Vanna White has made a career out of turning letters on Wheel of Fortune. She does an excellent job of revealing the letters behind the lit-up blocks, all the time with a smile on her face.
If you think Vanna White doesn’t have enough to do, consider Beulah the Buzzer. Beulah was a fixture—literally—during the TV days of another game show, Truth or Consequences, which starred Bob Barker. Contestants would be asked questions and told that they must tell the truth or face the consequences. Beulah would signal that their time was up.
Here’s a typical question: “Why did Mrs. Smith think her husband was a light drinker?” Answer: “Because he drank until dawn.”
If you couldn’t answer that question (tell the truth), then you faced trying to ride a unicycle to the delight of a national TV audience. After you’d fallen down a few times you’d be given a few dress shirts as a consolation prize.
Beulah was the Vanna White of her day. But no one ever saw Beulah. They only heard her.
Beulah was like Fate or Luck. You never see these entities; you just hear from them whenever you’ve had a nasty car wreck or lost your job or won the lottery. Beulah was never beautiful, but she was always profound.
No one has ever confused Vanna White with Destiny.
I’m Tom McBride, and that’s my perspective.
