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Joy Behar Page
Free Speech or Hate Speech?; Cheerleader Scandal; Interview With Rod Stewart
Aired October 21, 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: The cast of "Glee" is getting flack for sexy photos they took at "GQ". So what? Who cares? I can`t wait to check out the cast of "60 Minutes" at AARP. Three words: Andy, Rooney, hot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, NPR fires Juan Williams when he says he gets nervous when flying with people in Muslim garb. Is this a case of political correctness gone wild?
Then a hot "Glee" photo shoot lands "GQ" in hot water. Should it matter that these women are in their 20s if they`re portraying characters in their teens.
Plus the ageless Rod Stewart reveals his secrets for staying sexy in his 60s and keeping his trademark hair spiked.
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: National Public Radio has fired long-time contributor Juan Williams over comments he made earlier this week on the "O`Reilly Factor". Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN WILLIAMS, FIRED FROM NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I think, look, political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don`t address reality. I mean look, though, I`m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I`ve written about the civil rights movement in this country but when I get on a plane, I have to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they`re identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: So, were they right to fire him or does he have the right to express himself? With me to discuss this are Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and radio talk show host; and Sam Seder, media commentator and political satirist.
Ok. Should he have been fired? First question.
CURTIS SLIWA, FOUNDER, GUARDIAN ANGELS: No way. Why? It`s a natural feeling. Every time I`m going through the TSA checkpoint Charlie and arguing with one of these TSA Nazi because I have three ounces of astringent, bubble bath, I have my high karate and they`re throwing it out.
Then I see Ahmed and Mahmoud coming through there and I`m like they got the (INAUDIBLE) on the head and the whole garb.
BEHAR: What exactly is Muslim garb for men? I don`t know what they`re talking about.
SLIWA: The robes, the traditional robes that you might be wearing let`s say in a Middle Eastern country.
BEHAR: But if you were a terrorist wouldn`t you not wear that outfit?
SAM SEDER, POLITICAL SATIRIST: Of course not. Of course you wouldn`t. I mean that`s the thing.
Look, it`s perfectly fine for him to say, you know, I have these feelings that when I see someone who -- and although I do find it a little bit weird that he has a problem when people are putting their Muslimness first and foremost. I`m not sure what that means.
But there is no logic to the idea that if a terrorist is going to be on your plane that he`s going to be wearing Muslim garb and putting his Muslimness first and foremost.
BEHAR: Right. I don`t think Mohammad Atta had this outfit on that you`re describing.
SLIWA: The guy, remember, with the fruit of the loom, the BVD, remember when he set himself on fire, the three piece set? I`m not talking about the night has fallen --
BEHAR: Yes. But that was Muslim BVDs? What are you talking about?
(CROSSTALK)
SLIWA: The point is you get a little nervous.
SEDER: That is the point. Here`s the thing. If he had been saying, look, I feel bad sometimes because I feel this way but no, he starts off -- the real problem with that statement is what he says at the beginning.
He says, Bill, you are absolutely right. The reality is obscured by some PC correctness that we can`t say that we`re afraid of people who show that they`re Muslim. That`s the problem. That`s not the reality.
That`s what`s inside his head and it may be inside your head and it certainly is obviously inside Curtis`s but that is not the reality. The reality is that if someone is going to come on to a plane they`re not going to be dressed that way. They`re not going to indicate to everybody that I`m a Muslim.
BEHAR: So what was Juan doing? What was he -- channeling Fox News now and everything he says is like --
SEDER: He is a paid contributor there.
BEHAR: I know he is.
SEDER: And he is trying to make a buck.
SLIWA: Well, I`ll tell you. He does double duty. You know, it`s like he goes to the liberal side, he goes to the conservative side.
BEHAR: That`s a mistake. Take a position and stay with it.
SLIWA: Right. But his complexion has been his protection. NPR liked him because he was a black commentator and Fox News Channel likes him because he`s a black news commentator.
BEHAR: Well, NPR said this.
SEDER: Well, I don`t think that`s fair to say to Juan Williams, I mean, that he is simply there because he is black.
SLIWA: Oh, let`s face it. And NPR let`s face it, has the civil rights card they use. They like to put a Juan Williams out there.
BEHAR: It`s a radio show. Who is going to know?
SLIWA: Everybody knows who Juan Williams is.
SEDER: And listen, I don`t know if you`d be here if you weren`t wearing a red beret. But the point is --
BEHAR: Which by the way, has seen better day. Just saying.
SLIWA: What are you saying? Are you saying I have issues here, Joy, as a 56-year-old guy running around with a red beret?
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Exactly.
Like, if I saw that outfit getting on a plane I might call the police and say what the hell is this nut job doing on my plane?
SLIWA: That has happened. That has happened.
SEDER: The bottom line is NPR doesn`t have to associate themselves with a guy who is going to go on Fox and try and make his buck by making Bill O`Reilly feel good about himself.
And if that`s what they want to do that`s what they should do, they should fire him because they don`t want to ruin their brand.
BEHAR: All right. This is what NPR said. They said, "His remarks on the "O`Reilly Factor" this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."
SLIWA: Let me use Jesse Jackson as an example, even though he`s not with NPR or Fox News Channel. Remember at the height of black crime in Washington, D.C. Jesse said I live in northwest Washington and when I look over my shoulder and I see the home boys, you know, dressed with the hoodies and the baggy pants, I`m frightened -- genuine reaction. I didn`t criticize him because that`s a genuine reaction.
I think Juan Williams is expressing reaction he genuinely has. Is he supposed to put a cap on that? Is he not supposed to say it? Now, does he run away from the guy dressed in the garb? No. He is just a little wary. He`s a little nervous. He gets a little agi (ph) --
(CROSSTALK)
SEDER: But he`s expressing this -- the problem is that he`s expressing this as this is a reality.
BEHAR: As if everybody feels that way.
SEDER: It`s not even that everybody feels that way; that the reality is that we should be worried about those people.
BEHAR: Right.
SEDER: It`s different than feeling that way and whether we should but the bottom line is, look. If he goes on to Fox, you know, NPR has very strict guidelines. They won`t even let their people go to this Jon Stewart rally next weekend. And so it`s perfectly within their justification and frankly to maintain the integrity of their brand they should -- they shouldn`t have anybody on Fox.
SLIWA: The Saudis when they come to do business with us. Because they own almost all of New York and all the real estate --
BEHAR: That`s true.
SLIWA: They wear the Armani suits, they`re bending the elbow, chasing skirts and looking at you, Joy, hey, how would you like a nice palace back in Saudi Arabia?
BEHAR: Talk about outfits I`m not attracted to.
SLIWA: Right, but they don`t wear the traditional garb.
BEHAR: Now, let`s do this.
Williams defended himself today on Fox News recounting a phone call he shared with his boss at NPR. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: He went on to somehow suggest that I had made a bigoted statement and I said that`s not a bigoted statement. You cannot ignore what happened on 9/11 and you cannot ignore the connection to Islamic radicalism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: I cannot ignore a guy, white guy with his socks ticking next to me either. You know, it`s like there`s something wrong about what he said. I got into this with Bill O`Reilly last week. Maybe you saw that.
SLIWA: Your friend there.
BEHAR: My friend Bill, yes.
SLIWA: Please don`t get up and leave while we`re here.
BEHAR: And so this started this whole conversation and I objected to his use of the term "Muslims killed us on 9/11" because it indicts an entire religion. This is kind of like in that same category somehow.
SLIWA: Now look. As much as I disagree with you on this I support the mosque being built two blocks from the World Trade Center. You know what grief that gives people who are on my side of the political aisle.
BEHAR: Yes.
SLIWA: But in reaction here, of course Bill O`Reilly was wrong. You don`t indict all Muslims for what a few loonies with the furniture upstairs rearranged in the wrong rooms do.
BEHAR: Right.
SLIWA: Of course not.
BEHAR: You don`t say that Timothy McVeigh was a Christian. You say he was a terrorist.
SLIWA: Right.
BEHAR: Right?
SEDER: And you know, we don`t point to the last political assassination in this country of Tiller because he was a doctor who performed abortions and indict all Christians because of that.
BEHAR: That`s a good point.
(CROSSTALK)
SLIWA: You use a good -- Timothy McVeigh had no license plates on his car. Remember? He was against the United States. I see a guy driving around with no license plates, right, who looks like he`s a reject from the Beverly Hillbillies I get a little nervous. I get a little worried.
SEDER: You don`t have license plates you`re breaking the law but we have a series of bombers in this country, Rudolph who was on a bombing spree for two or three years in the `90s bombing gay bars and bombing abortion clinics and he`s being protected by other anti-choice people around the country. I don`t indict all Christians because of that.
BEHAR: Of course not.
SEDER: Of course, that would be absolutely reprehensible to do something like that.
SLIWA: You tell me, Joy, when you see them dancing around with no shoes on with the snakes around their neck, right?
BEHAR: Who is doing that?
SLIWA: You know, the charismatics, evangelicals singing hallelujah, holy rollers you don`t get a little nervous?
BEHAR: I thought you were talking about a burlesque show.
SLIWA: That`s what it resembles, right? They start channeling and talking in spirits and tongues. I get a little nervous.
BEHAR: It sounds like racial profiling too what he was talking about. Like you somebody -- so what about if you see somebody who`s of Arabic descent.
(CROSSTALK)
SLIWA: Joy, a black man cannot be a racist. Haven`t you heard Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson say it`s impossible for a black man, a member of a minority community to be racist? So you are actually going against the flow.
BEHAR: Well, racism comes from -- is a societal thing. It`s really - - I sort of agree with that. It`s something that`s in the society --
(CROSSTALK)
SLIWA: So they give Juan Williams a pass. His complexion is his protection here. Make NPR bring him back.
BEHAR: Well, I think he should go back frankly. I don`t think he should be fired. They could reprimand him.
It`s like you know I had a fight with Bill O`Reilly right? He apologized which I loved. He should have. And I don`t say he should be fired from his job because I disagree with him just like I don`t want to be fired for the things that I say and I don`t think they should fire him. Do you?
SEDER: Listen, I think they can do whatever they want and should he be fired? I guess if you want to maintain the integrity of the NPR brand you would fire him because he is expressing things frankly that are rather bigoted and he is going on there and he is not doing NPR any favors by trying to make Bill O`Reilly feel like his bigotry is justified.
BEHAR: But he`s usually very, very right on target. Can we go just show you something that Bill O`Reilly did the other night on the show? He is still talking about me on the show.
SLIWA: Really.
BEHAR: Yes. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONYA REIMAN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: What I thought I saw in you was going from a position of dominance more to a position of aggression which surprised me a little bit and I saw that in not only the way you pointed but also the way your chin went up and lastly it was in your voice. One of the things you said to Joy was, "Listen and you`ll learn."
BILL O`REILLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Right.
REIMAN: And by doing that with condescension -- O`REILLY: But I had to do that -- of course, but I had to do that to get her attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Oh, really? What was I? In a coma?
SEDER: Yes. It was the only way --
BEHAR: Let me smack her or something to listen to me.
SEDER: Exactly. Bill O`Reilly has a real problem. He`s bringing on somebody to analyze him on air.
BEHAR: He can`t get enough of this story.
SLIWA: I`m a little confused. Is he saying he was dominant there but he loves to be submissive off the set?
BEHAR: Listen --
SLIWA: I`m asking you about that.
BEHAR: I don`t know. I have no idea.
SEDER: Is this when we start talking about Middle Eastern food?
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Ok. Let`s go there.
Next show maybe. Thanks very much, guys.
Up next, a steamy photo shoot -- I can`t talk -- a steamy photo shoot lands "GQ" and the cast of "Glee" in hot water.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up a little later on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW Rod Stewart drops by to talk about sex, marriage, fatherhood and his crazy hair.
Now back to Joy.
BEHAR: The cast of "Glee" appears in some steamy pictures in the new issue of "GQ" and the photo spread drawing flack from the Conservative Parents Television Council which says the photos, quote-unquote, "border on pedophilia". With me now to talk about this and other stories are comedian Jessica Kirson; Rachel Sklar, the editor-at-large for mediaite.com; and the lovely designer and actress Linda Dano, my old pal.
Let me just straighten something out. These girls are 24 and 28. They`re not teenagers. So what is the big deal? Jessica?
JESSICA KIRSON, COMEDIAN: I don`t think it`s a big deal. I really don`t. I think they find anything they can -- I mean first of all it`s just making women sexy for men. It`s putting them out there. It`s so that men, you know, watch --
BEHAR: Will get excited.
RACHEL SKLAR, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, MEDIATE.COM: Dressed as naughty school girls, that is I think the complaint. The problem is that, you know, that cow left the barn or whatever the expression is, you know, years ago.
LINDA DANO, ACTRESS: She looked at me and I`m not good at those.
KIRSON: What did you just call me?
BEHAR: She didn`t call you a cow.
SKLAR: You know like the Britney Spears video, like that? Like she actually was a teenager in that, you know, in the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video. This whole naughty school girl thing is not new.
BEHAR: It`s yucky.
SKLAR: It is yucky.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: You think of men salivating over girls in school girl outfits it`s obnoxious.
DANO: It is. And the other thing that`s wrong in my opinion about because have I grandchildren is that even though these kids are 24 and 28 they play much younger on television and they are role models for their fans. These kids look at this, they see that photograph and they don`t know how to --
(CROSSTALK)
KIRSON: They`ve already seen Lea Michele in super short skirts crawling all over Cory Monteith.
SKLAR: I know.
BEHAR: Let me read you something from one of the girls in the photos, Dianna Agron. She`s a woman, they`re not girls. She apologized on her blog for the pictures. This is what she said, "If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable it was never our intention. And if your 8- year-old has a copy of our "GQ" cover in hand, again I`m sorry but I would have to ask how on earth did it get there?"
She has a point. Why are 8-year-olds reading "GQ" in the first place?
KIRSON: I don`t think that`s the target market.
DANO: I would hope not. Otherwise I have to kill myself.
BEHAR: But it`s daddy`s target market so maybe "GQ" is in the house.
SKLAR: That`s right. Fair enough.
DANO: Or you know they can see it in the market. I mean it`s not like they`re kept in some case.
BEHAR: And it`s not in plastic like "Playboy" or "Hustle".
SKLAR: No. I don`t think we need to put "GQ" in plastic yet. I think that everybody can take a lesson from this like maybe "GQ" could be a little bit more circumspect about, you know, pushing the sexy school girl medium.
KIRSON: They`re going to do it more now. This is what everybody is talking about.
(CROSSTALK)
KIRSON: Now everyone is going to buy it.
Maybe parents should, you know, control their kids more like it`s -- it is out there.
BEHAR: But isn`t it kind of a rite of passage for boys. Don`t boys sneak the "Playboy" into their room and sort of grow up that way? They used to do that.
DANO: They used to. Do they still do it?`
BEHAR: I don`t know.
SKLAR: They have the Internet now. They have it on their iPhones.
BEHAR: Here is another story about overly sexualized youth. An 11- year-old Nebraska girl was kicked off her cheerleading team for refusing to shake her booty during a cheer. WOWT has the footage of the girl. Ok.
This is like a trend going on here -- that teenagers are required to booty pop for the crowd?
SKLARS: Look how little these girls are. They`re tiny.
BEHAR: Eleven is young.
DANO: And you`d think she would be praised for standing up for something she believed in instead of saying oh, well, I don`t want to do that and then get kicked off.
BEHAR: The team has girls as young as 5 on it.
KIRSON: I heard next week the whole team is going to be on the cover of "GQ". I heard that recently.
SKLAR: That would be good.
DANO: But a 5-year-old doesn`t even know what a booty is. She doesn`t know.
SKLAR: So it`s like a continuum. Maybe it`s cute, innocent, with the little 5-year-old, but the fact that an 11-year-old spoke up bravely and got kicked of the cheerleading squad, that`s insane.
DANO: I`m with you. KIRSON: Well, see this is what I was saying. This woman who`s, you know, the squad leader, whatever they call themselves, I don`t know what -- the head --
The mistress. Anyway, she has this move that she is really proud of. Do you understand? This is a big deal for her. She planned the move. She worked on that booty shake and the fact that someone doesn`t want to do it screws up the whole thing.
BEHAR: I see.
KIRSON: But her life has revolved around this dance.
DANO: But maybe the -- she needs to take a chill pill.
BEHAR: The cheer goes like this. "Jump, shake your booty. Jump, jump, shake your booty."
(CROSSTALK)
SKLAR: Very creative.
KIRSON: Kind of has a rhythm. Jump, shake your booty. Jump, jump, shake your -- it`s really, I would love to listen to that.
BEHAR: Anyway, the girls should be allowed to opt out. Shouldn`t she?
DANO: Of course she should. She should be celebrated for it actually.
BEHAR: All right everyone. Sit tight. We have more on the way.
DANO: I`m exhausted from this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with my exhausted panel. In the wake of the controversy over Vince Vaughn`s gay joke in the trailer to "The Dilemma" some are questioning why TV`s "The Office" got away with making a similar joke about a gay character on last week`s episode. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to need a list of every man you`ve ever had sex with. I`m talking train stations, men`s rooms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flower shops, fireworks celebrations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fence with a hole in it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Moonlit gondola. Carriage ride through Central Park.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The woods behind the liquor store. The swamp behind the old folks` home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Electric car dealership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Democratic primary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oscar? Think -- think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Ok. Ok. It`s a little bit different from the gay joke. You know, the Vince Vaughn thing was --
KIRSON: Right.
BEHAR: Oh, that`s so gay or electric cars are gay and using the term "gay" in a pejorative manner. Is this joke any different or better or worse? What`s your opinion?
SKLAR: The key difference is context. If you watch "The Office" it becomes clear very quickly that Michael and Dwight the two characters played by Rainn Wilson and Steve Carell and (INAUDIBLE) are the idiots, the dunces.
BEHAR: Yes.
SKLAR: They`re the crazy people. And their behavior is not normal and not endorsed by society. That`s the obvious context of it.
BEHAR: Right.
SKLAR: And not to deconstruct comedy so boringly but that`s basically it.
BEHAR: That`s right --
SKLAR: Yes.
BEHAR: -- it`s like consider the source.
KIRSON: Yes. I mean, I -- I -- I really, it`s, you know, gay men would laugh at that. You know what I`m saying? Like they -- it`s not offensive I don`t think; the things that they were saying believe it or not. But I really have an issue with people saying, that`s -- all these kids now saying "that`s so gay".
BEHAR: It bothers you.
KIRSON: Yes. It bothers me a lot. Because I talked to so many of my friends who have kids in school and that -- they`re constantly saying that.
DANO: It`s crazy.
KIRSON: You`re such a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) or you`re -- you`re so gay or that`s so queer. That`s very derogatory.
SKLAR: It`s coming back.
DANO: I think that television and film, there are so many gay people in it in every -- every possible job, it`s very possible that they wrote that line, a gay writer. So it`s hard for me to believe it was malicious in any way.
BEHAR: You mean the "that`s so gay" remark?
DANO: Yes. It doesn`t -- it would not make sense to me. You know what I mean.
SKLAR: It`s just -- it`s just uninspired.
DANO: Yes.
SKLAR: Like that`s the punch line, really?
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: It is a way of making fun.
DANO: Yes we never said he was a good writer.
SKLAR: -- to a lot of people it is punch line.
KIRSON: It does make people laugh, it is -- it is a way of -- of making fun.
BEHAR: The implication is that you`re lame. There is something lame about it.
SKLAR: Yes.
BEHAR: It`s so gay. Like it`s always -- it`s definitely a putdown.
SKLAR: Right.
BEHAR: So people don`t like it. I mean, you know, he doesn`t say, he`ll use the "n" word you notice. You know.
DANO: Right.
BEHAR: He wouldn`t dare.
SKLAR: The use of gay as a pejorative is coming back and it`s strange. People have to speak up and say that`s wrong.
DANO: Well, haven`t they been saying this a long time?
BEHAR: Yes. Well, let me -- let me go to one more thing before we leave.
Finally, even Halloween icon Elvira has jumped on the band wagon when it comes mocking Christine O`Donnell`s "I`m not a witch ad." Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not a witch. I`m nothing you`ve heard. I`m you. Except with bigger (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: She`s really funny. At least she knows about the First Amendment, Elvira.
KIRSON: It`s amazing.
BEHAR: She`s great, isn`t it?
KIRSON: She knows a lot of things surely.
BEHAR: You know we`re all for free speech but you have to know where it comes from. Ok, Christine? Thanks, guys.
KIRSON: Yes.
BEHAR: And be sure to catch the "Linda Dano at Home for Christmas Show" live on QVC Monday at 3:00 p.m.
Up next, he`s still sexy; the one and only Rod Stewart.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSC)
BEHAR: You know, from songs like "Maggie May" to "Fly Me to the Moon," Rod Stewart has sung them all. And considering he sold over 250 million records just I`d say he has sung them rather well. OK?
And his new CD is called "Fly Me to the Moon: The Great American Song Book Volume Five." And it`s out now.
Welcome to my show, Rod.
ROD STEWART, SINGER: Thank you, Joy. Thank you for having me.
BEHAR: It`s good to see you at "The View," but I like seeing you here up close like this.
STEWART: We can get personal, can we?
BEHAR: That`s right, baby.
Listen, we`re in the same age bracket. I know that my eggs are dried up and so you`re not interested, but still.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: Well, my sperm is still pretty useful.
BEHAR: I`ve heard about your sperm. Your sperm is quite useful.
STEWART: It has been very useful over the years.
BEHAR: I know. I mean, you`re on number eighth child.
STEWART: Yes, eight.
BEHAR: She`s -- the baby is in utero at the moment.
STEWART: Yes, she`s four months pregnant.
BEHAR: The wife?
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: Who`s a lovely blonde.
STEWART: Isn`t she just?
BEHAR: But aren`t they all just?
STEWART: Yes, she`s -- she carries it very well because she`s six foot three, you know?
BEHAR: Yes.
STEWART: (INAUDIBLE) personally, it makes you look. She carries it really well.
BEHAR: But it shows that you`re a secure male because you don`t care that, you know, she is so much bigger than you, taller than you.
STEWART: No, it doesn`t worry me at all. It worries my manager a lot because every time he sees pictures of us in the papers, he goes, will you please walk in the front and let her walk behind? She can`t wear high heels. You know, she`s so worried about it. It is what it is.
BEHAR: It`s like Sarkozy.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: He`s got that tall wife, Carla Bruni.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: And he`s --
STEWART: But he`s short.
BEHAR: He`s dwarfish. Yes, he`s very short.
STEWART: Very short. Yes, I`m 5`11". Want to have a measure?
BEHAR: She could eat escargot off his head.
STEWART: Hey!
BEHAR: You know, Elton John who just did a concert this week, at the Beacon I understand, Whoopi was carrying on over it. But he said that you are the best singer he`s heard in rock `n roll.
STEWART: Quite right.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: That`s quite a compliment isn`t it? That`s a good compliment.
STEWART: It`s a lovely compliment.
BEHAR: But now, you`ve morphed into singing standards, which a lot of people who listen to seriously, Sinatra on Sirius Radio like myself love that kind of music. And you, to me, bring a different kind of, what`s the word?
STEWART: Contemporary?
BEHAR: Yes, contemporary and a more guttural sort of voice.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: I just like it.
STEWART: Good. Thank you.
BEHAR: I do.
STEWART: That was the intention. You know, Sinatra did it his way and then I`m doing it this way.
BEHAR: That`s right. Well, you know, one of the great things is when you listen to standards. You know, you have Ella Fitzgerald will do it one way, then Dinah Washington, with Sarah, Mil Torme, and you, and Frank. It`s all different.
STEWART: Yes, absolutely.
BEHAR: And yet, all of the songs sound great.
STEWART: Yes, they do.
You know, as we spoke earlier, they don`t write them like this anymore. I know it`s an old cliche but, you know, when we were doing the other show earlier on, you could see my guitar players who are pretty accomplished guitar players.
BEHAR: Yes.
STEWART: But they have their specs on and just have to watch these chords are just fantastic. You know, you don`t get those chords and rifts in rock `n roll. It`s a very sophisticated music.
BEHAR: Yes. But I`m a big fan of, you know, "Maggie May" and all of those songs, too. I love those.
STEWART: 1971, "Maggie May."
BEHAR: I know, I was such a baby in those days.
You`ve said that these songs are like chocolate. What do you mean by that?
STEWART: Chocolate?
BEHAR: Yes, that`s a quote we found. Did you not say it?
STEWART: No, I didn`t say it.
BEHAR: All right. Let`s move on.
OK. Let`s talk about you.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: You know, in the previous conversation I had with you, we were talking about your throat cancer that you had in 2000.
STEWART: Thyroid cancer. It wasn`t throat cancer.
BEHAR: Oh, thyroid cancer. It wasn`t throat cancer.
So, thyroid cancer. But I didn`t know that you lose your voice with thyroid cancer.
STEWART: Oh, yes, because, you know, they split your throat from here to here, and in doing so, you know, they tear through the muscles, the control of the vocal box.
BEHAR: I see.
STEWART: So, therefore you have memory, muscle memory loss, so you have to teach yourself to sing all over again. It took me nine or 10 months.
BEHAR: Nine or 10 months of what?
STEWART: Just practicing, you know. I`d go in and sing, I`ll sing Maggie, wake up, Maggie, I think I got -- before it`s gone again.
BEHAR: Uh-oh!
STEWART: The next time wake up, Maggie, I think I have something to say to you. Oh, it`s gone again, until I could sing all of "Maggie May" and all of the repertoire.
BEHAR: So, >> you had to work up to it again.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: And did you have chemo? Or radiation?
STEWART: Not chemo. I was so lucky because I had a checkup, you know, every year, which I recommend people to do if they can afford it. It`s expensive. They just found this little knowledge nodule and decided to play safe and cut it out.
BEHAR: Oh, so, that`s what they did. So, they just cut it out in the early stages, but it still destroyed your voice for a while.
STEWART: Yes, I did.
BEHAR: So, that must have been a terrifying time for you.
STEWART: Oh, it was horrible, you know? I didn`t know what I was going to do. I thought, you know, I`m not trained for anything else. I`ll become a landscape gardening.
BEHAR: A landscaper, why that?
STEWART: I don`t know.
BEHAR: Are you -- I know the English love their gardens, but where did this come from?
STEWART: Well, you know, I have lovely gardens and it was the first thing that came into my head. I love being near the earth, you know, so landscape gardening. Can you see it? Stewart & Stewart and Sons Landscape Gardening.
BEHAR: I mean, really, when you think about it, all of us in show business, we`re so used to showbiz, I don`t know what am I going to do, go to law school at this point? You know, what are you supposed to do?
STEWART: Yes, we`re vulnerable as well because you always think, I don`t know about you, you always somebody is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, can we have you go back (ph) now?
BEHAR: I know. Well, you have so much success under your belt, I don`t think that would ever happen to you. No, no, no. But I think it is a panicking thing to feel that.
STEWART: Yes, it is.
BEHAR: So, let`s see. You`re going to be a dad. We talked about it a little bit, for the eighth time.
Are you a different father now? Because you have -- how old is your oldest?
STEWART: The eldest one is in her 40s.
BEHAR: She`s in her 40s.
STEWART: She -- I`m her biological father. She was put up for adoption when I was 17 or 18 I think.
BEHAR: Oh, one of those.
STEWART: Yes. It was one of those. I was absolutely stone broke.
BEHAR: And stoned probably, too, right?
STEWART: And a little bit stoned.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: And so, she was put up for adoption. Only found out who her father was about 15 years ago.
BEHAR: Really?
STEWART: But she still had her mother and father who looked after her, so I didn`t want to get involved and upset the apple cart.
BEHAR: So, she was put up for adoption.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: So, the mother of the child, did she have (INAUDIBLE) with the mother?
STEWART: The mother told her who her father was.
BEHAR: Oh.
STEWART: So -- but we -- since her mom and dad have died, obviously, I`m the biological father and we`ve tried to come together and be close together, and it`s working out pretty well.
BEHAR: That`s great. That`s great.
STEWART: You know, I never felt like I was her dad, because I didn`t take her to school, didn`t change her nappies. There was no maternal thing there, but I`m trying. It`s hard.
BEHAR: Yes. You`re trying to make up for it now.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: But, listen, it`s a great thing that you had that -- at the end of the day, you have each other now.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: And I`m sure she appreciates it and to have really extremely wealthy daddy like you is no small thing.
STEWART: Don`t mention it. She`s going to know I`m wealthy.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I mean, come on. I wouldn`t turn my back on Daddy Warbucks either, you know, if you were my daddy.
STEWART: She`s been good like that though. She has asked for nothing. I`ll send her a little something now and then to keep her going.
BEHAR: Yes, of course. So what about the rest of the kids?
STEWART: They are all tremendous, all wonderful. Ruby`s an aspiring musician. Liam looks like he`ll be playing hockey. Renee is dancing. Kimberly is studying political science.
They`re all up to -- the other one is only 4 and the other one is in here. So, that`s a lot. Have I forgotten any? No. That`s the eight, yes.
BEHAR: Yes, I mean, have you had any trouble with any of them?
STEWART: A little bit of trouble now and then, you know, just, you know, youthful, teenage spirit, which we`ve all dealt with.
BEHAR: I was reading you have one kid who was in trouble this week, I think, right?
STEWART: Sean. Yes, he was in prison last night. Bless him. But it was all a mistake.
BEHAR: In prison or jail?
STEWART: No. He was in the police station.
BEHAR: A police station. Well, a little different from prison.
STEWART: I spent the night in that police station. I know it`s very comfortable.
BEHAR: Yes. What, did he have a DUI? Did you really?
STEWART: No. I was. They stopped me --
BEHAR: What were you in there for?
STEWART: They stopped me in Beverly Hills. I was driving and accused me of being drunk. I said, look, guys, I`m playing soccer tomorrow, football. I never drink on Saturday night because I`m playing in the morning.
Two come with me. You know, they took me in and kept me there for about six or seven hours. My lawyer had to come and get me out.
BEHAR: Oh. Maybe they stopped you because you`re Rod Stewart.
STEWART: I think that had a bit to do with it as well.
BEHAR: Oh, a bit to do it is right.
STEWART: Anyway, he let me clear up -- let me clear up my son`s problem.
BEHAR: Yes, clear it up.
STEWART: It was all a big mistake. They thought his license had run out and it hadn`t, so they let him go.
BEHAR: Oh, so it`s a big nothing.
STEWART: Yes. So, let him spend a few hours in the nick, you know?
BEHAR: The nick. I love it.
STEWART: The nick.
BEHAR: I love the Brits. I do. I like the Brits. I`m a real Anglophile. I watch "Masterpiece Theater," "Masterpiece Mystery," I love all the Brits. They come up with fantastic work.
STEWART: They do. They do. We have a very proud nation.
BEHAR: OK. We`re just getting started here. So, we`ll have more with Rod Stewart on the way. Don`t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
BEHAR: I am back with singer Rod Stewart. His new album "The Great American Song Book Volume 5" is out now.
You know, you were grooving to that a little bit. And when you made that, how old were you when you write that song?
STEWART: 1979, I would have been in the late 30s.
BEHAR: You were in your late 30s.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: So what kind of flack did you get for that, if you like my body, if you think I`m sexy?
STEWART: If you listen to the lyrics, because I found myself explaining so many times.
BEHAR: Did you?
STEWART: It`s in the third person. I`m writing about two other people.
BEHAR: Oh, but no one catches that.
STEWART: The critics didn`t get it. You know, it get me a lot stick, but people love it now.
BEHAR: Oh, it`s a terrific song.
STEWART: It`s a song that was part of the disco era, so, you know, people love it when I play it now.
BEHAR: Maybe like when you`re 85, you could slow down the beat.
STEWART: No, no.
BEHAR: If you think I`m sexy and you have my nappies.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: You know, a lot of rock `n roll guys are still grooving. I mean, look at Mick Jagger. I saw them at -- I don`t know where it was, in Jersey I guess a couple years ago, you know? I mean, they`re -- how old are they now? They`re selling out handicapped parking. OK? It`s unbelievable how long they`re going.
STEWART: They`re still the best rock `n roll band in the world.
BEHAR: They are fantastic.
STEWART: They are fantastic. A lot of time, Woody is in the band, we used to be in the Faces together.
BEHAR: Oh, but Keith Richards has written a book, you know, about Mick.
STEWART: About Mick`s winkle.
BEHAR: He says he is not well endowed at all and then Jerry Hall, who should know, came through and said, oh, no. He is quite -- what do you call it, a winkle?
STEWART: Winkle, yes. It`s a family show.
BEHAR: OK.
STEWART: I think the Stones are very good at controversy. They`ve made, you know, for years and years, I`m sure Mick and Keith are having a good laugh about it.
BEHAR: You think so?
STEWART: Oh, yes.
BEHAR: Well, Mick didn`t get upset. The only thing -- allegedly, what I read -- the only thing that upset him is that Keith said he had a voice coach. That really ticked him off.
STEWART: Oh, I can`t imagine he had a voice coach.
BEHAR: Well, that`s probably why he got --
STEWART: I have a voice coach, but only in so much as to make my voice stronger so I can sing for five nights a week, two hours.
BEHAR: Right.
STEWART: That`s all.
BEHAR: Right. Yes. Do you sing from your throat mostly? Or the diaphragm?
STEWART: Everybody sings from their diaphragm. You know, when I go for a high note, you probably know, I have to throw my head back. And Phil Collins does as well.
BEHAR: Oh, he does?
STEWART: Technically, that`s not how you should sing but we do and made a few shillings at it.
BEHAR: Exactly.
OK. Now, let`s talk about "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol." I know they both originated in the U.K.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: Why is it the U.K. has all these great shows and then we just steal them?
STEWART: Well, I think it works the other way around. I think we`ve stolen a few things from America.
BEHAR: Really?
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: "Law and Order," I think.
STEWART: Yes, "Law and Order."
BEHAR: I think "Law and Order," because I saw Brenda Blethyn the other night on "Law and Order" and, yes, that`s true. But you were on there, right?
STEWART: Yes. I`ve done a lot of shows.
BEHAR: You`ve done them all. Do you enjoy that?
STEWART: I do. I especially enjoy "American Idol" and "The X Factor," simply because I think it is a good vehicle for young kids. So many mates I`ve known, you know, haven`t had a chance to break through and that TV slot does give them a chance to break through. Otherwise, you know, some of the talent is terrible but --
BEHAR: But do you really think that someone, let`s take Ella Fitzgerald, we were talking about Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn. Do you think they would make it on "American Idol" because they were not beautiful? You have to look good also these days. You can`t just be a great singer.
STEWART: Hard one to answer. I mean, I always thought Ella was very good looking in her day, you know, when she was young. But, you know, it`s image-driven business now. So, perhaps maybe they wouldn`t.
I certainly wouldn`t have done any good, you know? Go around the pump for now and get drunk and go on.
BEHAR: Why, you were scared?
STEWART: Yes, I was terribly scared.
BEHAR: You had stage fright.
STEWART: Oh, man, yes.
BEHAR: How did you get over it? Alcohol and drugs?
STEWART: Still haven`t got over it, what you`re talking about? Give us a drink.
BEHAR: No, but I think the MTV just ruined -- in a certain way ruined the music business back in the day because all of a sudden you had to dance. You had to sing. You had to be curvy. You had perky boobs, everything. It didn`t seem right to me.
STEWART: Yes, I didn`t think the music business is in the healthiest stage -- it`s the wonderful thing about rock `n roll though. You know, it`s small. It was the spectrum and it goes around and around and keeps and sort of trying reinventing itself. But that`s the beauty of it.
BEHAR: That`s true.
Now, you once played for 3.5 million --
STEWART: Five-point-four.
BEHAR: Oh, I have that wrong -- 5.4 million fans live on New Year`s Eve in Rio. Now, you said you had stage fright. What about that?
STEWART: Well, it was, you know, stage fright was in the early days. I got over it eventually. When you know people love you in the audience, it makes it easier. But that was in Copacabana Beach. You ever been there?
BEHAR: No.
STEWART: It`s like a horseshoe. We were at one end of the horseshoe and millions of people went all the way around the horseshoe. In fact, when we came off the stage and played the last note and got in the cars to leave, they were hearing the last note at the other end of the beach.
BEHAR: Wow.
STEWART: Extraordinary. Extraordinary.
BEHAR: So, that was one of your great moments, I guess.
STEWART: Yes, it was. Yes.
BEHAR: It is easier when the audience knows you and loves you than when you are still making your bones, I guess.
STEWART: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes, that`s true. And hair, let`s talk about the hair.
STEWART: It`s all mine.
BEHAR: I know it is. Very nice.
STEWART: Still there.
BEHAR: It`s really -- it looks great. Where did you get this spiky idea from?
STEWART: I can`t remember. I`m sure I copied somebody.
BEHAR: You know what`s fascinating you hair? Just touched it. No mousse. I can`t believe it.
No mousse. How do you keep it straight up like that?
STEWART: Upside down. Let me show you. I just go like that. Are you watching?
BEHAR: Yes.
STEWART: Just drop it upside down.
BEHAR: Then it goes straight up.
STEWART: I`ve tried other hair styles.
BEHAR: Yes.
STEWART: All to no avail. It won`t sit down.
BEHAR: No, this is you.
STEWART: Good.
BEHAR: This is you.
OK. I have a few Twitter questions which we`re going to do in the next segment also. But let`s start with you. Because these are -- people love you and write into Twitter pages and et cetera and they want to ask.
How do you stay so young and sexy looking? That`s what someone wants to know. I didn`t write that. Neither did any of your wives.
STEWART: You know, I mean, I look in the mirror sometimes and it`s dreadful.
BEHAR: But, I mean, it`s your fans. They think you`re sexy.
STEWART: Yes. Oh, that`s great.
BEHAR: You do look a great.
STEWART: I do take a lot of pride in my look and I work out -- do work out a lot.
BEHAR: What kind of workout do you do?
STEWART: I have a trainer I`ve had about 12 or 13 years. And we`ll do cardio three days a week and weightlifting for a couple days a week and I play football.
BEHAR: That`s a lot of working out. Five days a week of working out.
STEWART: Five days a week of working out. Just for an hour.
BEHAR: Do you watch what you eat?
STEWART: Pretty good, yes. Pretty good. I want to keep the arteries open so I try to eat less fatty foods.
BEHAR: Right.
STEWART: I`m a bit paranoid about my health. There is one thing I`m scared of is getting sick.
BEHAR: Well, everyone is scared of that. You`re not alone. I mean, who wants to ever get sick?
STEWART: Oh, come get down to Holly Street.
BEHAR: But aren`t you a hypochondriac a little bit?
STEWART: Close.
BEHAR: Yes.
STEWART: Close. I think I`m getting close to that now, yes.
BEHAR: Well, as you get older the more things can happen to you.
STEWART: I love life.
BEHAR: I know. Nobody wants to leave the party, Rod.
STEWART: Exactly.
BEHAR: I know.
OK. We`ll be back in a couple minutes with Rod Stewart.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with Rod Stewart.
Here are a couple other Twitter questions for you. This one probably everyone has always asked you this, but I have never heard the answer. So, I want to know who was "Maggie May."
STEWART: This was a lady that was about I think 10 years older than me and took my virginity at jazz festival in England.
BEHAR: Just like the song.
STEWART: Yes, it is. I don`t know if her name was Maggie but --
BEHAR: So, it really happened to you.
STEWART: Yes. It was a very quick encounter.
BEHAR: The way you sing the song, though, it sounds as though she was holding you there, I think.
STEWART: No, no. You know, you have license to roam off. But it was -- I left a nasty stain and it was all over.
BEHAR: Oh.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Well, when you say I wish I`d never seen your face, did you really mean that?
STEWART: No, no, no. You know, I can`t even remember her face.
BEHAR: Now, who can remember. Yes.
STEWART: I can`t remember her face. She was a red head though.
BEHAR: She was a read. That`s a question here. Why only blondes, my dear Rod? You should try brown or a red head.
STEWART: I have, you know -- this is, I`ve been out with quite a few women who are not blond.
BEHAR: But you don`t marry them. You like blond, am I right?
STEWART: Yes. You know where that probably came from? Because when I was growing up, there was Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe, you know?
BEHAR: That`s right.
STEWART: That was the three bombshells.
BEHAR: They also not skinny, just like the skinny bitches that are around now. They had boobs and hips.
STEWART: Oh, man.
BEHAR: I know. Now, it`s like anorexia rules Hollywood.
Don`t gasp but have you ever considered doing a country song?
STEWART: I want to do a country album.
BEHAR: Oh, yes? Your next thing?
STEWART: Yes, I`m going to do a blues album and then a country album.
BEHAR: Ooh!
STEWART: Yes. That`s second nature to me.
BEHAR: I love that song "I Hope You Dance." You know that song? Romance.
STEWART: That`s a glorious album.
BEHAR: What`s her name? Womack.
STEWART: Womack.
BEHAR: Very good. Do you still wear spandex? What`s up with that?
STEWART: Spandex? I used to wear them in the old days. No, no, no I used to wear spandex trousers. Yes, leopard skin.
BEHAR: You don`t wear those anymore.
If so, do you still own pink spandex? Did you wear pink ones?
STEWART: No, no. Yes, pink ones. It was skin tight. They came across there and showed the nipple and the other nipple was covered.
BEHAR: Oh, I see.
STEWART: It was quite brazen.
BEHAR: Quite brazen.
OK, this one is really very, very intrusive. How many women have you been with?
STEWART: Oh, I have no idea. But, you know, that`s the dumbest question ever.
BEHAR: Yes, it is.
STEWART: People say I`ve been with 5,000. They`re lying.
BEHAR: They`re lying.
STEWART: I never liked just shagging for the sake of it. I always enjoyed the chase and the romance.
BEHAR: Yes. But that`s time-consuming, the chase and the romance and then the shagging.
STEWART: Yes. I love it.
BEHAR: Why don`t you just go right for the shagging?
STEWART: No, I don`t mean that. I`m a romantic. I don`t have that many one night stands.
BEHAR: No, no.
STEWART: Teeth nearly fell out.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Let`s see. Oh, this is good. I have heard that Mr. Stewart plays his own music in the background while having sex. I need confirmation, true or false?
STEWART: Absolutely false. Absolutely.
BEHAR: Whose music do you play? Ravel`s Bolero?
STEWART: Don`t play any music. I have to concentrate. Make sure I get it right.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: You know, I know you`re still a very, very virile and you have all -- but aren`t you happy that Viagra has come out just in time as you enter your later years?
STEWART: I haven`t used it thus far.
BEHAR: You don`t have to yet.
STEWART: Ten years ago, and you know, I just thought, this is not worth but it takes a lot of feeling away from the end of the old chap, you know?
BEHAR: Oh, it does?
STEWART: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: What did you call Mick Jagger?
STEWART: He`s the winkle.
BEHAR: The winkle.
Anyway, lovely to have you here.
STEWART: I thought you were trying to get rid of me. OK. Fine.
BEHAR: We have to go.
STEWART: Oh, it`s a shame.
BEHAR: We had some fun though, right?
STEWART: We did.
BEHAR: It was.
OK. His new album "Fly Me to the Moon" is out now.
Good night, everybody. Pick up the album. It`s really good.
END
