Watching The View

Ricki Lake appeared on the show. She has lost a lot of weight using a Fresh Dining service that delivered low calorie meals to her home. She was up to 260 pounds and is now wearing a size 4 or 6. She said that she has not been her current size since she was 12 years old.

Ricki’s new film The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and received a standing ovation. It is a documentary about women’s choices in childbirth, including water births and home births. Ricki is a doula and has assisted in births. She said that people in the United States have misconceptions about home births and the role of midwifes. Midwifes are trained medical professionals. Joy is skeptical of home births and that it can be risky. Elisabeth said that she doesn’t know if she would have the courage to do a water birth. After Joy kept talking about things that could go wrong during childbirth, Elisabeth said the conversation was making her very nervous. Rosie joked that she never wanted to give birth before, but after seeing the movie she wanted to…and then she remembered she was in menopause and it was too late!

Rosie said that 117 soldiers were killed last month, the most ever. It is the fourth anniversary of President Bush standing in front of the banner on the U.S.S. Lincoln which said “Mission Accomplished.” Elisabeth said that the surge is going to work if we give it a chance. Elisabeth said that only Iran will benefit from our troops being taken out of Iraq. She said that the child hates its mom sometimes when she is doing the right thing. Joy continued the analogy and said not when the mom is hitting the kid. Rosie said that President Bush has not attended one funeral of a killed soldier. She said that soldiers are coming home without limbs and their skinned burned off and no one cares! Elisabeth said she is meeting with President Bush next week and she will ask him about it.

Elisabeth said that because our country is so divided the terrorists are laughing. She said that they are just waiting for the next election. Rosie said that she wants count how many times we hear “terrorist” in the media because it has made us all robotic zombies, afraid of phantom people. Elisabeth said that she is not a zombie and she is afraid of the real terrorists that she has seen slitting people’s throats on the news.

Hillary Rodhman Clinton is thinking of dropping her maiden name “Rodham.” Elisabeth said that taking her husband’s name made them more of a unit and it was meaningful to her and she was honored to do it. Ricki was married for nine years and never wanted to take his name. Rosie said that Kelli took her name for cohesive unity because when their daughter Chelsea was at the hospital, they wouldn’t give Chelsea stiches because Kelli had a different last name.

Actress Natalie Portman appeared on the show to discuss an organization that she is working with called FINCA. She said that two-thirds of people in the world make under $3 a day and many of them are women and children. The organization gives loans to women, starting at $50 to start their own businesses. The organization works in 20 countries and Natalie has gone to Ecuador, Guatemala, Uganda, and Mexico. She said that 95% of the recipients pay back the loan, with interest after they have made a successful business. As a result, the money can then be given to another person in need to start the process. If you want more information and want to donate visit their website.

Miranda Lambert appeared on the show and sang “Famous in a small town,” of of her album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.