[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'Oct 27 2003, 04:22 PM\']We have a copy of this at the campus radio station here at Marshall where I'm working. It was sent as a CD with Rod's picture on the cover, with the title (I'm not making this up) "Rod Roddy Encourages Americans to 'COME ON DOWN' and Get Tested for Colorectal Cancer"
Here's a partial transcript of the 60-second cut of the PSA, from the liner notes...
"Hi, this is Rod Roddy from The Price is Right. I call lucky contestants to 'Come on Down' on TV's longest running game show. My luck almost ran out in 2001 when doctors discovered a tumor the size of an orange during a colonoscopy."
Everyone at the station was in agreement that this was accidentally the most offensive thing we had heard on a PSA, as Rod reads the entire PSA in his "Mister Announcer" voice, and "a tumor the size of an orange" is said the same way Rod would say "A New Car!" It's truly peculiar if you ever have the chance to read it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking Rod or his unfortunate plight, but we couldn't believe how little thought he had put into how to say those words.[/quote]
I'm sure that Rod or the people behind the campaign thought that his voice would not be recognized any other way (and the feeling also probably was to keep the tone upbeat). Seems to me that the proper thing to do would have been to have him do a "COME ON DOWN!" to establish who he is and then do the rest of the spot in a more conversational tone.