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Joy Behar Page
Weekly Round Up; Big Winner; Co-Sleeping: Good Or Bad?
Aired December 17, 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: Everyone`s making a cause celebre out of Vladimir Putin`s singing at a fund raiser in Russia. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Excuse me, but as Americans, we`re not about to be outdone, ok. We have our own talent right here on our soil. Remember Attorney General John Ashcroft?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: And the balance of power has been maintained once again. Thank you.
For reasons I can`t begin to understand, Miley Cyrus was in the news again this week and -- this whole week -- this whole week. And she`s causing controversy. TMZ got hold of a video of her smoking a bong full of what is reportedly the legal herbal drug salvia. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take all that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) a brick when you see this. Oh yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes, girl. Get it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want more of that (EXPLETIVE DELETED), I swear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Friends of the Disney star tell TMZ that Miley says it`s no big deal and she`s just young and having fun.
With me to discuss this and other news from the week is Jon Lovitz, actor and co-star in the new movie, "Casino Jack"; Sarah Bernard, host of "The Thread" on Yahoo!; and the fabulous Jay Thomas, actor and Sirius XM radio host.
Ok. Miley says it`s no big deal Jay. Is she right?
JAY THOMAS, ACTOR, SIRIUS XM RADIO HOST: I absolutely agree. She`s 18, she got stoned. I did salvia within minutes after seeing the video. I`m not joking.
And Dr. Drew wants her to get a cure. I think Dr. Drew needs a cocktail and maybe smoke a joint and relax. I mean it. I`m sure my kids are stoned right now.
BEHAR: Probably.
THOMAS: Well, you know what? If you can`t smoke dope when you`re 18 and act stupid, then what`s the use of being 18? What`s the use?
BEHAR: I think that`s really a very annoying -- what kind of message is that to put out to this children?
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: Who cares what the message is? She`s 18, she`s rich. If she dies tomorrow, she`s had more life than I`ve had.
BEHAR: Ok. Well, that wasn`t too hard. You`re on Sirius XM.
THOMAS: Oh, don`t start. Don`t start.
BEHAR: Ok. Now, Melissa Gilbert, remember her from "Little House" on the bong. She claims that Miley wanted to get caught. Very psychological, what do you think?
SARAH BERNARD, HOST, "THE THREAD" ON YAHOO!: Nobody would want that to happen to them. I feel like you just don`t even get to know who your friends are right now. Everybody`s phone is also a video camera. You`ve got people uploading things on Facebook every five seconds.
I think most people who are successful in Hollywood, if they have their teenage life broadcast, no one would have a career.
BEHAR: Well, maybe it`s because she wants to transition -- Jon, are we keeping you up?
JON LOVITZ, ACTOR: Yes, you are.
BEHAR: Jon, listen, maybe she wants to make her career more about a grown-up instead of a kid. So this is what she`s doing. What do you think?
LOVITZ: I think her friend was a jerk to put it on YouTube.
THOMAS: I agree with that.
BEHAR: Well, but she knew --
LOVITZ: It`s more that.
BERNARD: But what about her dad then, saying, you know, putting it out there on Twitter saying that he`s sorry and he had no idea --
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: His wife left him for Bret Michaels. That would make me smoke a pound of salvia. I mean, come on.
BERNARD: I mean just the fact that her friends are putting it on Facebook and her dad is saying something about it publicly.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: He`s tweeting. He`s saying there is much beyond my control right now.
LOVITZ: But see salvia. I never even heard of it. I thought it was like she smoked saliva? I don`t know what it was.
BEHAR: Yes. I went out with a guy when I was a kid, Frank Salvia, you know what I mean? I could have smoked him.
LOVITZ: You probably did. His Italian sausage, good night.
BEHAR: That was so wrong of me.
THOMAS: Here is a question. If a friend of yours videoed that and showed it to the world that you said you smoked Frank Salvia, what sort of image is that for the world to see?
BEHAR: You make a very good point. Let`s talk about Carrie Fisher this week.
LOVITZ: Jay`s gay.
BEHAR: Carrie Fisher apparently outed her long-time pal John Travolta in an interview with the advocate saying, "Wow, I mean, my feeling about John has always been that we know and we don`t care. Look, I`m sorry he`s uncomfortable with it and that`s all I can say."
BERNARD: I think she`s going to have the wrath of all the scientologists after her at this point. The whole point of his persona in the last 30 years has been to deny this very thing. So I think it`s pretty dicey that she`s opened this can of worms and obviously really inappropriate.
But it shines a light on the fact that even now if someone is gay in Hollywood, even with Neil Patrick Harris having a hit show and Ellen DeGeneres --
BEHAR: And Jon and Jay Thomas.
BERNARD: Even so --
LOVITZ: How -- I can`t believe you just did that.
BEHAR: What?
LOVITZ: I can`t believe you just did that.
BEHAR: You gave me permission.
LOVITZ: Obviously you think there`s nothing wrong with what she did. You just did.
BEHAR: I would not out a fellow comedian.
LOVITZ: I admit I`m gay, but by gay I mean happy.
BEHAR: I see.
LOVITZ: But Jay --
THOMAS: You know, I saw Carrie Fisher`s HBO show I guess it is and I saw her here.
BEHAR: Yes. "Wishful Drinking". A very funny show, by the way.
THOMAS: She looks like she`s swallowed Princess Leia now. She`s like --
BEHAR: Oh, come on.
THOMAS: You know what -- if she says that about Travolta it`s because she`s this angry, kind of used to be, father married nine people -- she shouldn`t have said that about a friend of hers.
BEHAR: First of all, she doesn`t think there`s anything wrong with being gay which is why she probably said that.
THOMAS: But you know -- like John said that about me.
BEHAR: And she is not --
THOMAS: I told him it was all right to say it. That`s different.
BEHAR: Because you`re not gay, that`s why.
THOMAS: How do you know?
BEHAR: Because I know. Let`s put it this way, you`re a bad lover, but you`re not gay.
THOMAS: If she`s -- if she`s friends with John Travolta and he wants to stay in the closet or not or whatever, it`s none of her business to out him. She`s doing it for her own notoriety. That`s it, period.
LOVITZ: Well, first of all, it`s horribly wrong. I know Carrie, I love her, but it`s wrong. And I don`t know, she was cornered, but it`s still wrong because it`s no one`s business. I don`t know if he is or not.
I know he`s married and just had a kid. So this is like wrong. And it`s no one`s business. Harvey -- I imitated him on "Saturday Night Live".
He`s the guy, he came in to complain. He said you`re doing the worst possible stereotype because I would hit on everybody, you know. You`re doing the worst possible stereotype. And I`m thinking, I don`t know, I`m doing you perfect.
But he goes -- he goes I want to enlighten people. I think you should do a show called "Heterosexual, not Heterosexual". And he wanted to do a game show where he would out people he felt were gay.
BEHAR: Heterosexual --
LOVITZ: No, who he felt were gay, because he was the only openly gay performer. But that to me is his choice.
But it`s not saying there`s anything wrong with being gay or not being gay, but someone` private life is their private life. And if you know or don`t know and I don`t know, you know --
THOMAS: You do know, you just don`t think you should tell.
LOVITZ: No, I don`t know.
THOMAS: You do know.
LOVITZ: I don`t know.
THOMAS: You do know.
BEHAR: All right. Boys, boys.
LOVITZ: I know you`re gay.
THOMAS: There you go. You go right back to that hurtful statement.
LOVITZ: That I know.
BEHAR: You know what this next story, you`re going to --
LOVITZ: You know what else Jay is? A licensed realtor -- and if that isn`t code for gay?
BEHAR: Jon, Jon, Jon -- look at me. We only have 30 seconds for this next story.
LOVITZ: Better hurry up.
BEHAR: Actress Winona Ryder claims that she knew about Mel Gibson`s dark side long before the rest of us telling GQ magazine that Mel made offensive remarks to her at a Hollywood party 15 years ago. She said, "He was really drunk. I was with my friend who was gay. He made a horrible gay joke and somehow it came up that I was Jewish. He said something about oven dodgers. But I didn`t get it. I`d never heard that before. It was just this weird, weird moment."
Mel`s career is like Hanukkah, they`re both over.
Ok.
LOVITZ: So you`re saying she was with Jay Thomas --
BEHAR: No.
THOMAS: Hold it. Excuse me.
LOVITZ: You just said she was with her gay --
THOMAS: Hold it a second.
LOVITZ: I know Mel Gibson for 20 years, he`s a nice guy. Obviously I`m Jewish. I`ve never seen him being anti-Semitic. Maybe he said that. But --
THOMAS: Excuse me, she`s a shoplifter. She`s a shoplifter.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: I can`t believe you`re putting the two things together. One is an anti-Semitic, homophobe, sexist --
THOMAS: She didn`t announce it when she could still hire here. She announced it after his career was over. If he`d offered her $5 million, she`d have starred in a movie. She`s a little shoplifter.
BEHAR: She`s not a little shoplifter, she`s a big shoplifter. Let`s get it straight. But even a big shoplifter is nothing.
We have to go. You see, you took all the time.
LOVITZ: I have one thing to say. I said I don`t think he`s anti- Semitic, I said, Mel, what you going to do for your next movie? And he said, put another Jew on the barbie.
BERNARD: Now it all comes out.
THOMAS: No, he didn`t. He didn`t say that.
BEHAR: You can see Jon Lovitz in "Casino Jack" in theaters now.
THOMAS: You think Frank Salvia is watching right now?
LOVITZ: She`s plugging my movie.
BEHAR: And I have my own plug to do now. So please be silent. I have my own plug to do right now.
Next week, I will have Bette Midler, Sigourney Weaver, Amy Sedaris and Denis Leary. Not all at once, so you have to keep watching.
Don`t miss it.
We`ll be back in a minute. They`ll be gone. But I`ll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Once upon a time doctors told the 400-pound Patrick House he was a ticking time bomb with only five years to live. Well, this story has a happy ending because on last night`s season finale of "The Biggest Loser" he proved to him -- himself and obese people everywhere that you can lose the weight and turn your life around.
And Patrick is here with me now along with Bill Germanakos -- Germanakos? Germanakos -- "The Biggest Loser" winner from Season 4; and the Cheryl Forberg is "The Biggest Loser" nutritionist. Welcome to the show.
Patrick, congratulations.
PATRICK HOUSE, "THE BIGGEST LOSER" SEASON 10 WINNER: Thank you. I appreciate it.
BEHAR: What does it mean to you to have lost all that weight?
HOUSE: Oh this means the world to me. You know, I have such a special family. My wife and my two boys, Colton is four and Caden is two. And I just know that I`m going to be able to be around for them longer now and be able to play with them and not tire out after just a couple of minutes.
It`s just a special night for me last night. And winning "The Biggest Loser" I mean, it`s fantastic.
BEHAR: Your wife must be happy too.
HOUSE: Yes she is and I`m -- I`m really proud of her too. You know while I was on the ranch, she lost a little over 50 pounds. She went from a size 14 to a size 4. So she`s come a long way as well.
BEHAR: That`s pretty good.
HOUSE: Yes ma`am.
BEHAR: And you were 400 pounds.
HOUSE: I was, yes, ma`am.
BEHAR: And but you`re 6`2".
HOUSE: Yes, ma`am.
BEHAR: But how -- well, why did you get to that, do you think?
HOUSE: Oh you know, I played -- I played football in college at Delta State University. And I got hurt playing football. I ended up having to have back surgery for a couple of ruptured disks. And you know I ate a lot and I have a special diet to maintain that weight to playoff end of line. And unfortunately when I got hurt, you know I lost the exercise and I lost the football practice --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: And just kept eating.
HOUSE: And the eating habits stayed the same. And so over the course of four or five years, you know 20, 25 pounds a year, here you are at over 400 pounds.
BEHAR: That`s a lot.
HOUSE: Yes, ma`am.
BEHAR: The doctors said you were going to die.
HOUSE: Dr. H on the show told me that I was five years away from a major heart catastrophe.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: A heart attack.
HOUSE: And that`s at 28 years old. Yes, ma`am.
BEHAR: So this was -- that was your wake-up call?
HOUSE: That`s when I -- you know you always see in the paper, you hear somebody, oh so-and-so, 33 years old, heart attack and died. But you never think it would be you. But hearing those from Dr. H on the show, it really opened my eyes and knew that -- just how dangerous -- just how dangerous the situation was for me.
BEHAR: Right. There`s diabetes, heart attack, cancer; all sorts of things that could go wrong.
HOUSE: Yes ma`am.
BEHAR: Cheryl, how common is this among overweight obese people that they really have to get a wakeup call. You`re going to die if you don`t lose it?
CHERYL FORBERG, NUTRITIONIST, "THE BIGGEST LOSER": It`s -- it`s not unusual.
And can I just say congratulations, Patrick. I -- I wasn`t in L.A. to see the finale last night but I`m so proud of you.
HOUSE: Thank you.
FORBERG: Yes and -- but I`ve been with the show since the beginning, Joy. And it`s -- it`s been very common each season. I see the same symptoms over and over again.
The contestants come to the show oftentimes with weight-related type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, fertility issues. It`s a whole slew of weight-related --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Right.
FORBERG: -- issues.
And -- but -- oh, I`m sorry, go ahead.
BEHAR: No. I was going to say, Bill, did you have those issues too?
BILL GERMANAKOS, "BIGGEST LOSER" SEASON 4 WINNER: I did. You know that`s a commonality amongst all of us. And like Patrick, I was a collegiate athlete. I played lacrosse, I tore up my knee and, you know, kept eating the way I had before.
And you know, I think there`s a little depression in there too that we kind of -- I was -- we were taught -- I was taught on the ranch by our psychologist, that hey, listen, you know, you might be replacing your -- what made you the man before, sports and such, with food.
You know, so it was explained to me that I had an addiction and it made me feel I was medicating with food. A lot of times the athletes who retire early or get injured have that same sense.
BEHAR: That`s -- it`s interesting that you`re replacing -- it was kind of like food is an addiction too. So usually people have an addiction they replace it with another addiction. Hopefully it`s a good addiction like exercise.
GERMANAKOS: Well, thanks to someone like --
(CROSSTALK)
HOUSE: Like working out.
BEHAR: Yes, like working out.
GERMANAKOS: -- someone like Ms. Forberg on the show, she taught us how to be addicted to more healthy food.
BEHAR: Like -- well, how did you lose it? Tell me how you guys lost it. What did you do?
HOUSE: You know, I mean, for me going home, losing on the ranch, on the ranch it`s a -- it`s a great place, you know, to start weight loss.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: You have help.
HOUSE: You know the day with Bob and Jillian and you`ve got the help. Going home was where the real challenge was for me. And you know, getting into -- coming home, I was fortunate that you know my wife had already made those changes with her taking the junk food out of the house and already starting to prepare healthy meals.
I came home into a changed household. And that really helped me just propel my weight loss and continue. You know I lost 60 pounds at home. And that really helped me to get the edge and get on top.
BEHAR: That`s important, don`t you think Cheryl, to have somebody helping you with the food? Because you have to prepare stuff, it`s very difficult.
FORBERG: It`s very difficult. It`s a vertical learning curve in the beginning for most of the contestants because typically they`ve had a history of skipping meals. Sometimes getting enough calories from their beverages alone to meet their daily needs because they don`t know what their calorie requirements are. Not having enough fruits and vegetables. Not drinking much water and -- and certainly not having a lot of exercise in their daily plans.
So it`s all about finding a new learning curve and moving forward with that and implementing all the changes at home as well.
BEHAR: Right. So -- so as a person watching at home, what would you say to them? What should they do? And let`s say they have to lose 30 pounds.
(CROSSTALK)
HOUSE: You know --
FORBERG: Ok.
HOUSE: -- like I said, whether you have to lose 30 pounds or like me a 180 pounds, you have to take that first step, you know. And -- and just changing your diet is not enough. You`ll lose some weight -- especially me at 400 pounds -- you`ll lose some weight when you change your diet. But you`ve got to incorporate exercise and you`ve got to get out there --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: How much exercise, though? Realistically, how much can a person who works a 9:00 to 5:00 job do in -- in the course of the week?
HOUSE: Well, you`d be amazed at what you can do just by changing small things. Like when you go to the grocery store and parking at the farther parking spot and walking in. There are small things, taking the stairs when you go to work instead of the elevator. Things like that.
You can get in exercise without actually having to take yourself to a gym and work out. And those things add up, that`s calories burned and weight loss is calories in, calories out.
BEHAR: Ok, so incorporate the exercise in your day. We hear this over and over again but it`s very hard for people to get this into their heads. Drink more water. That seems to be crucial, right, Cheryl? The water seems to be very, very important in losing weight.
FORBERG: That`s right. And there are a number of -- of reasons for that. One is that when we`re changing the eating plan here, we eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain. The -- this eating plan, the distinction here is that the quality of the calories is just as important as the quantity.
And when we`re having four cups of fruits and vegetables a day and a lot of whole grains, we`re increasing our fiber intake. And when you do that, you need to have a lot more water as well.
BEHAR: Right. See, that`s the thing. You have to have all these fruits and vegetables and all this water. Somebody has to be there to give this to you if you are working all day. That seems to be the hardest part.
Now, let me ask you something, you two were unhealthy. Why didn`t you just go for one of the surgeries instead of going through all these, the gastric bypass or the banding?
HOUSE: You know, for me that was like the last -- the last option. And -- and before I made "The Biggest Loser" right -- right -- in February of this year, I lost my job in January and February came around.
That was like kind of my out -- I was looking at well, maybe now is the time to take that step and have a lap band surgery. But fortunately for me, "The Biggest Loser" came around at the time that gave me the opportunity to lose this weight on my own.
BEHAR: But if it didn`t, would you have done it?
HOUSE: You know that`s a decision I probably would have made with my family. I`m not sure if I would have or not. At that point I was looking at my career and my family and my (INAUDIBLE).
You know, obviously it`s tough to get in there, go out and get a job. The interviewing process is hard. I worked in sales. And immediately when you walk in the door in a sales job, it`s tough when you`re 400 pounds trying to sell a product.
BEHAR: Exactly. That`s another thing.
Ok. We`re going to talk some more after this break. So stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOUSE: To see that your work has paid off, you know. I mean, we`ve all burned it up in here. The first step was seeing that number, you know, just kind of fuels the fire to just keep it going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOUSE: Big guy, huh?
BEHAR: I`m back with my panel. I didn`t recognize you.
HOUSE: Yes, ma`am.
BEHAR: It`s amazing how the face gets out of shape too when you gain a lot of weight like that.
HOUSE: It is.
Let`s talk about the holiday season, Cheryl. It`s upon us. Everywhere I go there`s food now, you know. And there`s hors d`oeuvres, which are killers. Because you eat the hors d`oeuvres and then you say, ok, let`s have dinner, you know. And there`s booze. What are we supposed to do?
FORBERG: Well, I actually have a nice blog about holiday cocktails on the show`s Web site, and how to navigate that. But it`s really important going into the holidays to not just make that assumption that I`m going to gain ten pounds or five pounds or whatever like I do every year.
And it`s not enough to say, I`m going to start January 1st. Begin today. Just start off with a little bit of exercise and gradually build up. And knowing that you`re going into the holiday season with all of these indulgences everywhere around you, it`s really important.
And if you`re going to a party, for example, try to make something, prepare something or take something along that`s healthy so you know there will be at least one good choice there.
BEHAR: I see.
Well, a lot of people say you shouldn`t really even eat anything at a cocktail party. Make a decision to either have one drink or eat one hors d`oeuvre or don`t eat anything or don`t drink anything and plan the dinner, a step stepper. What do you think about that, Cheryl?
FORBERG: That`s a great idea.
BEHAR: Too stringent?
FORBERG: No, I think it`s a great idea to eat before you go and just plan on socializing. That`s what it`s all about anyway.
BEHAR: That`s right. Just network and socialize.
Now, Bill, you`re a fitness instructor.
GERMANAKOS: I am a group fitness guy. I do speaking engagements for health and wellness.
BEHAR: How much does willpower play in all this?
GERMANAKOS: Well, as opposed to willpower, we just say, try to keep your goals in mind. People say well, how do you stay motivated? And for me, I mean I haven`t hit my goals yet. My goals are to walk my two little girls down the aisle one day. My youngest is only 11. So I still have to work towards that goal.
And every time someone says, well, come on. Have a brownie, have something. Just have one. It will taste great. I say, it`s not going to be as great as -- taste as great as me walking them --
BEHAR: Well, I don`t understand what you mean. You could walk them down the aisle right now if they were of age.
GERMANAKOS: If they were of age but, you know, in 20 years will I still be able to I do so? This is why I`m motivated to keep going.
And you know, when people say motivated, you know, everybody gets up and brushes their teeth first thing in the morning. We get up and brush our teeth and go to the gym. We`ve just changed our habits a bit now.
BEHAR: Right.
GERMANAKOS: And on holiday mornings, why ruin an entire month of working out just for one holiday?
What`s great is if you eat correctly and you stop drinking, people will see you`re doing that they might take the lead from you and try to be better themselves.
BEHAR: Do you have a last thing to say to the audience to encourage them?
HOUSE: Yes, ma`am. You know, I`m excited with the question about the holiday eating. My first blog on my Web site is going to be about holiday eating and weight loss tips. My Web site launched last night. It`s at www.biggestloser.patrick.com.
And I`m excited about that. And just, you know, you have to get out there. You have to take that first step. Get out of your comfort zone. And you know, I mean Bill and I, we`re not superheroes, we`re just normal guys.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Stop it. You`re both superheroes. And so are you Cheryl.
Thanks very much for joining me tonight. Congratulations Patrick. Be sure to tune in to the new season of "The Biggest Loser" January 4th on NBC.
We`ll be back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOY BEHAR, HOST: "Time" magazine has named Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg its Person of the Year. I`m shocked. My money was on the "don`t touch my junk" guy. With me now to talk about this and other stories in the news are Rebecca Dana, senior correspondent for the Daily Beast, fashion designer, David Meister, and Tia Carrere, actress and singer who was recently nominated for her fourth Grammy. Congratulations to you, Tia.
TIA CARRERE, ACTRESS: Thank you.
BEHAR: Rebecca, Facebook has been around for a while.
REBECCA DANA, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, THE DAILY BEAST: It has.
BEHAR: And the "Social Network" made him seemed like a jerk, frankly.
DANA: Yes. I mean, not that that`s autobiographical in the slightest. But yes, it made him seem like a jerk. He gives some money to the New Jersey school system. Facebook is kind of a big deal, but --
BEHAR: One in ten people on the planet is on Facebook. That`s pretty big. That`s probably what it was.
DANA: Yes, it`s not insignificant. And I think, also, like, Julian Assange, who are these other people? My other (ph) question is who cares? Why does "Time" magazine`s Person of the Year still exist? Like, Adolf Hitler, all right, I get it.
(CROSSTALK)
DANA: That`s a man of the year, but Mark, it`s like why? It`s so anachronistic. It`s such a bizarre --
BEHAR: Well, who would you --
DANA: I don`t know. I don`t know.
BEHAR: Would you have put Sarah Palin on the cover?
DANA: No. I think nobody. I think this is like a stupid thing to do, in the first place.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Just have a blank page. It`s brilliant.
DANA: I mean, this is what "Time" magazine has been doing for the last five years. They did you which had sort of like mirrored covered. I just don`t even know why this thing exists. Why do we need to have a Person of the Year?
BEHAR: Well, you know, the other thing is that Zuckerberg is 26 years old. He`s the second-youngest person. Charles Lindbergh was the first in 1927. He was 25. Do you think maybe they`re trying to go for the younger demographic, David?
DAVID MEISTER, FASHION DESIGNER: I think absolutely. You know, I think it`s a very safe choice as well.
BEHAR: Who? Zuckerberg?
MEISTER: Zuckerberg. Everybody knows the Facebook. The thing that I find ironic is the fact, you know, the internet is stealing so much business away from the magazines at this point. And a magazine is actually picking someone from the internet as their man of the year. I think there`s something little ironic there.
BEHAR: Why do you think they did that? They want to get those people to read their magazine.
MEISTER: And I think again, the younger demographic is absolutely true.
DANA: Well, the truth about this thing is also is that they`re really just naked commercial gambits. Like, part of the reason they chose Mark Zuckerberg is because Mark Zuckerberg gave them an interview, and they want to sell magazines and not a lot of people get interviews with Mark Zuckerberg. I`m sure, it`s like, I don`t know, Gaddafi gave them an interview that was really great. Maybe, Gaddafi would be the man of the year.
(LAUGHTER)
TIA CARRERE, ACTRESS: But don`t you think he really deserves being Person of the Year. I mean, he`s changed the way that we communicate, for better or for worse. I mean, we have followers. We have virtual friends. I mean, we don`t even know how to communicate on a deeper level due in no small part to Facebook. You know, it`s like the greatest hits. It`s an upsizing of our lives. This is the way we approach every relationship now.
BEHAR: That`s true.
CARRERE: I mean, I don`t like it, but you know, my father was able to find three friends that he knew in childhood in the Philippines from Facebook, and they got together and did the three-part harmonies.
BEHAR: Oh, isn`t that sweet?
CARRERE: Yes. You know, so, it works.
DANA: I think there`s no question that Facebook has completely revolutionized the way we socialize, the way we interact, the way we live online. I`m just not sure why this year as opposed to five years ago when he started --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Rebecca, only five women, individual women in all the years that they`ve been doing this, which is how many years -- hundreds and hundreds of years, whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I don`t know how many years. Corazon Aquino, you said that you`re part Filipino.
CARRERE: Yes.
BEHAR: And Queen Elizabeth II. General and Madam Chiang Kai-shek, but she came with the husband. Hello. And Wallis Simpson. Remember, that was the one that King Edward gave up the crown for Wallis Simpson. She must have done something really good.
OK. Moving on. In related news, Sandra Bullock who left her cheating husband, Jesse James and is raising her adopted son, Louie, as a single mom was just named "People" magazine`s Woman of the Year. OK. What do you make of that? Tell me.
DANA: I make exactly the same thing. I mean --
(LAUGHTER)
DANA: I don`t understand why these things exist. I`m sorry to be such a killjoy with all of this. But also, I mean, people -- like Sandra Bullock did a cover hoisting up her beautiful adopted child for "People" magazine. Elin Nordegren is also on their list, also gave an exclusive to "People" magazine. Like, it`s wonderful to celebrate these great people.
And Mark Zuckerberg is a visionary, and Sandra Bullock, who doesn`t love Sandra Bullock? But, you know, we might as well acknowledge what`s going on here which is that everybody`s scratching each other backs, which is fine. But that`s what it is.
BEHAR: Well, you know what, it`s all about the cheating guys. I`m thinking of giving Steve Ashley Dupre`s number. Then, I`ll be on the --
MEISTER: You`re in the cover (ph).
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Yes. She was not exactly a controversial choice this year, Sandra. Everyone loves her. She`s America`s sweetheart. She happens to be a lovely person, it seems. So, it`s no big deal.
CARRERE: Well, it`s the underdog story that we love, you know, the woman who prevails against a cheating husband. I mean, country songs have been written about it.
BEHAR: Yes.
CARRERE: And you know, she`s beyond reproach. And like you said, it is a little bit of blatant consumerism who doesn`t love her, who`s not going to pick up the cover of this magazine.
BEHAR: Right. Right.
MEISTER: I think the one thing that`s great about her is through all the press and the paparazzi and through all these horrible things, she`s had a great year and she`s had some sucky things, she`s never once really sunk to any low level. She`s always just gone about her life and kind of done her thing.
BEHAR: Right. How do you like the way she dresses, David?
MEISTER: She`s stunning.
BEHAR: She`s stunning.
MEISTER: She can go from glam to rocking.
BEHAR: Did you like my top?
MEISTER: You look fabulous, and that color is great on you.
BEHAR: OK. Thank you, David.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Pay him later.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. Hollywood seniors -- this is a good one -- Betty White and Ed Asner got rowdy during the photo shoot for the "Hollywood Reporter". And Betty actually grabbed Ed Asner`s crotch. Unfortunately, he`s so old, he just turned his head and coughed.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Now, what do you think of senior citizens acting in these ways? Because, you know what, (INAUDIBLE) grabbed her boobs, though, you know?
DANA: I hope when I`m Betty White`s age, someone`s grabbing my boobs like that.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: What if they`re fake, and someone grabs them, and you know, they`re fake, is that the same jollies than an old guy is going to get? I don`t know.
MEISTER: I don`t know. At that age, they`re going to be hanging. I don`t know.
BEHAR: No, they won`t be. Everything will be hanging, but they will be perfect.
MEISTER: Perfect. You`re right.
CARRERE: Oh, my goodness. But Betty White has always been that way, though, hasn`t she? She`s (ph) invited that anyway.
DANA: Yes. I think it`s wonderful.
BEHAR: I`m so surprised at Ed Asner, didn`t you?
DANA: I don`t know.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: He later threatened Larry Hagman, another older guy, with his cane. And Hagman said, I had a colonoscopy yesterday, so I can take anything, he said. Whoa. TMI, Larry. OK. Let`s do another story. In what is becoming a trend for powerful Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell choked up during a farewell speech to retiring Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Now, to say that I tried to convince Judd to stay is an understatement. But he knew it was his time to move on. And to write the next chapter -- next chapter in his life. When he walks out of this chamber for the last time, he`ll leave an enormous void behind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: What can you say to this?
DANA: I have two words for you, Glenn Beck. These people are not stupid. And they are learning from a master populist here. I would not be surprised if all of this is orchestrated, first of all. Second of all, I wouldn`t care if they were crying all the time if they were also getting something done. But instead, they`re just crying all the time.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: All the Republican guys are crying historically or all the Republican women are out shooting animals. It`s like a role reversal.
DANA: Yes.
MEISTER: You know, I`m all for a little man emotion, but this is crazy. It`s like Senate floor, slippery when wet. I mean, of all the things we could be crying over, of all the real issues to cry over this country, the things that they`re crying over, it`s like come on, guys. Suck it up.
BEHAR: But where are the Republican tears for the unemployed and the uninsured? Oh, he`s retiring.
MEISTER: And this is the same guy --
BEHAR: Give me a break. Emotionally unstable. I don`t think it`s a put-on. I think they`re really sick. Something`s wrong with them.
CARRERE: I wonder if they have a change in the middle of the life the way women do. I`m wondering if there`s a hormonal imbalance.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: I know. Well, when Glenn Beck starts to fan himself --
(LAUGHTER)
DANA: Then they have chalk boards (ph), then we`ll know for sure, but I wouldn`t be surprised if this is in some measure calculated.
BEHAR: But they can`t stop. I mean, if they start to filibuster, it`s going to be a tsunami.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I mean, can they lead in this particular emotional state?
DANA: Yes. I mean, can they lead in any emotional state?
CARRERE: I`m just happy that it breaks up the monotony of C-span. Let`s be honest. You`re sitting there -- it`s like Charlie Brown`s (ph) picture, and then, hey, at least, they`re crying. I`m waiting for full frontal nudity next. That`s what I want.
BEHAR: John Boehner, let`s see what you`ve got. Man up. What have happened to man up? That only goes for Democrats?
CARRERE: Republican women, apparently.
BEHAR: For republican women. Man up. Grow some hair on your lip. Thanks, everybody. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: A new trend in parenting is causing a bit of controversy in mommy circles lately, and it`s called co-sleeping or bed sharing. That`s when an infant or child sleeps in a parent`s bed. So, is co-sleeping good or bad?
Here to discuss this hot button topic is CBS news medical correspondent and author, "The Body Scoop For Girls," Dr. Jennifer Ashton, and she`s also an OB-GYN. Alex McCord, star of the "Real Housewives of New York City" and the author of "Little Kids Big City," and pediatrician, Dr. Alanna Levine. Dr. Ashton, you and your husband have been co-sleeping with your daughter since she was 9 months old.
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, CBS NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BEHAR: And she`s now 11 years old.
ASHTON: Thank goodness, it`s tapering off, and it really did not start as anything that had been planned. It was -- he did it and he knew - -
BEHAR: Who? The husband?
ASHTON: Yes. And he knew I was going to throw him under the bus. He did it when I was up all night on-call delivering babies and my daughter would cry, and he took the path of least resistance, brought her into the bed so they could both fall asleep, and then, it became as most people know a habit. And by the time she was 5, she would say, I can`t fall asleep unless I`m sleeping next to a warm body.
BEHAR: How about a dog?
(LAUGHTER)
ALEX MCCORD, STAR, "THE REAL HOUSWIVES OF NYC": I was going to say, a dog, a cat?
ASHTON: That`s right.
MCCORD: A very big hamster?
ASHTON: So, you know, as I said, it started kind of by necessity and out of just the desire for both my husband, and then, subsequently, myself for all of us to get an uninterrupted good night of sleep.
BEHAR: Yes.
ASHTON: And then, what I noticed, though, is because I work and I oftentimes was not there in the morning as she was going to school or at night even when she was getting home from school is that became our bonding time. And it was something that we both really enjoyed.
BEHAR: So, it`s almost like you couldn`t get her out of the habit.
ASHTON: Yes, well, she preferred not to be out of the habit. And I have to say my older child, my son, was always a great sleeper and really did not sleep in the same bed with us.
BEHAR: I see. Now, Dr. Levine, do you agree with this? What do you say about this? Is it a good thing?
DR. ALANNA LEVINE, PEDIATRICIAN: Personally, I don`t think it`s a good thing. And I think that there are two issues. You have the newborn infant period where children are under one year of age and there is a real safety concern there.
BEHAR: Well, yes. You could smother the child.
LEVINE: Exactly.
BEHAR: Right.
LEVINE: You can roll over on the child. You can smother the child. An adult bed is not a safe sleeping environment for a young child. There shouldn`t be pillows and comforters and cushioning and mattresses for young children. So, that`s one thing.
But the second thing is what Dr. Ashton is talking about is more of sort of a parenting preference and a decision the parents can make with their child whether or not they think that this is healthy for their family life and their family environment and that`s sort of a different issue than the safety concerns that I worry about more with young children.
BEHAR: Right. Right. Now, Alex what did you do?
MCCORD: Actually, I walked the line. Both our boys who are now 5 and 7 slept with us from birth to 4 months every night, and then, at 4 months we kicked them out, put them in their own crib. That was it. The end. The reason that that worked for us, and I don`t have (INAUDIBLE) for everyone, but neither my husband nor I have any of the risk factors. We`re not heavy sleepers. We don`t abuse drugs or alcohol. We don`t --
BEHAR: So, you weren`t worried you were going to roll over and kill the kid.
MCCORD: Well, we`ve also, our whole lives, grew up with dogs and cats sleeping with us always. A dog and a cat are not the same as the baby, but we felt comfortable, and also, I nursed exclusively. So, I could roll over and nurse and get a good night`s sleep. I think, ultimately, it`s about getting a good night`s sleep and what`s best for you and your family.
BEHAR: Aren`t you supposed to get a nurse or something? Don`t people in the middle class these days have a night nurse when the baby is born?
MCCORD: I had people to clean for me. The baby was my department.
BEHAR: I see.
LEVINE: Yes. And I think, you know, there are some people that do have baby nurses, but I think that there are also plenty of women who exclusively breastfeed their children like me, for instance. I nursed both my kids for more than a year each, but from day one, they slept in their own cribs, their own bassinet. I got up. I fed them. I put them back.
You have to change their diaper in the middle of the night, anyway. So, it`s not like you`re just sort of rolling over and nursing. And I think that what you have to realize is, like I said before, you really want to make sure that you have a firm mattress, no blankets, no pillows.
BEHAR: Yes. But that would be for the safety.
LEVINE: And most people don`t sleep that way.
BEHAR: Let`s talk about the psychological part about it a little bit. The opponents of it say that you can, you know, it`s too mergy with the kid. Supporters say it`s good bonding. What do you say?
ASHTON: Well, I say that by the time they go to college, hopefully, they will be out of diapers and able to sleep by themselves.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
ASHTON: OK. And until that point, any parent of an older child will tell you, those years go by quickly, and I think that, you know, having my child sleep in the same bed with me or my husband now that she`s gotten older, obviously, it`s been more me than my husband, has actually made us closer and made her more independent because it`s made her more secure. She is able to go to sleep away camp. She`s able to be without us. She just prefers to be closer to me.
BEHAR: I see.
ASHTON: And I think that not everyone reads the parenting manual or those guidelines. Not that they`re bad, but life, sometimes, requires a little bit of flexibility.
MCCORD: And I agree with you on that. I think what you have to do is take information everywhere you can get it, and then, make your own decisions. You know what works for me doesn`t work for you or for you.
LEVINE: Right. I mean, it`s definitely not a one size fits all, you know, model of parenting for all children, but my view is sort of different. I feel that when you bring a child into your home and they`re a newborn, you nurture them, you cuddle them, you need to do everything for them. But your job as a parent then is to little by little as it`s developmentally appropriate for them enable them and help them do things on their own.
They learn to feed themselves. They learn to walk without being carried. They learn to get up and get dressed by themselves and going to sleep is another part of that process.
MCCORD: Sure.
LEVINE: It`s so empowering for children to know that they can do things on their own. And I think it`s our role as parents to sort of encourage that process.
BEHAR: What about school? Did your child have any trouble --
ASHTON: She asked me to go to school with her. I said no.
(LAUGHTER)
ASHTON: No, actually, not at all. And that`s where I think that, you know, as we all are actually in agreement on this fact, you do have to look at the child, and you also have to look at the parent and do what feels right. My daughter is incredibly independent. She is a team leader and a leader in her class and a leader at camp and really is quite stable on her own. And I think, partially, she gets that because of the time we`ve spent together.
BEHAR: Are you saying you have other kids?
ASHTON: I have an older son.
BEHAR: He did not do this?
ASHTON: No. He was a perfect sleeper from 11 weeks of age.
BEHAR: And how much older is he than that girl?
ASHTON: 17 months older.
BEHAR: So, is he jealous that she got to sleep with the parents and he didn`t?
ASHTON: I think now he`s probably happy because he gets the whole bed to himself, and he can, you know, stretch out. But I think that, you know, when you look at the individual child and you look at the parent, you have to weigh the pros and cons and see whether it`s right for you.
BEHAR: How do you get them out of this, though? You know, it`s really hard to break them of the habit.
LEVINE: Exactly.
BEHAR: What do you do --
LEVINE: Exactly. And so, I think that as a parent when you`re making decisions, you have to realize that every habit is going to need to be broken at some point. I think with this sort of thing, I have so many patients in my practice who come to me who can`t get their kids out of the bed, and the most important thing is you have to have a consistent message that`s the same every single time.
ASHTON: Yes.
LEVINE: So, if they walk into your room at night and you`ve decided to walk them back to their room, you have to keep doing that. It may be 45 times.
BEHAR: But don`t they feel rejected at that point? Hey, I`ve been sleeping with these two people all these years, and now, they throw me out?
MCCORD: We did it at four months. And we sort of adapted pulverizing (ph) for our own uses. And it was kind of -- I mean, it was hard for a little while, but then, it was done and over.
BEHAR: OK. When we come back, I want to ask you about your sex lives, all right? We`ll be right back. Really. Because that`s got to be a problem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where they sleep. We practice family bed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, what do you do when you want to, you know, be alone? You got to the car or --?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. We don`t go out to the car. Are you planning on hiding your love making from your kids?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: OK. Back with my panel. We`re talking about whether it`s a good idea to let your children sleep in the same bed with you. I mean, it does have to put a damper on your sex life. Who wants to start with that one?
LEVINE: My kids aren`t in my bed, so I`m doing fine.
BEHAR: You`re having the best sex life probably.
MCCORD: We were here first and it`s all about that. That`s part of why we got them out at 4 months because, I mean, part of what I think makes a great parent is having a good relationship, and you need a little something to keep that going.
BEHAR: That`s going to put a damper on your sex life, I mean, all those years.
ASHTON: I think marriage and life can put a damper on your sex life.
BEHAR: That`s true.
(LAUGHTER)
ASHTON: I think it forces you to be a little creative. It forces you not to be dull. I think, you know, I`ve worked with some sex therapists who say the worst thing that can happen to you is to just think of your bedroom as a place for sex.
BEHAR: Really?
ASHTON: Because when you were younger and you were wild and you were living on the edge, you would find all these creative places to have sex and make love.
BEHAR: Who said that?
ASHTON: Some sex therapists.
(LAUGHTER)
ASHTON: Who are you talking to?
BEHAR: I can`t just picture, they sneak out of the bed, leaving the kids sleeping.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINE: And what if she notices that she`s alone?
ASHTON: There you go. So, I think it does kind of have to bring some excitement and some originality and creativity to, you know, your situation.
BEHAR: Well, you threw the kid out at 4 months. So, you weren`t doing much for those first four months anyway.
MCCORD: No. That was the waiting period.
BEHAR: Those are the months of get off of me or I`ll kill you.
(LAUGHTER)
MCCORD: Pretty much.
BEHAR: Right?
LEVINE: No. I think the bedroom is supposed to be a sanctuary for two people. I mean, that`s how it all started. That`s how you got the kids to begin with. And then, think that you need to sort of maintain that privacy and intimacy and make it yours.
MCCORD: I like your idea of not only doing it in the bedroom.
LEVINE: Well, it`s a separate issue, though
ASHTON: Exactly. But I think also we have to put this into a global context, you know? We are one of the few countries in the world whereby luxury or by convenience, we happen to usually have a bedroom for every person living in the house. The majority of the world doesn`t have that luxury. So, when they go to sleep, everyone in the family is going into one room and they`re sleeping together.
BEHAR: Well, I have a statistic I was telling you before, 93 percent of children in India between the ages of 3 to 10 bed share with their parents.
ASHTON: Right.
BEHAR: That`s India. But in North America, Europe, and Australia, the standard -- the standard practice is not in those countries, in those continents. But every (INAUDIBLE) else they do it. Probably Africa.
ASHTON: And again, you know, I think that`s one way to put it into context. The other way is societally, again, I`m a working mom. I don`t have a lot of time during the waking hours with my children, and so, I needed to get that connection any way I could. I needed it and my daughter needed it. And I think that it was very important to her.
BEHAR: But 11 is a little old.
ASHTON: Well, we`re tapering off now.
(LAUGHTER)
ASHTON: She`s got to get out now.
MCCORD: We are tapering off.
BEHAR: Yes, because that`s too much already. 11. At what age would you say she should have kicked the kid out?
LEVINE: I wouldn`t have brought her in to begin with.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINE: Certainly, by age 5 when kids are going to school, I mean, I think it`s, you know, that`s a time where they`re living life on their own, and I think they should really be empowered to do that.
BEHAR: Make a great room for them if you have the space, of course. As she said, a lot of people don`t have the bedroom.
MCCORD: I`d like to make a great room for myself.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. That was very interesting. Thanks very much, ladies. Thank you all for watching. Goodnight, everybody.
END
