The View is an
AmericanTelevision is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one.-Television channels and networks:...
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television or radio program where one person or group of people come together to discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host...
broadcast on
American Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
as part of
ABC DaytimeABC Daytime is a programming block on the ABC Network which has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows.-History:...
. Created by
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
and
Bill GeddieBill Geddie is an American television producer. He is currently the Executive Producer of ABC Daytime's The View, on the ABC television network...
, who both also serve as the show's
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
s, the program features a panel of women as co-hosts. Currently,
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
moderates discussions while the rest of the panel consists of
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
,
Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
,
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
and Barbara Walters.
Since debuting in 1997,
The View format has been replicated around the world.
History
The View premiered August 11, 1997 replacing
Caryl & Marilyn: Real FriendsCaryl & Marilyn: Real Friends was an hour-long daytime talk/variety show that ran on ABC from June 10, 1996 to May 30, 1997. The series was produced by Viacom Productions.-Details:...
, which was dropped due to low
ratingsNielsen ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The original set was a leftover set from a cancelled soap opera,
The City; ABC introduced a new set for
The View for its fifth season, located within the ABC Television Center in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
.
A
New York Times review published ten days after the show premiered, describes what critic Caryn James thought was distinctive about the show:
After a year on the air, a review of the show from
Salon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online magazine, with content updated each weekday. American liberal politics is its major focus, but it covers a range of issues. Reviews and articles about music, books and films are also a prominent feature of the site....
attempted to summarize what had made the show a "(very guilty) pleasure" for its mostly female audience:
The show premiered with four co-hosts:
Meredith VieiraMeredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She currently co-hosts NBC's Today and often contributes to Dateline NBC. She is the current host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in syndication, replacing Regis Philbin in 2002...
,
Star JonesStar Jones is an American lawyer and television personality, best known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
,
Debbie MatenopoulosThespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Thespina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...
, and
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
. Walters and
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
initially took turns as the fourth co-host but has since become a full-time co-host. The panel expanded to five when Walters joined in. The subsequent opening credits for the show, featuring
voice-overVoice-over is a production technique where a non-diegetic voice is broadcast live or pre-recorded in radio, television, film, theatre and/or presentation....
from Walters, made the show's premise explicit:
- I've always wanted to do a show with women of different generations, backgrounds and views: a working mother
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She currently co-hosts NBC's Today and often contributes to Dateline NBC. She is the current host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in syndication, replacing Regis Philbin in 2002...
; a professional in her 30sStar Jones is an American lawyer and television personality, best known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
; a young woman just starting outThespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Thespina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...
; and then somebody who's done almost everything and will say almost anythingJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
. And in a perfect world, I'd get to join the group whenever I wanted....
Bill GeddieBill Geddie is an American television producer. He is currently the Executive Producer of ABC Daytime's The View, on the ABC television network...
, the co-executive producer, is the lone recurring male persona sometimes shown as stepping out from behind camera to interact with the hosts. In an interview with
Broadcasting & CableBroadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by Reed Business Information. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting and Broadcasting....
he stated: "I’m not an on-air personality and I think anybody who’s seen me realizes that. But early on, the network thought it would be kind of fun to see there’s this guy here in charge, but if you watch the show, you see that generally speaking I’m a side player and I’m basically there to get a laugh."
Mostly five women discuss current issues and news items ranging from
socialThe term Social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and political issues to
tabloidA tabloid is an industry term for a smaller newspaper format per spread; to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest stories and entertainment, often distributed free of charge ; or to a newspaper that tends to sensationalize and emphasize or exaggerate or...
headlines and
celebrityA celebrity is a person who is famously recognized in a society or culture.Generally speaking, a celebrity is someone who gets media attention and most frequently has an extroverted personality. The desire to be notable is implied by some to be a part of Western culture and more specifically the...
news. News
journalistA journalist is a person who practises journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that are not biased.Reporters are one type of journalist...
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
has been the permanent host of the show, while four co-hosts support her. Walters, "a co-owner (with
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
) and co-
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
" of the show, likely has final decisions as to the casting of her co-hosts.
Co-host history:
The View has had ten co-hosts in its twelve year run.
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
and
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
are the only original co-hosts that are still on the program. Walters appears, on average, three days a week. Sometimes guest co-hosts fill-in to ensure there are always four or five people discussing issues.
; Current co-hosts names are in
bold.
| Seat |
Name |
First Show |
Last Show |
1st
(Moderator) |
Meredith VieiraMeredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She currently co-hosts NBC's Today and often contributes to Dateline NBC. She is the current host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in syndication, replacing Regis Philbin in 2002...
|
August 11, 1997 |
June 9, 2006 |
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
|
September 5, 2006 |
May 23, 2007 |
| Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
|
September 4, 2007 |
|
| 2nd |
Joy Behar Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
|
August 12, 1997 |
|
| 3rd |
Star Jones Star Jones is an American lawyer and television personality, best known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
|
August 11, 1997 |
June 27, 2006 |
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
|
September 10, 2007 |
|
| 4th |
Debbie Matenopoulos Thespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Thespina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...
|
August 11, 1997 |
December 24, 1998 |
Lisa LingLisa J. Ling is an American journalist, best known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View , host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN...
|
May 3, 1999 |
December 5, 2002 |
| Elisabeth Hasselbeck Elisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
|
November 24, 2003 |
|
| 5th |
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
|
August 11, 1997 |
|
Seasons 1-8 (1997-2005)
For the first couple of years of its existence, the series remained rather controversy-free save for criticism given towards
Debbie MatenopoulosThespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Thespina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...
, a panelist who was spoofed mercilessly by the critics, who felt that Matenopoulos did not have the proper news credentials for the show. She was ultimately let go in 1999, when her contract was not renewed. Following Matenopoulos' departure,
Lisa LingLisa J. Ling is an American journalist, best known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View , host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN...
was announced as the new co-host beating out
Rachel Campos-DuffyRachel Campos-Duffy , is an American television personality who first gained fame as a castmate on The Real World: San Francisco, the third season of MTV's long-running reality television show, which aired in 1994...
and
Lauren SanchezWendy Lauren Sanchez is an American news anchor, entertainment reporter, and media personality. She can currently be seen on Good Day LA, and will be starting Extra in September 2009. -Career:...
who competed in an on-air try-out to fill the vacated seat.
Ling departed in 2002 to host
National Geographic ExplorerThe National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. Former
Survivor contestant
Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
replaced Ling in 2003 after Hasselbeck,
Rachel Campos-DuffyRachel Campos-Duffy , is an American television personality who first gained fame as a castmate on The Real World: San Francisco, the third season of MTV's long-running reality television show, which aired in 1994...
and
Erin Hershey PresleyErin Hershey Presley is an American actress.-Career:The actress is most known for her role as Alison Barrington on the cancelled American soap opera Port Charles...
were the finalists in a competition that ended with each of the three getting a week-long on-air tryout.
Season 9 (2005-2006)
The View experienced several host changes through the end of season 9 and the start of season 10. Meredith Vieira announced on April 6, 2006 that she was leaving the show to become co-host of
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
's
The Today Show, which Barbara Walters co-hosted in the 1960s and 1970s, first with
Hugh DownsHugh Malcolm Downs is a retired American broadcaster, television host, producer, and author. He served as anchor of 20/20, host of The Today Show, announcer for the Tonight Show with Jack Paar, host of the Concentration game show, host of the PBS talk show Over Easy and co-host of the syndicated...
, then with
Frank McGeeFrank McGee was a television journalist.Born in Monroe in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, McGee began his broadcast news career at WKY-TV in his hometown. In 1955, the owners of WKY purchased WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Alabama, and sent McGee there as news director....
, and later
Jim HartzJim Hartz ) was an American television personality during the mid- and late-1970s. Hartz became best known to a national audience for a two-year stint as the co-host of the Today Show, along with Barbara Walters. Hartz replaced Frank McGee.Hartz was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and graduated from Tulsa...
, replacing
Katie CouricKatherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist who became well-known as co-host of NBC's Today. In 2006, she made a highly publicized move from NBC to CBS, and on September 5, 2006 she became the first solo female anchor of the weekday evening news on one of the three traditional U.S....
(who had just announced she was leaving
Today to anchor the
CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
). On April 28, 2006 an announcement was made at the
33rd Daytime Emmy AwardsThe 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2005, was held on Friday, April 28, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the first time that the Daytime Emmys were held outside of New York. ABC televised the ceremonies in the United States...
that former talk show host
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
would be joining the show at the start of the tenth season in September 2006. The announcement about O'Donnell fueled speculation that Jones would also leave the show. One reason for this speculation was a dispute regarding O'Donnell's public remarks about Jones' dramatic weight loss. Jones publicly stated that her weight loss was a result of diet and exercise, but O'Donnell disputed that saying it was the result of
gastric bypass surgeryGastric bypass procedures are any of a group of similar operations used to treat morbid obesity—the severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue—and the health problems it causes...
. In a 2007 issue of
Glamour magazineGlamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Glamour is a very successful magazine. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
, Jones revealed that she had, in fact, undergone gastric bypass surgery in August 2003, leading to her dramatic weight loss over the next four years.
In June 2006 Jones announced her departure on air surprising Walters and
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
. Jones said she would remain on the show through July, but the next day Walters announced that Jones would no longer be a part of
The View except for previously recorded segments. Both ABC and Jones have publicly stated that the decision to not renew her contract was not related to the hiring of O'Donnell. In an interview with
People magazine, Jones claimed the decision to leave was not hers, and that in April,
producersThe primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
told her that her contract would not be renewed. According to an interview with the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Walters stated that ABC executives had apparently decided not to renew Jones' contract as early as the previous fall due to diminished approval for the co-host which was showing up in their market research. Walters said, "We tried to talk them [network executives] out of it, and we tried to give Star time to redeem herself in the eyes of the audience, and the research just kept getting worse." Walters has publicly commented about feeling "betrayed" by Jones, since Jones unexpectedly made the announcement two days ahead of schedule. "I love Star and I was trying to do everything I possibly could — up until this morning, when I was betrayed — to protect her." On April 2, 2009 Walters brought up Jones' appearance on Oprah the previous day and stated her well wishes towards the former co-host. Behar voiced her ambivalence towards Jones and stated that the co-hosts had to lie about her gastric bypass procedure. "What can you say?" said Behar, "We had 10 years with the girl. We had our ups and down and, uh, good luck to her." Behar's annoyance was clear when she went on to say, "Now we all know the truth, so go and have a happy life." Hasselbeck and Shepherd were not as vocal and mostly commented on Jones' physical appearance.
Following Jones' departure, the show used guest co-hosts to fill her spot. Various media outlets reported that television personality
Gayle KingGayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and is the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host. King was also instrumental in the planning and creation of the Legends Weekend.-Biography and Career:King was born in Chevy...
and actress
Sheryl Lee RalphSheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Raised between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York, Sheryl Lee Ralph was born on December 30, 1956 to an African American father and a Jamaican mother. In 1973, she was crowned Miss Black Teen-age New York...
were both interested in the job.
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
eventually took Jones' spot at the table. Jones eventually landed a job with AOL as an "AOL Coach" and subsequently negotiated a deal with
Court TVtruTV is an American cable television network owned by Time Warner through its subsidiary, Turner Broadcasting. Named Court TV before 2008 , the basis of the network's programming has traditionally been live homicide trial coverage and other criminal justice programming; however, the network has...
to host her own one-hour talk show,
Star JonesStar Jones is a talk show hosted by former prosecutor Star Jones. A guest-driven live broadcast covering recent stories from the worlds of pop culture, entertainment, crime, and justice, it premiered on August 20, 2007 on Court TV. On January 31, 2008 TruTV announced the show would be canceled...
which premiered on August 20, 2007 but was later canceled.
Season 10 (2006-2007)
In September 2006
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
made her debut as the new co-host, and moderator of the show. With the new changes in place, including a new set design and new table, September 2006 brought in record ratings. A total of 3.1 million viewers watched that month, the highest total viewership the program has ever seen. The talk show also surged 34% in the advertiser-friendly "women aged 18-49" demographic, and sustained its early season success with its best ever November
sweepsNielsen ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
period.
Entertainment Weekly magazine in March 2007 cited
The View as doing for daytime TV what the
Daily Show has done for nighttime TV in that it offers viewers a show that deals in genuine opinion and not mere fluff.
During season 10, O'Donnell led the daytime women's chatfest as the moderator steering the opening "Hot Topics" portion of the show. Unlike previous seasons, however, politics and taboo subjects were readily explored with the two comics (O'Donnell and
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
) quickly finding humor in the news of the day and often giving strong opinions against then-President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
's policies including the
war in IraqThe Iraq War, also known as the Occupation of Iraq or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Prior to the war, the governments of the United...
which was losing support amongst Americans. As a counterpoint to O'Donnell's more
liberalLiberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...
views, conservative co-host
Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
would often support the Bush Administration's views and the two would get into an adversarial give-and-take at least until both had made their points.
Always outspoken, O'Donnell sometimes crossed a line with certain audiences when the comedian would talk politics or veer into religious discussions, at one time stating "radical
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
is just as threatening as radical
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
". Often clips from the show would be recirculated by other media outlets, often surprising
The View co-hosts. In reaction, O'Donnell lamented that news outlets were focusing on less important subjects like her comments instead of more important issues.
The View achieved higher ratings with
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
's outspoken and candid nature moving the show into a newsworthy spectrum from traditional daytime talk fare. She was sometimes criticized for not acting as much as a moderator for discussion as much as a spokesperson for various, often liberal, viewpoints. As a big-name talent she drew criticism for her opinions while keeping the show's "
buzz factorWord of mouth is a reference to the passing of information from person to person. Originally the term referred specifically to oral communication , but now includes any type of human communication, such as face to face, telephone, email, and text messaging.-History of word of mouth marketing:One of...
" up. The downside of being spontaneous and putting her views in front of a national audience was that such remarks were often the subject of controversy and criticism, especially by conservative commentators and other media outlets, who recirculated comments and clips from the show. The show has continued to address more substantive subjects even after her departure.
On April 25, 2007 O'Donnell announced she would be leaving the show as a co-host when her contract expired because the network could not come to terms on the length of a new contract. She did, however, say that she planned to return as an occasional correspondent.
Hasselbeck/O'Donnell argument
O'Donnell has been outspoken about her condemnation of many Bush administration policies including the entire Iraq War. She consistently brought up recent military deaths and news about the war, and criticized the US media for its lack of coverage on the Bush administration's actions and policies. On May 17, 2007 O'Donnell rhetorically asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists? If you were in
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
and another country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?" Conservative commentators claimed O'Donnell paralleled American soldiers to terrorists.
On May 23, 2007 a heated discussion ensued because of what O'Donnell perceived as a lack of willingness of conservative co-host
Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
to defend O'Donnell's right to disagree with invading Iraq and the resulting
military occupationBelligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
. O'Donnell also stated the right-wing media would portray her as a bully attacking "innocent pure
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
Elisabeth" whenever they disagreed and she believed
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
pundits were mischaracterizing her statements. The debate became more heated when co-host
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
and guest host
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
made joking attempts to end the discussion. The incident was widely covered in mainstream media including a split-screen shot of O'Donnell and Hasselbeck arguing. The following day
Kathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedian, media personality, and LGBT rights advocate. A self-proclaimed "D-list celebrity", Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan...
sat in for O'Donnell who was celebrating her partner Kelli's birthday. The day after that ABC announced that O'Donnell had asked to be let out of her contract nearly a month before its expiration and was given permission to leave immediately. ABC News reported that her arguments with Hasselbeck brought the show its best ratings ever.
According to
ABC NewsABC News is a division of American television network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. Its current president is David Westin.-Current programs:* America This Morning* Good Morning America* Good Morning America Weekend Edition...
, O'Donnell said that she knew her time on the show was over when she saw the exchange reported in the news media with the
split screenIn film and video production, split screen is the visible division of the screen, traditionally in half, but also in several simultaneous images, rupturing the illusion that the screen's frame is a seamless view of reality, similar to that of the human eye...
effect showing her and Hasselbeck on either side. O'Donnell has stated she bore no ill will towards Hasselbeck and she loves all the co-hosts. In
JaheroJaHeRo is a nickname for the morning video blogs posted by Rosie O'Donnell on her website during part of her tenure on The View. O'Donnell, her producer Janette Barber, and her makeup artist Helene Macaulay created unscripted video blogs Monday through Thursday prior to taping, during which they...
, O'Donnell later stated she had not talked to Hasselbeck but was "stunned" Hasselbeck subsequently brought up
Donald TrumpDonald John Trump is an American business magnate, socialite, author and television personality. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, a US-based real-estate developer. Trump is also the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates numerous casinos and hotels across the...
, with whom O'Donnell had publicly feuded. While the number of viewers was higher than the year before O'Donnell joined the show, in the month following her departure, viewership was down by an average of 232,000.
O'Donnell stated after her departure that Walters and other show hosts wear earpieces through which backstage producers instruct them what to say. O'Donnell refused to wear an earpiece to be coached on how to remark.
Replacement moderator:
A variety of different names were floated around as replacements for O'Donnell during the tenth season's final months. Among those reportedly considered to replace O'Donnell were
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
,
Gayle KingGayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and is the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host. King was also instrumental in the planning and creation of the Legends Weekend.-Biography and Career:King was born in Chevy...
,
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
,
Kathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedian, media personality, and LGBT rights advocate. A self-proclaimed "D-list celebrity", Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan...
,
Roseanne BarrRoseanne Cherie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, and television producer.Barr won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her work on Roseanne...
and
Mario CantoneMario Cantone is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including Chappelle's Show. He also played Anthony Marentino on Sex and the City...
. On August 1,
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has hosted morning television shows , the evening news magazine , and co-anchor of ABC Evening News and correspondent on World News .Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on...
ended speculation announcing that Goldberg would be replacing O'Donnell as moderator for the eleventh season. When asked by
Joy BeharJosephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View...
if she liked engaging in celebrity feuds, Goldberg responded by saying she has no plans to feud with any of her co-hosts. However, an article in the
L.A. Times "Show Tracker" column on July 26, 2007, had the following quote:
"She is exactly what the show needs,” said Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman. “She is a beloved brand name; she is outspoken; she has done this before, she is a person of color; she is as far left as Rosie; she lives in New York; and she can kick Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s ass."
Prior to the official announcement that Goldberg would be joining the program, various media outlets reported that both Goldberg and
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
would be added to the panel.
In TouchIn Touch Weekly is an American celebrity gossip magazine. The magazine is focused on celebrity news, fashion, beauty, relationships and lifestyle, and is geared towards a younger readership, billing itself as "fast and fun", along with making claims about their lower cover price on their front...
magazine reported that a deal for Shepherd to join
The View fell through after negotiations went awry over a salary dispute. Along with Shepherd,
The View was reportedly also in talks with radio personality
Jacque ReidJacque Reid is a television and radio personality. She was the lead news anchor of The BET Nightly News from 2001-2005.-Early career:Reid began her journalism career as an anchor/reporter for WBSG-TV in Brunswick, Georgia and at CBS affiliate WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. Later, she joined...
and comedian
Kathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedian, media personality, and LGBT rights advocate. A self-proclaimed "D-list celebrity", Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan...
to join the show.
Season 11 (2007–2008)
The View returned for its eleventh season on September 4, 2007 with celebrity guest
Danny DeVitoDaniel Michael "Danny" DeVito, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal of "Louie De Palma" on the ABC and NBC TV series Taxi...
. Returning from season 10 were Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters. The season premiere also marked
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
's first official day as co-host and moderator of the program. Preliminary ratings show that 3.4 million people watched the debut episode, roughly 1 million less than season 10's debut with O'Donnell, but still ranking as the show's second highest season premiere. Walters announced on September 10 that
Sherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and co-host on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View. As an actress she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom Less Than Perfect as Ramona Platt.-Early life:...
was joining the panel as the fifth permanent member. This marks the first time since Meredith Vieira left in 2006 that the show features a complete panel of five co-hosts (although Hasselbeck began an extended maternity leave in November). It also marks the first time in the show's history that two African-American co-hosts are part of the same panel. With the addition of Goldberg and Shepherd,
The View has garnered its highest ratings ever. After two weeks,
The View under Goldberg is averaging 3.5 million total viewers, a 7% increase from 3.3 million under O'Donnell last season. In addition to two new co-hosts, the show's set underwent a transformation from blue to orange, Behar returned to the second position seat next to the moderator, and the format of full-hour Hot Topics was introduced allowing more in-depth conversations and debates. Other changes and additions included a week of episodes from Las Vegas (the show's first time in the location), an episode with limited commercial breaks (sponsored by
T-MobileT-Mobile is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom and belongs to the FreeMove Business alliance.T-Mobile is a group of mobile phone corporate subsidiaries that operate GSM and UMTS networks in Europe and the United States. The T stands for Telekom. T-Mobile also has financial stakes in mobile operators...
), and various segments pertaining to changes in Whoopi's life (quitting smoking, losing weight, and rehearsing for her role in
Xanadu (musical)Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan, or A...
to name a few).
On 16 October 2007 it was announced that
Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
would begin her maternity leave as of October 23, 2007. Hasselbeck returned to the show when the show returned from Christmas hiatus on January 7, 2008. While Hasselbeck was on maternity leave her seat was filled by a rotating guest cast. An article in the Boston Globe a week later stated: "When Elisabeth Hasselbeck bade farewell to her cohosts on "The View" Tuesday, it was all hugs, well-wishes, and baby-product endorsements. But as Hasselbeck begins her 2 1/2-month maternity leave, the political landscape is shifting, as well. America's most dangerous conservative - or so some liberals see it - is leaving TV for a while." It went on to say: "Hasselbeck, the apple-cheeked blonde with the football-player husband, consistently draws a brand of hatred from the left that Hillary Clinton generates from the right; "screechmonger" is one of the more printable slurs hurled at her from the
blogosphereThe blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions....
.
Barry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, entertainer, and performer, best known for such recordings as "I Write the Songs", "Mandy", "Weekend in New England" and "Copacabana"....
has called her "offensive" however it's interesting that an America's
sweetheart-typeSweetheart is a term of endearment that could be applied to a person's significant other.The term is also used to refer to the following:*Sweetheart , recorded by Rainy Davis and re-recorded by Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri*Sweetheart...
would generate such vitriol says a lot about the state of debate in a polarized country."
The new season opened with, among other topics, criticism for Goldberg's comments football player
Michael VickMichael Dwayne Vick is a professional American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
's role in a dog-fighting scandal. Of the
Atlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are an American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are currently a member of the NFC South division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Falcons joined the NFL in 1965 as an expansion team...
football player she said, "He's from
the SouthThe South may refer to:Titled expressive works:*The South or El Sur, a 1983 drama film by Victor Erice*The South , a 1990 novel by Colm Tóibín*"The South" , a 1953 short story by Jorge Luis Borges...
, from the Deep South... This is part of his cultural upbringing... For a lot of people, dogs are sport... Instead of just saying (Vick) is a beast and he's a monster, this is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned." Behar took issue with Goldberg's comments and asked, "What part of the country is this? How about dog torturing and dog murdering?" Goldberg's comments also were denounced by Wayne Pacelle, president of the
Humane Society of the United StatesThe Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2007, it had 10.6 million members, and a budget of US$120 million....
, who noted that dogfighting is outlawed in all fifty U.S. states and is considered a
felonyA felony is a serious crime in the United States and previously other common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
in all but two:
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
and
WyomingWyoming is a state in the Western United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West, while the easternmost section of the state includes part of a high elevation prairie region known as the High Plains. While the tenth largest...
. Goldberg defended herself the following day by explaining she was attempting to explain Vick's actions from a cultural view but was in no way condoning or excusing him.
On the September 25, 2007 show Goldberg criticized two
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
news anchors for the manner in which they reported the death of
Marcel MarceauMarcel Marceau was a French mime artist and actor.-Early years:Marcel Marceau was born in Strasbourg, France, to Anne Werzberg and Charles Mangel. When he was four, the family moved to Lille, but later returned to Strasbourg. When France entered World War II, Marceau, 16, fled with his family to...
, arguably the most famous
mimeA mime most frequently refers to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech...
in the world, on the network's overnight newscast
World News NowWorld News Now is ABC's overnight news program. Its tone is often lighthearted, irreverent, and humorous. A number of well-known news personalities, including Thalia Assuras, Aaron Brown, Kevin Newman, Alison Stewart, Liz Cho, and Anderson Cooper, anchored WNN early in their careers.The show is...
. Describing Marceau as a "huge influence" on how she performs, Goldberg said she was moved to speak out on what she saw as disrespectful and "poorly handled" reporting. "If you are a news person and you don't understand the person you are talking about, don't make fun of them," Goldberg added.
On October 3, 2007 Hasselbeck and Goldberg got into a discussion about Hillary Clinton's $5000 baby entitlement which became heated due to Hasselbeck stating that it would lead to fewer abortions due to women wanting to keep the money. Goldberg warned Hasselbeck to "back off a little" and asked her if she "had ever been in that position to make that decision". Goldberg also stated, "Most people do not want to have abortions. Most women do not have them with some sort of party going on. It is the hardest decision that a woman ever- wait- ever has to make. So, when you talk about it, a little bit of reverence to the women out there who have had to make this horrible decision. And one of the reasons that, that we have had to make this decision is because so many women were found bleeding, dead, with hangers in their bodies because they were doing it themselves. The idea of this was to make it safe and clean. That was the reason the law came into effect. That was why it was done.
Prompted by
Jesse JacksonJesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form...
, and his use of
niggerNigger is a pejorative term and common ethnic slur against black people, and is English slang. In denoting “black person”, nigger originated as a variant of the Spanish and Portuguese noun negro derived from the Latin adjective niger...
before an interview on
Fox and Friends, the panel got into a discussion about its use and history. Goldberg and Shepherd explained that it's a word "that has meaning when you give it meaning" and that "we use it the way we wanna use it," emphasizing its acceptance within the black community. Saying they had reappropriated the word and, in part, re-purposed its usage. Hasselbeck asked how could she tell her child that she can not say it, but "Billy, the African-American child," can. Hasselbeck voiced frustration about its use in pop culture and how its negative past only encourages division. "How are we supposed to then move forward when we keep using terms that bring back that pain," said Hasselbeck, tearfully, following Goldberg's statement that "we don't live in the same world." Later that week Behar hosted
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. The show debuted in 1985, and is CNN's most watched program, with over one million viewers nightly.The show broadcasts from CNN's Los Angeles studios...
and moderated a debate about the segment on
The View. Fran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, tv director, producer, author, activist and political lobbyist best known for playing Fran Fine on the television series The Nanny.-Early life:Drescher was born...
was a guest and said she found Hasselbeck's crying awkward and didn't understand what made her so upset. Hasselbeck called into the program and expressed her disappointment, on air, to Drescher's remarks.
Season 12 (2008-2009)
The View returned from summer hiatus on September 2 with the 'Hot Topics' section covering items from the past few months and a performance from
New Kids on the BlockNew Kids on the Block is an American pop group that enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a boy band which went on to sell 80 million albums worldwide. Assembled in Boston in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr, the members consist of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre,...
. For the week of March 9-13, 2009, the show was broadcast from the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, a first for the show.. On August 7, the final episode of Season 12 will be broadcast;
The View will be on summer hiatus at that point. Season 13 will premiere in September 2009.
The View has consistently covered events related to the
2008 United States presidential electionThe 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign, and during the general election campaign, both major party...
with attention towards the issues affecting women in particular and more broadly, the United States. They closely followed Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign in the
2008 Democratic presidential nomination raceThe 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party of the United States chose their candidate for the 2008 United States presidential election...
. Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but after a long campaign, Senator
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
became the party's
presumptive nomineeIn politics, the presumptive nominee is a political candidate who is all but assured of his or her party's nomination, but has not yet been formally nominated...
in June 2008 and Clinton endorsed him. Likewise attention was focussed when Senator
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
chose
Sarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician who served as Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009 and was the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2008....
as his
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
vice-presidentialThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term...
running mate in August 2008. Palin is the first female vice presidential pick on a major party ticket since
Geraldine FerraroGeraldine Anne Ferraro is an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party.Ferraro grew up in New York and became a teacher and...
in
1984The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
, and the first in the history of the Republican Party. Since Palin was largely unknown outside of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
prior to her selection by McCain, her personal life,
political positionsSarah Palin has expressed or demonstrated her position on a wide range of political issues during her political career, including as the Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate for the 2008 United States presidential election....
, public image and reception all became the focus of intense media attention and scrutiny.
Several of the discussions on
The View became heated and many were also subsequently reported in other major media outlets. Political comedian
Bill MaherWilliam "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, social and political commentator, and author...
's September visit made Elizabeth Hasselbeck visibly uncomfortable with his disparaging comments about Palin and his
agnosticAgnosticism is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly metaphysical claims regarding theology, afterlife or the existence of deities, spiritual beings, or even ultimate reality — are unknown or, in some forms of agnosticism, unknowable.It is not a...
views which is counter to Hasselbeck's conservative Christian beliefs. He was also promoting his upcoming film
ReligulousReligulous is a 2008 American comedy/documentary film written by and starring political comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles...
which is a satirical documentary that questions the concept of
religionA religion is a system of human thought which usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth...
and the perceived problems it brings about.
In another discussion, Palin's comments regarding the age of Senator
Joe BidenJoseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. , is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States under the administration of President Barack Obama. He was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973 until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice...
, the Democratic running mate of Obama, prompted Barbara Walters to ask Hasselbeck about Palin's experience and therefore qualification to run the United States. The back and forth ended when they went to commercial break but other media outlets tied the tension to reported rumors that Hasselbeck would be leaving for Fox News and former
View auditioner
Rachel Campos-DuffyRachel Campos-Duffy , is an American television personality who first gained fame as a castmate on The Real World: San Francisco, the third season of MTV's long-running reality television show, which aired in 1994...
had been contacted about returning as a guest co-host.
Political wardrobe
Hasselbeck, due to her continual advocacy for the Bush Administration, McCain and Palin, became a formal part of the election.
CNN noted the tension between Hasselbeck and the other hosts as arguments that escalated after the "hard-hitting" interview they did with McCain. Hasselbeck designed and wore a pro-McCain ("Great AmeriCain Hero") t-shirt which caused the show to field a large number of complaints. The following day Walters noted that it was a political advertisement and not appropriate after the "Hot Topics" segment had finished. Hasselbeck's design was later given to raise funds at McCain's election website. Hasselbeck was noted as the celebrity designer for McCain in contrast to
BeyoncéBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often referred to mononymously as Beyoncé , is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and
Tina KnowlesCélestine Ann "Tina" Knowles is an American fashion designer for her House of Deréon brand. She is of Louisiana Creole heritage....
(
House of DeréonThe House of Deréon is a ready-to-wear fashion line introduced by singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles and her mother/stylist Tina Knowles. The style and concept is inspired by three generations of women in their Creole family, with the name "Deréon" paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz...
) for the Obama campaign. Another clothing issue, in regards to Palin, was being discussed at the same time. A financial disclosure report showed that
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
150,000 had been spent on Palin's wardrobe, hair and makeup as well as clothing and accessories for her family. This was held in contrast with Palin's hockey mom rhetoric. Palin's campaign invited, and Hasselbeck agreed, to introduce Palin at several Florida stops. Hasselbeck used the opportunity to take "a stab at her co-hosts" noting she could speak without being interrupted; she also asserted that focusing on Palin's wardrobe was sexist. Media critics have discounted the sexist concerns noting that similar issues with male candidates have also been extensively covered. Campaign developments and footage of Hasselbeck on the campaign trail were routinely covered by the show.
Post election same-sex marriage issues
The day after the 2008 election, November 5, was the highest rated show in
The View history. The panel discussed election results including state-level initiatives and elections.
Same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is a term used to describe a legally or socially recognized marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Other terms used to describe this type of recognition include gay marriage or gender-neutral marriage.Same-sex marriage is a civil rights,...
issues became a source of heated exchange. The co-hosts are somewhat split in the views with two on either side of the issue and Walters maintaining journalistic neutrality. One such election result was the passing of California's
Proposition 8Proposition 8 was a California ballot proposition passed in the November 2008, general election. The measure added a new section to Article I of the California Constitution...
, which defined that only marriages between a man and a woman would be valid or recognized in the state of California. The co-hosts had differing views on the many intertwined issues and outcomes of the election, as well as the protests and legal issues that continue to generate media attention. Hasselbeck and Shepherd both support the proposition, with Shepherd stating she defends a Biblical definition of marriage, although she was unable to explain what that entailed when asked by the other hosts. Behar and Goldberg both opposed the proposition, with Goldberg correcting some misinformation from Hasselbeck and Shepherd; Goldberg also took part in New York City's protest against the proposition's passage. The continued unfolding events surrounding the legal challenges to the measure and protests have remained a subject of many "Hot Topics" discussions and regularly brought up in interviews.
Ratings
For the week ending February 2, 2009,
Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
reported the key demographic of women ages 18–34 and ages 18–49 favored the show.
The View was tied with
General HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama and is currently credited by the Guiness Book of World Records as being the second longest-running soap opera in production and the second longest running drama in television in production. It premiered on the ABC television network on April...
for the top spot for both groups. For the fourth week running,
The View was the daytime’s third highest rated show with 4.42 million total viewers for the 18-34 group.
ABC DaytimeABC Daytime is a programming block on the ABC Network which has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows.-History:...
shows, four soap operas and
The View, were the top five shows for 18-49 women television watchers.
Season 13 (2009-2010)
Season 13 premiered Tuesday, September 8, 2009 with a brand new set and graphics package. Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters remain permanent co-hosts. However, Hasselbeck was on maternity leave until October 16, 2009,and returned Monday, October 19, 2009. Like her previous maternity leaves, various guest co-hosts that filled her position included
Meghan McCainMeghan Marguerite McCain is an American columnist, blogger, and the daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain and Cindy Hensley McCain. McCain began to receive media attention in 2007 for her blog, McCain Blogette, on which she documented life on the campaign trail and mused about fashion, music, and...
, LaToya Jackson,
Kate GosselinKatie Irene Gosselin, née Kreider , is best known for the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, which profiles her and her husband Jon Gosselin as they raise their atypical family consisting of sextuplets and twins.-Personal life:...
,
Heidi MontagHeidi Blair Pratt is an American singer and television personality. Montag is known for appearing on the MTV reality series The Hills.-Reality TV:...
,
Khloe KardashianKhloé Alexandra Kardashian Odom is an American television personality, radio host, model, celebutante, and socialite. She is best known for her appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami....
,
Kara DioGuardiKara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres...
,
Kaley CuocoKaley Christine Cuoco is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Bridget Hennessy on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules, Brandy Harrington on Brandy & Mr...
, and former co-host
Lisa LingLisa J. Ling is an American journalist, best known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View , host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN...
. Also introduced this season are short clips featuring guest stars talking about their appearance on the show, as well as other backstage footage, labelled as "ViewTube".
Awards
Since 1999, the show's hosts have received Emmy nominations every year, and in 2009 co-hosts, Goldberg, Behar, Shepherd, Hasselbeck and Walters won the
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host- 1970s :*1974: Dinah Shore, Dinah's Place*1975: Barbara Walters, Today*1976: Dinah Shore, Dinah!*1977: Phil Donahue, Donahue*1978: Phil Donahue, Donahue*1979: Phil Donahue, Donahue- 1980s :*1980: Phil Donahue, Donahue...
. None of the co-hosts were in attendance to accept the award.
The View's longtime director Mark Gentile received a
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming....
in 1998, 2004, and 2009. The show's producers shared the Outstanding Talk Show Emmy in
2003The 30th Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2002, was held on May 16 2003 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
with
The Wayne Brady ShowThe Wayne Brady Show was a variety show hosted by Wayne Brady that originally ran from August 8 2001 to March 11 2002 on ABC. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled by ABC and reformatted into a talk show for syndication...
. In 2008, The View won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Writing for a specially-themed
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism involves many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not well understood...
episode broadcast when Rosie O'Donnell was co-host. Janette Barber, Rosie O'Donnell's longtime friend and producer/writer of the
Rosie O'Donnell Show, accepted the award on behalf of herself and co-winners Christian McKiernan and Andrew Smith. The program also won the 2009 NAACP Image Award for best talk series.
Parodies
Since the show's premiere,
The View has been the subject of numerous parodies. One such was a recurring skit on
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
in the late 1990s, portraying Jones, Vieira, Behar, and Walters as jealous older women and Matenopoulos as a simple-minded bimbo, who was consistently being punished for making stupid comments. Barbara Walters was one of
Cheri OteriCheri Oteri is an American comic actress, best known for her roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2000.-Personal life:...
's best known impersonations during her tenure on
Saturday Night Live. In 2005,
MADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licenses the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise has no connection with the humor magazine outside of animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first TV...
parodied the show in a sketch, exaggerating the women's speech as simultaneous bickering and featuring Michael McDonald as a farmer treating the women as hens, tossing chicken-feed on the ground and producing eggs from the women's seats. It was also parodied on the animated show
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
, in which Stewie is quarantined in a glass ball such that Brian gets to watch whatever he wants. Brian takes advantage of his freedom by selecting the one show that Stewie can't stand: The View. The women are clucking like chickens and Star Jones lays an egg. They were also parodied in
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
with the show being called "Afternoon Yak" where the members of Afternoon Yak resemble the hosts of
The View. The studio audience has also been compared to seals, as there are many breaks for applause during the show. In
Zoey 101Zoey 101 was an American live-action situation comedy television series starring Jamie Lynn Spears. The series was originally run as a TEENick show on Nickelodeon, beginning on January 9, 2005....
, it's parodied as "Point of View" in the episode "Anger Management." On Season 5 of
The L WordThe L Word is an American and Canadian co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Los Angeles-area city of West Hollywood, California...
, Alice, played by Leisha Hailey, was invited to replace a lesbian former co-host on the show "The Look." On November 1, 2008
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
unleashed a modern parody of the show. The parody depicted Hasselbeck as shrill and unreasonable, Goldberg as condescending, and Behar as indifferent and fed up with the bickering. Walters was not present, and Shephard was replaced by guest host
Jennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress. She became famous in the 1990s for her role as Rachel Green in the US sitcom Friends, a role for which she won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award....
, played by SNL newcomer
Casey WilsonCasey Rose Wilson is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter known for her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Career:...
. Later appearances of
The View on SNL featured cast member
Michaela WatkinsMichaela Suzanne Watkins is an American actress, best known for her various roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live; a regular performer with The Groundlings in Los Angeles; and as the role of "Lucy" in the 4th season of The New Adventures of Old Christine...
as Walters. A short webisode of the teen Canadian drama
DegrassiDegrassi is a Canadian drama that follows the lives of a group of teenagers who lived on or near De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario. The three main series were The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. The early Degrassi series were produced by the small production...
featured several of the female stars of the show in a talk show called "DeView" that takes place in the foyer of Degrassi High. On the
30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that currently airs on NBC on Thursday nights. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of the GE Building where NBC...
episode
The Rural Juror"The Rural Juror" is the tenth episode of the first season of 30 Rock and tenth episode of the series. It was written by Matt Hubbard and was directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode first aired on January 11, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States and December 13, 2007 on Five in the United...
, Rachel Dratch parodies Barbara Walters interviewing
Jenna MaroneyJenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski. Despite being credited as a regular, the character does not appear in every episode, having been absent from five of the twenty-one episodes of the first season and three of the episodes of...
. Walters is depicted as being hard to understand and even asks the question "Fleg meg, gleg fleg meg meg meg tennis meg meg... was a meg meg... fleg?"
Accusations of bias
The View has been accused of a variety of forms of bias over the years.
While diverse in terms of host age and backgrounds, the show has been criticised by many conservatives for what is seen as a liberal bias and a lack of diversity in political views. However, the show has had several conservative guest hosts (e.g.,
Ann CoulterAnn Hart Coulter is an American social and political commentator, best-selling author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public and private events...
,
Laura IngrahamLaura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and political commentator. Her nationally-syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
,
Dennis MillerDennis Miller is a 5-time Emmy winning American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his ability to improvise critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
,
Kathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee Gifford is an American television hostess, singer, actor, noted for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. She has received 11 Emmy nominations...
) and regular co-host Hasselbeck is an outspoken pro-life conservative. In the 9 April 2007, issue of
People magazine, Hasselbeck stated that she and O'Donnell get along well off-stage, that they e-mail frequently, and that she credits O'Donnell with inspiring her to speak out more on the program.
During a Sirius XM Stars radio interview with documentary film maker
John ZieglerJohn Ziegler is a conservative radio talk show host turned documentary film writer/director.Ziegler's most prominent work in radio has been as the evening host of a radio talk show called The John Ziegler Show on KFI AM 640 in Los Angeles, California from January 12, 2004 until November 13, 2007...
, Barbara Walters said that she agreed that "
The View sometimes seems to have a liberal bias," continuing "sometimes, but that's why it's called
The View".
On January 21, 2003
Jennifer O'Neill-Early life:O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the daughter of a Spanish-Irish businessman and his English wife. As a teenager, O'Neill worked as a fashion model and appeared in television commercials and on magazine covers before moving to films.-Career:...
was a guest on the show promoting her "Silent No More" campaign with the goal of reducing teenage abortions. Having had an abortion herself, O'Neill spoke about her personal experience. Conservatives believed she was handled harshly by hosts and ridiculed by actress
Katey SagalKatey Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter, best known for portraying Peggy Bundy on Married... with Children, Cate Hennessy on 8 Simple Rules, Turanga Leela on Futurama and Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy.-Early life:Sagal was born Catherine Louise Sagal in Hollywood,...
in the following segment.
Joy Behar has said that conservatives are "so annoying", but that she would likewise take on liberals if they were in power. Nevertheless, conservatives contend that Hasselbeck is the only conservative on the show, as opposed to the liberal presence of Behar and Goldberg. Of the remaining co-hosts, Sherri Shepherd, has professed to be "not savvy in the political arena". and Walters declines to state political affiliations due to her journalism career.
There also have been accusations of religious and racial bias levied against the program. Walters has been accused of tolerating
anti-CatholicismAnti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed at the Catholic Church and/or its clergy or its members, often rooted in hatred or misunderstanding of their religion or culture...
, including Behar, who was raised Catholic, regularly poking fun at subjects including sainthood and communion.
Barry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, entertainer, and performer, best known for such recordings as "I Write the Songs", "Mandy", "Weekend in New England" and "Copacabana"....
refused to appear on the show for a political reason. He was scheduled to be interviewed by conservative Hasselbeck instead of the more liberal Whoopi, Joy or Barbara, the article further stated, "a source close to 'The View' said 'we canceled him,' because producers refused to comply with Manilow's 'completely disrespectful' demands."
International broadcasts
- In Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, The View is shown on the W.W. is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms.-History:W. began under the name FX in 1998 as a re-launch and re-positioning of the channel. It re-launched as W. in 2003 shortly before Digital broadcasting began. W. has...
, Nine NetworkThe Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney. For nearly 40 years between 1956 and 2005, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and WINWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions...
, airing around twelve hours after the original United States airing.
- In Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, The View is available on the CTVCTV is a Canadian English language television network. It is Canada's largest privately owned network, the main television asset of CTVglobemedia, one of the country's largest media conglomerates...
broadcast network in simulcast with ABC (subject to Canada's simsub rules). As of September 2008, it is also rerun in the afternoon on Star!Star! is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel which is owned and operated by CTVglobemedia. Star! is devoted to entertainment programming including entertainment news, film, television, celebrities, and fashion.-History:...
(which is also owned by CTV).
- In New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, The View is screened on the Vibe channel on Sky satellite television. Episodes are delayed by one week.
- In the Philippines
The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the show is simulcast live on VelvetVelvet is a women-targeted general entertainment channel, owned by Creative Programs, Inc., an ABS-CBN subsidiary. It is currently on SkyCable channel 53. -Channel Information:...
.
- In South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, The View is broadcast on SABC3.
Similar series:
- The Dutch version is called De Tafel Van Vijf (The Table of Five) and it airs on Net 5
NET 5 is a commercial Dutch television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are SBS6 and Veronica.- History :...
.
- The Dutch weekly version is called Vrouw&Paard and is produced by VARA
-Places:*Vara, Estonia, a village in Estonia*Vara Municipality, Estonia, a rural municipality in Estonia*Vara Municipality, a municipality in western Sweden*Vara, Sweden, a town in Sweden*Vara , in Liguria, Italy-Other:...
.
- In the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
the daytime panel show Loose WomenLoose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, which was first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip and sexism...
has been broadcast on the ITVITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...
network since 1999.
- The Catch-Up
The Catch-Up was an Australian daytime live television talk show on the Nine Network created by Mia Freedman.The show featured a panel of women as co-hosts, with Libbi Gorr, Zoe Sheridan, Mary Moody and Lisa Oldfield. The show premiered on 26 February 2007. It was produced at Channel Nine's studio...
, a now-defunct AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n version of The View