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.

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!

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.”

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