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Joy Behar Page
Hef`s Big Engagement; Extreme Weight Loss
Aired January 03, 2011 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOY BEHAR, HOST: Well, I`ve gotten a lot of comments about my Christmas card this year and about my rapprochement with Bill O`Reilly. You know, not for nothing, but I happen to be friendly with a lot of Republicans. It`s true.
So to start 2011 with an air of bipartisanship, I`d like to formally invite Sarah Palin to come on my show. Sarah, it will be great. We`ll fly you in, we`ll put you up, I`ll take you and Todd to the Olive Garden. We`re family.
We can go caribou hunting in Central Park and -- oh, ok. Never mind. We don`t have caribou there, it`s true. We do have rats, though. It will be girl talk, just us mama grizzlies. So come on the show, Sarah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, 84-year-old "Playboy" pioneer Hugh Hefner proposes to his 24-year-old "Playmate" girlfriend. Is this just an extreme example of the modern self-serving marriage?
Then, months after separating from wife Courteney Cox, David Arquette enters rehab. See what Courteney had to say about the decision.
Plus already strayed from your 2011 weight loss resolution? Joy`s expert panel will tell you how to stick to the plan.
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: Well, love is in the air. 84-year-old "Playboy" founder Hugh Hefner gave a special Christmas gift to his 24-year-old girlfriend, Crystal Harris, an engagement ring. So, has he finally found Miss Right or just a suitable donor?
Here now to discuss this and other marriage-related topics are E Online`s are Marc Malkin; Tara Parker Pope, writer for the "New York Times" Well Blog and author of "For Better"; and sex therapist and relationship counselor Ian Kerner.
Welcome to the show.
Marc, I hear that he had quite the romantic proposal involving the "Little Mermaid". Do you know what he did?
MARC MALKIN, E ONLINE: It happened over Christmas. Hugh gave Crystal a "Little Mermaid" music box, because "Little Mermaid" is her favorite movie. He wound up the box, she opened the box and inside was a diamond ring, over 3 carats.
BEHAR: That is so beautiful. Now, there`s a --
MALKIN: And he didn`t --
BEHAR: Yes, go ahead.
MALKIN: He didn`t say, "Will you marry me?" He said, "I hope it fits."
BEHAR: He said, "I hope it fits?" Really? Sounds like my gynecologist.
Ok. Sixty years age difference, Marc. That is big. He`s not her sugar daddy, he`s her sugar granddaddy, wouldn`t you say?
MALKIN: It could be sugar great-granddaddy.
BEHAR: Really.
MALKIN: But you know what? Hugh Hefner`s has always surrounded himself with young women. I am not surprised. 60 years? Whatever. He`s 84. He`s got a life in front of him.
BEHAR: Well, I mean what do they talk about, do you think? What`s the conversation?
MALKIN: He says he loves her because she`s funny, she`s down to earth. She doesn`t want to be in the spotlight. And get this. Of course, she gets along with his kids, his son is like 22 and another son is like 19. And he said, you know, age is but a number. He`s young in spirit. He`s always been young.
BEHAR: Well, he`s the luckiest man alive since Cialis, Levitra and Viagra came around; the holy trinity of the pharmaceutical industry. He is perfect for all of that. so, lucky him, and congratulations to him.
Tara, let`s talk about marriage in general. Because you wrote a very interesting article in the "New York Times" this week called the happy marriage is the "me marriage". What do you mean by that when you say it`s the "me marriage"?
TARA PARKER-POPE, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, it`s not about being selfish in marriage, but what it`s about is that marriage has changed. You know, the `50s sort of model of marriage, you had a breadwinner and a homemaker. And really you were sort of investing in that relationship for the good of the marriage.
But today, you know, we have educational opportunities, men and women both. And, you know, more options in marriage, so men and women are choosing partners that make life interesting; that they enjoy being around. We really just don`t want somebody that`s going to pay the bills or do the dishes. We want somebody that`s going to entertain us and amuse us and that we can learn from.
And you know, this is called, in psychological circles, it`s called self-expansion. We want to grow in the relationship. And so we want to get something out of our marriage. And that really is a new concept.
We do this with our friendships all the time. We want to be around interesting people. But it`s a relatively new concept in marriage that we want to get more out of our marriages, something more for ourselves.
BEHAR: Ok. Do you think it`s possible?
PARKER-POE: Of course it`s possible. There`s a lot of research that shows people in lasting, very happy relationships report high levels of self-expansion. It really is not about going rock climbing or going sailing every weekend. It`s really just about does your partner amuse you, interest you, entertain you? Do you talk about books? Do you do new things together?
It might just be a new set of friends or going to a new restaurant or maybe you`re a big executive and your wife is more involved in the community. So she opens doors for you in terms of local friendships and community relationship that you wouldn`t otherwise have.
So, yes, I mean I think the good marriage is there`s a give and take. There`s a partnership and we grow within our marriage.
BEHAR: Yes.
PARKER-POPE: And we were better for knowing our partner.
BEHAR: Well, you know, it makes sense, Ian, but I don`t know if it`s really -- it sounds like a business deal.
IAN KERNER, SEX THERAPIST: Well --
PARKER-POPE: I think it`s more like what we expect from our friendships. I mean I had a girlfriend the other talk to me about something she was doing on an architectural project. And it was fascinating and I wouldn`t have that information if I didn`t have that relationship. I was better for knowing it.
And I think we just are asking more friendship, more intellectual stimulation, more emotional connection in our marriages. And I think over all that`s a good thing.
BEHAR: Well, emotional connection, I can understand because you really need that. But in terms of all these interests and everything, it sounds like asking too much --
(CROSSTALK)
KERNER: I think Tara makes an interesting point that you really do need to be a strong individual in a relationship. I`m a sex therapist so I tend to see things sort of through the lens of what`s happening in the American bedroom.
Actually, CNN reported not too long ago that 40 million Americans define themselves as being in sexless marriages. They`re stuck in sex ruts.
BEHAR: That`s just CNN people.
KERNER: That`s just CNN people. But you know, what that tells me, it`s like when you`re stuck in a sex rut, it usually means that you`re also stuck in a relationship rut. Because you know what happens outside the bedroom affects what happens inside the bedroom.
So I do agree. You know, I think relationships sort of to Tara`s point, it`s like a car. You got to put fuel in the tank in some way or the other. And actually Crystal and Hugh, from what I`ve read, they are putting fuel in the tank of their relationship. They said they`re always going out, they`re always traveling, they`re always seeing friends.
BEHAR: Do you really think they`re having good sex? Give me a break, Ian. He`s 84, she`s 24.
KERNER: You can be 25 and gorgeous and still have bad sex.
BEHAR: I don`t think gorgeous has anything to do with it.
KERNER: You`re right. Gorgeous doesn`t have anything to do with it, but you can be 25 and not have great sex. I mean listen, like you said, we live in the age of the holy trinity of Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. I think that they might really have a -- he`s surrounded by women. He`s surrounded by sexual opportunity. Why does he need to get married?
BEHAR: Well, that`s a good question Tara. Why do you think he`s getting married?
PARKER-POPE: Well, he -- I mean it`s interesting because we -- you know, there`s a sort of a negative attitude about marriage in a lot of circles, but people want to be married, they want that commitment, they want that connection.
And I think this couple is actually kind of interesting because it`s true. He really could, you know, have pretty much anybody he wants and he wants her. There`s obviously some connection between these two.
I understand what she gets out of it as well because here`s a man who is very successful. He`s accomplished a lot in his life and knowing him has got to be enriching more than just financially. It`s got to be sort of intellectually interesting.
I`m sure they have adventures together. It`s fun to be in his circle. And you know, at the end of this relationship, however it ends, she`s going to be a different person. She`s going to be a more interesting person.
BEHAR: Yes. Maybe she`ll graduate high school by then. But you know, the thing, Tara, is like this. I had a shrink one time who said just find a guy who is pleasant to be with. That was her whole criterion.
KERNER: Right.
BEHAR: And now, according to Tara and her article, which is interesting, people are asking, I think, too much from each other. You know, he has to come home with interesting anecdotes about what happened that day. She has to be interested in architecture. He`s got to make paella.
I mean, how much stuff is required from the guy in the relationship and the woman.
KERNER: The other thing you can try and do, though, is just be a strong individual. Sometimes being a strong couple just means being a strong individual. So instead of having to do so much to expand your relationship with each other, just expand your own identity. Go out with your friends.
I mean I know couples who go out on separate vacations and they come home and they`re more in love with their partners than ever. So part of the key to growing as a couple is also being able to do your own thing, too.
BEHAR: Right. That`s true.
PARKER-POPE: Well, it`s not losing yourself in the relationship. And it is not necessarily doing crazy, wacky things together. It may be just mixing it up a bit and having new experiences together. Maybe just going to a talk, you know, a lecture downtown at the local university or maybe it`s just going to a new restaurant.
It`s about sharing experiences. And this idea of somebody who is pleasant to be around, that`s part of it. You want somebody that you like to spend time with. I mean I think we should have high expectations for our relationships. There are some data to show that you get what you expect out of a relationship. If you have very low expectations, you`re not going to get a lot. But if you really expect more from your partner and your partner expects more from you, then you`re going to get what you`re hoping for.
BEHAR: My mother was just happy that my father finished eating at the same time she did. I mean that was the expectation. You know what I mean? It`s like there`s so much now that you need and want in a relationship.
KERNER: Honestly, I read Tara`s article, and I like it very much. I believe that all that stuff outside -- again I`m a sex therapist -- so all that stuff outside the bedroom really matters. But I don`t know I`ve been hearing for a long, you know, just like going to a museum or going to a movie. I don`t actually think that that is enough to keep a relationship.
BEHAR: No? What is enough in your opinion?
KERNER: Well, I do think you need a lot of -- I think you need to be having sex, first of all. I think too many couples are stuck in sex ruts.
BEHAR: A lot of people are not having sex anymore, who are in relationships for a long time. So what are they supposed to do?
KERNER: I think you should try and have sex once a week with your partner.
BEHAR: Try is the key word. So how do you do it? Come on, before we go. Tell us how to do it?
KERNER: Ok. So, I think you engage in intimacy. You do have sex regularly. I think you do a lot of novel stuff. I think there`s also been studies that show that it is all about positivity. That so many couples are stuck in negativity and in anger that the big difference between couples who succeed and fail is the ability to be positive toward your partner.
And it`s actually -- they call it the "five to one zone"; five positive actions for every negative action. If all you`re doing is coming home complaining about bills, stressing out, feeling like we`re just doing the same thing over and over again, you are stuck in a negative pattern that you need to break.
BEHAR: I see. Well, that`s interesting. You should write a book about that.
KERNER: Maybe I will.
BEHAR: Maybe you will. Ok. Thanks, everyone. Tara, terrific article. Thank you, Marc.
We`ll be back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up a little later on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor`s health takes a turn for the worst. Her husband fills us in on the latest. Now back to Joy.
BEHAR: You know, for many Americans, the only thing harder than getting to the holidays is getting through the door after the holidays. Dieting is always near the top of the New Year`s resolution list.
And here to discuss all things weight loss is Tracy Anderson, a fitness expert and creator of the Tracy Anderson method; Dr. Ian Smith, diet expert and author of "The Four-Day Diet"; and Tina Marie Konegni and Tiffany Elizalde, twin sisters featured in the new "People" magazine. They each lost over 120 pounds.
Wow, so, Tina Marie, which one is Tina Marie? You.
Ok. Your weight loss was not a New Year`s resolution type of thing.
TINA MARIE KONEGNI, LOST OVER 120 POUNDS: Right.
BEHAR: What was the motivation for you to lose?
KONEGNI: Our health was the motivation. When we were 29, our doctor had told us that we weren`t going to see our 40th birthday. At that time, we were borderline diabetic, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, walking time bombs.
So our doctor change, if you don`t change your life, you know, you guys aren`t going to see your 40th birthday. We decided to start making some small changes and we won big in the end.
BEHAR: I think it`s great that a doctor said that to you. A lot of doctors do not tell these people the truth.
KONEGNI: Yes.
BEHAR: Tiffany, how did you lose it?
TIFFANY ELIZALDE, LOST OVER 120 POUNDS: With weight watchers and walking. No gym membership, no -- you know. And with weight watchers, you don`t have to cut anything out. We still get to eat whatever we want. Everything in moderation and then just walking.
BEHAR: Just walking.
ELIZALDE: Just walking.
BEHAR: No gym, no bicycle.
ELIZALDE: No.
BEHAR: No treadmill --
ELIZALDE: No.
BEHAR: No gym -- you know, personal trainer, none of that.
ELIZALDE: None of that.
BEHAR: Boy, that`s a lot of walking.
ELIZALDE: Yes.
BEHAR: You know, Ian, people never stick with New Year`s resolutions about weight loss? Is it better to not make a resolution, do you think?
IAN K. SMITH, AUTHOR, "THE FOUR-DAY DIET": I can`t stand resolutions for weight loss. Let me tell you why -- because people do it because it`s trendy. But the bottom line is you should be losing weight all year long not just the beginning of the year.
Also people have unrealistic goals, Joy. They want to lose 100 pounds in a year. They watch "The Biggest Loser". They seem to (INAUDIBLE) weight loss.
Nonsense. My strategy: make small attainable goals and that will lead you to the big goals. So, it`s ok to say I want to lose 50 pounds at the end of the day, but think about two pounds and four pounds and six pounds. That`s how you get there.
BEHAR: But even a pound a week is good, right?
SMITH: It`s phenomenal.
BEHAR: How long did it take you to lose 120 pounds each?
KONEGNI: It took a year and a half and we`ve been maintaining for about six months.
BEHAR: So that`s good, right?
SMITH: See. They`re maintaining, that`s the other part of it. People don`t realize, if you lose weight too fast, or lose it in the wrong way, you gain that weight back and then some. But if you do it by a lifestyle change, then it`s ok.
BEHAR: That`s the key, I think. I think you`re right.
Now, Tracy, your clients include the very thin Gwyneth Paltrow and very thin Jennifer Lopez. How do these two stay so thin.
TRACY ANDERSON, FITNESS EXPERT: You know, for me, it`s all about exercise, you know. People who are -- they weigh a little bit more but exercise is a part of their daily life, they actually live longer healthier lives than thin sedentary people. So I`m all about the movement.
And also, when you have a weight loss, like these girls had, you know, if you lose the weight too quickly, then your skin tone doesn`t look good. And you know, you trade one thing for the other. So it`s important to get hold of your muscular structure.
BEHAR: So, they work out a lot?
ANDERSON: We work out six days a week.
BEHAR: See, that`s another thing. See, now I don`t 100 percent buy that they`re going to live so much longer. I mean Zsa Zsa Gabor, who we are talking about before.
SMITH: 92.
BEHAR: She`s 92 or 93 years old. She`s going to be 94.
ANDERSON: She dances.
BEHAR: She doesn`t dance, no, no. I would guarantee you the woman never exercised in her entire life. She`s still 93 years old.
SMITH: Well, some have great genes. She has a great gene pool. Let`s talk about the combination, Joy. It`s really the combination. You have to work out well and you have to also eat well.
Now, that doesn`t mean you have to eat like a rabbit, by the way. In my program, I try to teach people eat almost everything but in moderation.
BEHAR: Ok.
ANDERSON: I really agree with you.
BEHAR: Let`s go through some of the diets for people out there. What do you think, Ian, of the Volumetrics diet, which promotes a lot of water in everything that you eat? It promotes a feeling of satiety -- is that the word -- and combats feeling of hunger.
SMITH: Excellent program. The idea is eat more by eating less. That is water content like cucumbers and tomatoes, a lot of water in your food means you`ll fill up but on fewer calories. Very good program, very realistic.
BEHAR: Well, I mean, a piece of meat has no water. Where do you get water in protein?
SMITH: Fish. Fish is much lighter than meat, for example. But the idea is, you know, some of your beans, your peas, your legumes, very high in protein.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Those have a lot of water.
Ok. Jennifer Hudson just went from a size 16 to a size 4 in Weight Watchers. Tracy.
SMITH: She`s not a size 4.
BEHAR: You don`t believe that?
SMITH: Stop saying that. She`s not a size 14. But her weight loss is great, though. It`s great but it`s not a size 4.
BEHAR: What is she? Gutsy guess.
SMITH: A 6 or 8.
BEHAR: What do you think, Tracy?
SMITH: Be honest. Be honest.
BEHAR: Tracy never says anything against a celebrity. That`s part of her religion.
ANDERSON: No.
BEHAR: Yes, it is.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I train more real women than I do celebrities.
BEHAR: All right. Let me ask the twins, how big is Jennifer?
KONEGNI: I would say a 4 or a 6.
BEHAR: Really? They disagree with you.
SMITH: Ok.
BEHAR: All right. Now, Jason Alexander, he just shed 30 pounds on Jenny Craig. Ian, what do you think about that?
Now, I was on Jenny Craig. It worked for me. Food is there for you, you eat it. You don`t have to do any planning, any thinking. What about that?
SMITH: What about Jenny Craig when you`re in Paris? Are you going to eat Jenny Craig in Paris? There`s a problem in this kind of programs.
BEHAR: Not everybody`s going to Paris.
SMITH: I know that. My point is that these programs will work, but do you have the dough for these programs? A lot of people don`t have the disposable income? Secondly, are you always going to eat Jenny Craig food?
ANDERSON: It`s not fresh food.
SMITH: And it`s not fresh food.
It tastes pretty good.
ANDERSON: But I do like that it has every food group in it. I don`t agree with cutting food groups out.
SMITH: Right.
BEHAR: Ok. We`ve got more in another segment. So we`ll be right back. Put down that fork.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with my panel. We`re talking about New Year`s diets, diet plans and how they don`t work all the time and some of them do, right?
Ok. Let`s continue. What about the Mediterranean diet, Ian. What do you think -- or Tracy, what do you think?
ANDERSON: At least that diet, it`s got lean proteins in it. You still are allowed to have olive oils and things like that.
SMITH: It`s wonderful, scientifically proven that Mediterranean style of eating works for longevity, for your heart. It`s a great way to eat.
BEHAR: That`s why the Europeans -- in Italy, I went to Italy. I`ve been there many times. I always thought I would be the thinnest one there. Not true. I was not. They were thin because they walk like you two girls are walking.
ANDERSON: Because they have like the blue zones where they study the centenarian spas (ph); the problem is that if you adapt to their diet, that`s not going to happen to you. So that kind of --
BEHAR: What do you mean?
ANDERSON: You know, that message has to change because they were raised like that. And we have emotional connections to the way that we were raised. You know, I was raised in the Midwest, so for me to eliminate meat and potatoes from my diet for the rest of my life is completely emotionally unrealistic.
SMITH: You`re also a size negative zero.
BEHAR: So in other words, if you were raised on bad food, you`re doomed to eat that for the rest of your life?
ANDERSON: If you were raised on bad food and you all of a sudden become a vegan, when you get stressed out or craving -- like say that for vanity purposes or health purposes, you don`t ever want to eat ice cream again. You`re going to eat a dairy-free diet.
Well, one day you`re going to want -- you`re going to want dairy again because you are already programmed as a child to want that.
BEHAR: What about you girls? Do you relate to what she`s saying?
ANDERSON: Like what you`re saying.
BEHAR: The Weight Watchers will include all different kinds of food, so then, cover all bases.
ANDERSON: Some women will take those points and they`ll use them at Burger King.
BEHAR: That`s not happening these days because you get too many points at Burger King.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Ok. There are a couple other diets. The Atkins diet, which limits carbohydrates.
ANDERSON: No way.
SMITH: The Atkins diet will work for two weeks. It will knock your kidney out. And then --
BEHAR: Not in two weeks.
SMITH: But it will eventually. You`ll gain the weight back.
BEHAR: But that`s how you lose, you lose a kidney.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: Yes, right. Exactly.
ANDERSON: They get you hooked in the beginning.
BEHAR: It works for men better than women anyway. When men cut out carbs, they lose weight.
What about the cleanse? I know people who they do the hot pepper and lemon --
SMITH: Hold on for a minute. Here`s the thing. There are certain foods that are natural detoxifiers. They activate enzymes in your liver. In my book, the "First Four Days" is a cleanse; but it`s only four days. You don`t need to be on a cleanse for 30 days.
BEHAR: What are you going to cleanse in four days, though?
ANDERSON: Can`t you use just like water.
SMITH: No, no, no. It`s eating. See, I believe in eating cleansing, not fasting.
BEHAR: You mean, like Ajax.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: No. A lot of these cleansers, they starve you. That`s not a cleanse.
BEHAR: No.
SMITH: A cleanse is you eat --
BEHAR: You eat clean foods.
SMITH: I have four days of clean food and then you go into the program.
BEHAR: Now, twins, you guys had tried the New Year`s resolution fad diets before. What were they? You had a grapefruit diet and the Hollywood diet, right?
KONEGNI: Right.
BEHAR: So what happened there?
ELIZALDE: Well, you lose the weight, but it`s like you`re like dehydrating yourself. It`s like all water weight that you`re losing. And then it`s like people do that before they go on a cruise or go to their reunion or something to lose the weight quickly. You want something that`s going to last like a lifestyle change.
KONEGNI: And then you just end up getting so burnt out on whatever you are allowed to eat. Then you never want to see it again.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Food boredom.
SMITH: Food boredom. That`s what I say. That`s what I`ve been saying in the "Four-Day Diet".
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I really liked it.
BEHAR: Ok. Before we go, tell me one thing that will help people stick to their New Year`s resolution for weight loss. Hurry up.
ANDERSON: Vanity. I work with celebrities.
BEHAR: Vanity. She works with -- ok, what`s yours.
SMITH: Realistic goals that start off very small. Ask yourself to lose a pound a week.
BEHAR: A pound a week or even a pound a month --
SMITH: And then go from there. That`s right.
BEHAR: It`s 12 pounds in a year.
SMITH: Not bad.
BEHAR: If you only have 15 pounds to lose, pretty good.
SMITH: It`s better than gaining 12 pounds.
BEHAR: That`s true.
Ok. Thank you very much, everybody. Congratulations on your weight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Coming up a little later on the JOY BEHAR SHOW, Oprah Winfrey launches her own television network. And actor, David Arquette enters rehab. We`ll hear what his ex, Courteney Cox, had to say about the decision. Now back to Joy.
JOY BEHAR, HOST: Actress and socialite, Zsa Zsa Gabor was like a Kardashian in her day. Everybody watched her. Now, 93 years old and in fragile health, she`s taken a turn for the worse. She was rushed to the hospital yesterday with a condition that may lead to the loss of her leg. With me now with the latest on Zsa Zsa`s condition is her husband, Prince Frederic Von Anhalt. Hi, how are you? And how is Zsa Zsa doing?
PRINCE FREDERIC VON ANHALT, ZSA ZSA GABOR`S HUSBAND: Well, my wife is in the hospital, you know? I had to rush her yesterday to the hospital. As a matter of fact, she was doing well right before the holidays. And I told her she has to go to the hospital. The doctors told her to go to the hospital, but she was crying and she begged me please don`t bring me to the hospital over the holidays. So, we decided to stay at home to celebrate. And then, yesterday morning, both doctors came do the house and looked at the wound, and they said, look, we don`t even have to open it.
It smells already bad. She has to be rushed in the hospital immediately, and they have to operate on it. So, I rushed her to the hospital, and she was still, 6:00 this morning, in the emergency room. And doctors cannot decide now what to do. She has to be on very strong antibiotic for the next few days. And then, they will decide, you know, what kind of operation to go ahead with.
BEHAR: OK. So, she may not lose the leg? Is that what you`re saying? She may not lose the leg?
VON ANHALT: She may not. It is one of the options. Now, they have to wait and see if the antibiotic kicks in. If the antibiotic kicks in and they know there is a future in healing, then they probably don`t do it. But if they see there`s no healing at all, you know, after the antibiotic, then they probably will do more. Hopefully, she`s not going to lose her leg, but they have to operate on the wound. They have to cut the wound out. That`s for sure. The wound is almost 15 inches long and 6 inches wide.
BEHAR: Tell me how is she taking that possibility that she could, you know, lose her leg?
VON ANHALT: Look, I`m not going to tell my wife that she probably could lose her leg. I`m not going to tell her. She is going to get a heart attack, and she doesn`t want it. She doesn`t even know why she`s in the hospital. Now, she`s screaming. She has pain now. She gets morphine. She doesn`t feel the pain so much. She knows there`s something wrong with her leg, but she doesn`t really know what`s going on, and I don`t want to tell her. I don`t want to upset that woman.
BEHAR: Yes. But wouldn`t it be worse, though, when she wakes up if she sees that she`s in the condition? I mean, I don`t know what to say about it. It`s a terrible dilemma.
VON ANHALT: Well, she gets so much medication, so she really doesn`t know what`s going on. But hopefully, I get her out of hospital, hopefully the doctors -- look, the doctors ask me all the time what to do and this and this. I said, look, I have to trust you guys, you know? You do your job and what you think is the best, you do it. I`m not a doctor. I can`t tell.
BEHAR: Yes.
VON ANHALT: But whatever is good for my wife, they have to do it. And I trust the doctors very much. They`re really good doctors.
BEHAR: Yes.
VON ANHALT: And we will see the next two days what are they going to do.
BEHAR: OK. Well, we want to wish her our very best to Zsa Zsa. And tell her that we`re all thinking of her at the show, OK? Thanks very much.
VON ANHALT: We arranged already a birthday party on the 6th of February. She`s going to be 94. So, she better going to pull it through for the birthday party.
BEHAR: Yes. We hope that she will. Please send our best to Zsa Zsa. Thank you so much.
VON ANHALT: Thank you so much, Joy.
BEHAR: OK. Bye-bye.
VON ANHALT: Thank you, Joy. Thank you.
BEHAR: OK. Well, isn`t that a terrible thing?
Oprah Winfrey -- this is another story. Oprah Winfrey`s brand new cable network O.W.N. debut January 1st, and as expected, it was chock-full of feel-good shows, spiritual guests, and a-ha moments within the era of `Jersey Shore," unless, Gayle King punches someone in a nightclub. Can a 24/7 upbeat network make it? That`s the question.
With me now to talk about this is and other stories in the news are Joe Levy, editor-in-chief of "Maxim" magazine, writer, Paul Rudnick, and Bernadette Pauly, comedian and host of the "Gossip Queens."
Guys, first of all, poor Zsa Zsa, isn`t it? It`s a terrible dilemma at that age, God. Anyway, I compared her to the Kardashians. People should know, you get to be 93, whether you`re a Kardashian or a Gabor, if you`re lucky, you get to be 93, right, Joe?
JOE LEVY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, MAXIM: Sure. And keep both your legs.
BEHAR: OK. Now, Oprah said she wanted to avoid mean spirit programming. Aren`t they going to run out of things to cover? How many good things are there to cover?
LEVY: Fifty, I think. So, day 51 is going to be hard for them. Very, very tough.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL RUDNICK, WRITER: I think Oprah`s incredible. And what she really deserves is a rest. What, I think, O.W.N. should do is 24/7 live video streaming of Oprah relaxing. You know, Oprah like in bed with the dog.
BEHAR: In the bathtub.
RUDNICK: Snacking in the kitchen.
BEHAR: Yes, yes.
RUDNICK: Like cursing at Maya Angelou. You know, just doing everything she was never allowed to do before. It would be so satisfying for everyone.
BEHAR: But people nowadays like trashy shows, it looks like to me.
LEVY: Yes. I mean, there might be a place for this because there is so much bad news and so much -- maybe you want a little good just to flip to after you`re done watching, you know --
BEHAR: "The Jersey Shore."
LEVY: "Deadliest Catch" or the "Jersey Shore". I actually think they`re the same show. But, you know, here`s the thing, even the bible has a dark side.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEVY: Right?
BEHAR: Oh, yes. A lot.
LEVY: It`s got sex. It`s got right the devil is kind of cool and he dresses well, you know? So, I think they might be missing a little darkness with all this light.
BEHAR: So, do you think it`ll be a refreshing change, Bernadette?
BERNADETTE PAULY, COMEDIAN: I definitely do. That`s how she got so successful. When Jerry Springer and everybody else was going in one direction, she said she made a conscious decision to try to go more positive. And when you have that much schlock on air, especially with the female thing because right now, all this reality TV as a woman, you see so much of the stuff and you think all we can do is be air heads and hate each other and be catty like --
BEHAR: Yes.
PAULY: It`s a nice little --
LEVY: Well, there`s naked and drunk, too. You left out naked and drunk.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Right.
PAULY: Everybody loves naked and drunk. That can be positive if you look at it a certain way, but you need it. It`s a counteract ten hours of watching "Cops."
BEHAR: I know, but ten hours of watching goodie is not that thrilling either.
RUDNICK: I watched a little of "Master Class" where she has celebrities giving --
BEHAR: That looks interesting, Lorne Michaels and Maya Angelou, yes.
RUDNICK: I watched Jay-Z who is, you know, talented, incredibly accomplished man, and it always came back to the message of just be yourself. And I thought, no, anyone who`s watching this really just wants to be Jay-Z or Diane Sawyer.
BEHAR: yes. They don`t want to be themselves. That`s the kiss of death.
RUDNICK: Exactly. That`s why you`re watching the show.
BEHAR: Yes, yes, yes.
RUDNICK: You know? So, and only Oprah`s the only one who actually came clean, and she said, be yourself. It doesn`t mean that you`ll ever be rich and famous, but be yourself. And so I thought, OK, this is the dark side of, you know --
BEHAR: That`s the dark side, Joe. Is that good enough for you?
LEVY: No. I need naked and drunk.
BEHAR: OK.
LEVY: Every day.
BEHAR: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. Moving on. This past October, David Arquette and Courteney Cox split up. Another Hollywood mishap. She`s handling things better than he is, though. She`s on "Cougar Town." He`s on Xanax. Over the weekend, Arquette entered rehab reportedly for drinking and depression. I mean, isn`t that what -- what is this? Everybody has to go into rehab for drinking and depression? I`ve been drinking and depressed many times. I never went into rehab. What is this?
RUDNICK: I think what they should do is -- I know the TV commercials for anti-depressants like Seroquel and Cymbalta --
BEHAR: Yes.
RUDNICK: Where they show depression and hugely symbolized by a little wooden doll with a frown or a little blue cloud that follows you around the park.
BEHAR: Yes, yes.
RUDNICK: What if they got David Arquette to be their spokesperson, and then the symbols could be like, a pile of rainbow colored vomit, you know? Or they could have like a loaded revolver with daisies on it.
BEHAR: That`s cute.
RUDNICK: You know, and David Arquette has -- you know, firsthand.
BEHAR: That`s personality.
RUDNICK: Yes. He would be the Valerie Bertinelli of depression.
BEHAR: Now, what about the details that he shared on Howard Stern about their marriage?
LEVY: Going into rehab is definitely preferable to using Howard Stern as your therapist. Definitely, he`s headed in the right direction. He`s made a good choice there. He`s no longer getting on "Howard Stern`s Show" and telling America exactly how long it`s been --
BEHAR: Well, Dr. Phil.
LEVY: Dr. Phil would be, maybe, better choice than Howard Stern but less entertaining. Yes. But, no, he went on Howard Stern. He told America how long it had been since they had sex and that the romance or sex had gone out of their marriage, and he did confirm that he had sex with that other woman.
BEHAR: He did?
LEVY: I believe he --
BEHAR: And he`s having a nervous breakdown.
LEVY: And he`s a having nervous breakdown. He`s getting divorced. He`s drunk, and, you know, I mean, I think this is how most people cope with divorce, they drink and they --
BEHAR: Maybe he`s having a midlife crisis. What do you think? You know, men have that. You two can answer that, too.
PAULY: Yes, but he has the mind of an 8-year-old. So, he`s having a grade school crisis.
BEHAR: A grade school crisis.
(LAUGHTER)
PAULY: The thing is that he wasn`t even mean spirited or misogynist on Howard Stern. He`s just stupid. He`s just not bright. And she reminds me of -- we all have that one friend. She`s like really attractive and successful, but she dates schmucks.
BEHAR: Yes.
PAULY: And he`s just -- he`s a project, he`s work. And if she`s going to do that kind of work, you know, get a puppy because a puppy at least will be worth it in the end.
BEHAR: She has come out and said, I really admire David and his choice to take charge and better his life. I love and support him. She`s just trying to get rid of him now.
PAULY: She`s classy.
BEHAR: It`s like can I just say something nice so he`ll just go away, am I right?
RUDNICK: Yes, I didn`t hear come home in there.
BEHAR: I didn`t hear that either.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I didn`t hear come home, lassie. I did not hear that. I heard I`m happy for him. Goodbye and good luck.
RUDNICK: And I`ve changed all the numbers.
BEHAR: I`ve changed all the locks.
PAULY: She has a 6-year-old. You can`t be raising a 6-year-old and raising your 8-year-old husband. It`s too much.
BEHAR: Not if you only have two breasts. That`s true.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: OK. Thank you, guys. We`re done with this right now. Are you happy?
LEVY: I`m pleased. I`m pleased. I`m very pleased.
BEHAR: Next, Congressman Darrell Issa called the Obama administration the most corrupt ever. Let`s see what that`s about. Yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Republican Congressman and new Oversight Chairman, Darrell Issa, made waves recently when he called President Obama one of the most corrupt presidents in history. This weekend, he backtracked a bit but not that much. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DARRELL ISSA, (R) CALIFORNIA: In saying that this was one of most corrupt administrations, which is what I meant to say there, when you hand out a trillion dollars in T.A.R.P. just before this president came in, most of it unspent, a trillion dollars nearly in stimulus that this president asked for plus this huge expansion in health care and government, it has a corrupting effect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Here now to discuss this and other political stories du jour are Margaret Carlson, columnist for "Bloomberg" and Washington editor of my favorite magazine, "The Week" and Bill Press, radio talk show host and author of "Toxic Talk." Hey, guys. You know, where was Issa --
BILL PRESS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hi, Joy. How are you?
BEHAR: How are you? Where was this guy during, you know, the Bush administration, during the Blackwater, Halliburton and all of the other stuff that was going on? All of a sudden, he`s calling the Bush -- the Obama administration corrupt, Bill.
PRESS: Well, yes. I`m sure Margaret would agree. Where has this guy been? I mean, did he forget about Watergate? Did he forget about Iran/contra? Did he forget about scooter Libby and Valerie Plame and all that stuff? I mean, seriously. And, by the way, corruption? T.A.R.P. was a George Bush program. It was not a Barack Obama program.
And the alternative, they said, it was $700 billion, not a trillion. I mean, I don`t mean to quibble here, but the ultimate cost is going to be probably 50 billion because we got all the rest of that money back, and we saved this economy from going over a cliff. What did Darrell Issa want? Massive meltdown?
BEHAR: Yes. So, Margaret, what is he up to? Is he looking for a little time in the sun or something, trying to improve his, you know, image in his party? What`s going on?
MARGARET CARLSON, COLUMNIST: Have you noticed, Joy, that he looks like Jon Hamm from "Mad Men"?
BEHAR: Yes, he does.
CARLSON: Yes. And I think he does like his moment in front of the cameras. You know, in fairness to Congressman Issa, he was bullied by Rush Limbaugh when he said the thing about the corruption. And no Republican wants to go up against Rush Limbaugh even if you have an investigatory commission, you are nothing compared to Rush Limbaugh, and they all know it.
He says now that he`s going to go after a, quote, "accounting problems, not legal problems." But as Bill says, you know, what`s been spent in Afghanistan is a fraction of what the Bush administration lost in Iraq in phony contracts and blocks of money, just cash falling off the truck.
BEHAR: Wasn`t there $50 billion missing in Iraq that nobody really knows what happened to it?
CARLSON: Just missing.
BEHAR: Yes.
CARLSON: Yes. Just missing as if that`s the cost of doing business, and they shrug their shoulders. So, I hope --
PRESS: And by the way, there`s a big difference. He throws around this word "corruption." Now, you can disagree with the T.A.R.P. or you can disagree with the stimulus package, but that`s not corruption. I mean, corruption means criminal activity. To my knowledge, correct me if I`m wrong, not one official of the Obama administration has been charged with anything wrong let alone been indicted or convicted.
BEHAR: No.
PRESS: So, I`m afraid this guy, he`s just -- look, he`s on a partisan witch hunt. We`ve seen this movie before. Newt Gingrich tried this same thing when he took power, and look what happened. Didn`t work out so well, did it?
BEHAR: No, it didn`t. So, you know, but he gives -- they give him air time on these very important shows. Why do they even bother to give him any air time when they know that there`s nothing to the allegation?
PRESS: Yes, just because it makes, I guess, brings more people in and makes more, you know, more controversy, therefore greater viewers.
BEHAR: Kind of irresponsible, to me. If the guy hasn`t got a leg to stand on, why give him any air time at all? You know, this is a fun side note. This guy, Issa, is the voice of the viper car security system. Take a look at this. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Viper car. Protected by viper. Stand back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I mean, you know, it`s like --
CARLSON: Hey, Joy --
BEHAR: Yes?
CARLSON: Move away from the microphone.
(LAUGHTER)
CARLSON: That is what Darrell Issa should say to himself.
BEHAR: And he doesn`t look really enough like Jon Hamm. I mean, Jon Hamm is really a turn-on. This guy is a turnoff. He doesn`t really look like him. I`m sorry. All right. Speaking of hostile to the administration, Boehner becomes the speaker on Wednesday, and Pelosi will hand the gavel over on TV. Do you think he`ll cry or rip it from her hands? What`s your read?
(LAUGHTER)
CARLSON: I think he`s going to be -- go ahead, Bill.
PRESS: I was just going to say, and he wants them to read the constitution. I`m going to place bets on whether he can get through the reading of the constitution without breaking down in tears.
BEHAR: You think he`ll start -- Margaret, he`s going to start crying when he comes to the second amendment, you know it. The right to bear arms.
CARLSON: Yes. That one`s a killer. Just a killer. No pun intended. But, you know, listen, he`s -- what`s going to make him cry is his own caucus, which is going to be quite fractious.
PRESS: Right.
CARLSON: And they`re going to use the debt limit ceiling the way they use the tax cuts for the wealthy. Only that was a domestic crisis they were willing to create, and this is an international one. I mean, the chaos that will be created by not expanding the debt -- lifting the debt ceiling is enormous. And Boehner`s got to control these out of control people.
BEHAR: Yes. You know, Bill --
PRESS: That`s going to be fun to watch.
BEHAR: Aha. Do you think this constitution loving is getting out of hand? I mean, is it a nod to the tea party? What is this about exactly?
PRESS: You know what it is --
BEHAR: And this is the first time a lot of congressmen will have heard about it and read it.
PRESS: First of all, I think on the one hand it`s hurrah for Hollywood, right? I mean, I really think it`s just so obvious publicity stunt. But I got to tell you, there could be some benefit here because I think most Republicans haven`t read the constitution, to be honest. I hope they listen carefully. There`s some good stuff in there about the right of privacy they probably never heard before. There`s something in there that says only Congress can declare war, not a president of the United States. I bet they never heard of that before.
BEHAR: Probably never did. OK. We`ll continue this in just a minute. Hold that thought, Margaret. We have to take a break. I`m sorry. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with my very, very illustrious political panel. Now, Jerry Brown was sworn in today as California`s new governor, but outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger left the position with a bit of controversy. One of his final acts was to cut the prison sentence of the son of his political ally. Now, Bill, you were at the new governor`s inauguration today. What are people saying about Arnold?
PRESS: Yes. First of all, the excitement here is Jerry Brown, who`s back again as governor of California, but the buzz around the ceremony today was all about Arnold, who was there, by the way. I was surprised he wasn`t booed when he walked in the room. I mean, here`s Arnold talk about political payback, but he reduced the sentence of the son, as you mentioned, of one of his political allies who happens to be a Democrat, but the guy was in prison for murder.
And that`s one of three pardons that he made. He reduced the sentences of three people each one of them in prison for murder. I mean, look, nobody can understand what Arnold was thinking. He goes out with the message to the people of the world that if you`ve had enough good political connections, you can literally get away with murder.
BEHAR: I know. It`s true. Margaret, what do you think about all that? Do you think that --
CARLSON: Well, you know, pardons are in the constitution we were just talking about, and they used to be, you know, an honored tradition for outgoing elected officials who used them when there`d been a terrible injustice done and which there is -- you remember or even now you look at old movies and you see where somebody`s waiting in the death chamber for the 11th hour call from the governor, and you`re always rooting for that pardon to come through.
Now, these pardons are used in terrible ways. May I mention, say, Mark Rich? But you know, we live in a -- for Arnold Schwarzenegger who`s not running for anything else, this is like a freebie because it`s when you run again that pardons come back to bite you. But we live in an age not of reputation but of celebrity. So, you know, in the United States of amnesia, it will be forgotten that he gave the pardon to a crony, a political crony.
BEHAR: Right.
PRESS: So, here`s the other point that he makes. He says that the reason he pardoned him is because while he was involved in this murder, one of two people, (INAUDIBLE) is not the one who gave the victim the final blow.
CARLSON: Right.
PRESS: OK? Well, whoa. That makes -- that makes the, you know, the family feel a lot better, doesn`t it?
BEHAR: As a matter of fact, the victim`s father wasn`t notified. He called it dirty politics and back room deals. So, what impact do you think, Bill, this will have on Schwarzenegger`s legacy?
PRESS: What legacy?
BEHAR: Well, he has some.
PRESS: He goes out in disgrace. His legacy is a $25 billion deficit for the people of California.
BEHAR: Yes.
PRESS: You know, a total failure as governor. I think.
BEHAR: Do you think so, Margaret? Do you think he`s just going to have a bad reputation now for the rest of his days? Is he going to run for another office? Is he still in politics? What`s going to happen to him?
CARLSON: You know, the golden state is so tarnished that it is hard to believe he can walk around, you know? And he was the great hope. He was coming in, you know, to save it from Gray Davis and look what happened. You know, because he has no other political ambitions, it`s hard to like punish him.
BEHAR: Yes.
CARLSON: You know for what he`s done. But there`s no retribution. He`s not going to get to play "Kindergarten Cop 3"?
BEHAR: No, but that`s it.
PRESS: But Jerry Brown is back.
BEHAR: Jerry Brown is back.
PRESS: Jerry Brown is back.
BEHAR: You`re happy to see a Democrat back in office. Let`s see what he does for the great state of California. Thank you guys, very much, for joining me tonight. And thank you all for watching. Goodnight, everybody.
END
