Watching The View

Elisabeth Hasselbeck in her younger years

Barbara Walters plugged her Oscar special, which airs Sunday night at 7/6 central. She showed a clip of her interview with Miley Cyrus. She also interviewed Vanessa Williams, Harrison Ford and Ellen Page. In her first Oscar special 28 years ago she interviewed Brooke Shields, Loretta Lynn, Linda Gray, and Ringo Starr. It was highest rated special that she ever did. Barbara then showed a clip of her interview with Vanessa Williams in which Vanessa said that she experienced racism growing up and was called the n-word (which was bleeped out in the clip).

Whoopi Goldberg wanted to know why they bleeped it and Barbara said that you have to for daytime television, but you can leave it in for nighttime television. Whoopi said that it is ridiculous to pretend it doesn’t exist because it is out there. Sherri said that she has a big problem hearing the word, especially from white people because she heard it so much growing up in a white suburban neighborhood. Whoopi said that you can only be stopped by that word if you think it is what you are, similar to the word stupid. Whoopi said that she would rather hear you say the actual word rather than smile and say “n-word.” Barbara said that she would be massacred if she said it. Whoopi said that the problem with the word is that no one wants to discuss it.

Joy then said that you can say penis on television, but not the N-word. Then they talked about whether you could say vagina and all of them (save Barbara) repeated the word vagina (saying, “Did you say vagina? I said vagina,” etc.) when Barbara said it is the amount of times you say vagina that would be the problem.

They discussed a new trend in which kids are having their school photos airbrushed. They then showed childhood photos of Sherri and Elisabeth. Elisabeth is shown above and Sherri is below. Sherri said that her photo is proof of why she wears wigs. Elisabeth joked that her photo inspired the idea of airbrushing. Sherri said that she thought that Elisabeth’s hair was naturally blond. Elisabeth said it is as real as aspartame. She added that she liked those big glasses because she could see everything. She now wears contacts. She admitted that she also wore headgear, but took it off for the photograph. Whoopi joked that with all that metal Elisabeth wouldn’t be able to make it through an airport today. Elisabeth said that it is good to have historic pictures like this because it is character building.

Joy said that she would want childhood photos that were bad and ones that were airbrushed. Barbara said that she knows a lot of people who had their noses fixed and they don’t look the same as their photos. Joy joked that then the children are born with “big honkers.” Barbara liked her high school picture. They showed a photo of Barbara from George magazine where you can see where the airbrushing they did of her body. Whoopi was pissed off after a magazine shoot when they took her tattoos off with airbrushing (it says “peaceful warrior” in Chinese) and took out all her lines from her face.

Lindsay Lohan did a Marilyn Monroe-esque shoot for New York Magazine. Whoopi said that they were beautiful photos. Barbara said that they are criticizing her for doing Marilyn Monroe, but Barbara dressed for her like Halloween a few years ago. Elisabeth said it is okay, because it is pretend. She said that we don’t pay attention to anyone person these days to create an icon. Joy said that you have to die and it helps if you die young, adding that maybe Heath Ledger could be one. She said that Anna Nicole Smith could not be one because you have to have talent, adding that she didn’t want to speak ill of the dead.

Audra McDonald appeared on the show to promote the television movie version of A Raisin in the Sun. The movie features most of the cast from the Broadway version, for which Audra won a Tony Award. She said that they do use the n-word in the film. They had to fight to keep it in the show because it is very intrinsic in the show. They were only allowed to use it once, even though it appears in the play more frequently. Joy said that it is toying with artistic license and thinks it is outrageous. The play was filmed in just 24 days because they wanted to get finished by Christmas Day.

Barbara asked Audra to sing for them because not many people know that she is such a singing powerhouse. She didn’t want to sing. Audra said that her seven year old daughter is not a big fan of her voice and hates it (after Elisabeth said, “I know that your daughter is a big fan of your voice.”)

Audra said the play is an American theatrical classic and the author, Lorraine Hansberry, was “our Shakespeare.” Ruby Dee was in the original and she is up for an Oscar award this year. Audra said that Sean Combs is even better in the film than he was on stage and that he is very passionate and “worked his tail off.” He had the entire set built in his apartment so that he could rehearse. She said it was hard to get into her role as Ruth because she was so close to her personally. She found it hard to open herself up to the character. It finally clicked for her when she thought about her mother and grandmother and saw this role as a way to tell their story.

The film airs Monday night on ABC.

Mario Cantone appeared on the show. Joy called him “A gay Italian Engergizer bunny.” He first discussed the Super Bowl and said that he loves Tom Brady, calling him “My Brokeback Quarterback.” He then showed a photo of Elisabeth’s quarterback husband. She told him not to take her man. He said he wouldn’t saying Tim was “close, but no cigar” and then asked if Tim had Tom Brady’s phone number.

Mario took issue with Barbara about her Oscar special, saying “Hannah Montana made the grade before me?!” Barbara told him, “You don’t begin to be the star that Hannah Montana is.”

Mario will be in the upcoming Sex and the City movie. Joy asked what role he will be playing and he said, “A gay Italian Engergizer bunny, bitch!” Mario did a Bette Davis impression. He said it was after her stroke, because he always does impressions of the people at their end. Whoopi did a Davis impression too. Joy called her impression, “Bette Davis on hemorrhoids.”

Sherri asked if he was going to publicly endorse any candidates and he joked that he could not use his celebrity in that way because he could sway the country. He then added that he is torn because he likes Hillary Clinton, but loves Barack Obama. He said, “You know what they say. When you go Barack, you never go back.” He also called Mike Huckabee “Huckleberry.” He joked that John McCain’s wife looks like his daughter.

Dr. Gadget appeared on the show with a slew of new electronic products you never thought you needed until you saw them. This batch were the hot items from the Consumer Electronics Show. Here are the items he discussed:

* Brother Innov-is 40 computerized sewing machine; it has auto-threading technology; it was inspired by Project Runway

* Logitech Harmony One Remote: can control 15 items

* JVC Everio camcorder: small, light, hybrid, weighs .8 pounds

* SentrySafe fire-safe waterproof external hard drive

* Lenovo IdeaPad: laptop that has a frame-less screen; it scans your face to log-in into the computer

The View, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Audra McDonald, Barbara Walters, Lindsay Lohan, airbrushing, Harrison Ford, Vanessa Williams, Miley Cyrus, Ellen Page, Juno, Raisin in the Sun, Mario Cantone, Dr. Gadget