I find myself sitting in front of the television, night after night, screaming “Deal” or “No Deal!” I am addicted to this show! And the funny thing is, until I saw him on Celebrity Poker Showdown, I never really cared for Howie Mandel. I remember Howie as what I thought of as a “goofy” comedian in the 80s. His comedy routine got on my nerves. He starred in a string of forgetful movies (Little Monsters, A Fine Mess, and Magic Kid II) after his role in St. Elsewhere brought him to prominence. As far as I was concerned, Howie Mandel was a mere footnote of the decade that was the 80s.
But about a year ago, I saw him on Celebrity Poker Showdown on the Bravo Channel and he was hilarious! Maybe it was the loss of the goofy hairdo, but he was actually making me laugh – out loud! So, when I heard about Deal or No Deal, I decided to watch it merely because Howie was the host. Now I love the show. If it is on four nights a week, I watch it four nights a week.
Here is some Howie trivia you may not know. On Deal or No Deal, there are no high 5’s or handshakes for winners. However, you may have noticed Howie and the contestants touch knuckles, their hands balled in a fist. This is what I like to call “Doing the Howie.” That is because Howie suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In addition to that, he suffers from mysophobia – a fear of germs. He sometimes takes up to five showers a day and even wore surgical gloves on Celebrity Poker Showdown. He told Howard Stern that he shaved his head not because he was going bald, but because it made him feel “cleaner.” Howie seems to be able to laugh at himself and in doing so, I think he makes us all a little more comfortable and accepting of OCD.