The ladies of The View welcomed Cyndi Lauper as guest co-host! 

Hot Topics: 

No Indictment:  The New York grand jury cleared police of any wrongdoing in the death of Eric Garner. Cyndi prefaced her statement by giving props to the many good policemen in the country but said the bullies have to go.  Cyndi performed at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting last night and she was very proud of the protesters who demonstrated because of the controversial decision. Rosie P was shocked at the ruling because she always thought of New Yorkers as forward thinking, progressive people.  She was extremely disappointed in the verdict but proud of the protesters who got their message across in a peaceful way.  Nicolle was proud of the protesters whom she referred to as “magnificent” as well as the NYPD whom she said had a “banner night” last night.  Rosie O admitted she expected this to be the verdict and said it is sad for her to live in America and to expect this to be our democracy.  She feels there was a grave injustice done last night.  She continued, “We have had to watch this man die in a loop on television over and over and every time it breaks my soul just a little bit more.”   She cried watching the verdict announced as she sat with her godson (who happens to be African American) and her daughter.  Her daughter looked at Rosie and asked her, “Mommy, why are people racist?”  And sadly, Rosie didn’t really have an answer for her.  Nicolle thinks if this maneuver (or chokehold) is taught to police officers at the academy we need to make changes to what police officers are being taught.  She did not think the police officer’s response was equal to the crime that had taken place.  Mr. Garner was merely selling loose cigarettes and she thought a written ticket would have sufficed.  Rosie P stated that even with Ferguson there were questions because we didn’t all see the crime and police response that was given but in this case, there was no doubt because we all saw the video.  She wondered about the proposed solution of putting cameras on police when there was a camera present and it didn’t make a difference.  Rosie O said, “The conversation about systemic racism in the United States needs to be opened up for all of us in a dialogue not just when atrocities like this happen, but all the time.”

In a controversial statement last night, Congressman Peter King stated that Eric died because he was overweight.  Whoopi pointed out that the coroner said Eric couldn’t breathe and he died because he was asphyxiated.  Even though he was overweight, had he had just been standing there, she said he would have lived.  He was heard on the tape eleven times saying, “I can’t breathe.”  Whoopi thinks any police practice that stops people from breathing is an issue that needs to be addressed.  Rosie P said a lot of people who are not a person of color, do not understand what people of color go through on a daily basis.  Whoopi wants a closer look into the grand jury investigation process and how it’s being conducted.  She thought the grand jury decision sounded just like the Ferguson decision word for word.  Nicolle pointed out that the police officer stated that it was never his intent to harm and Cyndi quipped, “Then he shouldn’t have stepped on his head.”

The Santa Strategy:  Cyndi said Santa was a great ally when her son was little because he helped her work with her son to get him to behave.  But of course, once he grew up, none of that worked anymore.  Rosie O said she sometimes would pretend to talk to Santa on the phone to remind her kids that Santa was watching.  Nicolle took her son to see Santa yesterday, waited for 45 minutes in line and since he was acting completely uninterested, she left. Nicolle said child psychologists say using Santa as a threat is like using a bribe and that “Elf on a Shelf” can actually cause anxiety in your kids!  But she does think a little bit of fear is probably a useful parenting tool.  Whoopi worked for Santa on occasion and once little kids learned she actually knew him, she got their full respect!

Nightmare Toddler at Mealtime:  The ladies discussed a recent blog where a mother discusses what a nightmare her son is at mealtimes because she never really put any restrictions on him.  Rosie P thinks this is absolutely the parent’s fault.  She said she cannot stand a badly behaving child at the table.  She took her niece to a restaurant for a meal and before they sat down her niece started to have a temper tantrum.  She removed her niece from the restaurant and told her that behavior wasn’t allowed because it wasn’t all about her.  She explained that other people in the restaurant deserve to have a nice meal too and she is not allowed to ruin it for them.  And it worked!  Rosie P said her niece acted beautifully after that moment.  Cyndi took her son to the Toddler Center at Barnard and the experts told her when her child had a tantrum she should remove her child from the situation, allow him to have his tantrum, explain to him how he’s going to feel better afterwards and then when it’s done, allow him to rejoin the situation.  Whoopi asked Cyndi if it worked and she said mostly, except for the time he smacked her!

Thank You…I Think: Whoopi asked the ladies if they’ve ever had a compliment that sounds more like a bit of an insult.  For example, “You look so good for your age.”  Yesterday Rosie O was coming out of her therapist’s office and a guy told her how good she looked for being so old.  She decided to take the compliment instead of focusing on the negative.  Rosie P once read a tweet from a guy that said “Rosie Perez is old as dirt but she could still get it.”  She thought it was hilarious!  Nicolle is more shocked that young people think 60 is old.  She thinks that’s young today!    Whoopi thinks Nicolle believes that 60 is young because now they’re closer to it.  She said the further away you are, the older 60 is to you.  Cyndi had her son at 44 and someone at the park once referred to her as his grandmother!  She just laughed it off.   

Henry & Me:  Cyndi is a voice in a new animated movie entitled Henry & Me.  Cyndi explained that the movie is about a child suffering from cancer and how he deals with the treatment.  She said it’s a tough subject because cancer is difficult, especially when it happens to children.  Rosie O said Cyndi was nominated for an Annie Award as a voice artist in the film.

Home for the Holidays: Rosie O discussed Cyndi’s True Colors Fund Home for the Holidays this Saturday December 6^th at The Beacon Theater.  Rosie O and Laverne Cox are hosting with an amazing array of performers from Fifty Cent to Rob Thomas.  All of the funds raised on Saturday night goes to The True Colors Fund that helps homeless gay, lesbian and transgender youth.  Rosie O told Cyndi that she is a hero for the gay community and congratulated her for all she’s done for gay rights.

Guests: Hugh Jackman and Nancy Grace:  

Hugh Jackman joined Whoopi for an intimate one-on-one discussion about his new Broadway show The River.  He said the play is not a musical with big performances but him, two girls and a fish!  Hugh plays a man who takes his girlfriend up to a remote fishing cabin for a few nights.  He referred to it as a mystery and a love story where nothing is as it seems.  And he said he’s having the time of his life on stage.  Hugh has to gut a real fish during every performance and one time he mistakenly cut off the tip of his finger during a performance!  Hugh also talked to Whoopi about the two new movies he has coming out; Chappie and Pan.

Nancy Grace joined the ladies at the table to discuss the hottest stories in the news today.  She said she’s very concerned about the Eric Garner decision because the police chokehold was disallowed in 1993.  She also couldn’t believe that Eric was given a chokehold for the crime he committed.  She said she very rarely speaks out against police but she doesn’t see the justification for the treatment he received.  Nancy recently spoke to Michael Brown’s mother at great length and she was so moved by his mother she had to go to break so she (Nancy) could cry.  She really wonders about the grand jury process itself.  She said when she was a prosecutor she never once got a no bill.  She respects Obama for creating a task force to look into racial matters but she thinks there has to be more done than a “study.”  She also talked about the story of a young boy who went missing and was secretly being kept against his will behind a false wall in his father’s home.  Nancy  was so happy that the boy was found but admitted she was furious the mother never called the police.  And according to police reports, the boy had signs of physical abuse on his body.  Nancy also briefly spoke about the case in Abu Dhabi when a woman in a burka murdered a young American teacher in a public restroom.

Rosie, Hugh Jackman & Cyndi Lauper at The View!

Musical Performance: Cyndi Lauper performed Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree off her new album Merry Christmas…Have a Nice Life!

Audience Giveaway: Everyone in the studio audience received a copy of the animated film Henry & Me.

Quoteables:  [regarding the lack of charges filed in the Eric Garner case]

Nicolle: “The NYPD could have taught a master class on how to really respect and honor the will of the protesters but keep some order in our massive city.”
Rosie P:  “There are a lot of people who don’t understand what people of color go through.”
Whoopi:  “He had been overweight a long time and walking around. That’s NOT why he died.”
Rosie O:  “We have had to watch this man die in a loop on television over and over and every time it breaks my soul just a little bit more.”
Rosie O:  “The conversation about systemic racism in the United States needs to be opened up for all of us in a dialogue, not just when atrocities like this happen, but all the time.”
Cyndi Lauper: “It’s not the Hunger Games.”
Nancy Grace: “Taser me, pepper-spray me, but don’t chokehold me.”