian realized on her own that her backstage antics were starting to blow up on her, and even if she didn't, the mere existence of such a video seems to indicate that the circumstances behind her departure were no more sinister than someone telling her, "You know, Dian, maybe everyone would be better off if you left," and Dian agreeing.

So yes, I was more vague than I should have been...I'm just saying that it seems kind of silly to equate Dian's departure with the cluster**** that Holly's turned into.

I'm unsure of the actual dates, but did she leave before or after Goodson's passing? Because, AFAIK all the "bleep" hit the fan after his passing. (lawsuits, firings, etc) Maybe it was his idea, without him knowing "everything" that went on.

That's fair.

After.

Were Barker and Dian an item at the time Dian left the show? That could explain the nice sendoff.

In her lawsuit Dian was very clear that she was fired from the show. And there is nothing "voluntary" about being fired.

Dian described having had a sexual relationship with Bob Barker, and that how after the sexual relationship was over, Barker fired her. (Again, nothing voluntary about that.)

So think about it. How are TPTB going to spin Dian's sudden departure? Would they tell the truth? i.e. "Well, Bob was boffing Dian and after it was over he fired her."? (Not really good for the show slash Bob's image.)

So instead there was a 20second on-air make-nice parting, and then Dian was gone. And the spin became "Dian voluntarily left the show."

Golly, where have I heard that before?

As far as Dian being the only model Barker fired to recieve a "special" on-air farewell, maybe it was because Dian was the only model that did that "special something" for Bobbo that none of the other models did! ;) ;) ("wink, wink"!)

Then why'd Dian agree to it?

It's all about image, I suppose. Dian had no beef against anyone but Barker, did she? If she didn't, then I suppose someone/a group of people coaxed her to do this, purely for the appearance of the thing?

I think it's pretty well established that she didn't get along with the other Beauties toward the end.

And what do we imagine Dian's options were at the time?

--- i.e. Do it, or... Not do it?

Hmmmm...what to choose?

Curiously, if she chose "not do it," what exactly would the consequences be?

Exactly.

I believe that was a question, not a statement.

Yes, and the question was also the answer.

Please do not let this discussion turn into a bickering match.

To try and steer this back on course: See, what gets me about what was brought up is that other than a director of a variety show being featured winning on an Emmy telecast (almost happens every year, it seems), you're not going to see a "sendoff" for them on a show. It just doesn't happen in my view.

I wasn't there when this all went down but whether or not Dian's going to get a sendoff vs. Bart getting a sendoff -- Understandably the plausibility of the talent getting a sendoff is greater (regardless of shtupping or not).

Just my .02.

Doesn't hurt when the guy winning the Emmy for directing happens to be directing the Emmys.