Tracer Bullet

Oh, okay. I actually don't spend a lot of time speculating about Barry Manilow's sexual orientation, although I do break out my "Copacabana" mp3 from time to time.

adamblast

Manilow would rather suck up to Rosie at the moment than to the View, that's all this really is... He's showing Rosie loyalty. (She's got more of a bee-in-her-bonnet about Hasselbeck now than she did on the show. Since leaving the show she's gotten more obnoxious again, and now trashes Elizabeth at every public-speaking opportunity.)

Rosie and Manilow actually recorded a duet for this new album of 70's retreads. Yet another stunt-cast remake of that godawful "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". He didn't include it on the album, but promises to release it as an extra.

Groucho

Fixed!

brtcmfn

I would love to see Lisa Lampanelli as a guest on this show- Now that is one that I would have to DVR!

kvrdave

I am also confused. Though I don't watch Teh View, I am sitting here wondering if Barry is gay, the lady who is doesn't like is gay, if Barry hates gays, if the other lady does, of if Barry claims to hate gays, while actually being gay himself.

Jadzia

Barry is widely known to be be gay, although he doesn't talk about it.

Elisabeth once proudly made this statement about gay marriage: "Wouldn't that be like people marrying their toasters?"

kvrdave

I would have paid to see Rosie's reaction.

islandclaws

Good for him. I can't stand Hasseldick. Mind you, I NEVER watch The View, but I've seen enough recaps on other shows to know how uninformed and ignorant she is. I hope Rosie rapes her to death with the strap-on from Seven.

leepyswetr

Isn't Sarandon's new movie overtly political? Unless, of course, she was promoting Mr. Woodcock.

Jadzia

She actually said that pre-Rosie. Then when Rosie joined the panel she was all butt-kissy, and asking about Rosie's wife.

One of the reasons why I can't stand her is that she is so inconsistent on her views.

It is not that I disagree with her, it is that I disrespect her. She is extremely inarticulate about expressing her views, but she is so adamant about everything. Everything is black and white to her, and she nevers sees any shades of gray.

She will sit and argue that committing adultery makes someone a bad parent, then when the other women on the panel mention they once had affairs with married men, she suddenly shuts up.

She only seems to feel empathy for people if it is something she has experienced. As a good conservative, she is against universal health care, but then she will say that her mother had breast cancer and she thinks all women should get free mammograms. When discussing the bill that would have extended health insurance to all uninsured children, she responded "I just have to ask: where are the parents?" She is still gung ho for the Iraq war, something even many conservatives are now questioning, and when the number of troop deaths are brought up, she will say "That is unfortunate."

adamblast

I just assumed he was gay because he began his career as Bette Midler's accompanist in the gay bathhouses in NYC. That's certainly no proof, but there you go...

riley_dude

Good for Barry.
What is Elizatbeth's claim to fame before the view anyway?

Chrisedge

Survivor 2

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivo...isabeth_b.html

Bill Needle

But you clearly do.

You're certainly welcome to have at her, but let's be honest about it. She doesn't toe the expected View audience party line and that makes her get under some people's skin way more than if she did. I can't help but notice that those folks manage to avoid picking apart the blatant uninformed stupidity of the other geniuses on the panel in the same way. When Elisabeth runs for political office, I will care about her stand on the issues. All I care about now when I see her is that she is the hot.

Jadzia

But I could still respect someone I disagreed with. All I ask is that they explain their position clearly.

The rest of the panel are by far no geniuses, but they usually at least make an attempt to see the other side. Joy Behar, for example, is liberal, but she will not make any bones about criticizing Democrats when they screw up. She will say when there are certain Republicans she agrees with. Elisabeth is just so ragingly partisan. She will defend the Bush Administration no matter what. It is so annoying to watch, because there are many intelligent conservatives out there who will disagree with Bush on certain things.

One of the people who tried out for Bitsy's job was Rachel Campos, who was on The Real World - San Francisco. She is also conservative, but I think she is much more intelligent and articulate. I wish she had gotten the job.

Elisabeth brings nothing to the table. It is like she knows that the only thing that differentiates herself is her politics so she has to put a political bent on everything.

She has been doing the job for about 4 years and she only gets worse. She is like a shrieking chipmunk and her shrill demeanor gets on my last nerve.

Jon2

I was about to ask if she has a tendency to be controversial or confrontational, but that pretty much answers my question.

Jon2

IMHO, Elisabeth was added to the view to put forth a decidedly biased notion of "balance" and not a true balance. She is attractive, very conservative and dumber than a doorknob, and that was the point of placing her on the show; to show how stupid people are who are conservatives/Republicans/religious. Otherwise they would have gone for someone like Campos.

But then again...maybe for true balance, the stupidity faction needs to be taken into consideration also.

Timber

Then how do you explain Sherri Shepard's addition. Not young, not attractive but bat shit crazy and shares many of the same ideas as Elisabeth.

big whoppa

What is puzzling is why she is still on the show when Barbara got rid of the original 'girl' Debbie Matenoupolis (sp). I caught Elisabeth on Survivor where she was fine but when I watched her a few times on the View, she's annoying as all hell. More intelligent people think before opening their mouths. Not her. I can't believe they couldn't find someone better than her. Kelly Ripa is Einstein next to Elisabeth.

Chew

Manilow claimed he was "bumped" off the View during last night's Colbert.

nateman

You’re not kidding!

Who the fu*k still actually thinks the earth might be flat & there’s no such thing as evolution. I feel for her kid (& Elisabeth’s kid) who is going to be brought up by that nut job.

creekdipper

Yeah...exactly the way I feel about Rosie's kids.

Totally agree that Elisabeth as hired merely as eye candy & to throw a naive, inexperienced young woman into the mix to represent "conservatives". Since the last few executive branch elections & our political representation in Congress (plus the makeup of the Supreme Court) demonstrate the split views of the electorate, it's absurd beyond belief to think that the 'best' conservative mind that BW could find for her show was Elisabeth. I'm certain that there are thousands of talented young conservative women in the broacasting/news business who would jump at the chance of a lifetime to appear on a nationally-broadcast television show. As has been pointed out, what were Elisabeth's qualifications? An appearance on Survivor during which she appeared to be very fragile and naive--her main distinguishing traits were her "cuteness", "innocence", and "sweetness". Just the sort of thing you're looking for in order to challenge guests who have spent a lifetime in show business. Her profile on the "Survivor" link posted above lists her occupation as "footwear designer". Uh...right.

For all we know, EH has instructions from BW to try to goad the guests into some kind of confrontation (didn't the ratings go up during Rosie's tenure?). In the same vein, reporters often persist in asking "rude" (read, provocative) questions to try to get the interview subject to make some heated response that will play well in soundbite form. Gets more publicity for The View. Just speculating here.

Don't watch the show but understand how this sort of deliberate, calculated method of 'ambush' interviewing can be annoying regardless of your political views. It's the reason that I can't stand Bill Mahrer (sp?)..he loads up his HBO panel with liberals for assistance (unlike his second-most-hated object, O'Reilly) and, just when a conservative might be scoring points, he immediately turns the topic into a joke. His tactics may be more humorous to those who share his political bent but they're no less rude & cowardly.

As far as Manilow goes, he gets more publicity from one appearance on American Idol than fifty appearances on The View. He probably figured that his refusal to appear would either (1) result in more publicity through making the news or (2) would score more points with his audience. Not that I could care either way...his music has always made me feel queasy. Way too much sugar & shmaltz.

If he truly did it for the reasons stated, it is just one more example of a double standard ("I reserve the right to be intolerant of your views to protest your intolerance"). He certainly has the right to do that, but no one should argue that he has gained any moral high ground by doing so. I can only imagine the outcry if a conservative guest refused to be interviewed by a lesbian. The calls for boycotts & demands for public groveling would be harsh and immediate. Thus Michael Richards is banished for life despite his tearful, contrite apologies for losing it & screaming "He's a ******!" after being provoked by hecklers, while Kathy Griffin suffers no repercussions for her unprovoked, calculated "joke" while receiving her Emmy award in which she screamed, "Suck it, Jesus!". Only response to that was a demand that the comment not be broadcast (actually, she probably increased her fan base...she certainly gained a lot of publicity). Haven't heard of her losing any bookings for her rant in which she held up her Emmy and proudly proclaimed that "this is my god." Poor ole Kramer should have just used Griffin's tactic and said that he was only joking and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.

Just pointing out the double standard that I see being applied here for those who applaud Manilow for his "principled" stand.

BTW...not familiar with this "Sherri Sheppard" person. Who the heck is she & where did she come from (and please don't respond with the comment that Dr. House made in the commercial for the show..."From apes...if you believe the Democrats"...which I thought was classic)?

Timber

She's a black "comedian/actress". I don't think she's really talked about her political leanings but by everything she says and the why the rearranged the women on the set I would assume she's a conservative. Her and Elisabeth seem to share similar morals with Sherri being more religious.

Jadzia

Sherri Shephered is an evangelical Christian but she is apolitical. In fact, she seems pretty ignorant of politics and current events. She recently mentioned on The View that Al Gore worked with Greenpeace.

I don't agree with Sherri on most things, but I like her. She is funny and she is much less strident in her views. She doesn't believe in evolution and will explain her position, but she doesn't try and force her views down other people's throats.

Sherri played Tracy Morgan's wife on 30 Rock. She has also been in a ton more sitcoms.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0791868/

Rockmjd23

She's the fat black Star replacement.