Photo ABC.comBack in December, I wrote in this blog (here) about my take on how the View was progressing with Whoopi Goldberg as host. I was a little skeptical about her hosting the show since her guest spots weren’t great, but she seemed to settle in and fit in quickly.
Now, several months later, I’ve come to the conclusion that Whoopi may be the best thing that has happened to this show since its inception.
The rest of the panel seems to be stuck in predictable ruts. Joy Behar continues to be caustic and cutting, and is no longer funny anymore. She comes across as an angry, bitter woman. Sherri Shepherd, while providing some glimmers of genuine comedy, sometimes wears the dumb act a little thin. Elisabeth Hasselbeck epitomizes the one-track mind, sometimes continuing to belabor a point long after she made the point and everyone else has moved on. And Barbara remains as full of herself as ever.
But Whoopi continues to bring a balance and rationality to the show that seems to smooth out everyone else’s flaws. She’s found a way to stifle Elizabeth and her rants, while still allowing Elizabeth to be heard. She questions Joy and Sherri when either of them says something that’s either idiotic or misguided. There are times when she even tries to bring Barbara down to earth, although I’m not sure there is any human being out there that can stop Barbara from being so self-absorbed.
With politics being a recurring hot topic, I’ve found it interesting that Whoopi at times changes her mind about candidates, and speaks her mind about all candidates, not just those that she may favorite. It really is refreshing to hear her opinions about what is happening in the political scene. It’s much more engaging than previous host Rosie O’Donnell, who had the habit of bullying others into agreeing with her supreme opinion.
I am not sure about the ratings for The View and if they have improved with Whoopi, but I can tell you that I am more interested in watching the show now for the interesting dialog than I was when Rosie was on and I watched for her daily meltdown. Whoopi brings credibility to the show and that probably pleases the viewers AND the advertisers who buy air time.
I’m actually looking forward to this show as it moves into the final stages of the 2008 presidential election. And I think Whoopi will continue to excel at the helm!
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1 comment:
I don't get to see "The View" very often. Perhaps I should use that great device that I own called a
TiVo. The few times that I have seen it I must say that I agree with your assessment of Whoopi. She is so non-controversial and doesn't seem to have an agenda, other than to host the show. What a novel idea. All in all, Whoopi is very likeable.
Great review, thanks for sharing.
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