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Joy Behar Page
Interview with Barbara Eden; Interview With Jesse Ventura
Aired April 06, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOY BEHAR, HOST: You know, Jesse Ventura is a noted conspiracy theorist. The guy sees weird coincidences everywhere, every place, all the time; it`s ridiculous. He probably thinks -- you know, I mean the guy probably thinks my crew is conspiring against me here. I mean really, I think personally that is stupid and crazy, you know what I mean? I don`t buy it. Mommy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, she was the irresistible star of "I Dream of Jeannie". Barbara Eden dishes on the iconic show and her turbulent post Jeannie life.
Then Jesse Ventura discusses the biggest stories of the day from the impending government shutdown to Trump`s chances in 2012. But could a White House be in the former governor`s future as well?
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: My first guest tonight really needs no introduction so I`m just going to Jeannie blink her on to the set right now. Ok. Welcome.
BARBARA EDEN, ACTRESS: Where am I? What did you do to me?
BEHAR: I got you here in a magical way because, you know, your show was magical. We loved your show "I Dream of Jeannie". Loved it very much.
EDEN: Thank you.
BEHAR: It was a great show. I mean it`s a classic show.
EDEN: You were just a little girl when it was on.
BEHAR: I was in utero.
But it is wonderful. You are also an author of a new memoir, "Jeannie Out of the Bottle". The one and only Barbara Eden is with me; I didn`t do the proper introductions.
So I want to be -- you know, I just want to be totally on board with you because you could blink me into oblivion.
Now, I want to talk about the book a little because you talk about Larry Hagman in here, your co-star.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: You guys had great chemistry in those days. In fact, we have clips. Do you want to see a clip?
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Ok. Let`s look at the clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY HAGMAN, ACTOR: I`d like to ask a favor of you.
EDEN: Oh, thank you master.
HAGMAN: You haven`t heard what it is yet.
EDEN: It doesn`t matter, you never give me a chance to do anything for you.
HAGMAN: Well, this is not exactly for me. It`s for Roger. He has a birthday coming up next week and I want to give him a surprise party.
EDEN: I love surprises.
HAGMAN: I was wondering if you could come up with an idea for the party.
EDEN: Oh, yes. I remember a party that Nero gave.
HAGMAN: No, I don`t want anything quite that extravagant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: You had great chemistry.
EDEN: We did.
BEHAR: What was he like?
EDEN: He was the most wonderful person to work with, my favorite actor actually to work with. We were just sort of on the same wave length. That`s rare.
BEHAR: I read in your book you say he was a bit of a menace on the set, was he playful in menacing or scary in the menacing.
EDEN: No, no. He was never scary, never scary. Larry was really his own worst enemy.
BEHAR: In what way?
EDEN: Well, I think -- I think you know, he hadn`t worked for a big studio or network before and I think the fact that he had so little input, so little power, for a man that`s a tough position to be in and he`d get frustrated. He`d want changes in the script, they wouldn`t say maybe, they just say no. Yes. He didn`t like it.
BEHAR: It wasn`t called I dream of Larry. It was called "I Dream of Jeannie".
EDEN: Well, except that we were -- he was good about it.
BEHAR: Wasn`t his mother Mary Martin?
EDEN: Yes. Yes.
BEHAR: Famous Broadway star.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: So he felt that he was to the manner born perhaps and needed to be the star of it. Maybe, I don`t know. I mean he grew up like that.
You write that about a time that he had a fit in front of some nuns. Tell me about that.
EDEN: Oh, dear.
BEHAR: Some nuns visited the set.
EDEN: We had a covey of nuns that came on the set. And they were all in garb. I mean cute, sweet, fresh little faces and they all came out and so happy to see Jeannie, you know and Larry was disturbed about something. Something had happened, the script or something and he picked up an axe and started to say every cuss word he knew.
BEHAR: To the nuns?
EDEN: Not to them. Just there in there -- but cuss words. We never had another guest on our set.
BEHAR: Did he drink? Was that what the issue was?
EDEN: Well, I think Larry has made no secret of the fact that he was drinking.
BEHAR: He was drinking. Well, that will put an axe in your hand.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: We could look at Charlie Sheen. He`s on the roof with a machete, you know.
EDEN: Oh, gosh.
BEHAR: Things don`t change that much in showbiz.
EDEN: No. You are right.
BEHAR: But they were going to replace him, weren`t they, there was talk of replacing him?
EDEN: At one point. At one point.
BEHAR: Who were they going to replace him with?
EDEN: They couldn`t. I told them that. I told them that. It was either -- this was a tough spot for me to be in because Gene Nelson was our director and a very good friend of mine and his wife is still my friend. And he and Larry just didn`t get along at all.
BEHAR: They didn`t?
EDEN: Not at all. They both wanted to be director. They both wanted to be the boss of the set. So Sidney Sheldon came to me and said, look, Barbara, he said what do you think of replacing Larry and I said you can`t. You can`t replace him. I mean we worked so well together.
BEHAR: But remember, they replaced on "Bewitched" they replaced the Darren with another Darren. All of a sudden the girl was married to another guy.
EDEN: I know. I know. But truly in my heart, there is only one Larry, and he did a great job.
BEHAR: Me, too. There is only one Larry, Larry King.
EDEN: Larry King -- that`s a good one.
BEHAR: When Larry Hagman was on my show, he said he was sorry that you two didn`t hook up.
EDEN: Oh, have hanky-panky? Well.
BEHAR: Would you have liked that?
EDEN: I think it might have been nice. I liked him a lot but we both had husbands and wives at the time and we were working very hard.
BEHAR: That doesn`t stop people.
EDEN: When you are working television there`s no time.
BEHAR: There`s no time. You`re too tired to even have an affair?
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Oh, that sucks.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Does he know about all these things you wrote about him? Does he care?
EDEN: I don`t know.
BEHAR: You know, when you write a book, tell the truth.
EDEN: Well, you know something -- it is one thing, I guess, when he says it. It is another thing when I say it. He has gone public with this a lot. But I don`t know how he`s going to feel about me doing it.
BEHAR: He will write a book about you.
You became a studio contract player at that time in the `50s before Jeannie because Jeannie was when, what years.
EDEN: `60 to `65.
BEHAR: Right. Wow. God, so long ago now.
EDEN: Yes. Tell me about it.
BEHAR: Me too. It is brutal. I look at that cute little thing --
There you are. But you still look great. You look great. Look at you. You`re beautiful.
EDEN: Thank you. I feel good.
BEHAR: You met a lot of Hollywood legends. Let`s talk about some of that because it`s so great to have somebody here who knew Marilyn Monroe for instance. Tell me about Marilyn.
EDEN: I didn`t really know her. We had the same stand in. I had --
BEHAR: That is a compliment right there.
EDEN: Well, she was mine first.
BEHAR: That is beautiful for the two of you.
EDEN: Yes, it was actually. And Evelyn was a very special person. She was mine since the first day I was at Fox, and then half way through my contract, she also had Marilyn and luckily we didn`t work at the same time. But this one time I was working on a movie for Irwin Allen, and Evie came to me and said, Barbara, she said my other star needs me and I knew who she meant, you know. And I said, "Evie, I need you." I have two more weeks on this movie. And she said, "No, no, no, honey, you don`t understand she really needs me. Really. You are strong. You don`t need me."
So she left and she went with Marilyn, and they were shooting on the set next to me -- I mean the stage next to me. And one day Evie came. She grabbed my hand, dragged me across next door and said, "Barbara, Barbara, my other star wants to meet you" and I said, ok. And I was, at that time, playing a part where I had plaid pants, a big baggy shirt, I was messed up, I had dirt on my face. Grabbed me, ran over to Marilyn. "Marilyn, Marilyn, I want you to meet my other star." Oh, boy.
BEHAR: What happened?
EDEN: She was beautiful. She`s so pretty and so gracious.
BEHAR: She was sweet?
EDEN: Very sweet. Very sweet. She was what you saw on the screen was exactly what she was.
BEHAR: This is right before she died, right?
EDEN: Yes, it was. Yes.
BEHAR: It`s interesting about Marilyn because I read Tony Curtis` book -- the late, great Tony Curtis who wrote a book about what went on behind the scenes at "Some Like It Hot". And basically he said she was a nightmare so maybe she was different at different stages in her life.
EDEN: I think probably she might have been a nightmare for people who wanted to be on time.
BEHAR: Yes, like the rest of the two guys in high heels waiting for her to shoot the scene.
EDEN: Yes. Yes.
BEHAR: Ok. Stay right there, Barbara. We will be back with more Barbara Eden including all the Hollywood legends that hit on her. When we come back.
Yes. I want to hear that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up later on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, former pro- wrestler turned governor, Jesse Ventura drops by to talk about a possible vice presidential run.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
EDEN: Please, Major Healy (ph). I will do anything you want.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forget it.
EDEN: Master, I cannot do it.
HAGMAN: Jeannie, you can`t go around turning astronauts in to French poodles.
EDEN: Yes, I can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: That was a look at the classic sitcom, "I Dream of Jeannie". And back with me now is the star of that show Barbara Eden.
Barbara a lot of guys hit on you because you were such a hot number in those days, right?
BARBARA EDEN, AUTHOR, "JEANNIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE": You know, I think a lot of guys hit on a lot of girls just because they`re girls.
BEHAR: Well yes -- yes, but you know, somehow I don`t think Golda Meir got hit on in those days. But -- so let`s start with some of these dogs. Tom Jones.
EDEN: Oh yes.
Well, I was -- I was a guest on his show in London and we sang a duet together. Now my -- I love to sing. I have sung all of my life but my main strength in singing is the acting and to -- and we were singing "The Look of Love" -- the look of love is in your eyes, they`re walking along the Thames and I gave it all. I just really I meant it every word and we got to the top of some chairs and he looked at me and he said, "Can I show you London, Barbara?" And I said I`d love to see London, duh.
And -- and --
BEHAR: But London -- London was a little bird in his pants.
EDEN: Maybe. Oh no, but he -- he kept talking and it suddenly occurred, dumb me, that he didn`t mean really London, and so when we went back to rehearse it once more, I just sang -- a look of love is in your eyes -- and I just walked and he didn`t say anything. When we got to the top of the stairs and I thought, ok, did that. Got down to the floor and my manager came bursting out of the light and what`s the matter with you, what`s the matter with you? You`re not singing it, you`re not doing anything. What`s the -- I said well, because he thinks I really mean it.
BEHAR: Oh.
EDEN: And Gene, my manager said, it doesn`t matter, just do it. So I did it. And I did it every time we had to rehearse and then we shot it. And that night I was asleep because I had to get up very early the next morning to do the show. And my -- at 4:00 a.m. in the morning the phone rang. "Barbara, I want to show you London."
BEHAR: Again with the London.
EDEN: Yes, yes. And I said, -- I said, Tom, I can`t -- I can`t see London at 4:00 in the morning. Oh, yes, you can, Barbara I said Tom, I have pimple cream on, I`m in bed, I can`t do it. Sorry and hang up. And when I went into makeup the next day, he was there and he wouldn`t look at me.
BEHAR: Oh.
EDEN: He wouldn`t look at me.
BEHAR: He got rejected.
EDEN: I finally got him and I said, in the morning like that and he said, oh, well, yes, yes, you know, I was down in the lobby. I was going to -- you were lucky, you know, I was going to come up and knock on your door.
BEHAR: Oh. And if he had knocked, what would you have done with the pimple cream?
EDEN: He would have been -- he would have been horribly disappointed.
BEHAR: I don`t think so. So wasn`t he married at the time?
EDEN: Oh yes. Well, that was one of the lines. I -- I said, Tom, I`m married and he said, well, that`s all right. I am too. But he was cute.
BEHAR: He is. He was cute and he is adorable --
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: -- he`s fun.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Now, what about Desi Arnaz? Now, Desi was married to Lucy. When you -- you did a segment of "I Love Lucy" right?
EDEN: Yes, I did. It was my third job in Hollywood.
BEHAR: Now, Desi Arnaz has a reputation --
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: -- for being -- was -- he`s gone now.
EDEN: Yes, yes.
BEHAR: But he was a total hound dog.
EDEN: Yes, well he -- he -- that -- that South American culture, you know.
BEHAR: Oh yes, they also just wear bananas on their hand and they`re happy, Carmen Miranda. I mean, you know, they don`t have to sleep with every woman they see.
EDEN: True.
BEHAR: Yes.
EDEN: True. True.
BEHAR: Yes. But I mean, he was a -- he was a hot Cuban --
EDEN: Yes, yes.
BEHAR: And I think what Lucy basically divorced him because of that. Did he come on to you?
EDEN: Yes, he did but -- but I was warned -- I was warned before I ever got there.
BEHAR: By who, Lucy?
EDEN: No. No, by my agent.
BEHAR: What did he say?
EDEN: And so -- no, he said, you know, Lucy, Desi can make trouble on the set --
(CROSS TALK)
BEHAR: Yes, yes.
EDEN: -- and Lucy -- it worries Lucy and I can understand that. So I hid, I literally hid every time I saw him.
BEHAR: Oh, really?
EDEN: Behind him --
(CROSS TALK)
BEHAR: But what -- how did Lucy take it? What was she -- how was her reaction?
EDEN: She was wonderful. Actually Lucy was all business and wonderful. I have -- I -- I just, I love that woman. As I said, it was my third job. I had a very tight dress to wear on the show. And she looked at me and said, "You like that dress?" And I said, oh, yes, it`s fine. I would have said anything is fine. Fine, I love it and she said, take it off.
BEHAR: Yes.
EDEN: And I took it off and she took the dress, she and her friend to her room and they made it prettier. They sat there and put those sparkles, you know those punch thing --
(CROSS TALK)
BEHAR: They bedazzled it.
EDEN: Yes. The whole dress to make me look better.
BEHAR: Oh.
EDEN: And she could have given it to the wardrobe group.
BEHAR: Right and also to make you look better in front of Desi.
EDEN: That`s right.
BEHAR: And so she --
(CROSS TALK)
EDEN: And -- and in front of her in the show. Not a lot of women will do that.
BEHAR: That`s all about the show.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Well, I mean, yes, I heard another rumor. I wonder if this is true. Maybe you know it, I heard that in her contract Ethel always had to be heavier than her, is that true?
EDEN: I don`t know. I think Ethel was heavier, I don`t know --
BEHAR: But Ethel -- in case Vivian Vance felt like going on weight watchers she couldn`t. Ok, if you want your job, stay fat.
How about JFK, this is so interesting to me that JFK when he was a senator --
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Where did you meet him?
EDEN: I was in the airport in New York, in what is now JFK Airport by the way. Yes.
BEHAR: Yes.
EDEN: And I had just signed with Fox and I was doing a series called "How to Marry a Millionaire".
BEHAR: Oh yes.
EDEN: I played Monroe`s part in the TV series. And the three girls were sent -- the three of us.
BEHAR: Yes.
EDEN: On tour and this was the end of the tour and I was in front of the candy counter where I usually am. And a man came over to me and said hey, who are you with? And I said 20th Century Fox. I was really wet behind the ears.
BEHAR: Yes.
EDEN: And he said who no, no, no who is with you, who is with you? And I said, oh Booker McClay, the PR guy. And so pretty soon Booker came over to me and he said, do you want to meet Senator Kennedy. I didn`t know who he was, I don`t care, I don`t care, you know. I said ok.
And the next thing we know we were in this little room and the man who had come up to me the first time said I want you to meet the next president of the United States, we`re in a tiny little room. I said, hello. He said hello. And he left. And that was Pierre Salinger, by the way.
BEHAR: Oh Pierre Salinger.
EDEN: And so --
BEHAR: I have to take a break. When we come back I want to hear exactly what Senator Kennedy said to you.
EDEN: Ok.
BEHAR: We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with the lovely and talented Barbara Eden. Barbara, tell me, so we left with JFK.
EDEN: Yes.
BEHAR: Pierre Salinger. What did he say? Bring us back again; you were at JFK Airport --
EDEN: Pierre Salinger said.
BEHAR: -- which was called Idlewild in those days.
EDEN: That`s right. That`s right. And you must understand I was in a rented mink coat down to my ankles because 20th Century Fox put us all in a mink coat. It was winter.
Pierre Salinger said I want you to meet the next president of the United States and I said hello and he said hello and that was it. That was it. He left and then as I got on the plane I put my hand in my pocket of this rented mink coat and there was a little piece of paper with a phone number.
BEHAR: Oh.
EDEN: -- with JFK. I didn`t know who JFK was. I honestly -- I hadn`t a clue. I wish I had that piece of paper today.
BEHAR: Wow, you bet.
But if you had known who he was, would you have called him?
EDEN: Well, I wasn`t married.
BEHAR: You weren`t married.
EDEN: No.
BEHAR: I don`t think he was at that point either.
EDEN: I don`t know.
BEHAR: What year was this?
EDEN: Oh -- shh.
BEHAR: Never mind. That was before "I Dream of Jeannie". You were very young. You were 8 years old.
EDEN: Right.
BEHAR: Just before we end, I have to say you had some other stuff in your book that is very personal and sad. I thought, I don`t want to make you feel bad about talking about it but I just thought -- you have had such an interesting life and everybody thinks it has all been peachy cream and you met all of these guys but in fact you had a hard time, didn`t you?
EDEN: I guess, really, that`s one of the reasons I wrote the book. Because there were times in my life when I could have used some guidance and I didn`t have it. And I think that women, particularly, because that`s all I know about, should know about it.
Drugs, of course, we`ve discussed about my son.
BEHAR: Your son died of an overdose.
EDEN: Yes, he did. And we didn`t -- you know, at the beginning we had no idea he used drugs because we didn`t know about them. Parents should educate themselves about that.
BEHAR: Your son said that you were one of the strongest people he had ever met.
EDEN: That made me so proud.
BEHAR: Yes, that`s lovely. You also had a couple of stillborns, I believe, or something like that?
EDEN: I carried a baby eight months dead.
BEHAR: Oh, my God.
EDEN: Because at that time they didn`t force the birth. And I thought I was fine. I thought, you know -- I went to the hospital where I had Matthew and all the nurses, you know, when I first walked in would say, you are back and then I`d say no and then I`d cry. But then once I had the baby, I thought, ok, on with it, you know, on with the next thing.
I went into rehearsals. I was headlining in Las Vegas. I worked three weeks there, came home. I was to go to the Caribbean to sing and I caught a cold. Thank God I caught that cold, because the family doctor said, "Hold your hand out Barbara." And it was -- I can`t even do it. It was shaking.
It was like someone else`s hands and he said she goes home, she stays home and I went in to a deep, deep depression.
BEHAR: According to your son, you were strong.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this very much with you. Thank you so much for doing this, Barbara. And you know, people want to read the book because there is a lot of great stuff in here and you will find out a lot more about Barbara Eden. Her book is called "Jeannie Out of the Bottle". That`s a great title.
We`ll be right back.
I love that title.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura`s latest book is called "63 Documents The Government Doesn`t Want You To Read." I hope one of them isn`t "TV Guide." That`s all I have to say. Jesse Ventura is here with me now. Hi, Jesse.
JESSE VENTURA, FORMER GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA: Well, first, Joy, this says Jesse Ventura on conspiracy. This book has nothing to do with conspiracies. These are all legitimate ...
BEHAR: Give it to me.
VENTURA: ... 63 documents that the government produced that we found. There`s nothing to do with a conspiracy.
BEHAR: Well, the fact that they don`t want us to see them sounds like a conspiracy. Is that fair?
VENTURA: OK. OK. I just didn`t want us to get confused because my last book was "American Conspiracies" ...
BEHAR: Oh, oh.
VENTURA: ... and this book has nothing to do with the -- well, it has to do with conspiracies because, of course, there are documents that deal with 9/11, documents that deal with the assassination of President Kennedy and other things that have gone on in our country over the last 50 years.
BEHAR: Right. Right. So I saw you earlier today.
VENTURA: Uh-huh.
BEHAR: And you were saying that` you are going to run for - you would like to run with Ron Paul. That sort of stuck in my head.
VENTURA: Well, I didn`t say that I would run ...
BEHAR: You might, you could, you would.
VENTURA: I said if he would ask me and if he was independent I would give it very serious consideration.
BEHAR: Because he`s the only one you trust?
VENTURA: Yep.
BEHAR: To do what?
VENTURA: Well, he was the only congressman that had the courage to stand out on the floor and say that we need more WikiLeaks and he said -- and he said that WikiLeaks hasn`t killed anyone. How many people have died from the lies and deception of the intelligence in the Iraq war and also, he said the most profound thing and that is when in a free society, when the truth equals treason we`re in big trouble. When you tell the truth and you have people saying you should be charged with treason for telling the truth.
BEHAR: Well, is it -- Well, isn`t the answer to that that you put the troops at risk and you put Americans around the world at risk? And you, you know ...
VENTURA: How?
BEHAR: Because you are spilling the beans on locations.
VENTURA: But ...
BEHAR: I don`t know.
VENTURA: There`s been no location spilled.
BEHAR: Not yet. Not yet.
VENTURA: All has been released now, no one has died, no one ...
BEHAR: Not now.
VENTURA: ... or gotten in any trouble ...
BEHAR: True.
VENTURA: So until it happens, you can`t do it before it happens, you criticize it before it`s going to happen.
BEHAR: But isn`t it a slippery slope that this kind of exposure of private e-mails and things ...
VENTURA: I don`t think so.
BEHAR: Could be dangerous?
VENTURA: Joy, last year, the government called top secret 16 million documents, 16 million documents you and I are not allowed to read.
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: We have every right to see them. You know why? We pay taxes. That`s the spending of our taxes.
BEHAR: What happened to the Freedom -- Freedom of Information Act?
VENTURA: They drag their feet. They don`t produce it in a decent time.
BEHAR: They stall you.
VENTURA: They stall you to death.
BEHAR: So, it`s passive-aggressive.
VENTURA: Sure.
BEHAR: Ah-ha.
VENTURA: Sure.
BEHAR: That`s interesting.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: Now, you know, this week, what`s today, Wednesday. So, Friday there could be a government shutdown. Which - I mean, again, let me bring the troops into that. Will they get paid if there is a government shutdown?
VENTURA: Sure they will.
BEHAR: They will?
VENTURA: Yes. I`m sure they will, because they are essential.
BEHAR: They are essential.
VENTURA: Yes, because if they fall under the fence ...
BEHAR: I see, but old people ...
VENTURA: Old people aren`t essential.
BEHAR: Even if their lives are at stake because they can`t buy a dinner that night.
VENTURA: That`s the government. Yes. No, I disagree with that, but yes, they -- what they are saying is the military is essential. National defense is essential, but the old people, well, maybe they look ...
BEHAR: And they did ...
VENTURA: Maybe they look at it this way, if a few of them kick the bucket they won`t have to pay out the Social Security no more and it will help the budget.
BEHAR: Now, talk about a conspiracy. But I mean what about babies and young people who won`t get formula because their parents are not getting food stamps?
VENTURA: Well, what it does, Joy, is it shows something I have been harping on for years and that is the Democratic and Republican parties don`t give a damn about America. They put their parties first, and their political ambitions first. Their special interest, corporate donors first. We may be about fourth in line but you know what? We can solve all that if the lemmings out there will think a moment.
BEHAR: I know. A nation ...
VENTURA: Stop voting for Democrats and Republicans.
BEHAR: I know. You know you said that this morning and I really don`t think that people really feel like they are up to that yet. That there is an alternative to that.
VENTURA: Well, then take what you get.
BEHAR: You know ...
VENTURA: People ask me how do you solve it, I tell them, OK, you don`t want to listen to me, then enjoy what you get, because you voted for it.
BEHAR: But you know what people do when they -- they hate both parties, they don`t vote at all. That is really not a solution.
VENTURA: Well, you know what they ought to have -- how about the option of none of the above on the ballot?
BEHAR: That would be good.
VENTURA: So where you can - and imagine if you lost to none of the above, if you were a candidate and none of the above won.
BEHAR: That`s good. That`s good.
VENTURA: That would send a message.
BEHAR: Or just put a dog`s name there.
VENTURA: No, that would send a message, wouldn`t it?
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: If you were running for Congress, a Democrat and Republican and none of the above beat you?
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: You - The leader would still get ...
BEHAR: I like that.
VENTURA: Well, the leader would still get elected ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: Because he is -- but he would have to then go into office realizing he or she lost to none of the above.
BEHAR: To none of the above. Maybe none of the above could be the vice president.
VENTURA: So you are saying that`s what I am if I ran with Ron Paul, none of the above?
BEHAR: Maybe. Maybe you could win ...
VENTURA: Actually Congressman Paul and I might have to flip a coin.
BEHAR: You know what I think really, what really happened recently that really makes me crazy is this ruling by the Supreme Court that says that corporations can contribute an unlimited amount of funds to a candidate.
VENTURA: What they said is corporations have the same rights as people. That tells you right there.
BEHAR: But don`t -- don`t people have a limit on how much they can contribute?
VENTURA: I don`t know. I never checked on it.
BEHAR: Individually. Yes, they do.
VENTURA: But that should tell you right there, that these two parties that we are a fascist nation now, because fascism is when corporations and religion take over your government. Well, when you`ve got a Supreme Court that says a corporation has the same rights as you? That tells me there.
BEHAR: But what can we do about that? I find that so despicable and when that happened, I thought, well, that is the end of this republic, you know.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: That`s the end of this country that when they do something like that.
VENTURA: Well ...
BEHAR: And how can we stop it? Because these -- those bozos on the Supreme Court...
VENTURA: Stop voting for them.
BEHAR: But we don`t vote for the Supreme Court.
VENTURA: No, but who appoints the Supreme Court?
BEHAR: Well, none -- listen ...
VENTURA: The Democrats and Republicans.
BEHAR: Listen, Jesse. None of the above could also put an idiot in there on the Supreme Court.
VENTURA: I doubt it. None of the above don`t exist.
BEHAR: Well, OK, well that`s apparently, that story line went nowhere. But I mean, see, to me that is what has to be corrected. I don`t think they should have lifetime tenure at the Supreme Court. I think you have people like Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Those people are dangerous people and they are basically running our country.
VENTURA: I will give you a better one. Why don`t we follow Mexico`s lead?
BEHAR: Have drugs all over the place?
VENTURA: No, politics. In Mexico when you run for president of Mexico, you get one six year term. Let`s make it one six-year term for Senate, Congress and president.
BEHAR: Good. And they can`t run again.
VENTURA: They can`t run again.
BEHAR: You know that if the congressman runs and wins and does two -- what is it -- about two years they get pensions for life and ...
VENTURA: Well, not only that.
BEHAR: Oh my God.
VENTURA: Well, not only that. You know what else they get?
BEHAR: Health insurance.
VENTURA: Government run health care.
BEHAR: That`s right.
VENTURA: So all of these guys that are saying Obamacare, get rid of it, get rid of it, why don`t they set by example the hypocrites, and say, look, I`m not going to take my government run health care ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: But you notice those hypocrites don`t do it.
BEHAR: That`s exactly right. I`m on the same page with you.
VENTURA: Damn right.
BEHAR: And that`s -- they are unaccountable.
VENTURA: Does that scare you to be on the same page with me?
BEHAR: Well, in this particular instance, I am. I mean some of your sort of other theories, I don`t know if I go along with ...
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: You know, but that`s all right.
VENTURA: Well, remember, I do a lot of thinking.
BEHAR: That`s OK. I mean there are conspiracies around. I believe that to some extent.
VENTURA: Well, and you know what troubled me the most, Joy, about writing this book?
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: ... was the fact that when you read - we reprint all the documents, so everyone can read them themselves -- is the fact that we have great people, there`s great people in government, loyal patriotic people. But when you read this book you will see that our government, you could substitute the word Nazi and it would work.
BEHAR: See, now, let me tell you something, Jesse. Once you say the word Nazi everybody goes ballistic on you, because -- including Jewish people who don`t want any use of the word Nazi outside of where it really was in history, because of the tragedy of the Holocaust. You cannot like - you can`t call.
VENTURA: I just said it.
BEHAR: I know that. But -- see, people get mad at that.
VENTURA: Why?
BEHAR: Because, first of all, it`s like ...
VENTURA: Wait.
BEHAR: It`s the go-to ...
VENTURA: We brought them here.
BEHAR: The Nazis?
VENTURA: Read in my book.
BEHAR: I know.
VENTURA: Of what - and position, OK ...
BEHAR: What was this name, Wernher von Braun, wasn`t he the great scientist? Yes?
VENTURA: Erich Traub, who created Plum Island ...
BEHAR: Yes. I know.
VENTURA: I will give you an example. Fluoride in the water. Where did that come from? Nazi Germany. Why did they put fluoride in the water, you know what fluoride is the main ingredient for? Prozac. So if you are drinking fluoride water, you are in essence drinking Prozac.
BEHAR: Then why is everybody so crazy?
VENTURA: They are not. They are dumbed down, they are zombies.
BEHAR: If they are on Prozac ...
VENTURA: They are dumbed down ...
BEHAR: Prozac doesn`t make you dumb, it just takes the anxiety away ...
VENTURA: It makes you zombie.
BEHAR: No, it does not.
VENTURA: It does to some people.
BEHAR: I know so many people who take it.
VENTURA: I know two people that were put on it, that within two months committed suicide.
BEHAR: Well, maybe there are other reasons for committing suicide.
VENTURA: The reason is because it has different affects on different people.
BEHAR: Well, that`s true. It has to be -- you know, you have to get a prescription from a psycho - pharmacologist.
VENTURA: No, you don`t. You`ve just got to drink the water. Just drink your water.
BEHAR: I don`t know if there is enough in the fluoride. In this country, the fluoride in this country ...
VENTURA: No, fluoride is the major ingredient ...
BEHAR: ... in Prozac.
VENTURA: ... of Prozac.
BEHAR: But Prozac is not the major ingredient in fluoride. We`ll be right back. We have more to talk about.
VENTURA: What is this, the three stooges?
BEHAR: I want you to take on Glenn Beck. You know, Glenn Beck just is leaving Fox. I must discuss it with you.
VENTURA: He is?
BEHAR: Stay right there. Yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UM: The Pentagon had been hit, but not by American Airlines Flight 77. They said that a missile had hit the Pentagon.
JESSE VENTURA (on camera): Clearly they said a missile had hit the Pentagon? Not an airplane, but a missile?
UM: A missile. I was very surprised by the time that I got home and got the television on that somehow mysteriously it changed from a missile to an airplane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: That was a clip from Jesse Ventura`s "Conspiracy Theory" on True TV. And I`m back with the former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, author of ""63 Documents The Government Doesn`t Want You To Read." Now, we ended the last segment talking about Glenn Beck. And this is like just breaking news that he is actually leaving Fox, but my other information is that he will be producing some projects over there. So he is not leaving 100 percent?
VENTURA: OK.
BEHAR: But I think his ratings dipped or something and that`s it.
VENTURA: Well, it didn`t dip because of me. Because I don`t watch him to begin with.
BEHAR: No, no. We know.
VENTURA: So it was not like I left.
BEHAR: You know what - they always talk about these gigantic ratings that people have. There are 300 million people in this country ...
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: So if they have 10 million viewers, big deal. Bit deal.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: It`s really not that many people when you come right down to it.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: But -- but ...
VENTURA: Can I ask you something?
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: Don`t you think like that he - he has got to be curly Howard`s son, isn`t he?
BEHAR: Curly? From "The Three Stooges?"
VENTURA: Yes. Look at them. Put their faces up side by side.
BEHAR: We`ll do that.
VENTURA: No, look at him. If he ain`t curly Howard`s illegitimate son, or whatever, a legitimate, I`m not sure.
BEHAR: Do you think that there is a conspiracy going on against the unions in this country, and against working people?
VENTURA: Yes. Yes.
BEHAR: And is he one of the conspirators?
VENTURA: Well, I caught him unfortunately for about three minutes the other day and he was just ranting and raving how unions were all communist and socialist, all of this. So I had someone go to the Internet for me and we looked it all up and found out amazingly that O`Reilly, Hannity and him are all part of AFDRA ... ...
BEHAR: Of course, you have to be.
VENTURA: which is a union.
BEHAR: That`s right. I am, too.
VENTURA: Now, how can -- I`m too.
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: How can you be part of the union, and then -- then isn`t his union communist and socialist? And all that? Again, we are back to hypocrisy.
BEHAR: Oh, it is so hypocritical.
VENTURA: You know, hypocrisy again. How can you rail on unions if you are a union member. I`m vested in two. I don`t rail on unions. And I think yes, Joy, I think there is an effort to make the United States now like any other third world country to where all you have is rich and poor. And it used to be that that was the American dream.
BEHAR: Why do they want that?
VENTURA: I don`t know.
BEHAR: What`s the purpose of it?
VENTURA: I guess so the rich can get richer. Because if you look at the - if you look at how, you know, the rich are controlling more and more and have more and more in the wealth ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: ... and it is really out of proportion badly.
BEHAR: Look at this thing about GE the other day.
VENTURA: Oh!
BEHAR: We found out that General Electric does not pay any taxes.
VENTURA: In 2010 ...
BEHAR: That`s right.
VENTURA: They paid no taxes ...
BEHAR: And yet ...
VENTURA: $14.2 billion they made.
BEHAR: I mean how did that happen? That - what kind of system provides such a landslide like that?
VENTURA: A system that has elected officials that are controlled by multinational corporations, which is what the Democrats and Republicans are.
BEHAR: But you see ...
VENTURA: And wait. Let me give you another example.
BEHAR: Yes. Go ahead. Yes.
VENTURA: For 40 years now, we have had changes in presidents, right? Democrat and Republican ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: Yet every Treasury Secretary, regardless of Democrat or Republican comes out of Goldman Sachs.
BEHAR: Timothy Geithner.
VENTURA: All of them for the last 35 years.
BEHAR: Larry Summers. Those guys.
VENTURA: All of them for the last 35 years. Every -- or something like that. Don`t quote me exactly ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: ... but it is a long length of time, decades ...
BEHAR: OK, well, let me answer that ...
VENTURA: ... have come out of Goldman Sachs.
BEHAR: Because Obama is choosing the GE chairman Jeffrey Immelt to be his jobs czar. How do you like that?
VENTURA: Well, maybe he will teach us all how we don`t have to pay any taxes.
BEHAR: Well, maybe ...
VENTURA: Either that or I`ve got an idea. Why doesn`t every individual in America incorporate themselves? That way they`d have no - they could find loopholes and the government would have zero money.
BEHAR: That`s true. But I can`t - I don`t think you can incorporate unless you make $250,000 a year.
VENTURA: Well, the way it works is because I have incorporated. What it works, I you`ve got to make that much, which for a corporation to be viable to do anything.
BEHAR: Yes. Yes. Well ...
VENTURA: See that`s how they set the rules up.
BEHAR: But you know ....
VENTURA: You`ve got to have certain big income ...
BEHAR: Exactly.
VENTURA: ... to be a corporation, so if you only make 50 grand a year, very difficult to be ...
BEHAR: You are screwed.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: You are screwed.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: I know, I noticed that.
VENTURA: Thank to Democrats and Republicans.
BEHAR: I know ...
VENTURA: They make up the rules.
BEHAR: It is just terrible. But now, what about this Michele Bachmann? She is from Minnesota.
VENTURA: She is my congresswoman.
BEHAR: Yes, she is.
VENTURA: I live in her district ...
BEHAR: Do you think she`s ...
VENTURA: ... but I didn`t vote for her.
BEHAR: Do you think she is stupid?
VENTURA: No, I think she is sly as a fox.
BEHAR: Sly -- so -- dumb like a fox.
VENTURA: because she`s always on Fox, too. She is sly as a fox.
BEHAR: Does she have a chance? Does she have a chance? She says that she has -- could run for president, I guess, because she has a wide extensive life. Well, so do I. But I wouldn`t vote for me and I`m very much the lovely person. Charming and delightful I might add. But you know, what I mean. What does it mean? She said a wide and extensive life. Yes, she said she is 55 years old, so is Howie Mandel and Mel Gibson. We looked it up. Are they going to run for president, too? They have had wide extensive lives.
VENTURA: So is Jesse Ventura.
BEHAR: Exactly. Are you 55 years old?
VENTURA: No, I`m 59.
BEHAR: 59.
VENTURA: So I have four more ...
BEHAR: You look 55.
VENTURA: I have more years of experience ...
BEHAR: Right.
VENTURA: ... than she does.
BEHAR: Well, you were the governor of a state.
VENTURA: And a mayor.
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: And the mayor.
BEHAR: ... a lot of people laughed at you because you were a wrestler first and then you became a governor.
VENTURA: So, but if you look at our country, that`s what they had in mind, that farmers, candle makers, mechanics ...
BEHAR: Right.
VENTURA: ... whatever would come. Serve and then go back to what you are used to do. That`s what you are supposed to be. You know, what`s funny, when I ran, Joy, I was the only candidate that had a private sector job put in front of his name. When I ran it was St. Paul Mayor Coleman, Attorney General Skip Humphrey, former pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura. And yet I have been a mayor. And I have the same amount of experience as mayor ...
BEHAR: You had been a mayor?
VENTURA: Yes, mayor of the sixth largest city in Minnesota, Brooklyn Park from 1990 to 1994.
BEHAR: And they didn`t put that in your ...
VENTURA: They didn`t put it in front of my name and it was politics. And it doesn`t say ...
BEHAR: Another conspiracy.
VENTURA: Former mayor. But I actually -- I wish that they would have put my two opponents` private sector job, you know why?
BEHAR: Why?
VENTURA: It would have went, former lawyer, former lawyer.
BEHAR: All right.
VENTURA: I don`t want (ph) even bigger.
BEHAR: Well, a lot of people in this country feel that if you are not a lawyer, you can`t run for office.
VENTURA: Well, let me tell you this -- I think we should ban lawyers from running for office.
BEHAR: I agree with that.
VENTURA: It is -- no, because it`s a conflict of interest. They make the laws that then they will work under as a lawyer, that`s not a conflict of interest?
BEHAR: Every Supreme Court justice is in that category.
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: OK, Jesse isn`t going anywhere, so neither should you. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VENTURA: Just dug in like an Alabama tick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re hit. You`re bleeding, man.
VENTURA: I ain`t got time to bleed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: That was Jesse Ventura in the movie "Predator." And I`m back with Mr. Conspiracy Theory himself, Jesse Ventura. Now, listen, Jesse. First of all,
VENTURA: Wait, Joy.
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: I have to tell you, when I said I ain`t got time to bleed. As of Friday, I now have a Web site. "weaintgottimetobleed.com."
BEHAR: OK. All right.
VENTURA: No, seriously. That`s my Web site.
BEHAR: You`re going to become a citizen of Mexico, too, soon?
VENTURA: Well, my wife and I are considering it. Because we spend, you know, literally four to five month a year down there, and it would be a lot more -- better for us. Because we could then cross the border when we felt like it and not have to go through immigration on either side.
BEHAR: Oh, I see.
VENTURA: Because you can have dual citizenship. It`s not that I`m giving up my United States citizenship ...
BEHAR: Do not give anything up.
VENTURA: No, no, no. But I want duel citizenship to where it would be much easier and it has a lot of benefits to be a citizen.
BEHAR: OK. Now, what about Donald Trump? Now, Donald Trump still running around. And he`s doing very well. His - a new poll has him behind only Mitt Romney in the early voting state of New Hampshire, crucial state in the primaries, Iowa. I mean do you think he`s a serious candidate or what? You don`t?
VENTURA: No, no, because remember, back in the -- right about 2000 he threatened to run for the Reform Party ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: And I got behind him and said, yes, if he`s in the Reform Party, I`ll give him my support, he came to Minnesota. No. I think that Donald thrives on the limelight ...
BEHAR: Yes.
VENTURA: ... and he knows if he rattles his sword and talks about running for president, he`ll get on every TV show in America.
BEHAR: Right. And he has.
VENTURA: And I think when push comes to shove, Donald likes making money more than he does public service.
BEHAR: So, but what is this business with the birther thing that he`s been promoting, and that Obama is, you know, not born in this country. I mean, it`s so beneath him in a way. You know, he`s an intelligent guy ...
VENTURA: Yes.
BEHAR: And then he`s going around saying this. What is the purpose of it?
VENTURA: Well, I suppose to rally all those birthers out there, you know, to get behind him, and then boost him in the polls, I suppose makes him a bigger Republican.
BEHAR: Yeah, but it makes him look back to the intelligentsia he likes to appeal to also. To people in this country who have a brain.
VENTURA: Well, you`re asking me to think for the Donald. You better ask him.
BEHAR: I mean, it`s just lame I think.
VENTURA: I`ll tell you this, Joy, I don`t know where my birth certificate is and I`ve never even seen it. My folks just told me I was born in south Minneapolis.
BEHAR: Well, if you wanted to run for president, they`d be all over you, too. But this could...
VENTURA: How could they? I`m a veteran. I`ve served in the United States military. I don`t have to produce it.
BEHAR: That`s true. But I mean, maybe it has something to do with the fact that Obama is the first black president we`ve ever had and. maybe it`s based in some racist ideology that goes on in this country.
VENTURA: You also got -- a third of America think he`s Muslim.
BEHAR: Again, again, you know, it has a little racial undertone, I think.
VENTURA: Remember, he has what is traditionally a traditional Muslim middle name, Hussein.
BEHAR: And yet he won, he won anyway. He won.
VENTURA: I don`t know.
BEHAR: The country - you know, the people of this country are...
VENTURA: But I`ll tell you this, I`ve been extremely disappointed. Let`s hit a good subject here...
BEHAR: I got to go.
VENTURA: Let me - well, how dare them not try those guys in Cuba in public court so I can hear the evidence?
BEHAR: You want them in a civilian court?
VENTURA: I want to hear the evidence.
BEHAR: I do too.
VENTURA: They are going to do a kangaroo court down there, they`re going to then say they convicted them, they will put them to death. So all you conspiracy theorists get lost, we proved it. Well, prove it to me. Let me hear the evidence. I want to see the evidence.
BEHAR: You know what, you need to come back like every month and just (inaudible) it out with me, OK? Want to come back in a month?
VENTURA: Sure.
BEHAR: OK.
VENTURA: But wait until I get back from Mexico, because I don`t want to fly that -- no, I don`t think I can because I`m not allowed on the commercial airliner right now.
BEHAR: Why not?
VENTURA: My lawsuit. I cannot get on a commercial airline because I`m suing the federal government.
BEHAR: Oh, so many things! OK. His book is called "63 Documents the Government Doesn`t Want you to Read." Thank you for watching. Good night, everybody.
END
