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Joy Behar Page
Interview with Jennifer Love Hewitt; Interview with Margaret Cho; Interview With Kathie Lee Gifford
Aired August 26, 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: Jennifer Love Hewitt has traded in listening to ghosts for having sex with men for money. You know, if the men don`t talk, it`s a win/win. Her new Lifetime movie is "The Client List" where she plays a Texas housewife who turns to prostitution to support her family during the recession.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This here is Emma, our barely legal looking newbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long have you been here, sweetie?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two months today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh so nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got a client in number four. Why don`t you scoot on over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you`re all licensed massage therapists?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure, yes we all have licenses and we all give massage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s a teensy bit more than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: I`m happy to welcome back to my show the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, ACTRESS: Hi.
BEHAR: Hi.
HEWITT: I love a man who doesn`t talk. I prefer it.
BEHAR: The tall silent quiet type --
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: -- is a very attractive man.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: You don`t meet them in showbiz very often.
HEWITT: Never. No.
BEHAR: You have to go outside of showbiz to find that kind of a guy.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Do you ever meet guys outside of showbiz?
HEWITT: I don`t.
BEHAR: You don`t?
HEWITT: I`m trying.
BEHAR: Yes, it`s hard once you`re in the business to do that, huh?
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: How can we help you?
HEWITT: I don`t know. If you figure it out, though, I would really be grateful.
BEHAR: Yes, I would like you to meet a nice guy.
HEWITT: Thank you.
BEHAR: Maybe a doctor.
HEWITT: Oh a doctor.
BEHAR: Well, I`d like a doctor for you.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: A plastic surgeon maybe.
BEHAR: Well, now you`re really in the business again. A dermatologist.
HEWITT: Oh a dermatologist.
BEHAR: Who has a needle for botox injections.
HEWITT: I like that. That`s a good call.
BEHAR: Now, in this film you`re a massage therapist who turns prostitute, right?
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Now you know, Al Gore was recently -- they`ve been talking about Al Gore --
HEWITT: I know.
BEHAR: Being with a masseuse and then having a happy ending --
HEWITT: A happy ending --
BEHAR: -- which a lot of people by the way -- people in the know say that`s a bunch of baloney, that story. People can write anything they want. He never even went for a massage.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: But the massage therapists are having -- are not happy with that particular image.
HEWITT: Well, yes, I mean, it`s a big deal. Because there are places -- I mean I definitely have guy friends who have frequented places where there is the happy ending aspect.
BEHAR: Really?
HEWITT: But that they have to stay very quiet about it. You know.
BEHAR: Yes, well I mean, I go to a place to get massage every once in a while. No one has ever given me any happy endings. They just say, that will be 140 bucks.
HEWITT: I know. Right?
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: I know. They don`t do it for girls. Why?
BEHAR: Because men are the ones who want these things.
HEWITT: Yes, that`s true. I wouldn`t want that.
BEHAR: You`ve been listening to the Mel Gibson tape. His obsession with oral sex, it`s outrageous.
HEWITT: I know and then burning the house down if he doesn`t get it.
BEHAR: Yes I know.
HEWITT: That`s a bit much.
BEHAR: You know, I was saying to them -- and also he wakes her up to get one.
HEWITT: I know, which is so rude. Like you`re sleeping --
BEHAR: I mean --
HEWITT: -- if anybody ever did that to me while I was sleeping, I`d burn their house down. And I feel like please, do not wake me. I am sleeping. I`m not a good like kind person when somebody wakes me up. And for that, oh, yes, let me roll over for that. That`s like, no, no. You have to be very awake and aware of what`s happening.
BEHAR: Also isn`t that something that is only for special occasions? I was trying to explain to this crew --
HEWITT: Yes. His birthday --
BEHAR: -- that it`s only for Jewish holidays, birthdays.
HEWITT: Maybe Christmas.
BEHAR: Christmas?
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: That`s it --
HEWITT: Yes and not every calendar holiday.
BEHAR: No.
HEWITT: Because they try that.
BEHAR: No, not Halloween, for example.
HEWITT: No.
BEHAR: I wouldn`t do it then.
HEWITT: Who would do that on Halloween?
BEHAR: No, no, no.
HEWITT: No.
BEHAR: Maybe in costumes, though, it might be kind of kinky.
HEWITT: Oh perhaps, perhaps. Yes.
BEHAR: Ok. So where else are you going to have this conversation on television?
HEWITT: Nowhere. Nowhere.
BEHAR: Now, let`s talk about the movie a little bit because you pointed out this morning to me that a lot of these women are turning to prostitution --
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: -- because they need the money, actually need the money.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: And how do they exactly go about that? If you`re a housewife in Kansas, let`s say, and you`re house is in foreclosure --
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: -- how do you become a prostitute?
HEWITT: I`m not really sure exactly. I mean, a lot of them are not even necessarily doing the happy ending stuff but more like phone sex --
BEHAR: Oh phone sex.
HEWITT: -- it`s sort of coming back around, which is odd with the Internet because you can sort of go in really as a guy to kind of get what you want off the Internet. So I don`t really know what it is other than the person to person sort of contact with the voice and everything else like that.
But yes the big thing is that women are starting to do phone sex from their houses.
BEHAR: I could see that.
HEWITT: Yes I mean --
BEHAR: That`s no big deal.
HEWITT: But the other interesting thing, and this is what I -- I didn`t talk about this morning because it`s morning but the other thing that is really interesting to me about it is that women are also starting to do it for the same reasons that men are. Because economically, men are feeling very sort of insecure and like they cannot take care of their families and there`s nothing that they can really do.
And so the sex life of married couples right now is really sort of struggling as much as the economy --
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: -- and if -- they`re finding it difficult.
So these women are actually, some of them -- I read interviews -- are going to do this job so that they can be satisfied like a man.
BEHAR: No, really?
HEWITT: Which is really interesting that we`ve sort of taken that position; it`s different.
BEHAR: What about Mr. Buzzy?
HEWITT: Old Mr. Buzzy?
BEHAR: I mean that`s a --
HEWITT: Now that -- that every calendar holiday.
BEHAR: You can do it every day of the week.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: That`s a staple.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: Tricks are not for kids. Ok, I`m sorry. You go to The Rabbit, right?
BEHAR: Yes, yes well, we know what The Rabbit is.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes, we know what The Rabbit is.
HEWITT: "Sex and the City", whatever.
(CROSS TALKING)
BEHAR: But do you think they`re doing it, some of these women because they don`t want to work at McDonald`s you know and they don`t want to work for --
HEWITT: Probably and I think you know it`s a way to sort of get in touch with your sexuality. And really the thing is that -- with -- with prostitution so much have been, I mean, unless you`re in sort of a pimp situation, I guess, you really kind of make your own hours.
I mean, like my character in the movie definitely says I have to only do this in the hours between when I drop my kids off at school and pick them up.
BEHAR: Right.
HEWITT: Because a lot of these women are able to sort of say, yes, I can only do it in the afternoon. And they are paid I mean, amazing money to sort of do these things.
BEHAR: The phone sex?
HEWITT: They`re also -- yes, well, and happy endings. And they are - -
BEHAR: Or really show up.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Really show up.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Wow. I mean, I knew a guy who was a phone sex operator and he was a hairdresser. A guy I knew.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: No beauty, by the way, and suddenly he answers an ad for a phone sex operator and they gave him the job. So -- it`s all fantasy.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: It`s all fantasy.
Now, you know, what about this business of the stripper pole?
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: You learned to work out on the stripper pole.
HEWITT: I did. Which I have to say I really -- I was kind of judgmental about it. I was like -- really a stripper, like come on. And it`s hard. I mean, that`s really hard.
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: These girls like work it. In ways that you can`t even imagine and -- and I was like -- I mean, I was battered and bruised by the pole. But it was great. I really -- I loved it.
BEHAR: It hurts so good.
HEWITT: Oh it was amazing.
No, but it really did sort of sexuality wise get me in touch with a part of myself that -- but I did not know about.
BEHAR: Oh.
HEWITT: And it makes you feel very strong and very powerful. It`s you sort of taking on the pole and it`s great.
BEHAR: Jennifer, did you research for the part of a prostitute?
HEWITT: Well, I tried -- I read a couple of books here and there and sort of studied like stats and stuff like that. But I didn`t really want to study too much about it because my character didn`t. She`s sort of thrown into that world and kind of learning as she goes. And so I decide ok, I`ll just throw myself into that world also and see what I come up with.
BEHAR: Right.
HEWITT: I didn`t do too much research.
BEHAR: Ok.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Now, I have a couple of Twitter questions here.
HEWITT: Ok.
BEHAR: Like one of -- you broke up with Jamie Kennedy back in March. Who was he again?
HEWITT: A comedian.
BEHAR: I don`t know him. Are you dating him now?
HEWITT: No, I`m not.
BEHAR: I mean, you`re not dating him. Are you dating anyone?
HEWITT: No I`m not.
BEHAR: You`re not. You`re free.
HEWITT: I am free and clear.
BEHAR: Free again. Back to being free again.
Looking for a doctor with good needles.
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Now, here`s another funny one. Last time you were here you talked about bejazzling. That`s going to follow you, by the way.
HEWITT: Oh, my gosh, it hasn`t stopped.
BEHAR: I know. Everyone is doing it now even Snooki. Do you regret starting this trend?
HEWITT: I really didn`t need the Snooki information.
You know what? I don`t regret it. But people can feel free to stop talking to me about their private parts. Like it`s ok for me to go to Vaughn`s or the grocery store without somebody coming up going, I have the jazz on.
I`m like, that`s so gross. Thank you for sharing that with me. Like, I don`t want that visual.
BEHAR: While they`re peeling up the cantaloupes, too.
HEWITT: I know. And then Kathy Griffin did it in public. She bejazzled in public.
BEHAR: She`s wacky. She`s a whack job.
HEWITT: I mean it`s a private matter, the bejazzling, people.
BEHAR: What about this Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston. They`re on the cover of "Us" magazine --
HEWITT: I know.
BEHAR: -- saying that they`re engaged now, they`re back together again.
First of all, do you believe they`re in love or what?
HEWITT: I don`t get it. I really don`t. The whole thing is kind of confusing to me. Because the words going back and -- I guess the verbal whatever was really between the mom and him.
BEHAR: Yes.
HEWITT: Mainly. So I feel like maybe she`s a bit confused and her mom was in the midst of trying to do something very public and big, obviously, so maybe she was trying to sort of appease her mother by like breaking up with him and not going out with him or something. That`s the only thing I can think of.
BEHAR: A little passive-aggressive though to get pregnant when your mother is the big anti-sex routine thing she got going.
HEWITT: Yes. I feel like she`s a bit confused. And I feel like he`s got some cojones. And I feel like -- I feel bad for Sarah Palin, though. I really do because --
BEHAR: Why?
EWITT: Because I know that I`ve gone out with guys that my mom maybe hasn`t felt the best about. If I did something like that like so public and sort of embarrassing to her that way, she would feel very disrespected. And I just feel like -- let her have her reaction in Alaska like alone instead of on the cover of "Us" magazine with all of us watching.
Like let her go scream at a moose or something and like come back and then deal.
And then she was like -- what did she say? She was like she has forgiveness that most other people don`t. What does that mean?
BEHAR: That other people can`t forgive.
Hewitt: What?
BEHAR: She`s so self-righteous.
HEWITT: What is she supposed to -- yes, it`s weird.
BEHAR: She`s always the best one. She`s Saint Sarah. You know?
HEWITT: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes, yes, yes.
HEWITT: Not so much.
BEHAR: Well, when are you coming back and visit me again because I feel like you`re a regular over here.
HEWITT: I`m not reading really, I`m just going to -- its --
BEHAR: I love having you here.
HEWITT: I love being here.
BEHAR: You`re so cute.
HEWITT: Thank you.
BEHAR: Thank you so much for coming.
Comedienne Margaret Cho joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: She has a new CD, a role in the Lifetime series "Drop Dead Diva" and she`s getting ready to go on tour. I`m surprised she actually can fit me into her busy schedule, but I`m very happy that she did. Here with me now is the very funny comedian Margaret Cho.
Hi Margaret.
MARGARET CHO, COMEDIAN: Hi.
BEHAR: How are you?
CHO: I`m doing great.
BEHAR: Mom`s good.
CHO: She`s good. Well she`s mad because my -- they -- she is visiting her friend. Her friend is dying of cancer, which is a big deal. But my mom also wants to go on vacation. But she can`t leave for vacation until her friend dies because that`s rude.
BEHAR: Oh, conflict.
CHO: So my mom is like, she`s taking forever. I`m going to die if she doesn`t die soon. I want to go on vacation. She`s taking up all vacation. She`s taking up all of their vacation days.
BEHAR: Well doesn`t your mother have any more time later?
CHO: Yes. Well, they booked this cruise. They want to get out, they want to get on it.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: She and my dad, all they do is cruises, but they had to make a stop because she`s dying. Their friend is dying.
BEHAR: Well, there you go.
CHO: Yes.
BEHAR: Now you know I want to do a couple of things in the news with you because you`re always good.
CHO: Yes.
BEHAR: What do you think of the Mel Gibson thing? Anything on that?
CHO: Well I -- well I -- this is what I think he should do. I don`t think he can do movies anymore because it`s just -- people are just -- every time he goes to publicize one, he has an eruption. He`s like a volcano.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: He just had these eruptions. And so I think what he should do is he should open up a singing telegram business where he goes and chews people out at work. I`m going to burn down your house and happy birthday. You know that`s what I think --
BEHAR: That`s a good idea.
CHO: That`s a good idea. Singing telegrams.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: Because he just say -- but he`s not singing it. It`s like a -- he sounds like a fire breathing dragon or something.
BEHAR: He does. But it`s a little hard to do that, I want to burn down your house and the cars. Because he also wants you to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) him first.
CHO: Well yes, that`s -- that`s the part I like.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: Don`t forget that part. That`s really crazy. First -- first (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
BEHAR: First that and then this.
CHO: He`s so crazy. But I love how calm she is.
BEHAR: Well she`s calm because she`s taping him and she knows what she`s doing. Everybody is saying oh, she`s setting him up. Yes, that was the point.
CHO: Well good for her. You know good for her because she probably had to endure that so many times --
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: -- and nobody was a witness to it. And finally, you know, now she`s got the world as a witness and that`s good.
BEHAR: Well as he said on the latest tape, he said, no one will believe you. And then, you know that she`s thinking, oh, yes, they will.
CHO: Oh, yes, they will. But what is weird is I feel a little left out because he hasn`t made a slur against Asian people.
BEHAR: I know.
CHO: I`m like, what the hell?
BEHAR: You feel neglected?
CHO: I feel like left out, like do we not exist?
BEHAR: No, I know.
CHO: He hates everybody else.
BEHAR: And there`s a new show called "K-Town" billed as the Asian version of the "Jersey Shore." It`s just like that except the kids are good in math.
CHO: I love that.
BEHAR: That`s the only thing --
CHO: -- so they can count all the reps that they`re doing.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: I love it. I can`t wait -- I can`t wait to see this show. I really want this to happen.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: Because I think it would be great and really exciting. And I want to be on it.
BEHAR: Well you should be on it.
CHO: I could be like the matriarch.
BEHAR: I mean let`s face it, you`re the only Korean star we know.
CHO: I could be like Barbara Bel Geddes on that show. You know what I mean?
BEHAR: Yes, that`s right, the matriarch.
CHO: But yes I could -- I could definitely see myself as the matriarch, kind of like the what -- Alexis Carrington or whatever.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: But yes, silver fox.
BEHAR: But I mean, you know, the "Jersey Shore" stereo type types Italians. Even though I must tell the audience again, they`re not Italian. A lot of them are not even Italian. But they just do the thing.
CHO: Yes I don`t even think about them as racial. I think of them as tan.
BEHAR: They`re tan, they`re very tan.
CHO: Yes.
BEHAR: Well you know, Snooki tweeted that she didn`t want them to be taxed on her tanning bed. And John McCain tweeted back, "Don`t worry, Snooki, we won`t tax your tanning bed." Those two are like tweeting to each other.
CHO: They are following each other.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: That`s nice. That`s a good combination.
BEHAR: Isn`t that adorable?
CHO: That`s sweet.
BEHAR: She`s go see him in the old age home. She can take care of him there.
But do you think it will stereotype Asians and do we care?
CHO: No, I mean we don`t -- I`ve never seen that group of people -- like I don`t and it doesn`t really matter if there`s stereotypes because they don`t even exist. It is better to have inclusion than worry about stereotypes.
BEHAR: What do you mean they don`t exist?
CHO: Well you know they don`t exist on television. I don`t really see that many Asian people. Every once in a while.
BEHAR: Yes that`s true. Why is that?
CHO: I don`t know. I don`t know. I don`t know what that is about.
BEHAR: Is it because Asians are a minority in the country and so the demographic is not there? That -- they can`t --
CHO: Well --
BEHAR: -- they don`t spend enough money because they`re not big enough?
CHO: I don`t know -- I don`t know if that`s true. I think it -- it`s a lot -- I think a lot of it has to do with the culture that a lot of people don`t go into the arts because like -- when I wanted to be a comedian, I told my mom I was going to be a comedienne when I was 14. She said, oh, maybe it`s better if you just die.
And so that`s the general attitude of like --
BEHAR: So she was very supportive.
CHO: Yes, well when you`re going in the arts, they don`t want you to go in the arts but they want you to play piano but not be real good. Like they don`t want you to be an artist but they want you to have artistic --
BEHAR: As a hobby.
CHO: Yes, but as a hobby, there should be a limit. But for somebody like - well someone like myself or what we wanted to do, we wanted to be comedians so --
BEHAR: Well no one, they don`t believe that you ever really going to be successful out it because the odds are so high against you.
CHO: Right when you`re from an immigrant family.
BEHAR: Particularly an immigrant family, which I`m from, too.
CHO: Yes they get really worried about your future. And something that they don`t understand because they don`t see people like you out doing that.
BEHAR: Exactly.
CHO: So they don`t know that it`s possible.
BEHAR: Well they do but they see men. They don`t really see women doing it, what we are trying to do.
CHO: Oh yes for sure, exactly.
BEHAR: Now what about, what`s her name, Lindsay?
CHO: Lindsay?
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: Poor thing.
BEHAR: Poor Lindsay.
CHO: She`s -- well is she going to jail now?
BEHAR: Poor Lindsay, yes, she`s going to jail. She went to jail, I believe, today.
CHO: Right.
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: Well, I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry because she`s just a kid. And I think a lot of her drug and alcohol addictions maybe because she is having problems dealing with coming out of the closet. You know she`s also --
BEHAR: Oh that`s right she`s a lesbian.
CHO: She`s well, she`s bi. But that`s -- that`s -- it`s hard for kids. And she`s in the public eye. And so I think that maybe some of her substance abuse has to do with some of the pain around that.
BEHAR: You think that`s the issue?
CHO: That could be it.
BEHAR: Because it`s so chic to be a lesbian these days.
CHO: Well its -- but it`s you know, but it`s also difficult when you don`t have gay marriage, it`s not legal, and you still have the society that they`re sort of against that. So -- and being somebody that is a star, a very young star --
BEHAR: Yes.
CHO: -- it`s got to be hard
BEHAR: I see that`s an interesting thing.
CHO: I have compassion for her.
BEHAR: Ok, yes I do to kind of, I feel bad for her. But I want you to stay around because we have another segment with Margaret Cho. So don`t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXCERPT FROM MARGARET CHO`S DVD)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Well that was a look at a video off of Margaret Cho`s new CD, "Cho Dependent" which shows a new side of the comedian singing and playing the guitar. And she`s back with me now.
I didn`t really know you -- is this a hidden talent of yours to sing?
CHO: Well my mother`s a singer and she`s also a very skilled guitarist. And so it`s something - I actually have more in common with my family as musicians because my grandfather and my father, they all played music. And so that`s something that`s in my family, for sure.
BEHAR: So you mother -- but your mother didn`t want to be a professional musician.
CHO: No, no, no. But she was good at it. So I have it in my blood. And the person that told me that I was a good singer is Cyndi Lauper. "Oh, you can sing real good. You should do that you should go out on tour. Go sing real good." Like she was really encouraging so that was good to know.
BEHAR: She`s like a Brooklyn version of your mother.
CHO: Yes, she is, she really is.
BEHAR: So comedian Kathy Griffin.
CHO: Yes.
BEHAR: She`s under fire because on her show she made a comment about Scott Brown, Senator Scott Brown`s daughters. Watch this. Then we`ll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN: Scott Brown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s excellent.
GRIFFIN: Who is a senator from Massachusetts and has two daughters that are prostitutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: OK. By the way, we sure to watch this show Thursday night when Kathy stops by to give her side of the story. So what do you think about what Kathy said? Do you think she went too far? Is it funny? They`re mad at her.
CHO: I don`t think she went too far. First of all, I don`t even know who that person is.
BEHAR: Who, Scott Brown? He`s the senator from Massachusetts.
CHO: Yes.
BEHAR: He posed naked in the centerfold of "Playgirl" magazine.
CHO: Oh good, good.
BEHAR: Was it "Playgirl" yes.
CHO: Good, good.
BEHAR: But he was covered. I mean his gentile was covered. But that was before he was a senator.
CHO: Uh huh.
BEHAR: And he also introduced his daughters in one speech that he gave saying they`re available and he posed for them in bikinis. They were in bikinis. People felt that they were easy targets and available. But she got into trouble because he didn`t like that she called them prostitutes.
CHO: Yes, well, I don`t know. I think she can say whatever she wants. And part of her appeal and her glory is that she does. She doesn`t really care.
BEHAR: She doesn`t care, the more you criticize, the more she loves it.
CHO: She loves it. What`s great about Kathy is she`s always been the same way even when she wasn`t this international star. She was living in a studio apartment in Santa Monica, and she was exactly the same way. She`s always been this amazingly famous, funny person, in my mind.
BEHAR: Don`t you think that the most successful comics are the ones who stay the way they always were basically.
CHO: Yes. Exactly. The funniest.
BEHAR: You can`t just change it all of a sudden.
CHO: No.
BEHAR: So there`s an interesting story about the song we played "I`m sorry." What`s that story before we go?
CHO: Well, I was in love with one of the writers from my TV show. And I was in love with him -- from 1994, in love with this guy. He broke my heart, didn`t like me back. And then I never Googled him this whole time because I thought he`s happy, married, whatever. I`m sure he was living in a lighthouse or something.
But finally when I turned 40, I thought I should find out what he`s doing because I still love him. So I Googled him and his name came up. It said American screenwriter worked on "All American Girl" with Margaret Cho and in 2007 was convicted of the murder of his wife. He bludgeoned her to death and then stuffed her body in the attic for a month until it had partially mummified.
BEHAR: Oh what a romantic story that is.
CHO: So it is good we didn`t hook up.
BEHAR: You really dodged a bullet, baby, literally.
CHO: I wrote a song about it.
BEHAR: It`s called "I`m sorry."
CHO: It`s called, "I`m sorry."
BEHAR: OK we look forward to all of your work. You`re wonderfully funny and terrific. So check out her "Cho Dependent" tour in CD, starting August 24th. And, of course, see her on "Drop Dead Diva" Sunday nights on Lifetime.
Up next, the one and only Kathie Lee Gifford joins me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Well she`s a singer, an actress, and a talk show host. And she is so perky and cheerful she makes Katie Couric look like Sylvia Platt. Please welcome the celebrity ambassador for Child Help. Kathie Lee Gifford. You`re perky, Kathie.
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD, CO-HOST, "TODAY": No, darling, coffee is perky. I`m energetic. Like a little bunny.
BEHAR: Oh, OK, but I don`t know how you stay -- I don`t know how you stay energetic when you`re boozing it up every morning with Hoda. What`s up with that?
GIFFORD: It`s just shtick. And occasionally it`s the real -- we do have a little sip here and there. But if we drank through the whole thing -- you can`t function. You know how that started?
BEHAR: What?
GIFFORD: Not that you care. We had Chelsea Handler on the show one day.
BEHAR: Oh boy.
GIFFORD: And her new book came out, "Hello, Vodka, it`s Me Chelsea." So our prop guys made up a bunch of cocktails for her. What, are we going to be rude and not drink with her? We were hosting her.
BEHAR: So it`s morning TV.
GIFFORD: You know what? It`s working. Everyone`s laughing about it. "Time" magazine called us a happy hour. So far we haven`t heard from anybody in a negative way about it. Because I think it`s obvious that we`re teasing.
BEAHR: Just don`t start breastfeeding because that doesn`t work with alcohol.
GIFFORD: I know that. And you just brought back so many bad memories for me.
BEHAR: Why?
GIFFORD: Because I had a tough time breastfeeding. But we`re here to talk about hammocks.
BEHAR: Did you really.
GIFFORD: Although they are a lot the same, the older I get. They are sort of hammock-like.
BEHAR: We`ll get to the hammock. But I have one other things to discuss.
GIFFORD: Talk to me, baby.
BEHAR: I mean you know THE VIEW`S has been having male and female co- hosts lately, which we never did before. And you worked with Regis, now you`re working with Hoda. How is it different for you?
GIFFORD: I get to be now the older, cranky one. And I like it.
BEHAR: Where T was -- which he was for many years.
GIFFORD: He was the older cranky one. Now he`s older and crankier. And I get to be old and cranky. And you get away with a lot more. Joy, you know what it`s like.
BEHAR: Yes.
GIFFORD: Would you want to be Elisabeth on the show?
BEHAR: Meaning? Three children the take care of.
GIFFORD: Yes, I know.
BEHAR: And be gluten free constantly? I don`t think so.
GIFFORD: No that`s not the life for you.
BEHAR: No, that`s not for me.
GIFFORD: Not for you, no. No I`m enjoying it. I didn`t think I`d stay more than a year. But I fell in love with Hoda.
BEHAR: She is a doll. Very nice.
GIFFORD: You know she really, really is a great woman.
BEHAR: And the two of you get along nicely. I think it`s lovely to watch. Do you still watch Regis? Once in a while?
GIFFORD: You know to this day -- nobody believes it. But first of all, I`m at my studio now. So I`m not watching anything but the 9:00 hour, the "TODAY" show. I never watched it once since the day I left.
BEHAR: Did you watch it while you were on?
GIFFORD: No. You know what it`s like. When you do television, the last thing you want to do is watch yourself.
BEHAR: Well it`s a horror to watch yourself. I can`t do it. I see everything that`s wrong. Do you?
GIFFORD: Yes. And then I don`t want to be reminded of it. I live with it every day.
BEHAR: Not everybody`s like that. I worked with David Hartman.
GIFFORD: Yes.
BEHAR: Kathie Lee and I worked at "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" together.
GIFFORD: That`s the genesis of the friendship.
BEHAR: I was just a lowly assistant, secretary receptionist.
GIFFORD: To the executive producer Susan Winston.
BEHAR: Oh big deal. I was still going to get coffee for them.
GIFFORD: But you were honing your craft every night. You worked your buns off. And look where you are now.
BEHAR: Well we used to have lesbian hour. Did you ever come to lesbian hour?
GIFFORD: I miss -- I wish you had told me.
BEHAR: Every day at 4:00, we had lesbian hour at my desk. Anyway, David Hartman used to say come and watch me on this -- watch what I do here. He`d show us himself on television. So I liked to watch himself. It`s unusual.
GIFFORD: No we had many -- I`m sure you do, too. Don`t you have actors and actresses, who come on, when you show clips of their movies, they can`t even look, you know. Others are going ah because they`re in love with themselves.
BEHAR: I love when an actress is watching an emotional thing in a movie and she brings herself to tears. Now, let me talk about the recent segment on "TODAY" show when you and Hoda went without makeup. Let me see that.
GIFFORD: Yes.
BEHAR: OK, I want to see.
GIFFORD: You`re going to show that? Nice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It felt very strange today. I didn`t think it would bother me. And then I started realizing, you know what, I feel vulnerable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is really weird. We`re used to having things covered up. I never thought about it really.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little protection. Now that I see our monitor. I know why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s oh, wow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Now I know why you drink on that show.
GIFFORD: Yes, you know, then the next they want us to do one about our age. But that`s already out there. Everybody knows how -- will you do one about weight? I said, don`t push it.
BEHAR: Really don`t push it.
GIFFORD: They want us to get on -- you know what? You can turn that monitor off now, that one with the -- you know what frank said to me.
BEHAR: I think you still look cute, Kathie.
GIFFORD: Next day I was walking out to work and Frank said, you`re not going to do that again, you are? You`re not going to go makeup less again.
BEHAR: Well you have rosy drinks?
GIFFORD: That is from the drinking.
BEHAR: Like W.C. Fields.
GIFFORD: a little. The bulbous nose and stuff.
BEHAR: OK I have to remind that tomorrow or today is national hammock day.
GIFFORD: Tomorrow, Joy. You didn`t know -- mark your calendar. Yesterday was national lollipop day.
BEHAR: Oh really?
GIFFORD: You missed that, too.
BEHAR: I did.
GIFFORD: But just in time for national hammock day is tomorrow. And nobody knows -- it`s been around a long time and nobody knows the origin of it.
BEHAR: Should I have gotten you a gift for this or something?
GIFFORD: No, no, you give a gift to yourself. Some time in a hammock to decompress, to destress, to unplug from all of that, the craziness of your life and everybody else`s life. And get in touch again with what`s just peaceful and quiet.
BEHAR: What if you don`t have a yard? Where is --
GIFFORD: Well that is problematic. Lay on your couch. I don`t know. This is for people that can actually have one. Nice to make everybody feel bad who can`t have a hammock. Nice, Joy.
BEHAR: You know what? Some people are deprived of a hammock.
GIFFORD: They are. But if you want to get a hammock, right now you can go to the website, which, golly, look what she`s done to me. Can you believe this? Hayneedle.com.
BEHAR: What`s it called?
GIFFORD: hayneedle.com.
BEHAR: hayneedle.com
GIFFORD: They called me and said would you represent the hammocks? I`m a hammock freak. I just - they look like instant happiness.
BEHAR: Did you ever have sex in a hammock?
GIFFORD: Yes. Yes, but that`s not why I love them. That`s not the only reason I love them.
BEHAR: No, they have to do with reducing stress which then leads to less child abuse. Tell me about that.
GIFFORD: Well that`s the way I made the connection. They asked me to represent the product. And I love -- I adore hammocks. And I said, listen, I`ll be happy to do it. But can we do it a joint venture type thing with this organization I work with for a long time now called Child Help, which battles child abuse and neglect in our country. Huge, huge problem. Do you know that four children a day, a day every day die from child abuse.
BEHAR: In this country?
GIFFORD: In our country. And every ten seconds a child is abused in our nation. And that`s horrendous.
BEHAR: That`s unacceptable. It`s unacceptable.
GIFFORD: It totally is. We go down to Washington usually the first Wednesday of every year for day of hope. And we light a candle in Congress that used to have three wicks on it because it was three children a day that were dying. In the last three years we`ve been lighting the candle with four wicks. Because the statistics are going the wrong --
BEHAR: So it`s worse.
GIFFORD: It`s much worse. And it is worse now because of the economy. So many people are under so much more stress than even before. And you know what it`s like when you`re out of work -- and you are tired --
BEHAR: Drinking.
GIFFORD: Drinking, excessively - and the kid`s there. Before you know it you`ve hauled off and hurt somebody you love.
BEHAR: Well I never believe you should touch a child in spanking at all. Even tapping. I don`t like it at all.
GIFFORD: I know you`ve always said that.
BEHAR: I`m very much against that. And I fight with my co-hosts because it is not what everybody believes.
GIFFORD: I don`t think you should beat your children at all. I`ve smacked my kids on the rear end.
BEHAR: Why?
GIFFORD: To get their attention. They deserved it.
BEHAR: They don`t remember why.
GIFFORD: My kids are not in jail, they`re not in rehab.
BEHAR: Right, yes.
GIFFORD: They knew that there were limits on them and that nothing -- they were never hurt. And I have honor occasion swatted them. But never left a mark, never damaged them.
BEHAR: No, we know that.
GIFFORD: And a lot of -- everybody has their feeling about it. I think you should parent in the way you feel is right. Beating anybody is absolutely wrong.
BEHAR: OK, thank you so much for stopping by. Really, it`s great to see you.
GIFFORD: I hate when you read a prompter -
BEHAR: I`m sorry.
GIFFORD: It`s so insincere.
BEHAR: For more information on preventing child abuse go to childhelp.org. Up next, she starred in "Hairspray" and she`s now in the ABC Family series "HUGE," actress Nikki Blonsky drops by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don`t let you do the picture with clothes on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god. I never would have guessed that. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, this could be my summer to gain weight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Well first HBO gave us "Hung." and now ABC family gives us "HUGE." puts them together, it sounds like a fabulous weekend. "HUGE" is about teenagers in a fat camp. And I`m glad to have the star of this show, Nikki Blonsky with me. Hi Nikki.
NIKKI BLONSKY, ACTRESS: Hi Joy, how are you?
BEHAR: OK, you know what, I`m good. If there are even plus-sized characters on television, it`s usually one, just the best friend. This show has a plethora of plus-sized kids in it.
BLONSKY: Absolutely, the whole cast, we are all plus size.
BEHAR: There`s something, you know, interesting about that and ground-breaking in many ways you know.
BLONSKY: Absolutely. I think it`s the most ground-breaking series on television. Because I think it`s making TV history is what it`s doing. Because ABC family, I truly commend them for doing this because no other network has ever done a show with a full plus-sized cast and said we are going to take this on. Because for so long the media has just pushed out the size zero, you know.
BEHAR: Oh I know.
BLONSKY: And I think you know it`s affected the youth in a certain manner.
BEHAR: You know, there`s nothing less funny than a skinny bitch. My - my opinion.
BLONSKY: I agree. I agree. Who needs them?
BEHAR: It`s not funny. Now the show is called "HUGE." you`re in a fat camp. The words are a little bit, you know, volatile. You know would you prefer more political me correct language or do you -- how do you feel about the word "fat" for example?
BLONSKY: You know it doesn`t faze me. I mean, we as a show would prefer a fitness camp or, you know, a weight loss camp. You know, I`m not going to sit here and ask people to call it a weight loss retreat. You know, it`s certainly not a retreat. It`s camp, you know. But it is what it is. And you know, that`s a word that`s been around this country for years. And it`s not going to go away no matter how many times people say fitness, you know. So it doesn`t offend me in the least, you know.
BEHAR: Right, it`s like queer. The gay community has taken queer back and it`s lost all of its power. So fat should be like that maybe.
BLONSKY: Maybe -- you never know. Everybody is different with their opinion. Just I know to me, it really doesn`t faze me if somebody goes, oh, you`re fat. Well tell me something I don`t know. You know.
BEHAR: Now you know, I`ve been to Los Angeles. I spent a year there one weekend -- no, seriously, I was --
BLONSKY: It feels like a year when you`re there.
BEHAR: Sometimes well if you`re not skinny, it feels like a year. If you don`t like the sun, it feels like a decade.
BLONSKY: You are running out of things to do.
BEHAR: It`s a difficult place for people who like New York. But anyway, I did not see a lot of overweight actors. Mostly when I went up for jobs, there were either, you know, regular size or skinny. Where do they find all these overweight actors? Are they out there?
BLONSKY: Yes. I mean it`s -- my thing is, I think talent is everywhere. Talent is in middle schools, in high schools right now, all over the country. And they`re going to be the future stars of the generation. And we don`t even know it.
BEHAR: You know that`s an interesting thing you said. That talent is everywhere. Because you know "AMERICAN IDOL" is now lowering the age - you know, it`s just Bieber`s world now.
BLONSKY: We`re in Bieber world.
BEHAR: We`re in Bieber world.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: And because they said they have trouble -- they`re having trouble finding talent in that age bracket they have set up for themselves. So they`re lowering the age. But do you think that`s true? Or is it they`re looking for, you know, a certain look as well as the talent? And maybe that`s what minimizes the talent pool?
BLONSKY: Well, I think the talent pool -- I think it`s very -- it can be very divided. Because when you have, you know, the teen/tween era, you know they`re looking for the Justin Biebers, they`re looking for the younger guy singer. You know and they`re not going to take a Justin Timberlake who is now, you know, close to 30. So I think they`re going to go for -- that`s why I think "AMERICAN IDOL" lowered their age bracket. Because they`re looking for more tween stars to fill Miley Cyrus` shoes as she grows up and does her thing and isn`t so --
BEHAR: And flashes her underwear.
BLONSKY: Right exactly, does wonderful things like that to please America.
BEHAR: Yes and to segue into her next stage, right? Isn`t that what she? Yes.
BLONSKY: I guess so, I mean I never thought of growing up, you know, oh I should flash my underwear at the paparazzi. But you know, I just, you know, had a glass of wine when I turned 21. That was my ground-breaking moment.
BEHAR: Yes, I mean at this point, it`s a non - if Betty White did it then you have something, you know what I mean?
BLONSKY: Right, yes, that would be interesting.
BEHAR: Yes now, yes but anyway, the other thing about you and your career right now is this ad that they took out for "HUGE." do we have a picture of that ad? Can we show it, there you are. You look like you`re cold, first of all. Are you freezing? What, are you in Alaska?
BLONSKY: Well, I actually was on a set. We were shooting those pictures at, like, 7:00 in the morning. And that was like one of the first pictures we took. And he was, like, look like you`re nervous. And I was like, I`m not nervous about anything. I`m standing here in a bathing suit in front of like 50 men. I`m like, I`m not nervous, you know.
BEHAR: But did you have any qualms posing like that?
BLONSKY: Not at all.
BEHAR: You didn`t?
BLONSKY: I didn`t.
BEHAR: Just, I give you a lot of credit. Most girls would not be able to do it. You know.
BLONSKY: Thank you. I just decided, you know, it was the whole cast was there. And it was the first day we were all really working together. And all the boys were there. They said, Nikki, what are you wearing for this photo right now? And I just went, this. They said, that`s a pretty color, you know. I just said, this is it. This is me. Take it or leave it.
BEHAR: What did your family do to give you such high self esteem? What did they do?
BLONSKY: Ever since I was a little kid, I remember two years old, hearing my parents say, you`re a beautiful little girl. The word weight never was a huge issue. It never defined me as a person. It was, I am who I am. I was funny to them. I was sweet to them. I was their baby girl.
BEHAR: Well you know I heard that too, but then I got a copy of glamour magazine and put my head in the oven.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK more with Nikki Blonsky in just a minute. She has higher self esteem than anybody I`ve ever met.
NANCY GRACE, HLN ANCHOR: I object to you changing the channel. Nancy Grace, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with the lovely star of "HUGE" Nikki Blonsky. You know Nikki, Amanda Bynes, you know her right.
BLONSKY: Oh yes, we were in "Hairspray" together --
BEHAR: That`s right, she is so good in that film too. And she`s retiring at the age of 24. What possessed her to retire, do you know?
BLONSKY: I have no idea. I haven`t gotten a hold of her. But I just told her, you know I left her a message and said, I wish you the best. I love you to death, I will be your friends forever and call me if you need anything.
BEHAR: Do you think she means it? Or is it just like you know - career move.
BLONSKY: You know Jay-z said he was retiring too. Now he`s singing or rapping at the B.E.T. awards. So --
BEHAR: Yes I mean nobody was exactly talking about Amanda Bynes until she said she was going to retire. It`s not a stupid idea.
BLONSKY: It`s not a stupid idea. It could have been a publicity move to get attention. I mean I`m not going to -- I`m not bashing her. She`s one of my dearest friends. But it could have well been a very, very intelligent ploy to get publicity.
BEHAR: Yes, that would have been -- talk about publicity moves. What about Lady Gaga at the Mets game, giving the finger?
BLONSKY: Yes. Well, I`m glad they`re not letting her back in Citi field or Yankee stadium, I don`t know where she was.
BEHAR: Citi field is it? They`re not letting her back.
BLONSKY: Yes, it is Citi field, they`re not letting her back. She`s banned.
(LAUGHTER)
BLONSKY: And I think that`s pretty bad. I`m sure they`ve seen some drunken people and really bad scenes. But when you get kicked out of Citi field, I mean, that`s intense.
BEHAR: Yes, I know, really, vomiting from the bleachers right on to the baseball players. Those can come back.
BLONSKY: The player. Those people get kicked out. She was flipping them off, giving them the bird, as we say on Long Island. She -- you know, she says, why is everybody looking at me? Well, who else is at the baseball game in a bra and a thong?
BEHAR: Hello! Hello!
BLONSKY: I`m not. Are you, Joy?
BEHAR: No, I`m not.
BLONSKY: So if we were there, I`m sure, you know, we would have been left alone. But, you know.
BEHAR: Well she wants attention.
BLONSKY: Well exactly.
BEHAR: And she gets it. But she`s a talented girl.
BLONSKY: She`s very talented. I love her music.
BEHAR: She`s good. Before we go, I want to get back to your show a little bit. Because I think that it`s going to be a big hit, your show.
BLONSKY: Thank you.
BEHAR: It seems to be getting very good buzz. And I like the overweight girls to be getting jobs. Now, like -- what`s her name, Gabourey Sidibe?
BLONSKY: Yes.
BEHAR: She`s another one who seems to have a show even though she`s a heavy girl, is there a trend going on here?
BLONSKY: I don`t think there`s a trend as much as just people are recognizing talent. And people are saying, you know what, it doesn`t matter anymore what people look like. We want to put real talent out there for kids to see.
BEHAR: But you know something, may I use the word fat?
BLONSKY: Sure.
BEHAR: Fat guys always worked. John Goodman -
BLONSKY: Absolutely.
BEHAR: All the couple of guys -- Chris Farley. All these guys, comedians mostly, I guess.
BLONSKY: Sure.
BEHAR: They are funny guys. But John Goodman is a dramatic actor. How come they always seem to get jobs but the girls can`t?
BLONSKY: Well I think it was up until now that it was just -- we were always, like I said, the best friend -
BEHAR: Yes.
BLONSKY: Or the come on for the funny cameo and then leave. You know, I think now, you know, for me, "Hairspray" was such a breakthrough. And to say hey, I`m here, I`m huge, and I`m staying.
BEHAR: Good girl, good girl, Nikki, thanks so much for joining me.
BLONSKY: Thank you for having me.
BEHAR: You`re really a delightful girl. "HUGE" airs at Mondays at 9:00 p.m. on ABC family. Watch it. Goodnight, everybody.
END
