Regarding The “New” View
Today marks a week
since the new and retooled version of The View started and I have a few things
to say about it.
This is an
especially important moment for the long-standing program because it’s the
first season without its creator at the helm, Barbara Walters. While her send
off last season was tearful and rightfully grandiose, she left big heels to
fill. After all, who can replace BabaWaba? The short answer is: no one. And
thankfully no one at The “New” View is trying to.
The cast of
characters this year is diminished to four, but that’s about as diminished as
these ladies get. The incomparable Whoopi Goldberg returns to the show as its
moderator and resident pragmatic voice. Seated to her left is perhaps the least
known of the bunch, Nicolle Wallace. More on Ms. Wallace in a minute. Actress
Rosie Perez is the first Latina panelist on the show and quite the firecracker.
(I’m Hispanic too; I can call her a firecracker if I want to!) And finally,
Rosie O’Donnell returns to the program after a contentious exit a few years
ago.
Going into this
season, I really believed that Rosie O. was going to be the only panelist I
would gravitate toward. I’ve loved and followed her career as closely as any
non-stalker can. I mean, I was a card-carrying member of the Chub Club. While I
remain loyal to and loving of Rosie O., the truth is that the dynamic between all four women is very entertaining. Having
two icons of comedy, a Puerto Rican, and a smarty-pants Republican is turning
out to be a recipe for really good TV.
In many ways, Nicolle
Wallace has turned out to be their trump card. (I hope I used that expression
correctly). What I mean to say is that Ms. Wallace is the surprise success
story of the season. As the table’s lone Republican and former advisor to Sarah
Palin, you’d think that the jokes would write themselves. And they do, only
she’s usually the first one pulling the punch line. She’s not only an
articulate and respected figure in the Republican establishment, but she’s
genuinely thrilled to be around celebrities. In this way, and despite being a conservative, she’s really relatable; a characteristic that her former boss
can’t begin to understand. Partisan jabs aside, Ms. Wallace is a welcomed
breath of fresh air on the show. Although her interviewing skills could use a little
work, I’m eager to follow her journey from cable news talking head to
well-rounded talk show host. Keep it up!
All that said, I
have to confess that I am a little disappointed with the topics they call “hot”
lately. Although issues of domestic violence and child abuse are very important
and topical, they are not all that there is to talk about. Coming back from an
especially contentious summer, I would’ve liked to hear their thoughts on
Ferguson, the continued unrest in the Middle East, or the troubling situation
in Ukraine. I think I was especially disappointed today that no one brought up
the Climate Marches that happened across the world this past weekend—the
biggest being in their very own city.
Still they’ve done
several wonderful things, too.
Rosie O.’s interview
with her idol Barbra Streisand was also a winning moment for the show. Any time
you get those two women together, you know you’re gonna see something magical.
As both a friend and a fan, Rosie interviews Barbra the way I think many of us
would if we got the chance to interview our idols. It’s raw and genuine. Also
and unrelated, Barbra’s new album Partners is really fantastic.
Long story short:
The new View is actually a lot like the old View. It’s still a bunch of interesting and
successful women, sitting around a table, talking about things we all should.
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