The Co-hosts Should Learn to Listen

I predict that most of my blog entries about The View will concern the co-hosts' listening skills. These skills can be developed, ladies. The key is to quit thinking about what your next question might be. Because a good interviewer has good listening skills, he or she will relax and listen, and then speak to either engage the guest or to make the guest seem more interesting.

A different dynamic occurs with four or five co-hosts. They often interrupt each other. Or what's even worse is that they cut off the guest in order to ask their own question. I find these interruptions particularly disconcerting when I have interest in what the guests are saying before they are cut off.

This might be a good time to mention that it would behoove Elisabeth to shorten her questions. She gives too much background info when asking a questions. In other words, she talks too much when she should be listening.

I question the program's good sense in featuring the feuding Real Housewives of New Jersey. I have to love the  co-hosts when they criticize the "housewives" for feuding for ratings when The View itself is featuring these same ladies for their own show's ratings.

This is my issue with the segment on the "housewives" on Friday's show:  The three feuding ladies are Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga and Kathy Wakile. Melissa is married to Teresa's brother, and the in-laws are not getting along. Cousin Kathy is on Melissa's side. (I do not watch this particular show, but there has been much media exposure to this topic.)

Teresa refused to appear on The View with the other two women. When the co-hosts asked her why she refused, Teresa stated that she hadn't seen these other women since September, and The View wasn't the right place to reunite. The cameras were rolling, and The View's segment didn't give enough time for the ladies to talk everything out.

Teresa's explanation made perfect sense to me. She might have wanted to resolve things without the camera, or maybe her own show required her to save the drama for it's own cameras. The point is that the ladies of The View were indignant about her choice, and they ignored her explanation. When the next two ladies appeared---without Teresa---the co-hosts said, "Teresa refused to appear on stage with you...." as if to say, "How dare she!"

First of all, this whole topic is ridiculous unless you're a fan of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. But if you are going to conduct a serious interview on the subject, try listening to the questions you ask. The View was the wrong format for these three guests, unless the co-hosts wanted to help the "housewives" resolve their feud, and this was clearly not the case.

Here's what I think occurs in some of these interviews on The View. I believe that the co-hosts (or some of the co-hosts or one or two of the co-hosts) think they know the answers to their questions before they ask them. And when they don't bother to actually hear the unpredictable answer; they carry on as though their own own ideas were right all along.

I invite anyone to watch the show and test my theory.

Props to Whoopi's Polka Dots

I want to jump right in and compliment Whoopi and her polka dot blouse on Thursday's show. I wish I had a better shot. I had to use my Screen Capture program to capture this video still:

I have complained in the past that Whoopi wears a daily "uniform" with dark pants and a white "tent blouse." Although I understand dressing for comfort---as I wear pajamas while I blog---I bear no responsibility to viewers or sponsors. When I'm expecting company, I get dolled up. Those of us in the "plus years" look especially haggard when we don't put some color around our faces.

The View calls for personal responsibility on a larger scale. If Whoopi accepts a job as host, she has the right to keep her individuality. She isn't a fashion icon; she'd rather focus on other interests. But she should at least communicate with her audience that she is indeed happy to be a co-host---after all, this is a great gig---and that she is happy to get out of bed and come to work.

Whoopi's successes are born of creativity. Maybe dressing herself feels like a chore, but she has wardrobe people to help her.

Hey. Wait a minute. Hold the fort. Have you seen Whoopi's hats? Or her shoes? She has amazing taste, and she is well-connected to designers who will create accessories for her. Maybe Whoopi is covering up body issues with her usual white tent. Her co-hosts say she has a nice body. Maybe she is rebelling against the lack of choices for us older women who no longer wear fads.

I don't object to Whoopi wearing baggy clothes.I don't object to any reason she might have to cover her body. In fact, I'm rather fond of Diane Keaton's preference to cover her arms and legs when swimming. (Please see this very old article on Keaton from People Magazine's archives.  I just want some variety from Whoopi. Some new colors and beautiful prints.

Perhaps my tirade is misplaced. After all, I set out to write a blog to praise, not to criticize:

I am thrilled to see Whoopi in polka dots She looked super nice on yesterday's show. Brown is one of my favorite colors, and I love, love, love polka dots. Whoopi's moods have been positive, too. I catch her smiling a lot.