I thought about making this a gradual thing and sort of petering off my involvement with this site, but then I decided it was better to just pull off the band-aid and be done.

As of today, I am leaving Watching the View.

Now before your minds start churning with ideas of corporate take-down or external pressure, you should know that this decision was all mine. I have just reached the point where I don’t like having to watch The View or write about it or even think about it.

When I started this site in January 2007, it was for one specific reason: Rosie O’Donnell had made the show the very essence of must-see-TV. And not because of the “feuds” or the arguments, but because she is one of the most engaging personalities in the world of television and she does not hesitate to give her (real, honest, not spoon-fed or prefabricated) views.

After her departure, I stayed with this site after some hesitation, mostly because I enjoyed the community that had been created here. Because of you. That and because I really thought that The View would get better than it was in the initial wake of her absence. Two years later I am still waiting.

The show unfortunately has been extremely predictable and a caricature, with each host fitting in her pigeon-hole saying things we expect them to say, whether they truly believe it or not. When I think of the show I no longer think about anything positive, but dwell on Whoopi Goldberg’s disinterest in the guests, whining about taxes and running out on the stage to steal food in EVERY FOOD SEGMENT, the fact that Joy Behar does not even write the stale one-liners she is so fond of and cannot stop telling Monica jokes, the fact that Barbara Walters might no longer be remembered for being a TV icon, but rather for being that aging journalist who has stayed on way too long and doesn’t realize that she is embarrassing herself, Sherri Shepherd spending the majority of the time she speaks talking about how she needs a man when really she needs to be focusing on loving herself and determining what is truly important to her and not letting her religion or others tell her what to believe, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck . . . well she never did have any bright spot for me to begin with. The joy in View-ville is long gone and I do not think it is coming back.

Although the amount of money I make on this site is a barely minimum wage level given the amount of time I have to put into it, I have stuck with it anyway because of a desire to maintain the community and because others seemed to enjoy it more than I did.

Most of you have no idea what goes on behind-the-scenes, but running this blog is no easy feat. I have tried not to care about keeping the peace, not bother weeding out the negativity, ignoring all the hate e-mail and bickering, but I just cannot become detached enough from the blog because I know that what others write can affect many of you negatively and I do not want that.

I know that many of you will be saddened to have lost this place to vent, communicate, and share ideas. You are welcome to continue to post here, although I do not know if they will be hiring a new writer. You can also post comments at my other View blog which will remain up for now, although I won’t be posting there either. (I will be re-posting this entry there as well in case the powers that be here take this down for some reason).

While I am certain those at ABC who are aware of this little blog are happy to see me go because it means more people have to actually watch the show to know what happens on it, I hope that you all think about whether you need The View in your lives anymore. There are many other ways you can spend your time that will be healthier, more enlightening, or at the very least more entertaining.

Thank you all for your support over the years. My e-mail address is: winnieblogs @ gmail.com

Sometimes it can be difficult to break away from something that as been a part of your life for so long, even if that thing is no longer good for you. If you want to stop watching The View, reading about the The View and talking about The View, try one of these things for an alternative way to spend your time. I know that I will be trying out a few of them myself.

1. Write a letter to a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken to for awhile.

2. Go to the library or read a book you have at home that you haven’t gotten around to reading.

3. Look into something online you always wanted to learn about, but didn’t have the time for.

4. Think of something you could invent. I have often heard of the best inventions are improvements on existing products, so that might be a good place to start.

5. Go through your closet and pull out clothes to donate to charity. Then actually follow through and donate. There are organizations that will even come by and pick up the items.

6. Go for a walk. Even just around the block.

7. Call or IM a friend and discuss your own hot topics.

8. Find another show on television and give it a try. Who knows, it might be something you like more than The View.

9. Bake, Craft, or Cook something new.

10. I know this site has a lot of passionate, intelligent, and insightful readers. Focus that and use it to change the world, change something in your town, or maybe just something in your life. It is clear that ABC and the folks at The View aren’t going to change their ways, despite how reasoned your analysis and suggestions to them happen to be. Find a cause you believe in, put all your energy into it and just imagine how much you can accomplish.

11. Relish in the calmness that you feel now that you are no longer being annoyed by [insert here the host(s) name who annoys you]. It does indeed feel like a weight has been lifted.

Tuesday, May 19: Day of “Hot Topics”; Elizabeth Edwards (author, Resilience)

Wednesday, May 20: Day of “Hot Topics”; Glenn Beck (host, The Glenn Beck Program)

Thursday, May 21: Day of “Hot Topics”; Larry King (host, Larry King Live); stars of SOAPnet’s new original reality series Southern Belles

Friday, May 22: Day of “Hot Topics”; Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita (The Real Housewives of New Jersey); Sharlene Azam (author, Oral Sex is the New Goodnight Kiss)

The View, Tom Hanks, Ron Howard and Ayelet Zurer, Angels & Demons, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar

The View, Brooke Shields, Neal McDonough, Desperate Housewives, Sherri Shepherd, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Barbara Walters

In the next segment, they talked about American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. This show is really bad today and I probably would have turned it off already, but my Lost guys are on later!

Whoopi gave a commencement speech at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU yesterday. They played a portion of her speech in which she told the graduates that they are going out “into a poo storm.” Then she talked about (on the show) how much she loves the word “poo” and had the whole audience say it together. No, I am not kidding. Whoopi won an award for all she has done with children and literacy.

Jack Ford, legal expert, appeared on the show to talk about the latest crimes making the news. (Why do they so commonly have these segments about sensationalized criminal cases? I know, they think it will help with ratings, but really what value do they have? I just don’t get the appeal, maybe because I hear enough about Peterson on my local news to last me through my entire life). Ford talked about Drew Peterson, who was arrested last week for the murder of his third wife. There is still not enough evidence put together about the missing fourth wife. He said that Savio’s statement to a friend that he threatened to kill her might not get before the jury since it is hearsay. However, Illinois has a new law which allows such statements. It will likely be challenged in court, however, because it is similar to a California law that was found unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Joy said that he is “real Looney Tunes,” as he was joking when he got arrested. Then they talked about the Craigslist killer. Craigslist reportedly has removed their “erotic” section in part because of this case. Jack Ford has a novel out.

Jorge Garcia (Hurley) and Michael Emerson (Ben) from Lost appeared on the show. Whoopi asked them if they know how the series will end and neither of them know. Jorge said that he knows how he doesn’t want it to end, which is he doesn’t want it to be a dream or it to reset at the end and have Jack wake up laying in the jungle. Jorge said that tonight’s season finale episode will answer questions about how he ended up on the plane and where the guitar case he was carrying on the plane came from.

Michael said that his character, who was once the leader, is “completely whipped” by Locke now and is a bit of a follower. Whoopi and Elisabeth said they don’t believe it. He said that Ben’s wheels are still turning and he is looking for a break. Elisabeth said that he is freaking her out as he was looking at her while talking, presumably because his character is so creepy. Michael said tonight’s show is “a classic Lost season finale” which will involve “causalities” and will introduce you to new people. He said that there are two teams of heroes at different times who will experience cataclysmic events. Whoopi wants to know where Rose and Bernard went (although she called them “the interracial couple.” That fulfills her requirement of saying something on each episode that a Lost actor is on that makes me doubt her frequent assertions that she loves the show so much. If you love the show, you should know the characters names. Although maybe I am just jealous that she gets to meet them all). Jorge said, “stay tuned.” Michael said that the boy who played his character as a child is a great actor and has the “million mile stare” down.

Michael had an experience with some Chinese tourists where they started jumping up and down when they saw him and crying and hugging each other. Then they took their sleeping baby out of the stroller and held him up and told Michael that they named him Ben. He wondered why anyone would name their child after a villain on an American television show. Whoopi said he is one of the best-written villains ever. Michael’s wife, Carrie Preston, was in the audience. She is on True Blood which films in LA, while Lost shoots in Hawaii. They have a rule where they don’t go longer than 14 days without seeing each other. They have been married 10 years. Jorge said that he tried stand-up comedy, but did not have the discipline to do the same set every night. I wish they would have talked to Jorge about his blog, Dispatches from the Island, which I find very entertaining.

The final segment was about “What is Your Self-Worth?” featuring Cheryl Saban who has a book by that name. She was raped at 18, had two failed marriages, and was a single mother with no health insurance. She needed to find her own self-worth because no one else was going to help her. Elisabeth read some statistics out of the book, including the percentage of women who will be victims of domestic violence, and how a woman’s standard of living drops 40% after divorce, but a man’s increases by 15%. Cheryl said that if the woman has been out of the work force to raise children will have a difficult time. She said that women think they will get rewarded for being nice, but really they need to be an advocate for themselves and put themselves out there more. She said that it not about blaming men. Joy said that your self-worth can be determined by how you are treated as a child. Cheryl said that her parents loved her and she went through a good portion of her life where she didn’t get it. Joy said that sometime life sucks. There is a chapter in the book about how girls get mixed messages. She said that little girls are exposed to sexual innuendo long before they knows what it means. We need to teach boys that girls are strong and need to be treated with respect. Joy said that we should treat boys like girls and girls like boys to balance it all out. Sherri said no and that you should raise a boy like a boy. Whoopi wanted to talk about Sherri’s strong response to that statement, but they were out of time.

Michael Emerson, Lost, Cheryl Saban, What’s Your Self-Worth, Sherri Shepherd, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Barbara Walters

The White House has said that 9/11 is an issue for reflection, not one for comedy, in response to the joke that Wanda Sykes told about Rush Limbaugh being the 20th hijacker. Barbara said that Wanda Sykes was very funny and it was hard to follow the president, who was funny. She thought it was wrong for Wanda to say that she hopes Rush’s kidneys fail, because that means she wants him to die. Joy said that Rush is capable of going very low, noting that he accused Michael J Fox of exaggerating his symptoms. Whoopi said that the comment about him dying didn’t bother her because she says that she wants people to die all the time and doesn‘t mean it, but the 9/11 part did get her. Joy said that the joke was about Limbaugh, not 9/11. Barbara asked why he hasn’t responded. Whoopi asked what he would say. Barbara said that he could have attacked Wanda back. Then she mentioned her interview with him and how he said he is warm and fuzzy.

The next topic was how Donald Trump is (Right! Now! This! Very! Exciting! Minute!) holding a press conference about whether Miss California will lose her crown for the partial nude photos that have surfaced. Miss Rhode Island did a topless in Maxim and is not being held to the same standard. Sherri said that Miss Rhode Island disclosed that she did it, but Miss California did not. Barbara said that we are all looking at her with more interest because of her response about gay marriage. Sherri said that Trump stood up for Tara Connor and said that everyone deserves a second chance. Barbara said we don’t know what he said because it is happening right now. Then they had to explain to Barbara that Sherri was talking about a previous contestant. Then Whoopi got the “breaking news” in her ear. And sat their listening and repeating it word by word and pausing a long time between each word. Barbara suggested they get it all and then come back to it. Then Whoopi said she is keeping her crown. (Oh my word, this is so sad that they are treating this like an urgent matter, when really it is completely unimportant useless crap. What a waste of my time.)

The next topic was renewal of vows, which celebrities like Seal and Heidi Klum have done. Whoopi thinks it is a great idea. Sherri said that it is great that a man will say every year that he wants to marry you. She is just trying to get one proposal. Whoopi said that she already had one. Barbara said it is not a proposal, it is vow renewal. (She is annoying me more and more each day. I cannot quite explain why, but I think it is her obsession with stating the obvious). Joy said that vow renewal each year it is like marital OCD or Tourette’s. Barbara hates to go to weddings. Whoopi thinks it is good to do every two years and is also a good chance to say you don’t want to be married anymore. Joy said that if she gets married in the fall, which she will probably do, she doesn’t want people there, except maybe her daughter and his husband.

Whoopi asked Joy about getting married. She said it will be private and will just tell everyone after it happened. Barbara asked if Steve has proposed to her, even though she is saying she will marry him in September. Joy said no, but they talk to each other and have discussed it. Barbara told her she cannot wear a white dress. Joy said that she would look like an ambulance. She said she wore white at her first wedding because she was a technical virgin. Barbara then told the joke (for at least the third time) about how her grandmother said on her deathbed that she was a virgin because never participated in sex. Sherri wants to be at Joy’s wedding so she can celebrate them and bless them.

Whoopi has not smoked in the last week. She doesn’t know how long it will last.

Sorry, no recap of the guests today. The scheduled guests are Melina Kanakaredes (”C.S.I. New York”); Maya Rudolph (”Away We Go”).

The View, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Melina Kanakaredes, Maya Rudolph, Away We Go, Wanda Sykes, Donald Trump, Joan Rivers, Celebrity Apprentice, Seal, Heidi Klum, David Tutera

Then they talked about Celebrity Apprentice finale. If you cared, you watched it, so I am not going to recap it. The conversation went on for way too long.

Joy asked whether it is okay in business to call someone a two-face and say that you want them to die, like they did on that show. Elisabeth added “or at the correspondents dinner.“ Whoopi said if you are a comic you can. Elisabeth said if you are a comic you can do anything.

A popular Miami priest was caught kissing a woman and is thinking of leaving the church now. Sherri said he is good looking and they talked about how his nickname is Father Cutie. Joy said that when there was the scandal with the young boys, they just moved the priest to another church, they didn’t kick them out. Elisabeth said that she thinks that priests should be able to be married, so long as women can become priests as well. Whoopi said that they used to let priests get married, but then the priests left their property to their family. By outlawing marriage, the priests then give everything to their church when they die. Joy said that the church has become wealthy with that policy. Sherri said that he should become a Baptist and he can get married, get the holy ghost, and have a good old time.

As they went to break, they showed Justin Timberlake on SNL in the “Plasticville” skit. I thought they would have showed the “Mother Lovers” skit which is getting a lot more buzz.

In the next segment, Sherri sang some En Vogue songs since they are here today. Whoopi said it sounded pitchy. Then Randy Jackson from American Idol came out as a surprise guest. He said Sherri did not sound that bad. He said that the contestants need to engage the viewers with their personality in order to get votes. Joy asked him about how Paula Abdul did an interview with Ladies Home Journal and told them that she was addicted to painkillers and went through a terrible detox. Then she went on the radio and denied it, saying she never had a drug problem. Randy said that if she has an addiction she has hid in well. He doesn’t know the answer and said that Joy should call her.

Whoopi asked him why there is no Susan Boyle on American Idol and Randy said that there is an age limit of 28 because they want to keep everything young and fresh. He said that America’s Got Talent allows for older contestants. He has an eyewear line, has the fourth season of America’s Best Dance Crew coming out, and is producing an album for Boyz II Men.

Steve Harvey was on the show to promote his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Joy asked what is the biggest mistake women make. Steve said that women think men will respond the way they think he will and get frustrated when he doesn’t. He said if you figure out how men think, you can mold him into anything you want. He said that men need loyalty, support and appreciation, and sex. Sherri started asking about her husband and Steve said he didn’t want to be in the conversation because he met him. She asked him why men cheat. Steve said that she is really asking why her husband cheated and he did not want to answer. Joy said that Sherri’s husband pulled a Jon Edwards (if it is true) and had a baby with the other woman. Steve then hid behind his mug. Then he said that women need to stop blaming themselves when men cheat on them and maybe he is just a bad guy. He said that so many men cheat because there are so many women who are willing to cheat with him. Whoopi said that the women don’t always know he is married. Sherri asked about when women hang in there waiting for the man to marry her. Steve said that he wrote the book to empower women and women should not wait around for a man to marry him. He said that women dream about their wedding day, but men don’t. Men only dream about the dream woman they want to be with and if they can have that without the wedding day they are happy. He said that women need to tell their man that without a wedding date, things cannot go on like they have been. Joy said that is like the 1950s, withholding sex to get what you want, which just makes the man angry at you later. Sherri said you don’t have to withhold sex.

En Vogue appeared on the show and performed a medley off their greatest hits album. They are about to kick off a 20th anniversary tour. They always hoped that they would last this long and are happy to kick off the tour on the show today.

The View, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Steve Harvey, En Vogue, Randy Jackson, American Idol, Paula Abdul, Barack Obama, Rush Limbaugh, Wanda Sykes

The View, Sherri Shepherd, Susan Lucci, Pajama Program Awards

Monday May 11th: Day of “Hot Topics”; Steve Harvey; performance from En Vogue. (I still do not understand how it is a “day of hot topics” when they have guests).

Tuesday May 12th: Melina Kanakaredes (”C.S.I. New York”); Maya Rudolph (”Away We Go”).

Wednesday May 13th: Michael Emerson (ABC’s “Lost”); Cheryl Saban (author, “What’s Your Self-Worth?”).

Thursday May 14th: Brooke Shields; Neal McDonough (ABC’s “Desperate Housewives”).

Friday May 15th: Tom Hanks, Ron Howard and Ayelet Zurer (”Angels & Demons”).