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Joy Behar Page
Elton John`s Baby News; Editing "Huckleberry Finn"; 112th Congress Sworn-in
Aired January 05, 2011 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOY BEHAR, HOST: Noted auteur Snooki confessed to occasionally waking up at the bottom of a garbage can on "The Ellen Show" the other day. That`s nothing. Every Monday, Maya Angelou passes out in a finger bowl at the Red Lobster, exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, new reports claim Elton John is the biological father to the baby son he and his husband had via a surrogate. But Elton is only one part of a long list of stars who turned to surrogacy to have kids. Is vanity an issue? And what complications can arise for couples who make this choice?
Then "Jersey Shore" star Snooki says crazy partying leads to her waking up in a garbage can about once a month. So should we finally be done with stars who are famous for all the wrong reasons.
Plus, actress and former talk show queen, Ricki Lake stops by for some tips on keeping your kids fit.
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: Elton John has been a "sir" since 1998 but he`s only been a dad since Christmas when he and David Furnish became the proud parents of a baby boy and they did it the good old-fashion way, turkey-baster and a million bucks.
And a new report today claims Elton is the biological father in part because he wanted to pass on his very talented genes to the child. The couple are keeping mum on the issue and on the identity of the mum.
Here now to talk about surrogacy are Deidre Hall, an actress who has two children born via surrogate, she`s also the author of "Deidre Hall`s Kitchen Close up"; Melissa Brisman, a reproductive attorney who owns a surrogacy agency and has had three children via a surrogate; plus, Michelle Borba, a psychologist and parenting expert.
Ok, ladies. Melissa, surrogacy seems to be on the rise. Is it because women are getting older that they`re doing this, or is it because they don`t want to ruin their figures? Or what?
MELISSA BRISMAN, REPRODUCTIVE ATTORNEY: No, not at all. It`s a combination of things. First, the technology has increased so you have an increase in what`s called gestational surrogacy, where the woman who is carrying the baby is not biologically related, where the -- either the intended parents are biologically related where they -- like in my case, where I used my own egg and my husband`s sperm. Or in a surrogate or you have gay couples where they use an egg donor.
But really the rise is due to the medical technology and the increase in acceptance of same-sex couples having families.
BEHAR: I see. Well, same-sex couples I can understand it because -- especially with the men because it`s a little hard to carry a baby if you don`t have a uterus. I`ve heard that. But like you have three like that. Why did you do it?
BRISMAN: My uterus doesn`t function properly. So, I couldn`t carry a baby.
BEHAR: Oh, I see.
BRISMAN: But everything else in my body worked fine. I was able to use a surrogate to carry the baby. But there are lots of reasons: recovering survivors from estrogen-positive breast cancer, it`s not safe for them to carry a baby. But they can use their own eggs. If you have severe diabetes, it`s not safe for you to carry a baby; heart transplant, kidney transplant.
If your mother took DES while you were pregnant which was a drug prescribed in the `60s and `70s. Your uterus is t-shaped, and a lot of times you`re not able to carry the baby yourself.
BEHAR: So there are medical issues. There`s never vanity involved?
BRISMAN: Every once in a while, you get somebody who calls up and requests a gestational surrogate or a traditional surrogate for vanity. But it`s very rare that they go through with it because they don`t realize what`s involved. Until we get a surrogate by then, it`s a process.
BEHAR: Yes, I would have done but I still trying to lose the baby weight I gained in 1970. It would have been fabulous.
Michelle, I would think that there are ramifications to surrogacy -- I mean big time. You know, taking the baby away from the mother, for example. There are certain kinds of scents, I understand that a child has the same aroma that wants the mother`s smell. What about stuff like that?
MICHELLE BORBA, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, we all know some amazing neurological research that is clearly telling us that before birth that baby is tuned in to that mom, empathy. They can also hear that mommy`s voice.
So, let`s go one step more with this. It`s very similar to adoption. And when we look at what the research is saying, long-term research on kids who are adopted, they turn out just fine, thank you. It`s all a matter of the strength of the relationship between that parent and that child.
BEHAR: What about the physiological relationship? What about that? Is there a period of time that the child should stay with the person who is actually carrying it, or he or she rather?
BORBA: No, I think what you -- what most of the research is going to support is that attachment of that early attachment immediately at birth, whether it be certainly going on to the new caregiver, who is going to assume that parent role, is absolutely essential, so better to make that switch early so that baby can bond with that mom.
BEHAR: Really. Well, that`s good news, I guess, you know, because if you`re going to do it --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Let me ask Deidre. You were the first celebrity to go public in 1992 in "People" magazine, Deidre. Why did you choose surrogacy?
DEIDRE HALL, ACTRESS: I had tried -- hi, Joy, nice to see you again.
BEHAR: Yes.
HALL: I had tried for many years to conceive and it just wasn`t a possibility for me. And I`d done a lot of research and written a screen play about surrogacy. And I loved the relationship between the biological mom and the gestational mom or the adopted mom. I believe in women helping women. I loved all that. And I wanted to be part of that process. That was why I chose surrogacy.
BEHAR: I see. But did -- where did you go? Are there agencies like the William Morris office? Can you find an agent?
HALL: I`m not sure William Morris still does that, but -- no, I --
BEHAR: They only produce short babies.
HALL: Thirteen-week options, ok. I went to an agency and it was very, very carefully screened. I mean we had drug testing, the parents, the surrogate mom, Robin (ph) and I, psychological testing. We were matched because we wanted the same things from the pregnancy and from the life of the child.
I wanted complete contact with her before the birth, after the birth. We`re still dear, close friends. She sees my children all the time. She was at every birthday party they have. Her sons right now -- one son, Robbie, is in Afghanistan. And my sons and I have spent enormous amounts of time gathering gifts for him, sending them off, making sure that -- we`re very, very close.
BEHAR: That`s nice. What happens, Melissa, when the surrogate mother develops an attachment to the baby and doesn`t want to get -- remember Mary Beth Whitehead, that whole story?
BRISMAN: Absolutely. I have an agency also and we have about 125 pregnant surrogates. We do not do the same kind of surrogacy that has been done in the past. Like, in Deidre Hall`s situation, she has a surrogate that is from a traditional surrogate meaning the woman is biologically related to the baby.
BEHAR: Right.
BRISMAN: So, when we separate the egg in the womb from a legal perspective, we`re in states where she can`t keep the baby, where we have a legal order at the time of birth that that baby is then transferred to the parents. I have to tell you, traditional or gestational they don`t want to keep the baby. That`s not the reason that they`re in it.
BEHAR: But it could happen.
BRISMAN: It could happen that they could want to keep the baby. But in a gestational surrogacy situation --
BEHAR: They can`t.
BRISMAN: They won`t be able to if the legal aspects -- like my law office takes care of all the legal aspects. If the legal aspects are taken care of properly, they won`t be able to keep the baby. We have never had a paid surrogate actually in over 1,000 babies we`ve had ever try to keep the baby.
BEHAR: Really? Ok, Michelle --
BORBA: in our case you know -- what I wanted to say, joy, in our case Robin was very, very clear that this child was created for us and not for her. So she wasn`t carrying a child that she had conceived out of love and her own relationship. This was a child created for us. So it made the separation much more --
BEHAR: I understand that, I still think it could be rough sometimes. I guess you`re saying it`s not.
BRISMAN: They`re screened very well. So they have a lot -- in our office, they have three months of screening before they can even become pregnant. And they meet with psychologists. And if they`ve ever had --
BEHAR: How much does it cost?
BRISMAN: It really depends. Like, if you use a sister or a friend, the costs are variable. But let`s just say you use a paid carrier through our offices. It`s 60,000 to $80,000 for everything.
BEHAR: That`s all? I thought it was more than that.
BRISMAN: Well, if you go in for multiple --
BEHAR: Not that that`s not enough.
BRISMAN: -- and egg donors, you can get up there but the average is $60,000 to $80,000.
BEHAR: Do you think that it should be covered by medical insurance?
BRISMAN: In certain states it is. For instance, I lobbied for legislation that was passed in New Jersey as an insurance regulation. Under the insurance statute in New Jersey, if you have a medical need and work for a New Jersey-based company, four of your IVFs are covered and your surrogate`s pregnancy goes on your plan.
BEHAR: So that could work in some states.
Michelle, Elton is keeping the identity of the mother mum, as we said. Do you think the child should know who the surrogate mother is?
BORBA: What most research is saying is that you need to sit down and have that little talk early with the child at their developmental level that just simply says at this point, I`m the daddy, and in this case, Elton would say, here`s the other daddy.
You then wait a little longer, usually 18, 19, 20, until you give that child the option. Because the biggest problem I`m concerned about is the confidence of the parents to be able to confidently parent on your own without always having to feel like the other -- you know, the biological mom is there still around.
It`s a rare mom I think who can handle the relationship still with the other mother.
BEHAR: Deidre, what`s his name -- Elton -- there he is. Elton John - -
HALL: Oh, what`s his name, Elton, yes.
BEHAR: He wanted his musical genes to be passed on. That doesn`t always work. I mean let`s take an example. George Herbert Walker Bush, George W. Bush. Obviously it doesn`t always work.
But do you think that -- did you do anything like that? Did you want your babies to be beautiful and talented like you are? Did you think of that?
HALL: You`re very kind to say that. And they happen to be beautiful and talented, having nothing to do with my gene pool. But I think -- I think there`s a fairness to that. Mostly I wanted a baby in my arms. And I wanted a relationship with the biological mom. And that`s what we have and still have. That my children and I have always adored.
BEHAR: You know, Elton is so --
BORBA: I love that, Joy. I love that. I just have to say, that`s the bottom line. The motive is I want the baby in my arms. Not to pass on the gene pool. How do you know on that one? It`s nurture plus nature and it`s Russian roulette when it comes to the genes.
BEHAR: Well, in Elton`s case he figured he`s got the sperm, he`s got the musical talent. Why not put them together, boom, you have a talented baby. He killed two birds with one sperm.
BORBA: That`s not always the case.
BEHAR: Thanks ladies.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Thank you very much. This was interesting conversation. I hope the women out there are listening. You have an option. It`s nice.
Up next, has political correctness gone too far? We`ll find the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out in the next segment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tomorrow on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, the one, the only Roseanne Barr. Now, back to Joy.
BEHAR: The publishers of new editions of Mark Twain`s classics "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" are updating the books by replacing the frequently used N word with "slave", the word "slave". Is this a rewrite of history or just political correctness run wild?
Joining me to talk about this are Marc Lamont Hill, professor of anthropology and education at Columbia University and a frequent guest of THE JOY BEHAR SHOW; and Boyce Watkins, professor at Syracuse University. Ok, welcome.
This revision was spear-headed by Twain scholar Alan Gribben. He gave us this statement. Let me read the statement to you.
He says, "The book is so much better than the word, than that particular word. I want to give another option to teachers whose school districts are not teaching these books. People are calling this censorship. I`m actually trying to expand the readership of the book."
Marc, what do you -- how do you respond to something like that? He really is saying, I want more children to read the book and the teachers are not letting them because of the N world all over the book, 219 times.
MARC LAMONT HILL, ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Yes, I appreciate his intentions and I don`t doubt that he`s well-intentioned. The problem is, while he`s trying to expand readership for the book, when you take out the N word, it`s no longer the book.
So much of this book is about the N word. So much of this book is about how people are navigating race in this historical moment. Of course, the book`s bigger than that. It`s about loss, it`s about estrangement, it`s about death, it`s about sorrow. But it`s also about race and to take that out is to deny students and teachers the opportunity to talk about something really important.
BEHAR: Ok. Boyce let me say this. The world "slave" to me -- to substitute the word "slave" does not sound equal to the N word because the N word is an epithet; it`s a slur. It`s supposed to make somebody feel bad. Whereas the world "slave" is an unpaid, a description of a job in a way; it`s a service. So it doesn`t seem like an equal switch on the word? How do you respond to that?
BOYCE WATKINS, PROFESSOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: Well, you know there really is no other word quite like that one. And I think that it should be appreciated that the original form of the book is still available. Censorship to me would mean that you can`t get the original version anywhere.
The truth is that if parents feel that their children are ready to read the word and to sort of experience the trauma that I experienced as a high school kid seeing this word over and over and over again in a room full of white classmates who didn`t quite understand the broader lesson being presented there, if parents feel that their kids are ready for that, that`s fine.
But I think you can tell someone, look, just take the word slave and replace it with the N word and then you`ll get the point. And I think the people will still understand how beautiful the book is.
I mean, you know, this idea that there`s no form of filtering anywhere in our society for any age group in any context I think is a little bit idealistic because we already do that with movies, with music, with all other forms of art so, I don`t see why this book would be any different.
BEHAR: Well, he has a point there Marc. They censor for Mass Market, Wal-Mart; take certain things out of books, et cetera. What do you think about that idea? The fact that you could get the book in a library, you can get it at Amazon, just can`t get it in a school.
LAMONT HILL: Right. But to make that point is to ignore a reality in American racial life which is that we go to extravagant lengths to avoid talking about race. If you give somebody one the opportunity -- particularly white people, the opportunity to not use the -- to talk about the N word, to not talk about race and racisms and white supremacy, they`ll take it.
Every school district in America will avoid getting the book with the N word in it. And we squander an important opportunity. The example Boyce gave is a very good. He said, when I was growing up in school, the word was used and it made me uncomfortable. That`s not a problem with the book, though, that`s a problem with the irresponsible school system and a poor teacher who squandered an opportunity to talk about race in a sophisticated fashion.
We need to have better teaching, not changing the book.
BEHAR: Well, he has a point, you know. The thing is it`s letting white people off the hook. Caucasians need to talk about race in this society. And maybe you`re squandering that opportunity. Isn`t that true, Boyce?
WATKINS: Number one, a lot of schools are not presenting the book at all to their kids. They`re completely getting rid of this book as a vehicle to discuss race. But I think that if you`re asking me if we need to discuss race more responsibly and more directly in American school systems, I think the answer is absolutely yes.
I mean, we`ve missed so much of the black American holocaust that was experienced in America, which precludes our ability to really understand the society we live in today. So I`m in complete agreement we need to talk about race, we need to talk about it honestly. I don`t necessarily think you have to bring this book as the way to do that.
I also think that parents deserve the right to decide if their kids are ready for this book. Because I had kids tell me just the other day that they got into a fight because some of their white classmates didn`t see the broader lesson and actually made fun of them and repeated words from the book because they`d been given an excuse to do that because of what they read in class.
So I think that -- you know, again, if the book is available in its current form and also in the modified form, it only expands the audience and expands the opportunities for people to read it.
LAMONT HILL: Right. It expands the opportunity to read the book, or to read a book but not the book. This isn`t the book that Mark Twain wanted us to read. That`s not the book that Mark Twain intended for us to read.
BEHAR: And he`s dead. Let me just add that Mark Twain, as we all know, is dead a long time. Shouldn`t we be consulting the author before we start switching his words around?
LAMONT HILL: And that`s exactly the point. Particularly somebody like Mark Twain, he has a very famous quote. He said the difference between the almost right word and the right word is very large. Actually he said it`s the difference between lightning bug and lightning itself. So Mark Twain was very clear that he used very specific words and didn`t want them changed at all.
So I think we have to honor that. And since we don`t have a Ouija board, and can`t address Mark Twain, we need to just go with what he wrote.
BEHAR: Yes. Right.
WATKINS: But we can`t -- but remember, Mark Twain wasn`t shy about making sure his wishes were heard. I mean this was a guy who said, I don`t want my autobiography published until 100 years after my death.
So he had plenty of opportunities during life to tell us how he wanted his work to be presented. And what the reality --
LAMONT HILL: He did. He did though.
WATKINS: But the reality though is that if we were teaching a class on say hip-hop and politics and we used the famous song by NWA "F the Police" which I consider to be a classic when you talk about the link between race, hip-hop and politics and police brutality. If that is being played in the public school system, there is no way they would play that song without editing it even though the profanity in the song was critical to getting the message across.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: All right. Ok. I have to go, Marc. I`m sorry.
LAMONT HILL: No problem.
BEHAR: Very interesting. Thanks very much for the conversation.
Next, John Boehner becomes third in line to the presidency. And I was having such a pleasant day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: John Boehner was sworn in today as Speaker of the House as 112th Congress officially convened. There were no tears except for me. Although outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi did get a kiss. Didn`t they do that in "The Godfather"?
Here to discuss this as well as what we can expect from our new Congress is Roy Sekoff, founding editor of the Huffington Post. Hey Roy, how are you?
Listen, I heard that Boehner got choked up but no crying. Were you surprised? I thought he would be hysterical?
ROY SEKOFF, FOUNDING EDITOR, HUFFINGTON POST: I was a little bit, you know, because he was the valedictorian at the Glenn Beck School of Public Weeping. I was expecting a few more waterworks there.
You know what I wasn`t expecting, Joy, was that moment when Nancy Pelosi handed him that oversized gavel and kind of made a joke that was a little bit of double entendre. It was a little bit strange. It was kind of like an old episode of Sonny and Cher.
You know, wow, that`s an awful big gavel you have there. Oh, it`s not the size of your gavel, it`s how you bang it.
It was weird. It was really strange.
BEHAR: Let`s talk about what they`re going to try and do. Are they going to try and destroy everything Obama has done so far? The approval rating is up over 50 percent on Obama again. What are they going to try to do? Are they going to ruin health care?
SEKOFF: Well, yes. First thing out of the gate, they`re going to try to destroy health care, try to repeal it. And it`s not the going to work so it`s just pure theater. A pure waste of time because, you know, the Democrats still control the senate. Obama still has the veto pen.
But yes, that`s the first thing they`re going to do is make this big presentation of we`re going to roll back what they call the job-killing health care bill. And of course, they`re always talking about how concerned they are about debt. And we know that that bill will actually lower the debt. So, a little bit of talking out of both sides of their mouth.
BEHAR: Also, I don`t think that their base or their constituency is going to be thrilled to hear that they`re going to roll back pre-existing conditions which are now covered; the fact that you can keep a 26-year-old kid on a health plan. I think people like that, don`t you?
SEKOFF: There`s no question, there are parts in this health care bill that people love. And that`s the point. And it`s never going to happen, Joy. It`s just pure fantasy.
BEHAR: Ok. What about Nancy Pelosi? Nancy is now the House Minority Leader. What do we see next from her? What can she do?
SEKOFF: You know, she`s shown that she`s a really tough legislator and she knows how to, you know, move bills through and things like that. I mean the last two years were very, very productive. Obviously she`s in a much weaker position now that she`s the minority leader. But I think we`re going to see feistiness and an attempt to find some reconciliation.
The question is, are the Republicans who have spent the last two years just saying no -- that`s the only thing they`ve done -- are they finally going to put forward their own agenda? Are they going to put forward the Boehner agenda? When that happens, maybe we`ll be able to see some compromise. I hope so.
BEHAR: I don`t think that they can blame Nancy for everything anymore. They`re going to have to start blaming Boehner, now, it sounds like. She can`t be the scapegoat anymore.
SEKOFF: Well, exactly. Once you take power, now it`s on you.
BEHAR: Ok. Now, what about Robert Gibbs? I hear that he`s leaving the post. Who`s going to be the press secretary?
SEKOFF: Well, you know, it`s interesting. I mean, what this says about the Obama White House is that they are getting very, very serious about him being re-elected. David Axelrod left and he`s going to work on the campaign and now Gibbs is leaving and he`s going to work on the campaign.
So what this is saying is, let`s bring the battle-hardened pros and have them focus on the campaign. So that`s what they`re saying there. As far as who`s going to replace him, Joy remember Bush ended up getting Tony Snow over from Fox?
BEHAR: Right.
SEKOFF: So, Joy, do I see an opening? I know you`re very busy but maybe a third job for you?
BEHAR: Oh, I would do it any day. I love President Obama.
SEKOFF: Oh, I`d love to see you handling the press, Joy.
BEHAR: I`ll smack them.
SEKOFF: That`s what I`m saying.
BEHAR: All right. Thank you, again, Roy, for always coming through for me. Thanks very much.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Coming up a little later on the JOY BEHAR SHOW, actress and former talk show host, Ricki Lake, drops by with some tips on keeping your kids fit and trim. Now, back to Joy.
BEHAR: Paul Abdul`s new show "Live to Dance" premiered last night, and not surprisingly, her goofy antics and lavish phrase took center stage. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ABDUL SINGER: You have so much joy that comes out of that little face of yours. I want to squeeze. I just want to squeeze it. You are this beautiful young talent that`s going to emerge into the heavens above, of greatness.
You two exemplify what it`s like -- what dance is like and what it does to your spirit, what it does to your soul, what it does to your mind, what it does to your body, what it does to the entire world.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Who are those people? I thought Fred and Ginger were dead.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: With me now to talk about this and other stories in the news are Paulina Porizkova, former super model and blogger for the "Huffington Post," comedian, Chuck Nice, and Rebecca Dana, senior correspondent for the Daily Beast. Welcome, guys. Doesn`t she need Simon to counteract the schmaltz? I mean, the girl is too good. She`s too nice.
CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN: She`s a little syrupy. I mean, honestly, if I ever met anybody who could actually make Mother Theresa vomit if she was still alive, just like, oh, you`ve got to be kidding me, it`s Paula Abdul. She`s like the girl who comes to a party and drinks even though she`s on Prozac, you know.
(LAUGHTER)
PAULINA PORIZKOVA, BLOGGER, HUFFINGTON POST: I actually think that it`s less of a problem of chemicals than it is that English may be her third language.
(LAUGHTER)
PORIZKOVA: What`s the opposite of eloquent? That`s what she is.
BEHAR: She`s the opposite of eloquent? She`s loopy.
REBECCA DANA, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, DAILY BEAST: I think she doesn`t have the year of austerity where we all got very serious. Maybe 2011 will be the year of schmaltz. We have the Oprah Winfrey Network now where nobody is allowed to say a bad word and you have Paula Abdul just like talking about the heaven night and day.
BEHAR: What`s going to happen to my show?
DANA: Cancelled.
BEHAR: Oh, my God.
NICE: You`ll be the alternative where people go to for a voice of reason.
BEHAR: Make the switch, check out the bitch.
NICE: There you go. I love it. New slogan.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
DANA: Bill O`Reilly will have to like hunker down together in your little cave of angry.
BEHAR: Now, she says that she doesn`t drink.
DANA: Yes.
BEHAR: She doesn`t drink or do drugs.
DANA: It`s possible.
BEHAR: What do you attribute the behavior to?
NICE: Yes. You know, I don`t think that medication is considered drugs like for recreational purposes, but it can be used that way.
BEHAR: Prescription drugs.
NICE: Yes, prescription drugs. Listen, I don`t care who you are. When you are slurring your speech, if you`re not having a stroke, you are high.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: But you know what, I don`t think Lipitor gets you high. That`s my choice drug. All right. Let`s switch to Snooki who appeared on "Ellen" today and talked about, what else, her hard-partying ways. Take a look at Snooki.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST: Now, when you say if you don`t blackout, it`s a good night for you
SNOOKI, REALITY TV PERSONALITY: Yes.
DEGENERES: Are you serious?
SNOOKI: Yes. Because I want to remember my night, and sometimes, I just don`t.
DEGENERES: Right.
SNOOKI: And it is sucks.
DEGENERES: Right.
SNOOKI: You`re like, what did I do? Why did I wake up in a garbage can?
(LAUGHTER)
DEGENERES: How often does that happen?
SNOOKI: Once a month.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: You know, I don`t think we`ve seen enough of her pudendum. I mean, do you see how short that skirt is? Oh, my God.
PORIZKOVA: I`m surprised that she wakes up in the garbage only once a month. I mean, like the rest of the trash, she should be waking up there every day.
BEHAR: Do you think she`s smashing -- what`s his name, Oscar the Grouch in there?
NICE: I don`t know. She`s rich and famous now, right? She should at least upgrade to a dumpster, you know. It`s roomier. You can stretch out.
DANA: (INAUDIBLE) yesterday Snooki`s ghost writer because she`s just come out with a novel called, "A Shore Thing," and her ghost writer said that her first question going into the project was what does Snooki smell like? And I think no one will be surprised to hear that Snooki smells like Britney Spears` perfume. That`s what she wears. And so, maybe, she developed a taste for that sort of fragrance during her one night a month in the garbage.
BEHAR: In the garbage, I see.
PORIZKOVA: How long will it take before she shaves her head and ends up on "Rehab with Dr. Drew." Maybe a year. I`m calling it, a year.
NICE: She`s off to a good start with that skirt on. It`s only a matter of time before we se her who-ha.
BEHAR: Exactly.
DANA: Although, the thing is she came out today and said that she wants to be called Nicole going forward and not Snooki. And you can see she shed the big bump-it in favor of a normal look.
BEHAR: I think she`s changing her image?
DANA: This is a classy time.
BEHAR: Remember this phrase, jumping the shark? That`s what`s happening to Snooki?
NICE: There you go.
BEHAR: It`s very dangerous to change, right? Look at Paulina, she used to be short and fat.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: and she was such a hit. And now, look at her. She destroyed her career.
PORIZKOVA: Nobody wants me.
(LAUGHTER)
DANA: Ricki Lake does.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Why is Ellen interested in Snooki? Why are we talking about her?
PORIZKOVA: I think -- that`s exactly what -- I mean, she`s like the perfect role model of what`s wrong with our culture today. I mean, she is famous because she`s plump, orange (ph), and obnoxious.
(LAUGHTER)
NICE: True.
PORIZKOVA: Yes. I mean, come on --
DANA: The new thing now. I mean, Paris Hilton was famous because she was --
PORIZKOVA: She was at least rich.
DANA: Gaunt, orange, and obnoxious.
NICE: I mean, Paris, at least, --
PORIZKOVA: She`s at least had a name.
NICE: She had a name. Snooki is an oompa loompa.
BEHAR: Paris, I saw a pictures of her in the Inquirer, she`s putting on weight. They`re saying, maybe, you know, might be --
PORIZKOVA: Baby bump?
BEHAR: Maybe. That`s what they`re saying in "The Inquirer." My picture of record.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: As long as she films the birth in night vision, I`m in.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. Next story. We have another story. This is a sort of fun story. This guy, Ted Williams -- not the dead, frozen ball player -- but a homeless man from Columbus, Ohio, has become an overnight sensation for an unexpected talent. His incredible singing -- the speaking voice. Take a look at this video from dispatch.com.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ll make you work for your dollar. Say something with that great radio voice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you`re listening to nothing but the best of oldies, you`re listening to magic 98.9. And we`ll be back with more right after these words. And don`t forget tomorrow morning is your chance to win a pair of tickets to see this man live in concert. Thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Well, that`s a very velvety -- he also has a face for radio.
PORIZKOVA: I was just going to say, I find him oddly attractive.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: But I mean, is he the next Susan Boyle, that guy? He has an incredible speaking voice.
NICE: Yes. I like to say this, I spent eight years doing radio here in New York City and pretty much everybody was just like that. So, I don`t understand --
BEHAR: They looked like that?
NICE: They looked like that. He was like, yes, I had a drug and alcohol problem. I`m like, I thought that was a prerequisite for the job.
BEHAR: Really?
NICE: Yes.
BEHAR: But, you know, he`s already been offered jobs with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who are they?
PORIZKOVA: Whoa re they?
BEHAR: I don`t know.
NICE: A basketball team.
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: An announcer in the stadium probably.
BEHAR: That`s pretty good job.
BEHAR: And MTV, and even a house, they`ve offered him a house.
DANA: Paulina, you are looking for work. Maybe, you should live on the street.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: In the dumpster with Snooki and this guy and you`ll have a job.
PORIZKOVA: Thank you very much. You make me feel so much better with my New Year.
BEHAR: I mean, I think he should have a career, this guy. Randy Quaid, he`s homeless and he won an Oscar.
PORIZKOVA: His story is exactly the same as Snooki`s. I mean, comes out of nowhere, gets famous for no particular reason.
DANA: Probably sleeps in the garbage.
PORIZKOVA: Sleeps in the garbage. But the thing is, I think he suffered and Snooki has not.
DANA: Snooki suffers --
BEHAR: No, we suffer for Snooki.
PORIZKOVA: Yes, exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: It`s kind of Christian, isn`t it? But the guy is talented. Snooki doesn`t seem to have any discernible talent.
PORIZKOVA: Do you call that good voice talent?
BEHAR: I do.
DANA: Me too.
(LAUGHTER)
PORIZKOVA: What am I saying? No, no.
BEHAR: Who`s your husband again?
PORIZKOVA: Yes, yes. He`s the guy from the cars?
BEHAR: What`s his name?
PORIZKOVA: Rick Ocasek.
BEHAR: OK.
PORIZKOVA: Yes, I know. He has --
BEHAR: Isn`t he a singer.
PORIZKOVA: Yes, but he also writes songs.
BEHAR: Aren`t you a very wealthy woman because you married him?
PORIZKOVA: That`s a weirdy question. How do I answer that?
BEHAR: Yes or no.
PORIZKOVA: No.
BEHAR: No. OK.
PORIZKOVA: Can I say I`m moderately wealthy.
NICE: A moderately wealthy?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
PORIZKOVA: I mean, you know, today`s time with all the taxes and stuff --
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: She`s a model/valley girl. I love that. It`s great. OK. Here`s another final story. Former "Brady Bunch" star, child star, Christopher Knight, is being sued for allegedly assaulting his former accountant. I just prayed that Alice the maid (ph) hasn`t been busted for bitch slapping Florence Henderson.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: That`s all I`m praying for. Now, the accountant says that he beat him up in an attempt to retrieve a loan. The accountant owed him money.
NICE: That right there is -- if my accountant asks me for a dime, his answer is, you`re fired. You`re my accountant.
DANA: Here`s the thing. I think --
BEHAR: I think the accountant lent him money.
DANA: I think this is a success story.
BEHAR: No, he lent the accountant money. He lent the accountant money.
DANA: And the accountant owed him.
BEHAR And the accountant didn`t pay it back. So, go ahead.
DANA: I was just going to say that I think in the grand scheme of child stars --
BEHAR: Yes.
DANA: This is like he`s a screaming success. He`s not on drugs. He`s not a security guard. So, he beat up his accountant. That`s not great, but like, holy crap. I mean, he --
PORIZKOVA: He married the only top model from Tyra`s Show that actually became slightly famous by marrying him.
BEHAR: Who`s that? Who was that?
PORIZKOVA: Adrianne --
NICE: Curry. Curry is her name.
BEHAR: Oh, he married a model?
NICE: Yes.
PORIZKOVA: He married -- well, from, you know, "America`s Next Top Model," like the only winner that actually went anywhere because then she was on a reality show, met him, and married him.
NICE: I just love the visual of Chris Knight punching his accountant in the face and the accountant saying repeatedly, oh my nose, oh, my nose, oh, my nose.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. Thanks you, guys, very much. By the way, the JOY BEHAR SHOW is moving to 10:00 p.m., same scintillating discussion, same stunningly gorgeous host, just an hour later. You can tivo "The Mentalist," OK?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Ricki Lake shot to fame at 19 years old when she was cast in the film "Hairspray" as the pretty but overweight girl who could dance. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aren`t you a little fat for the show?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s enough, Amber.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would imagine that many of the home viewers are also pleasantly plump or chunky.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, come on. The show is not filmed in cinema scope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: you`re on the line, Amber.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: She`s taken her personal struggle with weight which began in childhood and turned it into a positive, helping other kids and their parents tackle childhood obesity. Here now is the actress, former talk show host, and the co-author of "Too small to be Big: The AllStride Solution," Ricki Lake.
Ricki, every time I see "Hairspray," I see this poor girl. She has to live with this on camera. Now that you`re not the chunky that you are, how does it feel when you watch that?
RICKI LAKE, ACTRESS: Well, I look back and then I think what an experience it was. You know, the fact it`s lived on from a Broadway musical to another movie that John Travolta played.
BEHAR: Oh, yes. That`s fantastic.
LAKE: So, that is flattering ultimately, but the fact that I`ve managed to improve physically with age is a nice thing.
BEHAR: I know.
LAKE: It`s kind of (INAUDIBLE) for everyone to see.
BEHAR: And the girls who do the "Hairspray" are terrific actress.
LAKE: They`re awesome. I mean, it was hard to swallow in the beginning. I mean, the idea that Marissa Jaret Winokur went on Broadway to play my part, and I was really offended (ph) because I`m a singer and I wanted to do it, and John Waters was like, you`re not fat and you`re too old.
BEHAR: Too old here.
LAKE: She was nice. She`s basically my age like five years younger than me, but, you know, all in all, it`s the compliment. And the fact that I`ve had nine lives in this business is really incredible.
BEHAR: Oh, an incredible success story you are. But you started gaining weight when you were 10 years old.
LAKE: Around that time. I mean, it`s hard to pinpoint, but yes. I was molested as a young --
BEHAR: Really?
LAKE: You knew you that.
BEHAR: I forgot. I always block bad things like that out. Who did that to you?
LAKE: Someone who worked for my parents like a gardener, handyman guy. And, you know, it was a traumatic thing. It was something that I dealt with over years with therapy. I mean, I don`t think it messed me up, but I think it was part of who I am. But I think that`s probably one of the reasons why I gained a lot of weight when I was, you know, turning 9 or 10 years old. I turned to food. And, you know, that`s not uncommon for a lot of people today.
BEHAR: A lot of times, people put on weight to keep someone away.
LAKE: Well, that was my case. But I have a friend who also -- my best friend, she was also molested as a child. And we talked years, years later when we were adults, and she did the opposite. She became very promiscuous. So, the fact that, you know, I went the other way. I didn`t want anybody to find me attractive. And I didn`t talk about the molestation until I was 21 years old, and it was something --
BEHAR: You never told your parents or anybody?
LAKE: I told them when I told. Like, you know, I kept a secret for a long time, and when I told, it was never discussed again. It was like I was never sent to therapy. This is pre-McMartin. Remember the McMartin trial in California?
(CROSSTALK)
LAKE: Phil Donahue was on, but I wasn`t going to call Phil and say, you know -
BEHAR: No, I mean, the people --
LAKE: But no, people were not talking about it. This is, you know --
BEHAR: Yes.
LAKE: And it was just my secret. And it was something that I dealt with. You know, again, it`s like, I don`t want to use that as an excuse. I also had very poor eating habits. I didn`t sit down with my family for dinner at night. I think it`s a huge thing. That`s one of the things I really try to instill with my boys is to sit down. That kind of ritual of a family doing -- you know, not watching TV or on the computer, but really engaging in conversation and being conscious of what we`re eating when we`re eating.
BEHAR: Aha. Some kids hate to do that because they feel pressured to converse and to tell you, what did you do at school today and all that. They don`t like it.
LAKE: Well, I think they do. I think they may not act like they do. I mean, my little one, my 9-year-old, the other day, you know, he wasn`t sure if it was family dinner night or not. He`s like, are we having family dinner? And he really likes the ritual. And that`s what I`m learning. And I think I missed that.
BEHAR: Get them used to it.
LAKE: Absolutely.
BEHAR: And enjoy it, I think. I mean, it was a nightmare for me when I was a kid. I did not want to sit with my parents. You know what my father would do? Let`s you`re having veal parmesan and I would take the mozzarella off and save it for the end.
LAKE: Really?
BEHAR: So, I would eat the veal-colored first and just have the moz sitting there, right?
LAKE: Because that`s your favorite.
BEHAR: Yes. So, what he would do at the end is he would reach over and take the moz and eat it, OK?
LAKE: I don`t blame you.
BEHAR: Why would a child want to sit there with parents when a father does that to his child?
LAKE: I can`t answer that for you, but I would, after the first, I would have, you know, eaten the moz first.
BEHAR: So, why do you think I would learn? I must have been stupid.
LAKE: Speaking of learning, can I also say I was on GMA this morning and I want to apologize --
BEHAR: Oh, yes.
LAKE: Because, you know, though I`m not a doctor or claim to be any sort of expert, I`m an advocate with this program, AllStride. And I put my own money into this business. At that, I`m hoping we`ll actually make great changes in the situation with, you know, childhood obesity, but I did misstep when I said about juvenile diabetes being type I juvenile diabetes is being preventable. And it`s not the case. It`s type II.
BEHAR: OK.
LAKE: And so, you know, I got -- you know, it was a great interview, and I was really happy with it. But, you know, we`ve been getting all this feedback, and I really want to apologize to the community and clarify that juvenile diabetes is not a preventable disease.
BEHAR: OK. You made a mistake. You`re not Charles Manson, Ricki. Relax.
LAKE: I`m not. I`m not. And I`m not your father eating the mozzarella off your plate.
BEHAR: Yes, imagine taking that? So, I wonder why I did not become obese just prove something.
LAKE: You never were obese?
BEHAR: No. I was skinny, actually, as a child, believe it or not.
LAKE: Right.
BEHAR: But you know what I`m reading statistics and it`s unbelievable. One in 10 toddlers under two years old is overweight. What the heck is going on there?
LAKE: I mean, I don`t know. That`s a question for Dr. John Monaco.
BEHAR: Who will becoming in our next segment.
LAKE: Amazing pediatrician. There is nobody more passionate about this issue. He`s an ICU trauma pediatrician who deals with these issues all the times. These kids 10 years old, 11 years old, 250 pounds with heart disease already. So, I mean, he`s the guy to ask. But no, clearly, with what is going on with Phys Ed being cut out of schools --
BEHAR: Right.
LAKE: You know, computers, Facebook, you know --
BEHAR: Fast foods.
LAKE: Were sedentary. The fast food. Parents having to work two jobs. Nobody is cooking at home. Nobody is eating fresh food, you know, without preservatives. I mean, it`s like a snowball-effect, and I think something needs to be done. We need to re-educate the public that there are healthy options and choices and a community that is there to help.
BEHAR: I know. But it`s very hard for parents to do everything you just described and also cook fresh meals and everything else.
LAKE: Having been the kid who struggled with my weight and now being a parent of two sons who are not skinny. They`re not fat, but they`re not thin. It`s really a delicate balance. Like, how do you bring it to their attention? You don`t want to make them feel bad about their bodies. You know, so, it`s really a tricky thing and that`s why this book, which we`re giving away for free on our website, allstride.com. It is absolutely free.
BEHAR: Very good.
LAKE: We want people to get involved. We want to help people. And it`s an online community for parents to get information from other parents from our efforts and for kids to meet other kids who`ve had success.
BEHAR: OK. When we come back in the next segment, we`re going to bring this pediatrician out that you love so much and ask him some questions. So, stay with us. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with the lovely Ricki Lake. And joining us is Dr. John Monaco, a pediatrician and the co-author of "Too Small To Be Big: The AllStride Solution." You`ve co-written the book I take it?
LAKE: Yes, he has.
BEHAR: OK. So, doctor, let me go back to what we were talking about before. One in 10 toddlers is overweight. Why? Under 2 years old.
DR. JOHN MONACO, CO-AUTHOR "TOO SMALL TO BE BIG": Well, what`s happening if you think about it, parents are so programmed to go to fast food now. The fast food industry has spent $4.2 billion last year just advertising.
BEHAR: Are they giving big Macs to infants?
MONACO: No, what I`m saying is though is that you`re already starting to be programmed at the minute you get on table foods, especially if you have older siblings who are eating chicken nuggets and French fries, that`s going to be your food of choice.
BEHAR: Even when you`re that young?
MONACO: Well, you know, you start introducing table foods after what, six months or so, sometimes a little bit earlier. Sometimes, you know, it`s the same issue that all the other kids are facing. We`re eating for convenience. We`re eating for, you know, taste --
BEHAR: Yes. And economics too.
MONACO: And economics. And, you know, people just don`t have time to --
BEHAR: I wonder if the women who are breast feeding have the problem with their children?
MONACO: Actually, the longer you breast feed, the more protected you are against childhood obesity.
BEHAR: Of course. Of course. And you give them all your immunities and the healthy your children.
BEHAR: Did you breast feed?
LAKE: I did.
BEHAR: Yes. OK. So now, how can a parent protect the child from becoming obese? What can parents who are watching do if they see that their children are putting on weight?
MONACO: Well, I think prevention is, obviously, the best course because it`s a very challenging problem when you`re trying to reverse the process. Really, it`s to follow the four Fs that we talk about in the book. We`re talking about food. You have to eat healthy and nutritious food as much as you can.
BEHAR: Right.
MONACO: We talk about fun which could also be fitness. Kids just need to get out and play more.
BEHAR: Right.
MONACO: We talk about friending. We`ve embraced the technological age so that these kids can now be friends with each other, and they can communicate with each other in a Facebook style. It`s a very supportive. We need to recognize it. Kids today spend 7 1/2 hours on technology every day. So --
BEHAR: And 18 percent of teens are obese. 18 percent, that`s very high.
LAKE: Exactly. And that`s --
BEHAR: And that`s not overweight, that`s obese.
LAKE: Right.
MONACO: Yes.
BEHAR: Now, how do you feel about Lap-Banding for these kids and maybe the gastric bypass, either one of you? Do you have an opinion on that?
LAKE: I have my own. I mean, I don`t want to judge, you know. Whatever they decide, people decide to do with their bodies.
BEHAR: Right.
LAKE: And with children, I think it`s really dangerous. And I think you would agree on that.
BEHAR: How about teenagers, 17, 16?
LAKE: I mean, I know, you know, I was 260 pounds at my heaviest at the age of 21. I did lose a lot, a well over 100 pounds on my own without having any surgery. I don`t even think it was available at that time, but I`m not suggesting. I mean, I think, there are cases where, you know, the pros or the risks, you know, it outweighs. The pros outweigh the risks. And, you know, I don`t know. Do you see it a lot with kids in your hospital?
MONACO: No. We don`t see it a lot, but I think it`s like any other medical condition in a way. You try to do medical management. You try to do the best you can without surgery. But, sometimes, obesity can be life threatening and you got to do something.
BEHAR: That`s right.
LAKE: And that`s why we`re doing something. This program, the AllStride program, this is my next role. I did the advocacy with women and birth. And this, I feel as a mother, as someone who has struggled my entire life, I have two sons and I`m seeing where we`re going with this next generation, that they`re not going to outlive us for the first time because of these issues.
BEHAR: Because they`re too fat.
LAKE: And type II diabetes and heart disease, all these diseases that are preventable. And so, you know, this is what I`m offering to people for free.
BEHAR: So, and they can get your book for free?
LAKE: Absolutely on our website.
BEHAR: OK. The new book is called "Too Small To Be Big." And they can get this book for free, where?
LAKE: On AllStride.com.
BEHAR: On AllStride.com. OK. Thanks very much, guys.
LAKE: Thank you, Joy.
MONACO: Thank you. Thank you.
LAKE: Thank you for having us.
BEHAR: Goodnight, everybody.
END
