Bob Ross's Legacy: Art, Auctions, and Enduring Joy

0:00It's May 2nd. Entertainment and celebrity news. Today starts now. AI powered in Spotlight Ready. I'm Cory with the story. Bob Ross might have left his back in 1995 at just 52 years old, but his show, The Joy of Painting, which ran from 19. 83 to 1994 stays everywhere. You can catch full seasons on Hulu, PBS.org, their app, and YouTube. It's a public TV classic that pulls in all kinds of fans from casual watchers to marathon streamers. Twitch found that out big time with a 9-day binge back in 2015 that blew up. He's been parodied everywhere too, popping up in family guy, deadpool, and more. That chill vibe he brought to the canvas keeps drawing people in, turning simple tutorials into something way deeper. Folks love him for the calm he spread during tough times, like the Cold War chills and Gulf War heat in the 80s and 90s. He painted happy trees and brought his pet squirrel pee pod on set, showing art as pure escape.

1:02In a world full of stress, Ross became our go-to for peace, one brushstroke at a time. Lately, his brands powering some real good. Original paintings hid auctions to fund public TV. A January sale pulled in $1.27 million total. Before that, a November Los Angeles auction for three pieces raised $662,000. Then John Oliver shouted out one more on his 2025 last week tonight finale, and cabinet sunset from season 10 fetched $1 million. $44,000 after 35 bids. Ross's legacy keeps giving back, proving that feel good art outlives us all.