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Joy Behar Page
Tiger`s Alleged Mistress Releases Text Messages; Health Care Final Push
Aired March 18, 2010 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOY BEHAR, HLN HOST: Tonight, on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, new reports say Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is leaving her philandering husband, Jesse James. I hope she finds somebody nice like Wyatt Earp.
Then Olympic skater Johnny Weir may be a star on the ice but he won`t be appearing in the "Stars on the Ice" tour. To let us in on the reason behind that and why he doesn`t care for a certain reality show (INAUDIBLE).
And President Obama is working tirelessly to get his health care reform bill passed. I hope exhaustion is covered under his policy. That and more right now.
Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is reportedly having marriage problems. She dropped out of the London premiere of "The Blind Side", and has reportedly moved out of the home she shared with her husband Jesse James amid rumors he cheated on her. Is the timing coincidental or is there a best actress curse.
Sounds kind of stupid until you hear Elizabeth Taylor won twice and got divorced eight times. It`s possible.
Joining me to talk about it are is Jessica Shaw, senior editor of "Entertainment Weekly"; Andy Cohen, Bravo`s senior vice president of original programming and development; and Alicia Quarles, Associated Press entertainment editor.
Hi, guys.
ANDY COHEN, VP, BRAVO: Hey.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Just to tell you Jesse James, the notorious, has now issued an apologize to Sandra and his three children. What do you make of that?
COHEN: I thought the apology -- I think it`s reprehensible, it`s horrible. Sandra Bullock is America`s sweetheart right now.
I thought his apology was great. I thought Tiger could have learned a thing or two from that apology. I just -- he came out and said it was horrible. "It`s not all true, but I really screwed up and it is horrible." So I give him that.
BEHAR: The mistress, a Michelle McGee known as the "Bombshell" she calls him the "Vanilla Gorilla".
COHEN: I know. You know why?
BEHAR: Why? Why? Why?
COHEN: Because he`s very well endowed is what it said in the "New York Post" today.
ALICIA QUARLES, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS: And she also said that he doesn`t underwear, which I feel is a little bit TMI.
COHEN: TMI. It`s all TMI.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Well, yes. But we`re living in a new world now. TMI is the whole story these days.
JESSICA SHAW, SENIOR EDITOR, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": But I do agree with Andy that it was good that he actually came out and he said something. Tiger didn`t say anything. Look at John Edwards. Like look at all these people that they just -- they miss the point because you have to come out and own it.
If you`re going to have an 11-month affair with someone like that, at least admit you messed up.
QUARLES: But here`s what I don`t get. Assuming all this is true, you`re Sandra Bullock. She was already out of your league -- hot, hot, hot -- why are you going to cheat with this woman that`s all tattooed up and her name is "Bombshell"? I don`t understand.
You`re a man. Tell us. I don`t get it.
COHEN: Well, I`ll tell you. Here`s the deal. I`ll tell you exactly why. Once you date a porn star, you`re going to go swim in the porn pool again.
This is where -- his first wife was a porn star, and so it doesn`t matter that he had America`s sweetheart.
BEHAR: Didn`t Sandra adopt the kids?
QUARLES: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Yes. It`s terrible.
QUARLES: I saw it. There`s nothing sacred. I was on the Red Carpet and he was right next to her. She was going off about how much she loves him and then bam this. It`s so sad.
COHEN: It`s terrible.
BEHAR: I know.
And it`s really sad because it seems as though she had no clue. She was not shy about expressing her love for Jesse James throughout the awards season.
Here she is on Barbara Walters` Oscar special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: The end result in life that we bought want is the same. The thing we want at the end of the day is the same; it`s that we want to come home.
You know, we don`t want -- he`s not out in bars. He works hard. He can put up with me. I became committed to being scared and being braver because I really couldn`t fail anymore.
BARBARA WALTERS, ABC HOST: Because you have him?
BULLOCK: Yes. Because I have a home to go home to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: It breaks your heart really.
SHAW: And she`s the one --
BEHAR: We like her. She`s a nice girl.
SHAW: We love her.
QUARLES: Everyone wants the best for her.
BEHAR: That`s why maybe he issued the apology. He knows that he`ll be persona non grata.
COHEN: He`s dealing with the current people`s princess right now.
BEHAR: Yes. That`s right.
QUARLES: And she`s genuine you know. She was supposed to have this premiere for "The Blind Side" in Europe. She canceled it because she didn`t want to go out there and be phony, smiling and smiling. She`s genuine. And I`ve interviewed her a lot of times and feel bad with her.
BEHAR: Isn`t it interesting the mistress went to the press with all this and there were e-mails involved? And like, they never learn.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: She`s a porno girl. That`s what they do.
BEHAR: It`s like a new thing. It`s very trendy, you know, to like have sex with somebody`s husband and then go out there and tell it.
QUARLES: Why aren`t these men learning that if you`re going to have sex, do not leave a paper trail?
BEHAR: Men learning, here`s your problem.
COHEN: All right, all right. I mean hello. I`m at the table.
QUARLES: You can`t knock her. If she`s doing it, she might as well do it well. She got -- made money off of it and now people know her name. So sad but true.
BEHAR: Well, let me go back to this idea that, you know, the Oscar winners have a curse on them or something with men.
COHEN: Yes.
BEHAR: There are others who just got divorced right after they sort of -- soon after they win. Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes are having major problems.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Gwyneth Paltrow -- I didn`t even remember her.
SHAW: Hillary Swank, Halle Berry --
BEHAR: Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon.
COHEN: It`s basically everyone in the last eight or ten years.
BEHAR: What do you think that`s about? Can they not handle the success, or is this just really --
COHEN: I mean they`re given a big, gold phallus that the boyfriend or husband has to look at in the place of honor in their home. So maybe that`s just very emasculating for these guys.
BEHAR: So the male ego?
COHEN: Maybe.
SHAW: I think it can`t be easy. A lot of times these people are married to actors. Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt`s another one. And you watch them on the Red Carpet and you could just see all the photographers go like, "Julia, Julia, Julia." And he would just kind of stand there and, you know, shrink a little bit. And it`s a little awkward if you`re an actor dating an actress who the entire industry is obsessed with.
BEHAR: That`s the problem.
QUARLES: Well, we saw the interesting quote from Burt Reynolds who used to date Sally Fields. And he said that when she won her Academy Award, he really didn`t take it well at all. And that`s when he realized there couldn`t be two big names in the relationship.
COHEN: So he went for Loni Anderson who was in no danger of winning an Oscar.
QUARLES: I didn`t say men are logical. I`m just saying.
BEHAR: Do you think that they should marry just a regular guy? Is that their problem? I don`t see it happening so fast.
QUARLES: Jesse James is a regular guy, I think.
BEHAR: Yes. He`s a biker. Hello. He`s a biker.
SHAW: Look what happened. I don`t know.
BEHAR: We`re not talking about, you know, Father Flanagan here. He`s a biker. You know?
Now, do you think that the other thing is -- let`s go continue the conversation in a minute, but some people are saying Meryl Streep is behind this because she doesn`t win anymore. That`s silly.
Guys don`t go anywhere. I love Meryl. We`ll be back in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: You know when it comes to Tiger Woods the conversation is whether or not Elin will become his ex. But today it`s more like Triple X thanks to one of the alleged mistresses who has released some very, very racy text messages.
Ok. I`m telling you it`s beyond racy, and the guy wants everything. I`m not going to read them.
COHEN: I wish you would.
SHAW: The entire thing will be bleeped out if you read them.
COHEN: I wish you would.
BEHAR: I cannot read these.
COHEN: They are filthy. They are.
BEHAR: You`ve all read them?
COHEN: Yes.
SHAW: Yes.
BEHAR: How many times?
COHEN: Twice.
QUARLES: We`ve read them out loud.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: We`ve read them to each other. We read them in voices. Yes.
BEHAR: What`s your conclusion about this guy? Is he going to be allowed to play in the Masters after this, after this has come out?
COHEN: That`s interesting.
QUARLES: Well, yes.
SHAW: I think he will be allowed because it will be the best ratings the Masters have ever gotten.
QUARLES: Absolutely.
COHEN: That`s true.
SHAW: It`s just a question of he wants to do it.
COHEN: Well, he wants to.
BEHAR: Why would think he will want to do it.
SHAW: Well, I think he -- what he tends to do when this first broke, he went into hiding. I wonder if he`s going to do that again. This is just another bomb and I wonder if he`s just going to hide out again.
QUARLES: You know, I think he won`t hide -- I`m sorry, I think he won`t hide out, because obviously I think at this point his team probably knows exactly who they`re dealing with, what they`re dealing. At some point he has to come out of hiding. He might as well do it at the Masters. But this is some nasty stuff that`s in there.
COHEN: We didn`t realize that Tiger -- I mean, A, we didn`t realize Tiger had it in him to be carrying on with all these women. But second of all, when you read these texts I didn`t realize that he was as filthy as he clearly is.
BEHAR: So like wanting all sorts of things?
COHEN: Yes.
QUARLES: That`s a great euphemism.
COHEN: He does.
BEHAR: I was trying to find --
COHEN: He`s fairly imaginative. He`s imaginative, he`s filthy, he`s lewd.
BEHAR: He`s needy.
COHEN: He`s needy, and he`s incredibly controlling and he clearly, based on the text messages, is used to getting every filthy desire that he wants.
SHAW: And Tiger has issues with women. That`s like the understatement of the year.
BEHAR: Well, when people start to read this, they`re going to say that.
QUARLES: Yes, and Tiger -- right when you`re ready to -- I don`t know -- forgive him or you start put it the back burner; he did this public I`m sorry, he`s coming back to the Masters. And then this comes out and you just feel like blown away again.
BEHAR: You know that the mistress that was a porn star, she has released this to somewhere. And it`s interesting if you read the text messages, which I`m sure you did, her side of the text message is not included in this release.
COHEN: I`m glad you brought that up. Because and I think -- you know, and Gloria Allred representing her.
BEHAR: Yes.
COHEN: Which is its own piece of mishegash if you ask me because when she starts with these women who had been wronged by Tiger and they deserve an apology, I don`t know why any of these women actually deserve an apology from Tiger, because I think they got what they knew they were getting.
BEHAR: Yes.
COHEN: And I can`t imagine that her side of these text messages were --
SHAW: Absolutely.
COHEN: -- you know, "Oh, I`m shocked by what you`re saying." Exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Ok, why didn`t her lawyer protect her in this case --
SHAW: Because --
BEHAR: -- from exposing what she said?
QUARLES: She wants her to be seen as the wholesome girl. I mean, this girl is a porn star.
BEHAR: Porn star -- that ship has sailed.
QUARLES: It sailed --
(CROSSTALK)
SHAW: Right, she cut her hair short.
COHEN: Right.
SHAW: And you know she looks different.
COHEN: Right.
BEHAR: I know. But -- but it seems as though she`s protecting her for something like a lawsuit or something so --
SHAW: She`s protecting herself because she wants to eventually position her as something else.
COHEN: Publicity.
SHAW: Like this woman is going to have another career or you know.
BEHAR: Yes.
COHEN: What we`ve learned from this and from the Jesse James thing is that you can`t trust a porn star.
SHAW: Yes.
COHEN: You just can`t.
QUARLES: Or anybody that`s --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: And don`t text.
SHAW: Don`t text.
BEHAR: Right, right.
QUARLES: But these women -- I don`t feel sorry for her them.
BEHAR: Right.
SHAW: Right.
COHEN: Right, you better believe.
QUARLES: Really, the Rielle Hunters of the world and this woman that allegedly cheated with Jesse James, all these women. You start sleeping with a married man, you reap what you sow. There is no going back on that, there`s no apologies. You`re wrong.
BEHAR: Let`s show that clip from "South Park" which also weighed in on this.
COHEN: I love it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some have speculated that my wife somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. She has shown nothing but grace and poise --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I should have never married you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A porn star? You screwed a porn star?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Who doesn`t love a cartoon?
COHEN: That`s right.
BEHAR: You can do anything you want in a cartoon.
SHAW: And it`s so far from real life.
COHEN: Ok.
BEHAR: I know this never leaves him, right?
SHAW: No.
QUARLES: No.
COHEN: Oh no.
SHAW: And God, how does she take him back after this? I mean, after this.
BEHAR: She won`t. She may not after this.
COHEN: Do you think so?
BEHAR: I would, well, who would? Come on. He`s going to have to pay her millions and millions of dollars.
Thank you guys very much for joining in on this conversation.
Back in a minute. Don`t go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up a little later, on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir talks with Joy about his latest controversy. And Kathy Griffin on her battle to repeal the Military`s "don`t ask don`t tell" policy.
Now back to Joy.
BEHAR: As President Obama`s health care push comes down to the wire, he stopped to make one final pitch to Fox News. With me to discuss this and much more are Margaret Carlson, columnist for Bloomberg and Washington editor of "The Week" magazine; and Ari Melber, correspondent for the "Nation" magazine. Ari, did you see the interview?
ARI MELBER, THE NATION: I did.
BEHAR: Ok, tell me what you thought of it.
MELBER: I think that he, President Obama, had some success going right at the Republicans with question time with the summit, and they`ve backed off that because it wasn`t working. So Fox News is the second best thing to actually debating a Republican. You could see that with how heated it was, but he got to cut through some of this process attack and go back to why he says this is a good bill because it helps give people money and give them insurance.
BEHAR: Ok, but -- what`s his name -- Bret Baier, he hardly let Obama get a word in last night. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I --
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS: -- this measure --
OBAMA: -- what I can tell you is -- what I can tell you is --
BAIER: But Mr. President this Monday --
OBAMA: Bret, let me finish.
BAIER: Did you know which ones are still in?
OBAMA: Hold on a second. Hold on a second, Bret. So the notion --
BAIER: So how can you guarantee they`re not going to be able keep their doctor --
OBAMA: -- but Bret, you`ve got to let me finish my answers.
BAIER: But sir, I know you don`t like the filibuster.
OBAMA: Well, I`m trying to answer your questions and you keep on interrupting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: God, what was with all the interrupting?
MARGARET CARLSON, BLOOMBERG: You know, to be a good journalist, you have to be a little bit rude, as you can sometimes tell with me Joy. But this guy went too far, and you have a calibrated system where you can be rude with a Congressman, a little less rude with a Senator, and with a president you pretty much have to accord him a lot of respect or the journalist ends up looking so bad nothing gets through to the audience.
BEHAR: Were they as rude to George Bush at Fox? I don`t think so.
MELBER: No, you know, I thought he looked bad, so that`s bad for him and maybe bad for Fox, but I don`t really have a problem with him interrupting. My problem is he was interrupting over and over on very contentious issues. He kept going back to process and he was hiding behind the e-mail that he is getting rather than coming through with factual arguments.
But had he been fact checking, if he was coming through and interrupting to say something, I would have been ok with that. I think the problem was the content, and frankly the president rarely gets a tough interview like this. So it can be -- it can be good.
BEHAR: But -- yes.
CARLSON: But surely Dick Cheney has never gotten that kind of treatment --
BEHAR: No.
MELBER: No.
CARLSON: -- at Fox News.
BEHAR: Or at ABC, or NBC --
MELBER: Anywhere.
BEHAR: -- or CBS --
CARLSON: Yes.
BEHAR: -- or CNN. I just must throw that in there.
CARLSON: Yes.
BEHAR: Bret apologized for interrupting. He said he wanted to get the most bang for his buck out of the president. But why did he ask him about Tiger Woods, then? He wasted his time with the Tiger Woods question. You really want to get the bang for your buck, don`t go there, right?
CARLSON: Yes, no that`s -- certainly that`s not news and that belongs someplace else on Fox, not in that interview.
Sometimes you can ask the off-point question and get a glimmer of honesty, because the president wasn`t expecting that question. But the way this interview was set up, it seemed totally off the mark.
BEHAR: Why did he go over to Fox anyway? Why bother really? He`s not getting anything out of them.
MELBER: I think he was leading by example. I mean, I don`t think he`s converting any votes at this late date among the Fox audience which surveys from the last election showed up runs over 90 percent Republican voters. But he`s saying to these last wayward Democrats this is what it looks like to fight back. This is what it looks like to defend this bill, which we`re going to have to do if we pass it.
And so that gave him that route just like some of the other Republican debates we mentioned.
CARLSON: That`s kind of a bank shot, though.
BEHAR: A bank shot? Shot?
CARLSON: Well, like in basketball where you don`t actually go for the basket, you hit it off the rim. Am I right there? We`re in March madness, Joy.
BEHAR: You`re so butch, Margaret.
CARLSON: I`m trying to be culturally relevant here beyond my own little playpen that -- that Democrats are going to see how mean Fox is so that`s why Obama would go on there. I -- you know, that strikes me as not a straightaway --
BEHAR: Yes.
MELBER: But you don`t think it`s --
BEHAR: -- it`s rude.
CARLSON: Yes, yes.
MELBER: But Margaret can count votes. You don`t think it was for Republican votes, he`s not getting Republican votes.
CARLSON: No, I think part of it is he`s been criticized for so long for not going on Fox, so he finally goes on Fox.
BEHAR: Yes.
CARLSON: Yes.
BEHAR: He seems to be making some head way, though. Kucinich is now going on to his side and the nuns and the bishops are fighting over the bill.
CARLSON: Yes.
BEHAR: I mean that`s fascinating stuff.
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: When, you got the Catholic Health -- he got the Catholic Health Association yesterday, and he did get that group of 59,000 nuns who actually we all know run the hospitals --
BEHAR: Yes.
CARLSON: -- just like the nurses run the hospitals. He`s not going to get the Catholic bishops, they`re too busy denying Senators and Congressmen who are pro-choice, too busy denying them communion. They`re never coming over. So forget them.
BEHAR: But -- but they are making some kind of confusion about abortion being federally funded in the bill, right? I mean, it`s not going to be federally funded. Why are they saying it is if it`s not? Why do they confuse American people so much?
CARLSON: Well, this is -- I wrote a column today about how this is -- Congressman Brad Stupak`s imaginary friend. He has an imaginary issue, the issue isn`t there.
Senator Bob Casey who`s famously pro-life in the Senate, his father was kept out of the 1992 Democratic convention because he was pro- life, he voted for the Senate bill. He assures all pro-life Democrats there is no way that abortion is going to be funded, nothing changes with these insurance exchanges.
BEHAR: Right. The nuns would not backing it if abortion was going to be funded.
CARLSON: They`re the real conscience of the Catholic Church.
BEHAR: Exactly. You`re not kidding, especially these days.
We have to take a quick break. But you just stay right there. We have more to talk about. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: During Bret Baier`s interrupt-a-thon with President Obama last night on Fox News, there were actually a few moments when the president was able to get his points across. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Do you think this is going to pass.
OBAMA: I do. I`m confident it will pass.
The reason that it needs to be done is not its affect on the presidency. It has to do with how it`s going to affect ordinary people who right now are desperately in need of help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: You know, I really think he gives a damn about American people, this guy. I really do believe it. Am I being naive?
CARLSON: No. I don`t think so. But you and I a little sappy.
BEHAR: I`m sappy for Obama. I`m not sappy generally, but I just believe in the guy. I think he`s a he gentleman and I think he gives a damn. Ok.
But his approval rating goes back and forth. He`s still over 50 percent, though, even though Congress is at 12 percent or something.
CARLSON: Compared to other institutions, he`s very high.
BEHAR: Yes. Do you think his approval rating will go up if it passes -- the health care passes?
MELBER: I do. I think people want leadership.
You know it was this big deal in some circles in Washington that he reportedly said something about how this is tied to his presidency. Of course, it is. As you say, he maybe doing it because he thinks it`s the right thing. I think that`s a fair guess and he campaigned on it.
BEHAR: Yes. Right.
MELBERT: But absolutely when you take leadership and you get something passed, then you`re seen as on the move. The real question for the Democrats is do they think that political capital is a renewable resource here. Because if you think that, you do things and then you move on to the next agenda and you get stuff passed.
Too often the Democrats are rightly criticized for being timid and backing off. So the idea that somehow they should let this fail and that would help them politically I think is bonkers.
BEHAR: Very stupid idea. What if it doesn`t pass? I mean there`s a chance -- it looks like it`s going to now.
CARLSON: People keep forgetting because it gets lost in the debate. What happens if you do nothing? How bad is it going to be? You can`t say for sure how bad it`s going to be, and you don`t get anything out of I told you so.
When it gets this bad, when WellPoint raising premiums 39 percent becomes routine and the system is more broken and costs more and deficits go higher, a president gets nothing out of saying I told you this was going to happen.
BEHAR: Nothing.
CARLSON: He has to fix it, so that`s why he has to put it all on the line.
MELBER: Yes.
BEHAR: I see.
Now I was reading that a lot of the GOP is going to -- they have said that if it passes, they will repeal it if they get back in power in the fall. Are they just going to turn it over. Can they do that?
MELBER: They could roll back a lot of it, and they could make budgeting changes. But the real question about large social legislation like this is whether it becomes a part of life and it becomes popular. You don`t see anymore discussions about Medicare or Social Security being rolled back or civil rights bills.
I mean there`s a lot of legislation that was very divisive when it was first passed. People say, oh, this is so divisive, isn`t this terrible? No, a lot of important things start out that way and then they become consecrated into part of the culture, part of the life that people don`t want to pull back.
CARLSON: They say how big it is to institute. Imagine pulling it apart. You take a piece here and a piece there, and the whole thing falls apart.
BEHAR: So it`s kind of like labor pains right now, and once the baby is born, the baby is born. Everybody oohs over the baby.
CARLSON: Right. And you don`t remember the pain of childbirth, do you? I don`t.
BEHAR: I remember every minute, every second of it. And it was a long time ago.
Ok, Ari, Margaret, thank you very much for dropping by.
Up next, the fabulous Johnny Weir joins me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up a little later on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, Kathy Griffin talks with Joy about her battle against the Military`s "don`t ask, don`t tell" policy.
Now back to Joy.
BEHAR: If you asked the average person to name a figure skater, most people would say Johnny Weir. So it came as a surprise to many that Johnny was not invited to participate in the Smuckers "Star on Ice" tour reportedly because he is, quote-unquote, "not family friendly".
The star of Sundance Channel`s "Be Good, Johnny Weir" is with me now. The very talented Olympian Johnny Weir. Welcome back to the show Johnny.
JOHNNY WEIR, "BE GOOD JOHNNY WEIR": Thank you.
BEHAR: I feel like we know each other now.
WEIR: I know this is twice in two weeks, we are family now.
BEHAR: I know, so why weren`t you invited?
WEIR: You know, I don`t know. I mean, this family friendly thing kind of came out of nowhere to me, and the issue was made bigger by all the attention that was focused on it. I`ve never felt pressure from anybody to go on this tour. I`ve never been invited in the past, and you know, I just never expected to be invited. So with all of this uproar about the family friendly comment, what is family friendly?
BEHAR: Well I watch your show. And your show is very family friendly. You have your mother, your aunt, your coach, your agent, all these women around you who have, you know -- it`s like a family show, really.
WEIR: It is. I mean, I only believe in the family.
BEHAR: So to say that you`re not family friendly, I don`t even understand what they`re driving at.
WEIR: I don`t either. I don`t know who said it. Where it came from. If it is a real thing and somebody said it about me, I`d like to know what it means.
BEHAR: Yes.
WEIR: But as far as I know, you know, it hasn`t been said to my face.
BEHAR: Well what does family friendly mean to you?
WEIR: Family friendly to me - I mean maybe a little bit askew in the way I think. But to me family friendly is being an individual, being yourself, being proud of who you are, being proud of your family and your upbringing and, you know, being completely 100 percent involved in your life and your family`s life. That`s family friendly to me.
BEHAR: Right, okay. Now the sponsors of "Stars on Ice," Smuckers, issued a statement about the not family friendly claim. And they said we are disappointed that there is untrue and inaccurate information being disseminated. Please be assured that the gender identity and sexual orientation of cast members has never been a consideration in the selection of tour performers. Did your managers speak to Smuckers? What did they tell her?
WEIR: I think my manager did speak with Smuckers, but I -- if something bad was said, I would have known about it first and foremost. And I think a lot of this -- the quote was maybe from somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. One of those situations.
BEHAR: Behind the scenes sort of --
WEIR: Yes. As long as something isn`t said to my face, I don`t believe it.
BEHAR: Right.
WEIR: This is one of those situations where, you know, I`ve never done the tour before.
BEHAR: Right.
WEIR: And I`ve never been invited, and I wasn`t expecting it.
BEHAR: But you say you weren`t expecting it, but Elice Check and Aaron Roberts were invited. And they were the other two skaters that competed right?
WEIR: Yes.
BEHAR: So you were the only one left out.
WEIR: I was the only one left out. But you know in figure skating, for a long time, there were two tours. Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice, they were the two set tour in the United States. And I was always with Champions on Ice until they went belly up.
BEHAR: Okay.
WEIR: So you know I had loyalty to the other tour for a long time.
BEHAR: Does this hurt you financially, that you are not in this tour?
WEIR: Financially, you know, figure skating is a struggle. I`m not from a rich family, so I`ve supported myself through skating and gotten myself through this with the help of a few people. Through all this, you know, I`ve been looking at options and trying to find sponsors so I can produce my own show. How amazing would it be to have five or six of the best skaters in the world skating live to Lady Gaga, Elton John sitting at the piano -
BEHAR: I love that - I`d watch that.
WEIR: Cirque de Soliel up on the ceiling.
BEHAR: Yes.
WEIR: I mean that`s the kind of show I want.
BEHAR: Fabulous. What are you planning to do?
WEIR: I want Madison Square Garden.
BEHAR: Sure who doesn`t?
WEIR: I want Gaga and Elton John, and I`m going to do everything to make that work and do the relationships the best I can, but I need sponsors.
BEHAR: You need sponsors. Maybe this show will help you.
WEIR: I hope so.
BEHAR: Now the final episode of your show "Be Good Johnny Weir" is airing Monday. Take a look at the clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEIR: I have never fought as hard as I did this year, and sometimes it seemed even my best wasn`t enough. It`s not like I was given a spot on the Olympics. I earned a spot at the Olympics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Are the politics of figure skating almost harder than the sport itself, do you think?
WEIR: Absolutely. Going onto that ice at the Olympic games, despite all of my feelings and despite you know that hope that everyone has that nothing else will play a part in your sport, politics are a port. I skated second to less. Just give (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the Russian was skating after me. Evan Lysacek another American was already assured a medal when I went on the ice.
And politically in figure skating for the Olympic games you wants an even podium. You want an Asian skater, European skater and North American skater.
BEHAR: Right.
WEIR: That`s kind of historically how it goes. Unless beyond any doubt there are two from the same continent that are amazing. So I kind of knew that my chances were low, especially after the short program and my scores were low. And the politics are definitely hard because you never know what they want. You never want what you may have done that upset somebody. I`m very exposed for a figure skater and for an athlete. I have a show where you can see everything from me crying while I`m training or to me in the underwear.
BEHAR: Yes, do you think that helps you or hurts you?
WEIR: I think it definitely can hurt me but it can help me as well. It gives people an insight to who I really am. Because athletes don`t often get an opportunity to speak. They always -- their form of language is their sport and their craft and their art. And to be able to speak and tell people what I felt about this. I think it`s great. I think it`s important.
BEHAR: It`s an interesting point you make, even on "American Idol," you know stuff about the different people and it kind of sways you one way or the other I would think when you watch, right?
WEIR: Absolutely. You see the kid with the horrible time growing up, this beautiful angelic voice, and you see someone who had it easy growing up with a beautiful voice. And you have to choose which one you relate to.
BEHAR: That`s right. Are you doing a second season of your show?
WEIR: You know I would really like to. I really hope to. Right now my life is in transition. I told you I gained a few pounds because I`ve been off the ice.
BEHAR: Yes what have you been eating?
WEIR: I had cheesecake.
BEHAR: Cheesecake, you have to stay slim to be agile on the ice, right? Yes.
WEIR: Absolutely. But I`m getting ready to go off to Russia to perform in some shows, and I need to get this a little bit extra off before I go do that because those costumes aren`t forgiving.
BEHAR: Really, it`s true. What about the Olympics in four years? Are you going to try again or what?
WEIR: You know, I`d love to.
BEHAR: You would.
WEIR: Russia is a very special to me and to compete in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Russia. They`re in Russia. That would be an amazing accomplishment to me, but at 25 I`m already a little bit old for figure skating so I`d have to be in it to win it and kill it.
BEHAR: I see. Now, so now you`ve done this, and we talked last time that you were on about what you are going to do in the future. Have you rethought that at all? Because a skater`s life doesn`t last forever in terms of professional skating. You can always skate. What are you going to do?
WEIR: Absolutely.
BEHAR: Because I talked to you about your clothing design, which I think you`re fabulous.
WEIR: Thank you. No I did -- between last time I was here and now, I did go to F.I.T. in the city and have a meeting and take a tour and everything. Terrified me. Because I`ve been an athlete and only been dedicated to figure skating for so long it`s hard to imagine what`s next. And what my next step is going to be.
BEHAR: Yes.
WEIR: Right now I have shows. Maybe I`ll compete another year or four years depending on how my body holds up.
BEHAR: Yes.
WEIR: But I want to be a success. My main goal in life since I was little was to be great at anything I choose. Whether it`s fashion, whether I decide I`m going to be a country singer, which won`t happen, but if that`s what I decided I would have to be great at it.
BEHAR: Well I think that just to become a champion the way you are shows a certain inner fortitude and you know a goal-oriented personalities. I think you will do just fine. What is this I read about you not liking Kate Gosselin. She`s sort of getting a lot of criticism lately. One person says she can`t dance. The next one says she`s a diva. What`s your issue with her?
WEIR: What do you think, let me ask you that first?
BEHAR: She was on "The View" with me yesterday, and I thought she was very nice and calm and not behaving like a diva, not to me anyway.
WEIR: Well the only experience that I have. I know that she was in a house was backed up to my cousin`s in Pennsylvania. I`m from Pennsylvania.
BEHAR: Oh yes.
WEIR: And you know, they were very confused as to why cameras were there and paparazzi and all of this. Nobody really knew what was going on. And then I had the opportunity to meet Kate at a charity skating event in Connecticut last fall. And, you know, showed up late.
BEHAR: She did?
WEIR: Wasn`t very pleasant to the skaters. You know she acted the way that you would think all famous people would act. Growing up you think everyone has this diva front and act like they`re famous, and the majority of famous people I`ve met don`t act like that.
BEHAR: Right.
WEIR: But she did.
BEHAR: She did.
WEIR: She`s a mother. You know I want to see a mother. I want to meet a mother of all these kids and this crazy life they have. And I mean I know how hard it is to be out there in the public eye all the time, and it can be stressful. And it`s a strain.
BEHAR: Well if she acts like that with you and other people, she certainly knows how to turn it on and off because she was like a little lamb on "The View" yesterday.
WEIR: Well I think once you`ve beaten down enough in front of world, you learn to do that, you learn to defend yourself.
BEHAR: Okay thanks, Johnny. Catch the final episode of "Be Good Johnny Weir" Monday night at 10:30 on the Sundance channel. Thanks very much for coming. Up next Kathy Griffin joins me. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Today in Washington thousands turned out to support an end to the military`s "Don`t Ask Don`t Tell Policy." Kathy Griffin who tells everyone everything was there. She joins me from D.C., now. Hey, Kathy.
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: Joy, I join you today as a lobbyist and an inappropriate comedian.
BEHAR: How was the rally today, Kathy?
GRIFFIN: The rally was fantastic. The turnout was great. My week here in D.C. has been really fun, because I`m learning a lot but I`m also seeing the ridiculousness that is Washington. And I didn`t know it`s really just kind of like Holllywood. There`s sort of Washington versions of the Lohans and the Spears. I just didn`t know it.
BEHAR: Yes but they don`t dress as well.
GRIFFIN: They don`t dress as well but they throw a heck of a party. I`ve seen a lot of fun bad behavior by our public servants.
BEHAR: I heard after the rally lieutenant Dan Choi chained himself to the White House fence. Why didn`t you join him in the chaining?
GRIFFIN: Well first of all, it was an honor to meet Lieutenant Choi, and I had seen him on "60 Minutes" and of course heard about him and stuff. And so I organized this rally with several groups and he showed up and he said can I come up on the podium. And I said of course and I asked if he would take questions.
And then he then proceed to go to the White House and chained himself to the fence, which I actually this kind of cool and ballsy. However, I made a commitment to many, many people that showed up to the rally and my work there was not done. But I think it`s kind of great that he did that, because it`s important that people protest in all kinds of ways.
So I`ve been getting in a little trouble for my comments to certain congress people here and there but I think that you need people to say outrageous things and then you need the much calmer, more diplomatic people. And there`s really a spectrum.
BEHAR: Well first of all, let me hear some of the things you said. You were talking to the whip, the majority whip, James Clyburn. Tell me what happened there.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
BEHAR: Did you ask him to whip you? Someone told me that.
GRIFFIN: I did. You know I did not really --
BEHAR: Reasonable.
GRIFFIN: Realize in Washington, when you make a joke, they take every joke as a serious statement.
BEHAR: Right.
GRIFFIN: And so I had a fantastic meeting with congressman -- I mean, say whip Clyburn, and he was just so gracious and he went on camera for my Bravo show. You know he`s helping to educate me about the process. And then at the end of the meeting I thought it was a natural progression for me to them to ask him to whip me. I`m not sure he knew I was kidding, but I will say he has an actual gigantic whip that is framed in his office. So he told me the history of the whip and how it is from Australia. But I was not able to get him to actually whip me even a little.
BEHAR: Uh huh. I would love to get one of those -
GRIFFIN: And I`m a taxpayer. I`m a taxpayer so I was offended.
BEHAR: Yes don`t you want a whips though? I want one.
GRIFFIN: Oh who doesn`t? Absolutely.
BEHAR: I know. Wait until you read the Tiger Woods sex sting. You are going to die laughing. Oh we can`t go into that now because I want to keep talking about --
GRIFFIN: I love a good sext.
BEHAR: Oh my god, he`s beyond.
GRIFFIN: I love a good sext.
BEHAR: But you met also Barney Frank I heard that you asked him something about Barbara Walters. What was that about?
GRIFFIN: Well I, you know, I know lots of gay people, and I don`t really think Barney Frank is fabulous enough frankly. And so I was wondering - you know he`s been around for a while. If maybe he had any kind of tryst with Barbara Walters at any point at either one of their careers. And he said no. So he`s sticking to his story that he`s gay, although I`m not sure I completely believe him.
BEHAR: You don`t believe him.
GRIFFIN: But that`s a joke, and I`m in Washington, so I have to tell everyone kidding. LOL, joking everyone.
BEHAR: Do they get your sense of humor there? They don`t get your sense of humor there right? No.
GRIFFIN: No, they don`t get my sense of humor.
BEHAR: No.
GRIFFIN: They don`t get my sense of humor at all. But I will say that today was a blast, because I went to my first senate hearing as an observer, and it was with the armed services committee, I think. And there were two vets there that had been kicked out of the military because of "Don`t Ask Don`t Tell"
BEHAR: Yes.
GRIFFIN: And they had very compelling stories and served with honor. And then John McCain was there, who I was so disappointed in because I always respected him. And even though I didn`t vote for him or agree with him, I always respected him. And if you watch his questioning on C-span he`s so condescending and doesn`t look at these vets when they are testifying et cetera.
But then Saxby Chambliss had his turn, and he seemed like the nuttiest one in the room. And so at one point I didn`t understand that these hearings aren`t Q and A and so I stood up and said, I`m out of here and I believe I called him cuckoo pants. And then I stormed out of a hearing meeting, which I thought you know people would think was fun and kind of break up the meeting - but I don`t think they appreciated it.
BEHAR: You know Kathy, you should at least say Senator poo-poo pants. I mean come on, a little respect for the guy --
GRIFFIN: Coo-coo pants.
BEHAR: Yes, coo-coo, coo-coo.
GRIFFIN: That`s true.
BEHAR: Oh coo-coo not poo-poo.
GRIFFIN: Coo-coo pants.
BEHAR: Coo-coo pants -
GRIFFIN: No and it`s baby steps, Joy, because it`s a big deal for me not to use a curse word. So I was kind of proud of myself that I merely called him cuckoo pants.
BEHAR: I know that was very good restraint on your part.
GRIFFIN: Very mature.
BEHAR: But first of all what about Michele Bachmann, she`s a piece of work that one.
GRIFFIN: Oh I know.
BEHAR: What happen with her I mean -
GRIFFIN: She`s one of the craziest.
BEHAR: I mean give me a break. She makes Sarah Palin look like a brain trust.
GRIFFIN: Look like a genius. She makes Sarah Palin look like a genius. And so there`s how much we lowered the bar. But you know I mean I`ve been watch her on the pundit shows et cetera. And I`m impressed she was able to get elected. Good for her. But the statements she`s made show a level of ignorance and bigotry that is really I`m going to use the word dazzling. And so I ran into her at some big Washington (inaudible) event I went to last night. I don`t know how the heck I got in. But I saw her and I couldn`t pass up this opportunity.
BEHAR: How did you get in? But how did you get in? Did the Salahis let you in?
GRIFFIN: Yes I came with the Salahis and I hid in the trunk.
BEHAR: Yes.
GRIFFIN: They left me a couple of air holes and I put on a ball gown.
BEHAR: Yes, good for you.
GRIFFIN: That`s how it works here.
BEHAR: So what happen?
GRIFFIN: I saw her -- one of her staffers whips out the flip cam, and I thought, you know, if you`re going to punk me or flip cam me you better come to play. And so one of her staffers had the flip cam and I said Congressman Bachmann are you naturally a bigot or do you just legislate that way? And then - to her -
BEHAR: I love it.
GRIFFIN: And then - I know - and then she said, that`s a good question, I am going to have to think about that.
BEHAR: Oh my god.
GRIFFIN: Now if someone accused you of being a bigot, I don`t think your answer would be I`m going to have to think about that.
BEHAR: She`s so lame, she`s on automatic pilot. She answers every question like that.
GRIFFIN: Bachmann you have to just at least deny it. I know but I mean and then I asked her again because I thought, maybe she didn`t just hear me or maybe there was a lot of ambient noise in the room. And so I said, I`m here on behalf of "Don`t Ask, Don`t Tell" in repealing it. And she said, well you are not get me on that one. And I said, I`m going to go back to the bigotry question, were you born a bigot or something you fell into? And then she said, she actually said that`s a very good question, I have to think about that. And then she kind of looked heaven ward, so it was sort of a great moment for comedians.
BEHAR: All right Kathy, I`m not done with you yet. We`ll be back with more from Kathy Griffin right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with my second favorite redhead, Kathy Griffin. Who`s my first? Carrot top? This is call going to be part of your new season of "The D List." right? I guess this would be your --
GRIFFIN: Joy I`m so excited to hear jokes because all week in Washington you know I`m hearing words like rhetoric, does that mean pen circumstance joke? You know I`m trying to translate and in Washington into English and it`s quite a job.
BEHAR: Okay this is my favorite thing with you. On this season`s "D List," -
GRIFFIN: Okay.
BEHAR: You go to -- with Levi Johnston to Sarah Palin`s house.
GRIFFIN: Yes, my lover, my lover.
BEHAR: Yes we all know that.
GRIFFIN: Right.
BEHAR: I mean it`s beyond cougar Kathy at this point but look, mazeltov to you --
GRIFFIN: No it`s basically, at this point, it`s pretty much Chris Hansen, "To Catch A Predator." moment, I admit it.
BEHAR: Yes, exactly.
GRIFFIN: I`m waiting for him to offer me some sweet tea. But any way --
BEHAR: Did they let you in? I`m sorry go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: No. They didn`t let me in. I`m just saying that my life on "The D List," it ain`t the Kardashians. We are working hard for you. All right, I`m getting kicked out of Capitol Hill, I`m getting kicked out of parties. I`m getting kicked out of senate hearings. I mean and so one of the episodes, we decided to go to Wasilla.
BEHAR: Yes.
GRIFFIN: Because I have some questions for Sarah Palin that I don`t feel she`s answered yet. So we went to Wasilla and I did a show in anchorage. And we went around -- by the way, Levi called it the Cilla. So we kicked it in the Cilla style. We didn`t kick it too much with those city folks down in Anchorage. So we actually did -- we went to Sarah Palin`s house and Levi was in the back seat of his red truck. And I knocked on the door bold as brass as a neighbor.
BEHAR: Yes.
GRIFFIN: Just with friendly questions. And in fact I found out that the day that I went to her house. The house was by the way gutted because she`s doing a remodel.
BEHAR: Oh.
GRIFFIN: And I found out that at the very time I was there, she was at an Oscar gift suite in L.A. getting free swag.
BEHAR: Oh yes baby.
GRIFFIN: What`s wrong with that picture.
BEHAR: Oh yes, was there any pink moose on the lawn or anything?
GRIFFIN: I was afraid I was going to be the next dead animal. Because Levi said, you might get shot because we shoot people here. Anything for a laugh. I haven`t been shot yet but I could have been. I did leave her a nice note inviting her to my live show which she did not attend for some reason.
BEHAR: I can`t imagine why. While I have you here, how are you handling the breakup between Sandra Bullock and Jesse James?
GRIFFIN: I`m not taking the breakup well at all not to mention their lost puppy. What`s great being here in Washington as I walked off the dais of my big rally to repeal "Don`t Ask, Don`t Tell," good old TMZ was there saying what do you think about Jesse James` lost puppy and broken marriage, and I though finally I`m with my peeps.
This is something that I can talk about. Well I`m crushed and I`m devastated. And you know I`m picturing the two of them sitting at the Oscars, and he`s well up looking at her with pride and the whole time there`s possibly a tattooed lady of the night on the side and nobody has the low jack on the puppy? What`s happened over there.
BEHAR: It`s very odd. I mean she was the last person to know. All right thank you very much Kathy for coming on. Good luck over there.
GRIFFIN: Thank you. My pleasure. Wish me luck.
BEHAR: Good luck, thank you for watching, everybody. Good night.
END
