Today’s recap won’t be up until later tonight. Feel free to comment about your thoughts about today’s show in the comment section.
Guests today: Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union; guest host Sara Evans
********************
Thanks to everyone who voted for me for Project Blog. I was the winner this week!
Week five of Project Blog has arrived and here is this week’s sponsor information. Don’t forget that voting continues on week four through noon today. Click here to vote. Thanks to all who have voted!
From Reality on Bravo:
Whether you’re a believer or not, astrology can be really, really interesting. Here at 451 Press, we have a whole blog dedicated to that art. Beth, from Astrology Watch, is one of the best bloggers we have, and although time restraints have kept her from participating in Project Blog, she has graciously donated a prize for you guys to win - a free mini-reading.
I’m pretty excited about this prize, because it is a bit different from what we have been doing. Instead of winning an item, you’re winning a deeper look at yourself. And that’s super-cool, in my opinion.
Want a chance to win this week’s prize? OF COURSE YOU DO. You can enter up to THREE times this week.
* For one chance, leave a comment on this post on Reality on Bravo with one thing that you’ve learned from Beth’s site.
* For a second chance, blog about this contest on your own site and email the link to me at allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com.
* Want a third chance? Vote for your favorite in our Project Blog competition, and leave a comment showing support! The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries. You can vote once per day for your favorite (and please do), and you can comment once on this post link (will go live on Thursday).Please note that comments on other posts on Reality on Bravo are not considered as entries.
The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries, so get your comments and posts in today! (Deadline for commenting and posting is Monday, December 17 at noon EST)
Last week I posted a 50-word haiku about what I think is wrong with The View right now. While many of you enjoyed it and agreed with its sentiment, it got me thinking: What can producers Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie (pictured left) do to fix it? It is certainly not as simple as telling them to have spicier and more serious hot topics. Barbara Walters has made it clear that they are afraid to, mainly because they think it will scare the audience away. I also don’t think that would entirely fix things, as there are a number of areas where the show could use improvement.
Hot Topics
The fear of true “hot topics” is a major problem. The producers are scared to lose viewers, so, as a result, they spend more time worrying about how to decorate the set for the holidays or having the hosts chat about what they are wearing than discussing a serious topic. Certainly I don’t expect to get all of my hard news coverage from The View, but the show is better when they at least get into a discussion of one or more serious issues. I would suggest that they start slow, because it will no doubt be scary for Bill and Barbara to get out of their comfort zone. Perhaps just one day a week could be dedicated to debate on serious issues, with that date being announced ahead of time. Then the producers could get an idea of how many people want those kind of topics discussed, based on the ratings. It would be very interesting to see how many former viewers would turn the television back on that day.
Week four of Project Blog is already upon us. This week’s sponsor is Solay Wellness, Inc. Here are the details about the sponsor, as well as how you can win a prize yourself, from Reality on Bravo:
Thanks to some awesome sponsorship by Solay Wellness, Inc., we can all de-stress a bit with some Himalayan Bath Salts. Solay’s Himalayan Bath Salt Crystals contain 84 essential minerals (more then any other salt) such as magnesium, potassium, bromide, and calcium. These minerals are all readily absorbed into the skin, giving you that calming, age-defying effect.
Solay’s products are all naturally harvested from mineral-rich ocean waters that dried and crystallized 250 million years ago. This makes an especially great Christmas gift for that lady who has everything. Just add a few ounces to your bath, put on some relaxing music, pour some wine, and tune out the world.
You can buy bath salt products here (that’s the prize for the week - but believe me, you’ll want more than one), or you can peruse the other salt products they have for sale. I’m especially fond of the salt lamps, and just may have to put in an order myself. Using one of these salt lamps is like having a natural air purifier in your home.
Want a chance to win this week’s prize? You can enter up to four times this week, since Week Four is part of the two-week challenge!
* For one chance, leave a comment on this post on Reality on Bravo with the product from Solay’s site that you most want for Christmas (visit their website and find something that you want.)
* For a second chance, blog about this contest on your own site and email the link to Allison at allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com.
* Want a third and fourth chance? Vote for your favorite in our Project Blog competition, and leave a comment showing support! The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries. You can vote once per day for your favorite (and please do), and you can comment ONCE PER WEEK (so, twice) to be considered as entered into this drawing - once on this post (comments close on Wednesday night) and once on Thursday’s post (this link will go live on Thursday morning).
Please note that comments on any other post on Reality on Bravo are not considered as entries.
The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries, so get your comments and posts in today! (Deadline for commenting and posting is Monday, December 10 at noon EST)
Week three of Project Blog has begun! In case you missed it, my post for this week is here. We had to write about any topic, but the catch was it had to be exactly 50 words. Let me know what you thought of my effort!
If you are inclined to vote, visit Reality on Bravo or vote below. Remember you can vote once per 24 hours from the same IP address.
Thanks to all who have been voting so far.
Here are the links to all of the contestants:
The blogtestants:
1. Winnie, Watching the View: “The State of the View Address”
2. Sally, Style Fix: “Deck My Halls with Lights, and Ornaments, and Shiny New Dresses”
3. Kate, Babylune: “Fifty Words on Babylune for Project Blog”
4. Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “The Supermodel Effect”
5. Mark, Get Incensed: “Project Blog #3: Conveying the Get Incensed Style In 50 Words — Like Speed Chess, Only Harder .. And No, The Headline Doesn’t Count Because Then It Would Be Practically Impossible” 6.Kara: Stuck at Denver International Airport?
7. Cynthia: And now…a song
You can vote once every 24 hours, and the polls officially close Tuesday at noon! Happy voting!
Tepid topics reign.
What happened to the hotness?
Gone like the viewers.
A revolving door,
just like a cocktail party
where the guests are bored.
Whoopi cannot hide
that she’d rather be sleeping
than chatting with stars.
What’s in the future?
This is my holiday wish:
Less sugar, more spice.
**********
IT’S TIME FOR PROJECT BLOG! head to head weekly competitions for the grand prize:
- An autographed picture of Jackie Warner, courtesy of Sky Sport and Spa (Jackie Warner’s gym from Work Out)
- A pair of shoes from the newest line from Jonathan Kayne (one of my favorite Project Runway Alums)
- A Soffe college hoodie, courtesy ofBCS Frenzy
- Gold-plated earrings from Aurora at Between the Sheets
- A pet portrait, courtesy of Intricate Art
- A set of bud vases from Top Design’s Jonathan Adler
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE:
On Project Runway, the contestants had to design menswear and surprise, surprise, most of them had no clue what they were doing. It came down to one thing - making it work with styling. In order to survive the week, the designers had to style their models to make up for what they were lacking. Some used safety pins because they didn’t have time to hem. Some used fabric in the place of shirts they didn’t have time to make. Some relied on hair and accessories.
Your competition is simple - show us your style! This week, you can write a post on anything you want - absolutely anything. Just write us a post for your blog. The catch? You can only have 50 words. Exactly 50 words, actually (no more, no less). We want to see how you “style” your post to make the most of what you do have, even if you don’t have a lot.
The View, Whoopi Goldberg, hot topics, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, Joy Behar, Project Blog
Voting has ended for this week! Thanks for your votes!
This is week two of Project Blog. Thanks to all of your votes last week, I won the reader vote and stayed in the competition! Be sure to go here to vote for me this week!
Here is this week’s assignment:
On Project Runway, contestants were asked to create an outfit with a partner for fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker’s newest line, Bitten. This week, blogtestants, you have to write with a partner too - yourself.
That’s right, I want to see your leadership skills, but to make it fair, YOU are the one you’ll be leading.
Pick a post from the past - any post will do - and use that as your inspiration for a new post. You can give us an update on a past news story, revisit a topic, or give further opinion on a factual post. Or hey, do something else - it’s all up to you! Just remember, the goal is to use your past post as inspiration, and you MUST include a link to the past story in your new post. (It can be a post from yesterday or a post from a year ago…timing is not important, any post you choose is fine!)
Rosie O’Donnell’s departure from The View made big headlines, both on this blog and elsewhere. So how did Rosie’s time at The View change the show? Here are what I consider to be the top three ways that The View has been altered in the wake of Rosie’s time on The View and her departure.
1) The IFB rules: An IFB is the device that some news anchors and other on-air personalities wear during a live broadcast to get direction from the producers. Rosie made no secret of the fact that she detests the devices because they prevent the normal flow of conversation and stunt spontaneity. She did not wear one during her time on The View and said in her book, Celebrity Detox, that she eventually convinced both Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck to take theirs out as well. I don’t know if they have gone back to wearing them since her departure.
Unfortunately, Barbara Walters continued to wear hers and Whoopi Goldberg has made no secret of the fact that she wears one. Whoopi has mentioned “the voice in her ear” and even paused during conversation to listen to her ear piece. Although unconfirmed, I think that Sherri Shepherd wears one too, because she has suddenly “remembered” facts during a conversation and it is likely that someone fed the facts to her through her IFB.
After the final Rosie/Elisabeth fight, I believe that any future hosts, or at the very least the moderators, will be contractually obligated to wear an IFB. Although Rosie disagrees, the producers feel that if Rosie wore an IFB, that final fight would not have gone down the way it did.
(more…)
Week two of Project Blog is underway! Here is some information about this week’s sponsor, courtesy of Reality on Bravo.
Week Two’s Sponsor: Gillian and Food History (www.foodpast.com)
Week One’s Prize: Chronicling The Fifth Deadly Sin
From Reality on Bravo:
This week the Project Blog sponsor is Gillian Polack, writer, historian, and all around cool cat from the blog Food History. The prize? A copy of her e-cookbook, “Chronicling the Fifth Deadly Sin,” which is a tasty collection of recipes from around the world. And I do mean tasty.
This isn’t your typical cookbook, and Gillian’s not your typical blogger. Occasionally, I read through it just because it’s funny and interesting, even if I don’t need a good idea for dinner.
“Add lemon juice to taste. Stir well. Serve hot or cold. This is a VERY filling dish - very solid (like my waistline).”
Some of the recipes you’ll find in this book include Andy’s Hong Kong Curry Triangles, Trudee’s Canadian Chocolate Cheesecake (I’ve made that one - DELISH), and Medieval Style Mushroom Pastries. Mmmmmm…
If that sounds interesting to you, check out Gillian’s site for a sneak peak of what you could win! Her site includes recipes from around the world, as well as the history behind them. And, if you like fiction, your can also purchase Gillian’s novel, Illuminations, from Barnes and Noble,
Want a chance to win this week’s prize? You can enter up to three times!
*************************************************
When I was in college, I had my good and bad days just like any other student trying to excel in course work while balancing all of the new things that college life brings your way. During the later part of my time there, I had one constant. One thing to make me smile at the end of the day, no matter what professor had upset me or what so-called friend had betrayed me. That one thing? The Rosie O’Donnell Show. I, like thousands of others, became completely engrossed in that hour of television and Rosie never failed to lift my spirits. When Rosie’s show ended, despite being at the top of its game, there was definitely something special missing from television.
Last year when I learned that Rosie would be returning to television to be on The View, I was beyond ecstatic. Her first few months on the show, I TiVo’d faithfully, often talking back to the television when I agreed or disagreed with what they were discussing. In January of 2007, I decided to start this blog about The View. I figured that since I was watching it everyday and commenting on it, maybe I could share that with others. (This also spared my husband from having to listen to my daily, “Rosie said today that . . .”)
I could never have imagined at the time that I started this blog the twists and turns of fate to come that would change both the complexion of The View and that of this blog. When Rosie announced that she was leaving The View, and then especially when her departure came sooner than expected, I questioned whether this blog would even continue. How could I continue to blog about this show when my reason for starting this process was gone?
My thoughts of stopping were very short-lived because it became clear to me that so many of my readers were feeling the same way. They wondered if the show would ever be the same without Rosie. Meanwhile another group of readers were glad to see Rosie go and were relieved that The View would stop being in the headlines for everything that Rosie said. Those two groups of people came together here on this blog and had debates and discussions in the comments about the fate of the show, as well as all of the fall-out from Rosie’s departure.
Since Rosie left, and especially since the start of the new season, this blog has become a wonderful community of people who love The View, used to love The View, and people who are hoping desperately that The View will again become something that they can love. It has become a cyber version of the show, as people come here and leave comments, expressing their own views: about the hosts, about whether the show is too watered down, and to debate the hot topics discussed by the hosts.
Although I cannot say that I love and enjoy every episode of The View the way I did when Rosie was on, or the way I did with The Rosie O’Donnell show, I do know that The View will continue to give me plenty to write about and give all of you plenty to talk about.
*************************************************
Be sure to visit Reality on Bravo to cast your vote and learn you can win prizes too!
Here is the prize package I have a chance to win:
Here are the other contestants that are participating in the competition:
Kate, Babylune: “The Blog I Write and the Woman Who Writes It”
Randi, Brad Pitt Watch: “The First Challenge”
Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “Project Blog: Week One Challenge”
Cynthia, TV of the Absurd: “The Five TV Shows that Changed My Life”
Sally, Style Fix: “The Fashionable Child Who Writes Becomes the Fashion Writer”
Kara, Colorado Review: “Why I Blog About Colorado Travel”
Mark, Get Incensed: “Project Blog. Bravo”
There are two other participants, Dana and Zem, but they haven’t posted their entries yet. I will add them when they do!
AND DON’T FORGET: After you vote, leave a comment at Reality on Bravo telling everyone who you’re voting for and why (it can be anonymous). Use a valid email address, because leaving a comment will put you in the running to win an Ecoist bracelet! Check out that link for more ways to win the free prize of the week, and go to www.ecoist.com for more eco-friendly items!
The View, blogging, project runway, project blog, reality on bravo, Rosie O’Donnell
Did something cause you to miss The View?
There is now something that you can do!
Visit watchingtheview.com and you will see,
Daily recaps, gossip, and what it's like without Rosie!
Although other sites might mention the show,
This site is all about The View, don't you know?
Even if you have seen the show today,
Come back to comment and give your say!
Watching The View Author(s)
» Winnie-McCarthy
24
ABC Soaps
American Idol
Battlestar Galatica
Big Brother Craze
Bones
Brothers & Sisters
CBS Soaps
Crime Drama TV
Criminal Minds
CSI
Desperate Housewives
Doctor Who
ER
Family Guy
Food TV
Gilmore Girls
Greys Anatomy
Grid Effect
Heroes
House
Jericho
Lost
Prison Break
Rachael Ray
Reality on Bravo
Reality TV
Studio 60
Survivor
The Office
The Simpsons
The View
Tot TV Watch
TV Bloggin
Ugly Betty
Watching CW
Watching MTV
Watching Showtime
Watching Sitcoms
Watching Stargate
Watching VH1
