The View September 4th Recap: Whoopi’s Debut
Today marked the debut of Whoopi Goldberg as the official moderator at The View.
Some other changes:
The first “hot topic” was the arrest of Senator Larry Craig for lewd conduct in the bathroom, as he was alleged to have attempted to solicit sex from an undercover officer. Joy Behar thinks that he wanted to get caught, because he was tired of hiding it. Elisabeth wanted to know how anyone could think that anything that happened in a public restroom would be private. Whoopi said that in the days before cell phones, a bathroom used to be private. Barbara wanted to know why the police are spending their time on that type of a sting.
They also talked about Michael Vick pleading guilty to dogfighting charges. Whoopi said that no one is mentioned that from where Vick comes from, the deep south, it is a common practice. She said that they see the killing as part of the practice and it is a sport. Elisabeth pointed out that in some cultures it is also proper to beat your wife. She added that she liked how the NFL, as well as the jersey manufacturing community, have come down against Vick. Barbara then analogized it to the Jon-Benet Ramsey case where people were appalled at the way that she was dressed up and made up for beauty pageants. Whoopi pointed out that Vick doesn’t see dogs the way that many people do, comparing it to the Chinese eating cats.
They talked about Miss Teen South Carolina’s response to a question during the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant, which I am sure everyone has seen. Whoopi said she could have just had a bad day or it could just be her. Whoopi said that before YouTube, no one would know anything about it and now people will walk up to her and say “You are the stupid one.” Barbara said that she does not know whether YouTube is “wonderful or scary” because you can’t hide anything anymore.
Danny DeVito appeared as a guest. As you probably recall, the last time he was on The View, he appeared to be intoxicated after a long night of partying with George Clooney and drinking too much limoncello. He appeared to be completely sober in this appearance and said that the last time he was one the show he was “tired” after not sleeping the night before. He said that he had stopped drinking at midnight the night before but never went to sleep.
He was able to capitalize on his appearance and now has his own line of limoncello. Barbara Walters asked where their cut was because it would not have happened had he not been on the show. Danny said that his being back on the show was their cut. He went on and on about choosing lemons and how to make limoncello. He added that he designed the bottle and that the lemon on the bottle is scratch and sniff.
He also promoted the new season of his show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on F/X and mentioned that he has a restaurant in Florida. I think he was more entertaining the last time, as his appearance today was like one long commercial.
They closed-out the show with a video package about Whoopi Goldberg and her life up until this point.
I think that Whoopi’s first day went well. I liked that she was willing to give her opinion on topics, although they are against the norm (i.e. Michael Vick). I also liked that with her as moderator it put Barbara less in the forefront, which I think it good for the show. What did you all think?
The View, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Michael Vick, Larry Craig, Miss Teen South Carolina, limoncello
September 4th, 2007 at 10:13 am
uh, I guess it was ok. But it was a bit of a snoozefest for me. I’m giving it a couple weeks, but if today was any indication…it’s off the Tivo schedule. It’s just not that good to waste precious Tivo space and my time….and to be honest, I think Whoopie is ok, but she’s a little past her prime and defending Vick’s murdering animals because he’s from the South, was pathetic.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:16 am
BORING! I was so disappointed. And the gold set is scary. I felt like they were on Jupiter or something. I miss Rosie. They really need to bring in Sherri or Kathy.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Thought Whoppi would make a good host however regarding Michael Vick’s comments I think the show the view will go down in ratings tremendously,with that comment she will be compared as being jsut as bad as Rosie if she keeps it up!
September 4th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Meant to add this in my first comment- I live in Virginia and have many friends from the same county as Vick. It is the south, yes, but hardly the “Deep South.” I think of Mississippi, Alabama, etc. as the “Deep South.” And I think a lot of Deep South residents would take offense to Whoopi’s comment that dog fighting is the norm.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Whoopi seems awfully inarticulate, but she also seems rather racist in her views. By defending the admitted felon Michael Vick as merely doing something that folks like him do every day in their rural, Southern culture where “this is not questioned,” she rushed to defend Vick … oh, who happens to be black. She rushed to tell (mostly) white folks that it’s just a black thing.
She overlooks the fact that Vick and his pals went to great lengths to keep things hidden and under wraps. Why? Because they KNEW it was against the law! Dog-fighters KNOW it’s illegal to fight, abuse and kill dogs, as well as to gamble on the fights … which (as Vick and his buddies did) are usually held secretly. Those guys cannot possibly make a defense that they “was just doin’ what we does here in the South.”
The race to defend was rather abrupt and while I don’t think Whoopi is necessarily a deep-thinker, she should have realized she was defending a true criminal … who happens to be black.
September 4th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Whoopi’s defense of Michael Vick was entirely racist. GET HER OFF THE SHOW!
September 4th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I love Whoopi and I really hope it gets better. Meanwhile, Elisabeth is still annoying.
September 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people in America showed the same outrage at human beings being killed every day in Iraq, that they’ve shown for dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Vick fan, in fact I’ve never heard of him until this scandal, it just pisses me off the way the media has went after this story with full force, meanwhile Americans and Iraqis are being slaughter on a daily basis.
What about Darfur? That doesn’t get any coverage by the American media, women and children are being raped and living in horrendous conditions and it’s barely mentioned on American TV.
September 4th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
So if Joy defended Vick would that also be racist?
September 4th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
yeah it’s true, Southerners should be outraged. If it’s such an “accepted” thing, then why was it all hidden and denied? Bad bad start Whoopster. You owe the South and African Americans in particular a big APOLOGY
September 4th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I took my daughter to the park super early this morning to be back in time for…..this!!! What was I thinking? My time would have been better served having a nap since that’s what I wanted to do while watching it. So,when it was over not only did I feel cheated and disappointed but I was tired (because I didn’t have my nap). I’ll get my updates from here to know what’s going on but no more watching the view for me - I’m out!
September 4th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I hope Whoopi doesn’t apologize. She was just stating her opinion. She’s not the spokesperson for ALL African Americans and she never claimed to be.
We’ve seen the same thing happen every time Rosie said something. This politically correct crap is going overboard.
September 4th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Defended Michael Vick!!!!!! It’s just something they do in the south? It’s still illegal! Meth is just something they do in the midwest so it’s okay! pathetic!!
The whole show is pathetic……her comments just made it worse!
September 4th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Didn’t watch. Just saw a brief clip of Whoopi’s introduction. The set looks different… not in a good way. It’s like they tried to turn back the clock to pre-Rosie era. That’s the problem with someone as old as BW in charge instead of Rosie. BW is not forward-looking and she’s not capable of improving the show.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I respected & admired Whoopi……until today…….dogfighting is accepted in the South”..unfortunately violence goes along with it…………it is accepted in the southern culture………what is her point.?.as if that isn’t obvious……………..dog fighting is an underworld element……it is not legal…….Michael Vick knew that, & so he hid it…………it is viscious barbaric ….but it is moneymaking……just right for a greedy sociopathic [in]human ………..let me just use an example…..Whoopi……….!………I do not feel this way, personally, but for argument sake let us turn the table on you……………oh.slavery precivil war.accepted in the south….it was the culture…..unfortunately, violence was involved…raping african americans. beating killing boiling in oil……..so what would you think of me if I justified the culture of slavery as you have with dogfighting………….oh no you would be outraged………..well dogs have legs eyes brains…they feel pain they think they love they get hungry.they pass gas .just like you Whoopi dearest……..however at this time, one thing is evident…..dogs have a bigger brain than you………from this day forward..I boycott you & will watch with great pleasure, the backlash resulting from your stupidity,,,,,,,you are a biased racist..& you are ignorant
September 4th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Hated the set glowy and ugly………….whoopi can not pull out the dying show with nice words for Vic and dog fighting no spice in the girl any more
Whoopi is a great gal this just isn’t her gig not enough openings for her to Xcel
Hope your contract is short Whoop
September 4th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Winnie, do you have a link to a video to today’s hot topics? I missed the show. Can’t locate any videos on The View’s website except promos for the fall season. Can’t find it on youtube, either. Thanks.
September 4th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Peaches: there are a couple video clip segments of hot topics at abc.com/theview
Look in the left column under the video player where it says “more video.” They are labeled “welcome Whoopi” and “Larry Craig.”
September 4th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I’m black, and think dog fighting is stupid. I cannot relate to nor would ever defend a multi-millionaire NFL superstar for engaging in reckless, ridiculous, cruel and horrific behavior.
Whoopi’s view was exactly that- her own. Black people, regardless of what “popular” culture may argue, do NOT have a monolithic opinion about everything. I still think O.J. did it.
As for the show itself, it is gasping for air. Joy needs to raise her tops, as she so does not look good baring sagging cleavage. EH, is still the same annoying presence. I loved when Joy made the off-handed remark that Miss Teen SC looked like EH…it was hilarious. I wantedr Joy to say that the beauty contest was as smart as EH too…lol.
I’m from NY, but I’ve lived in the deep south, and VA is not the deep south. The cross-cultural reference to Chinese people eating cats was equally insane.
September 4th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Thanks, Winnie. I now saw the clips, though have not seen the whole episode.
I thought Joy’s outfit (the color and neckline) were flattering; I didn’t see sagging breasts, only the deep V. Babs looks great for her age. Elisabeth of course is cute. But I keep thinking she acts like the cat who ate the canary, now that she’s still sitting pretty on that set and Rosie is gone. I really find her insufferable. Was that a Western shirt Whoopi had on? I couldn’t quite tell.
It’s hard for me to believe they are not trying to make a huge statement with that Trump-like faux-elegant golden set. (On her JaHeRo blog today, Rosie kept referring to it as “beige” which cracked me up because it not only literally is beige, it is beige in tone, too.) Not that they are pro-Trump. But that they want it to be a sedate ladies-luncheon “chat” show; with an upscale aura, and no excessive arguing because that is not ladylike. I think they were trying to eradicate any detail of Rosie. I guess this means no more confetti, Broadway songs, give-aways, euphoria, and real-life discussions about the war and other serious topics, too. Except in a predictable sound-byte way, as on the other shows.
After trying to watch a few of this summer’s shows where Babs kept shushing any controversial comments and where Joy actually apologized for saying anything Rosie would have said about Bush, etc., I get very nostalgic for the Rosie View. I’ll try to give it a shot again with Whoopi, and will hope that Elisabeth’s comments will rev her into action to speak forcefully the way Rosie did. But I am not too optimistic. I keep thinking Whoopi will focus more on her newly laid back “I’m in menopause” persona, where she won’t fight against idiotic comments, and at best we’ll only have Joy giving one-line jokes about Bush. And the camera will cut to Babs rolling her eyes.
Whoopi did seem more energetic today than in her previous stints. But what a waste of energy to argue so forcefully for Vick’s “culture” of dog torture. I would have rather seen a discussion of Bush’s recent interview where he said he’s eager to make some big bucks after he’s finally out of office. (Or did they talk about that?)
I understand that The View I want to see is not what everyone else wants to see.
September 4th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Whoopi should be fired if Don Imus was fired for his insensitive comment. She not only insulted her own kind, she insulted the southern people and other culture. She deseminated false information and created insulting caricature. I am a Chinese kitty and am extremely displeased with her caricature of me. I think she is the ugliest black rotweiler bitch. I can’t fathom what Barbara Walters sees in her. The View has sunk to a new unfathomable low. I did not see the show but saw the news on another network. Disgusted with Whoopi. By the way, what kind of culture does the name “Whoopi” come from? What a stupid name. For a rotweiler, I guess that is okay.
CK
September 4th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Why does Elizabeth have a clear-like stool for her feet to rest on? Can’t she use the rungs of her chair like the other hosts?
September 4th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I really like Whoopi. I think she did a respectable enough job on the View yesterday. I don’t think she really meant to be offensive. I understood the point that she tried to convey. It was her first day and she may have been nervous. It is really hard to fill the moderator shoes and pick up where Rosie left off. I can really sympathize with her.
I think Whoopi is really trying hard to be good at The View and I don’t think she is intentionally out there to offend much people. In fact, I hardly seen her get in much of a word at yesterday’s first show. She was respectful enough to acknowledge Babs’ presence (heh, its her show) and I think creating ruckus is the last thing on her mind to do.
I don’t think Whoopi meant to generalize that the South is a place full of dog fighting hustlers. However, she probably meant that there are destitute communities in the South where many young African American youths are reared and dogfighting is prevalent in these areas. In other words, there is a subculture within the Southern U.S. where dogfighting is quite popular.
Michael Vick grew up in a lifestyle of modest means. In order for Vick to survive he had to hustle through dog fighting events. At a point, he became successful in NFL and still was stuck with his “hometown” lifestyle and upbringing. This is not the first story that we’ve heard of a successful star who falls short because they stuck with their old hometown ways.
I think it is quite understanding if Whoopi wants to show some compassion to someone like Michael Vick who is 24 years less her senior.
Obviously he made wrong choices and is reaping what he sowed. He is a product of the impoverished environment that he lived in and was probably accustomed to living life in hustle mode.
He is already facing consequences for his action. I think Whoopi was very brave to show compassion for Vick and her point was well taken by me.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:44 am
I think she was stupid to show compassion for him. I don’t care how popular it is in the south or any other area of the U.S, it is inhuman and ILLEGAL! So do you think it would have been right for her to show compassion for a meth dealer who just got arrested? Meth is popular in a lot of the Midwest….so it’s okay to make and sell meth? It’s unbelievable! Since when has it been okay to break the law? And for people to feel sorry for them. He hung dogs from trees, drown them, and electrocuted them. And this is okay? Some people just don’t think before they speak………
September 5th, 2007 at 8:18 am
I was also upset to hear Whoopi say that dogfighting is acceptable in the South. I live in Alabama and do not know of anyone who participates in these activities. The local news always reports stories of people getting arrested for animal cruelty so EVERYONE knows this is wrong down here. This is not something accepted or tolerated at all in the South. Michael Vick knew it was wrong from day one.
September 5th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
It amazes me how sensitive people are about dog fighting, but how passive folks can be about the everyday murder in Iraq. I don’t condone dog fighting, but honestly, this is old news. Whoopi is a moderator. Its not that serious. The man is going to jail and will lose most of his money. Would some of you suggest we crucify him as well?
September 5th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Nope I don’t believe that we need to crucify him. I wasn’t ever saying anything about him, he is going to get what he deserves. I’m talking about Whoopi defending him. My German Shephard is like my kid. He goes most places with me. I treat him like a part of the family, because he is. So yes I am sensitive about someone breeding and training these dogs that don’t have a choice to fight. And then hang them or drown them or elecrticute them because they lost a fight. The everyday murder in Iraq is a completely different subject entirely.
September 5th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
It is a different story, however the outrage over whoopi is absolutely pathetic.Whoopi didn’t condone this behavior; she asks people to look outside the box and consider a different lifestyle or way of being raised. However, it is safe to assume that this is impossible. Did you know that New Mexico just barely banned cock fighting. I think pitting animals against each other is bad, however some folk have not been raised to know this. You should feel proud that you do. Whoopi is much too intelligent to defend this behavior. pooh to you.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
I have a hard time equating Whoopi’s comments with Don Imus’s attempt at humor. He was trying to get laughs at other people’s expense. Whoopi wasn’t trying to do that at all. I liked her courage in bringing up a very controversial topic, but I wasn’t convinced by anything she said. I thought her arguments were lame.
I’m curious: Does anyone know if she was as maligned by the press as hard as Rosie was for all of her comments last year? Did anyone on Fox or elsewhere call for ABC to fire her, etc.? Or was it just a truncated version of what she said, repeated endlessly with nothing insightful to add to the controversy?
September 7th, 2007 at 10:18 am
There are many lifestyles in the south. What if a family was raised not liking someone because of their skin color? Wouldn’t that be the same? Think Whoopi would defend someone like that? A redneck Southern racist? I don’t think so, this is a case of a african American guy committing a cruel crime and a african American woman defending him only because they are from the same race. It’s really bad and we see it all the time. Al Sharpton ring a bell?
September 11th, 2007 at 6:28 am
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September 17th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Why ABC should fire Whoopi immediately !!! It seems everyone has conveniently forgotten that several years ago Whoopi Goldberg totally TRASHED the National Anthem on an HBO special by inserting profanities (like M_____F____) nearly every other word throughout the song. In my opinion, this was a million times more offensive than what Don Imus did. ABC needs look into this and after reviewing the HBO Special for themselves, they need to immediately fire Whoopi from her new position on The View. Honestly, I don’t think ABC has enough courage to do so.