TV Eye
First Hostess?
By Belinda Acosta, Fri., June 13, 2008
I finally have a reason to watch The View. Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, will serve as a guest host next week, according to several sources. Michelle had been invited to be a guest, but she pointed out that Cindy McCain (wife of the presumptive Republican candidate, John McCain) had guest-hosted the show in April. She wanted an equal shot.
I haven't watched The View in a long time, but I find myself excited to see Michelle Obama on the coffee klatch. I mean excited, as in, I'm almost thinking about keeping my DVR service so I can record it (more on that later).
The last time I regularly watched The View was when Meredith Vieira and Star Jones were still on the dais. I had to stop because I thought there had to be better ways to waste an hour, especially when the second part of the show is mostly about selling products. The first part of the show was always the most interesting, with the four hosts talking about "hot topics" of the day. The topics were heavy on entertainment news and light on substance, but the discussion was always lively. The hosts on The View are the candy-coated versions of those tough-minded women assembled on To the Contrary (PBS), hosted by Bonnie Erbe. For better or worse, The View has a more valuable cachet and has become the place to gauge the pulse of what "real" women think.
So why am I so excited to hear that Michelle Obama is going to be on The View? Honestly, I'm starstruck by her intelligence and backbone. The Princeton- and Harvard-educated woman has already come under fire for speaking her mind. Her sarcasm is apparently troubling to some. It's music to my ears, though I recognize that sarcasm doesn't always read well in print. And I know it's a one-time gig, but I am looking forward to Michelle Obama raising the level of conversation on The View. I want to believe "real" women are as hungry as I am for a bright, informed woman who can move beyond the high-pitched prattle and get to the real meat of the matter. And like it or not, I think most of female America will be watching. If Michelle Obama can gain the trust of those disaffected Clinton supporters, the battle will be half won.
Michelle Obama will appear as a guest host on The View next Wednesday, June 18, at 10am on ABC. To the Contrary airs Sundays at 11am on PBS.
Time Out
I've been moving, so between losing my mind and my underwear (note to self: always label boxes clearly), I missed several TV events I had marked on my calendar. When I realized I missed the premieres of Fear Itself (NBC) and Swingtown (CBS), instead of lamenting, I simply turned on my computer and did a search. That's where I saw the pilot episodes. On Saturday, when I realized I missed hearing Hillary Clinton's concession speech, a friend suggested we turn to her laptop. A quick search pulled up the speech in its entirety on YouTube. Thanks to my role as "TV Eye," I got to sign on to a press-only site to watch the premiere episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime). I've said several times that I do not want to watch TV on my computer, but when it comes down to viewing on demand, I will take on-demand every time. And the idea of hauling my monster TV set from one apartment to the next – why do that when I can throw my laptop in my bag and take it anywhere? Which got me wondering: Do I really need this cable subscription? Would my TV-watching experience suffer greatly, or would it just be different? I'm still pondering the pros and cons and will report on my decision later in the month.
As always, stay tuned.
