Hot Topics:

The beautiful Laverne Cox joined the ladies of The View as guest co-host of the day!

What the Hack:  Sony announced it will not release the comedy The Interview citing safety concerns over terrorist threats against the theaters showing the movie.  A lot of people are saying they let the terrorists win.  Laverne thinks it’s a horrible choice to cancel the film’s release.  She said as an actress, artist and American, this is not what we’re about as a country.  We’re about freedom of speech, expression and the second we start censoring ourselves, she asked, “What will happen next?”  She thinks we really need to look at ways to combat cyber-terrorism.  Rosie P agreed with Laverne on one level but thinks it’s a complicated issue.  She said we need to take the threat somewhat seriously because people could have been hurt through a terrorist act on Christmas day.  What really angers her are the working class people who make the studio run who have been hurt by this act. Rosie O isn’t sure about her stance on the topic.  She was kind of happy they decided to cancel the film’s release even though she knows that’s giving in.  But at the same time, she doesn’t want to encourage anyone to attack us.

Nicolle worked in the White House on 9/11 and they encouraged people to travel on airplanes again and face down their fears.  And the people who were brave enough to get on airplanes again and go to baseball games and sporting events, helped keep the country going.  But as a mom now, Nicolle said she wouldn’t have taken her son to the movie theater and she respects Sony for not releasing the film.  Whoopi said it actually wasn’t Sony who took the film out of the theaters but it was Sony giving the theaters the option to not show the film.  The theaters didn’t want to be held liable if someone was hurt.  Whoopi hopes the film will end up on the Internet in some way so we can still see the film because, in America, we have freedom of expression.  Nicolle read Howard Stern’s comment from earlier in the week that compared this cyber-attack to the attack on 9/11.  Which at the time, she thought was ridiculous.  But now, she said, four days later, Newt Gingrich is basically agreeing with him.  He said, “No one should kid themselves.  With the Sony collapse, America has lost its first cyberwar.  This is a very, very dangerous precedent.”    Whoopi thinks we got taught a very valuable lesson.  Whoopi said freedom of expression is great but she’s not so sure she’d want another country making a movie joking about killing our president either.  Rosie P said experts have been warning us about these cyberattacks for a very long time and we need to learn how to prevent them.  Nicolle thinks this situation may create some new alliances amongst our leaders because it is an attack on what we hold most dear – our freedom of speech.

Treated Like the Help: In a recent People Magazine interview President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama open up about how they’ve dealt with their own racist experiences.  Michelle Obama revealed that on a trip to Target she was mistaken for someone who works there.  And people once mistook Barack Obama as the valet!  Rosie O said you would think people would recognize the president and the first lady, from television at least!  But, she continued, “racism still exists and that’s a fact of American history and life today.”  Laverne thought it was pretty incredible that people living in this country cannot recognize the president and the first lady.  She thinks it’s more of a commentary about how uneducated the American people are about who our leaders are.  Nicolle thought one of the most powerful speeches Obama ever gave was as a speech he gave about race as a candidate.  She said if you haven’t watched it, you should watch it on YouTube.  She said a lot of people feel the president hasn’t seized each opportunity he has had to lead a conversation about race in this country.  Laverne believes the president is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.  Whoopi said race only ever comes into play for other people.  She said black people have always been black and they just don’t think about it. She was frustrated that other people always want black people to address whether something is or isn’t racist.  She said she doesn’t know!  Rosie P pointed her finger at Whoopi and asked her, “You don’t think it’s racist if somebody turns to the leader of the free country and says, ‘Can you park my car.’?!”  Whoopi reminded Rosie P about the time Nicolle couldn’t tell the difference between her sister and her sister’s best friend in a photo.  She thinks that proves that white people can’t tell the difference between all white people either.  And that isn’t racism.  Whoopi said, “You need to know what real racism is.  Racism is when somebody comes up to you and says, ‘Nigger, I hope you die.’  That’s racism.”  She said it’s different when she goes into Brooks Brothers and they follow her around.  She doesn’t see that as racist, she simply sees that as ignorance.  Whoopi doesn’t believe it’s due to the color of her skin, it’s because the people who work there assume she doesn’t look like the type who has a lot of money.  She said it’s about “looking at people as an individual.”  Laverne disagreed.  She said store employees are following black people around in stores because of “implicit bias” due to pervasive ideas Americans have been taught about people of color.  Laverne thinks it’s definitely racist when black people are followed around at stores.  Whoopi does not agree.  She’s been black for almost 60 years and for her it’s simply stupidity, not racism.  Rosie P got very heated at that comment.  She said if she and Rosie O were to go to a store together they would follow her and not Rosie O!   She said when she and her sister Carmen were in San Antonio they stayed in an exclusive hotel.  One night they entered an exclusive VIP lounge at the hotel and as they walked in, the people there asked her sister Carmen to clean the table for them.  And Whoopi asked her if that act was “ridiculousness or racist?”  Rosie O said it’s racist and stupid.  And Rosie P said, “It’s both!”  Nicolle asked if Laverne, Rosie O and Rosie P think we live in a racist country.  Rosie O said, “Without a doubt.”  Nicolle said she doesn’t think a country that elects an African-American president twice is racist.  Rosie O said “we have a Congress that doesn’t allow him [our President] to do one thing!”   Whoopi said they need to remember who is in the Congress and that we elected those people too.  Rosie O said, “Democrats are racist too.  It’s our cultural history.”  Whoopi said, “You are a white lady telling me what is racist to you, and that’s fine.”  Rosie O replied, “I am a gay American, who has been called a dyke, I know what hatred and homophobia looks like.”  Whoopi said, “That’s not the same!”  Rosie O said she has helped raise a black child and that you don’t have to be black to know what racism is.  Whoopi said, “YES YOU DO.”   Laverne said there have been many white folks out there protesting with their black friends who see and understand that racism exists.  And Whoopi said her point is America is not just a racist country and she will not accept the blanket statement that America is racist.

Guests:

Katie Couric: Stephen Collins’ image was shattered after TMZ released audio of him admitting to some disturbing crimes of sexual abuse.  Yesterday, he broke his silence about the accusations to news anchor Katie Couric, who joined The View to give an exclusive sneak peek at her interview.  Katie said the recordings were released about two and a half months ago and there were a lot of rumors surrounding them.  Stephen said he wanted to give his version of the events.  He admits that there have been incidents in the past but he didn’t want to be approached by TMZ or paparazzi and asked about the tapes.  He wanted to sit down in a controlled environment and tell his story in order to say what happened.  They showed a clip from Katie’s interview where Stephen admits that in 1973 there were two occasions where he exposed himself to a young girl who was just 10-years-old at the time.  And several months later, she came to visit their family.  After his wife went to sleep, he took the little girl’s hand and moved it so she was “touching him inappropriately.”  He said he knew he was doing something “unthinkably wrong.”  Katie said there were 3 victims and 5 separate occasions, spaced over the course of three decades.  He admits he had a problem but insists those were the only times it has ever happened.  In 1994, Stephen started getting therapy, did a confession at the Episcopal church, attended workshops in a therapeutic setting, and continues therapy today.  He insists those were the only times any abuse has ever happened and that it has not happened since 1994.  They discussed why his wife decided to tape the therapy sessions and Katie thinks perhaps she worried he was a danger to other children and therefore wanted to make it public.  Collins told Katie he didn’t really want to focus on the tapes themselves but on what he did so he could apologize.   He’s not hopeful this will rehabilitate his image, she said.  Stephen has been dropped from Ted 2 and Scandal but she thinks he came forward because he felt trapped and wanted to tell his side of the story.  Katie Couric’s interview with Steven Collins will stream on Yahoo Global and broadcast on ABC’s 20/20 this Friday, December 19th, at 10pm EST.

Nicki Minaj:  The most successful female rapper of all time and one of the biggest music superstars, Nicki Minaj, sat down with the ladies of The View to discuss her new album The Pinkprint and her European tour!    Nicki said she feels at peace, blessed and grateful about her life and career these past few years.  When Nicolle asked Nicki about her style she said she actually doesn’t like getting dressed up and would rather wear jeans and a Santa sweater (like Nicolle) if she’s sure she won’t see anyone.  Rosie P told Nicki how proud she was of her and all of her sucess.  She loves her bravery and how she embraces her sexuality because, she told her, “as women, we have that right.”  And she loves the name of her new album The Pinkprint.  Nicki said she felt like she owed it to her fans who have followed her career for the last few years, to strip off another layer off herself and show them more of who she really is.  She needed people to see she was more than the wigs and the crazy outfits and that she is a regular woman going through regular things like relationships and heartbreaks.  Nicki said the album is a lot more mature than her first two.  She said it’s still fun but very real too.  Nicki said she was inspired to name her album because of Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint.  She wanted her album to be a staple in hip hop culture where the raps are “on point” and also because she’s known for the color pink.  She’s about to start a European tour with Trey Songz starting in March of 2015.  She’s done a world tour before but this one is exciting for her because she gets to perform these particular songs for her fans.  She said seeing the faces of her fans makes her “feel alive.”  Her video Anaconda has over 300 million views on YouTube!  She didn’t know the song Anaconda would become a pop hit like it has.  She just wanted to embrace curvy girls and then she said the song just took on a life of its own.  You can purchase The Pinkprint on iTunes now!

Our Fab Finds Under $50:  The ladies of The View each showed the audience the gifts they love for under $50 each!  Whoopi’s favorite gifts were The Magic Light Wand, Tigerbear Republik Beastie Besties flats and Garnet Hill character hats.  Nicolle’s favorite gifts were Edward Marc Chocolates, Dogeared Jewelry and monogrammed candles.  Rosie P’s favorite gifts were stemless goose neck personalized wine sets, personalized bakeware, and chalk talk mugs.  Rosie O’s favorite gifts were 100 Good Deed Bracelets, a World Munny and Joni Mitchell’s “Love Has Many Faces” box set.  Laverne’s favorite gifts were the games Catch Phrase Decades, Taboo Buzz’d and Trivial Pursuit Hints.   The audience went home with one of everything!!!

The Rosies enjoying A glass of wine!

See The View:
Rosie O will be on The Late Show with David Letterman TONIGHT!
Tomorrow (12/19) Whoopi will be reading The Night Before Christmas at the New York Philharmonic!

Audience Giveaway: Everyone in the studio audience received a copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Blu-ray, a copy of Nicki Minaj’s new album The Pinkprint and one of each of the items in the Our Fab Finds Under $50 segment!  Score!

Take a little time to enjoy The View.

written by Kelly Weist
KidRo Productions

ESPN’s College Football Day reporter Samantha Ponder and her little baby Scout joined the ladies at the table as today’s guest co-hosts!

Rosie & baby Scout Ponder taking a little time to enjoy The Bottle

Hot Topics:

Game Over: Whoopi asked Samantha if she thinks we should stop playing football because of all the injuries and concussions due to the sport.  Samantha, who is married to Vikings quarterback Chris Ponder, admitted that football is a brutal sport and she understands why parents don’t want their kids to play but she compared it to driving which she says is also very dangerous but we let our 16-year-olds drive.  Nicolle said she will never allow her 3-year-old son to play football.  She said her problem with the sport is the game itself.  Nicolle said the game even sounds like a car crash and they’re not even in a car.  She thinks the concerns about the violence and the injuries due to the sport are legitimate.  Rosie P doesn’t think they should do away with football completely but she does think reforms are necessary.  She said if you take a look at the game of rugby they do not have the same head injuries because they do not wear a helmet.  She suggested we change the game to play without helmets in an attempt to reduce concussions [which will encourage players to not hit with their heads].  Rosie O said she read that every tackle is equivalent to a car accident and she said she didn’t let her boys play football.

A little pre-View fun with baby Scout.

Sony Hacks Getting Worse: The Sony hackers have now made terror threats against any movie theater that shows the comedy The Interview.  Because of these latest threats, the New York premiere and the stars’ press appearances have been canceled.  Whoopi told the “Guardians of Peace” that their name “went out the window” as soon as they made threats of violence.  And she said they had Americans on their side until they made threats of violence and now they’ve made people want to see the movie, whether it’s good or not.  Rosie P said she was never “with” the hackers.  She thought what they did was illegal and she thought they should have been prosecuted.  But she agrees that it went to the next level because of the threats of violence.  She said Aaron Sorkin and Howard Stern sound very valid with their points now [that we should stand with Sony and treat this as a terror attack and not be consumers of it].  Rosie P said this isn’t just about the jobs of Seth, James and Amy Pascal.  She said there are a lot of jobs on the line now because of the hack.  Nicolle read the details of threats to American movie goers made by the terrorists.  She said we cannot let threats from bullies and thugs change our way of life.  She hopes that anyone that wants to see the movie goes out and sees it anyway.  Nicolle said the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the threat to determine whether or not it’s credible.  Rosie O asked the audience how many people would now not see the movie because of the terrorist threat.  She raised her own hand and said she wouldn’t go because of it.  Rosie P said it goes against what we as Americans stand for. She said Seth Rogen and James Franco have a right to freedom of speech and to express what they want to through their art.  Whoopi knows if a movie like this came out in North Korea about our president, we’d be pissed off too but she doesn’t think we would stoop to this to get people to not go see it.

Parental Guidance:  Pundits and brothers, Brad and Dallas Woodhouse, got into a heated debate over Obamacare on C-SPAN until they were shut down by their mother who called into the show.  Here is the video.  Rosie O said it was her favorite clip ever!

Pakistan Attack: The women of The View sent their thoughts and prayers to the people of Pakistan who were recently impacted by a terrorist attack that killed over 100 children.  Whoopi asked all the people of the United States and Australia who are headed over to join ISIS and the Taliban, if this was what they were signing up for.  Rosie P said the issue of “how low can you go” is prevalent around the world today.  What really saddened her was that it took THIS incident to upset the world.  And even the Taliban in Afghanistan denounced their actions.  Nicolle referred to it as the “bleakest picture you can show the world about the true nature of the Taliban.”  She said this is the ideology of ISIS and who we’re fighting.  She also said we all agree it’s vicious and disgusting but we live in a country where we’re free to debate what to do about it.  And she said in this part of the world, this is an accepted means of how to fight a war.  Nicolle explained that the attack was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban who is against children and girls going to school and they’re willing to kill babies to do it.  Rosie O hopes this act will galvanize the people of Pakistan to make change.  She referenced how this weekend was the terrible anniversary of Sandy Hook which galvanized a lot of Americans to stand up and say they’ve had enough.  Whoopi said it was a purposeful attack against the people who were trying to protect the citizens of Pakistan.  Samantha does not think we can even reason with these types of terrorists because they are essentially evil and they don’t have the same basic understanding of the value of a human life.  Whoopi ended the conversation by saying, “If you’re fighting for your people, you don’t kill your own people.”  She hopes this will make the people of Pakistan finally “wake up” and get these terrorist people out of there.

Thank you Live Nation: Yesterday they ran out of time when Idina Menzel performed and they wanted to thank Live Nation for generously giving yesterday’s audience Idina Menzel concert tickets!

Come to Jesus Moment: It’s apparently a lot easier to find Jesus this Christmas because more and more families are putting GPS tracking systems inside baby Jesus before putting him in the nativity scene in the front yard.  They’re doing this because people keep snatching baby Jesus!  Rosie O wanted to know what people were doing with Jesus once they stole him and Samantha wanted to know if there’s a black market for baby Jesuses.  When Rosie O drops her kids off at school there are several houses with nativity scenes and none of them have baby Jesus in them.  She thought this was perhaps the reason why but Whoopi said she thinks it’s because he doesn’t get delivered until next week.  Ahhhh, that makes sense. 

Guests:

Ruth Wilson, who plays a married woman caught up in an affair with a married man in The Affair on Showtime, sat down with the women of The View to discuss her role in the series.  Rosie O called it, “One of the greatest shows on TV.”  Ruth is British but you would never know by watching the show because she has mastered the perfect American accent!  Nicolle said after watching The Affair she needed a sleeping pill or a glass of wine to come down from it because it is so intense!  Ruth said the show is told from two different perspectives- from a male point of view and a female point of view.  She said it’s about how people oftentimes structure their own narratives to justify their actions sometimes without even knowing we’re doing it.  And it’s also a complicated love story between two people who are both married with kids.  Ruth said the relationship on the show is a complicated situation that many people go through.  Playing the role has really made Ruth value marriage and also realize how difficult marriage can be.  The season finale of The Affair airs this Sunday night (12/21) on Showtime.  Ruth also talked with Rosie O and Nicolle about how she’s recently started previews for the play Constellations on Broadway also starring Jake Gyllenhaal!

Musical Performance: Emily Padgett and Erin Davie, the stars of Side Show on Broadway, graced the stage to sing “Who Will Love Me as I Am” from the hit Broadway musical.  Sideshow is playing through January 4^th.  Go see it!

Rosie & the stars of Sideshow on Broadway!

Flashback Wednesday: Here’s a clip of Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner performing the same song 17 YEARS ago on The Rosie O’Donnell Show!

Audience Gift: Members of the studio audience each received two tickets to see Sideshow on Broadway!

Take a little time to enjoy The View!

written by Kelly Weist
KidRo Productions          

Comedienne Rachel Feinstein joined the ladies of The View as guest co-host for the day!  Rachel is getting her own show on comedy central!  She said the show, produced by Amy Schumer, will be based on several of the characters from her stand-up act.  She said they will also do skits and “social experiments” on the show.   Rosie O joked about how much Rachel’s boyfriend, the Executive Producer of Impractical Jokers, looks like her!  Rosie O said for years her children have told her she looks exactly like Rachel’s boyfriend.  She said, “He’s me, as a boy!  We look exactly alike!”

Here’s a clip of Rosie O on Impractical Jokers!

Hot Topics:

Sony Leaks:  There are now leaked emails of Sony executives discussing the new comedy The Interview saying the movie isn’t very good which is ironic because it’s clear that if the North Korean government hacked Sony it’s because of this movie.  In a new hacked email, Amy Pascal says the trend of A-list actors doing TV is as big as the trend of Hollywood actors adopting kids from Africa.  Whoopi thought that was a really dumb thing to say.  Nicolle doesn’t think our outrage makes any sense.  She said Hollywood loves a good story about hacked emails when they get to tell it in a film but not at all when it’s about them.  Rachel liked the George Clooney email that was leaked because it proved to her that fame doesn’t solve anything. She said even when you have money and fame you still have the same insecurities as everyone else.  Whoopi said when you’re a big actor like George Clooney and you make a movie that doesn’t even make enough money to cover its cost, you get worried because it means you might not get the opportunity again.  Rosie P thinks George Clooney doesn’t just care about the money but also cares because he’s an artist and always wants to produce good work.  Rosie O said we all must remember even some of Picasso’s paintings were terrible!  And she said you put just as much work into the movies that bomb as the ones that hit it big.  Rachel compared it to doing her stand-up every night and how you always remember that one guy in the audience with his arms folded, who’s not laughing at any of your jokes.  Nicolle said Howard Stern likened the data dump to a terrorist attack and said we, as Americans, should rally around Sony in support.  Nicolle thought he was joking but Rosie O said he was very serious when he said that.  Rosie O also mentioned a recent article written by Aaron Sorkin of the same sentiment.  Sorkin believes we should not participate in the consumption of the stolen material.  Nicolle said we must remember that no one was hurt and all really we learned was that sometimes famous people are jerks too.

The Elf Is Watching You: Some people think the Elf on the Shelf teaches children to accept a surveillance state.  Nicolle admitted she still has a monitor in her son’s room and when her son goes to bed he points to it and says, “Mommy’s eyes see me.” So, she can’t really talk about the “surveillance” issue being wrong.  Rosie P said this whole idea is stupid to her because Santa was a spy too!  She was constantly paranoid he was watching her!  She sees no difference between Elf on the Shelf and Santa.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray: Mayor de Blasio and his wife joined the ladies to discuss the recent protests that have erupted in NYC following the Eric Garner case.  Whoopi asked the mayor how he’s planning to address the protests.  He said they are addressing them right now by retraining the police force in how to have a better relationship with the community, how to deescalate situations and how to only use violent force when necessary.  He said they are also starting a body camera program to give police the advantage of being able to prove exactly what happened in each situation they encounter.  Mayor de Blasio said the training process for the body cameras also helps police stop and think about each step they are going to make when they interact with the community.  He said the majority of the protests have been peaceful but those protests that have not been peaceful only serve to denigrate their cause and they will not be tolerated.  Nicolle asked the mayor if he agonizes over his poor approval rating.  She said it shocked her because she thought it was clear to everyone that saw the video that the police used excessive force.  He said he doesn’t take the approval ratings too seriously because he believes this is a temporary moment of pain.  He said this situation has caused a rehashing of a racial divide in this country that we have to overcome.

Chirlane said she and her kids try to remain positive about the situation at home and focus on how they would like to move ahead.   Bill and Chirlane had to sit down with their eldest son when he was just 11-years-old to have a conversation about race and the police.  They explained to him that the police are there to respect you, and that he has to respect the police.  And yet, they felt the need to explain the history in this country when it comes to the police and the black community.   They basically told him to be very careful and some people interpreted that as a lack of respect for the police.  But he said they have immense respect for the police and the message they were trying to get across was once of respect and not ignoring the history.  Rosie P’s cousin is a retired NYC police officer and she believes in the NYPD though she does believe there are some blemishes that need to be addressed and fixed.  It bothered her immensely when the NYC police union wanted to ban de Blasio from police funerals.  Mayor de Blasio called that suggestion a divisive and inappropriate thing to say.  He said when an officer dies, it’s a moment when the entire community needs to come together and the people elected to lead need to go to the funeral and comfort the family.  He said anyone who suggests the elected leaders shouldn’t be at a police officer’s funeral is breaking civility and discourse.  And he also believes, with all due respect, that police unions do not always speak for the rank and file.

Rosie and Chirlane hug

The Newest Hanukkah Song:  The hosts and the audience came back from commercial break dancing to the latest Hanukkah song parody to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off!  Rachel said she used to go to church with her friends because she really wanted to be Christian when she was growing up and Rosie O said she always wanted to be Jewish!

Giving Back: Through their hope and grace initiative, the beauty company Philosophy is donating 1% of all sales on Philosophy.com today to support community based mental health efforts.

The Chew Crashes The View: The cast of The Chew joined the ladies of The View to share their thoughts on the best recipes, from appetizers to desserts, to serve this holiday season!

The Chew Visits The View!

Guest:

Idina Menzel sat with the ladies of The View to discuss her brand new Christmas album entitled Holiday Wishes.   She discussed her son (who is 5) and joked how he pretty much hates it when she sings!  Rosie O told her she should just point to all her Tony awards when he says that!  Idina said truthfully, motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to her but her son is “feisty.”  Either she’s the best mom in the world or she’s ruining his life.  Idina chatted about some of the musicals she’s starred in like If/Then, Wicked and Rent.  Idina also talked a little about her concert tour!   Rosie O said she loves to come see Idina in concert because when she’s there, she’s amongst “her people.”

Idina Menzel and Rosie!

Regarding the rumor she started announcing there was definitely going to be a Frozen 2, Idina said she is “going to Disney prison.”  She admitted she doesn’t know for sure if there will be a Frozen 2 but she thinks there should be! Lastly, when Rosie O asked Idina if she ever gets sick of singing “Let It Go” from the film Frozen, she said she does not.  She truly loves it.

Idina sang a song from her new Christmas album Holiday Wishes.

Audience Gift:  The members of the studio audience received a cleanse and peel treatment package from the Philosophy beauty company and tickets to If/Then!

Take a little time to enjoy The View!

written by Kelly Weist
KidRo Productions