TRYOUT: ‘The View” will be quietly testing stars, like Jenny McCarthy (center), for the open spot on the panel. (ABC)
TRYOUT: ‘The View” will be quietly testing stars, like Jenny McCarthy (center), for the open spot on the panel. (ABC)
Pop quiz: Jenny McCarthy has just wrapped a three-day co-hosting gig on “The View,” a stint that gave the other co-hosts the chance to flatter her like she was the second coming of Joy Behar.
Was it: A) because they are auditioning McCarthy for Joy’s job? B) because they are auditioning her for Elizabeth’s job (no matter what they say about not firing her)? Or C) because they are looking for a replacement who looks like a Fox newscaster?
If you guessed all of the above, I’d say you are correct.
Yes, no matter what they say about not firing “Everywoman” Elizabeth or not looking to replace Joy’s funny presence with blonde and sexy, a three-day audition was as blatant as any of McCarthy’s seven naked “Playboy” photo spreads.
“The View” is still a daytime ratings-getter, last year averaging 3.3 million viewers a day .
But still that was down from previous years, which — according to focus groups — was the fault of Joy and Elizabeth, who were too politically polarizing.
And so we’ll be seeing a parade over the next several months of wannabes.
“We will continue to feature many guest co-hosts,” according to a spokesperson for the show.“ Some are being considered, others are not,” he said.
“The plan is to have that person in place next season.”
And so, McCarthy is among the first of many who will be trying out for the big gig.
Apparently, the producers must not think of her as polarizing, despite the evidence.
Like? Like the fact that the vehement, anti-childhood-vaccine activist posed naked again last year on the cover of Playboy.”
OK, I’m exaggerating. She wasn’t naked. She had on gloves.
Naked in a men’s mag isn’t as polarizing as having strong political opinions, it seems.
Fact is, McCarthy is not one of us, no matter how much she campaigned — very irresponsibly, it turns out — against vaccinating kids, and no matter how much advice she gives about mothering.
My feeling is that the only mothers who should be dishing advice about how to raise kids should be those moms who have successfully raised kids who are now adults.
Let’s see how the race finishes before declaring the winners.
In her favor, Jenny already has a weekly show on VH1. But when they were talking about it on “The View” — about how she had on everybody including strippers — McCarthy gushed, “I’m a stay-at-home mom!” Huh?
Then she added that she has made the show one she could bring home to the kids. Right.
For sure, there will never be another Joy.
But replacing Behar with a younger, duller, sexier celebrity will just turn the show into yet another snore bore.
It is the diversity of ages, races and opinions that makes “The View” work.
They should audition great guests they’ve had like Jamie Lee Curtis and Lorraine Bracco.
“The View” needs a stripper like McCarthy like McCarthy needs another set of breast implants.