Did Joy Behar (from ABC's The View") used to be a feminist?

I can tell you what she’s never been…funny

She started years ago in standup; now I don’t know what kind of “entertainer” you’d call her. Neither funny nor convincing as a serious commentator, either on “The View” or her own show. Always seems pissed off and kind of sour.

I believe it’s possible to be feminist and ok with pageants. They’re not mutually exclusive.
As a feminist, I believe the point is that women can be allowed to take the path of her choosing- if that means getting a crown for looking good in an evening gown, singing terribly, and having the ability to answer a hot topic style question fairly eloquently then I’m cool with it. If that is those womens’ strengths, then let ‘em shine. Nothing un-feminist about it.

Joy said the girls were very talented, smart, beautiful. I think you can be a feminist and be ok with pageants. The pageant she is judging weighs talent and the Q and A more heavily than the bathing suits.

And, the girls do have platforms. They all do charity work, support or represent what they feel is needed in the world. Cancer research, animal rights, poverty, literacy, etc.

People define feminist differently. A lot of feminism is quite moderate, in my opinion – kind of vanilla ‘I have privilege but want women to go to college and stuff’ kind of feminism. Anyway, I don’t know if she ever identified as any kind of a feminist.

I hope not——I like Joy Behar too much. ;)

It was a beauty pageant last year when Rush Limbaugh was a judge for the Miss America pageant. Now that Joy Behar is the judge, it becomes a feminist platform for eating healthy. Gimme a break.

@bkcunninghum ”...a feminist platform for eating healthy” I didn’t watch the show, did someone say that on the show, or elsewhere? OMG!

Beauty pageants are anti-fairness. Let’s take out the “feminist” the word has a bad rap. The idea that women who don’t have supermodel figure are not worthy of competing and winning a scholarship is backward, discriminatory, hostile. What if it were only women with blue blood who could be contestants? The same thing. It is the opposite “What makes you a winner is merit, what you accomplish against all odds, not accident of birth” It is no different from a job opening that requires applicants to be tall, like it was in Japan? or China? where CEOs had to be tall. Until recently, it was the a number 1 requirement.

Please ignore I wrote ”...on the show…” part above. Of course it can’t be on the show.

On the program The View, to announce that Joy Behar was going to be a judge of the Miss America Pageant, Miss America 2010 came out and put a crown on Joy’s head. Joy said her daughter had said something about how surprised she was that Joy, a feminist, would judge a beauty contest. Miss America 2010 politely reminded Joy that it isn’t a ‘beauty contest,’ it is a scholarship and about being healthy.

Joy said today that she thinks the bathing suits are a throw back (can’t remember her exact words).

@bkcunningham thank you. I was dying to know. So, at least that contestants embarrassesed enough. Except she is insulting public’s intelligence by the denying it is about beauty.
@JLeslie so, did she say why is she participating in it then?

Toddlers and Tiaras.
http://www.fluther.com/92798/what-do-you-think-of-toddlers-in-tiaras-children-beauty-pageants/

@flo I think it was one criticism, but she feels positive overall about the competition, and was very impressed by the young women. One of the women on The View, might have been Joy, but I think it was Elisabeth? Now, I need to try and find the clip, because my memory is foggy, mentioned that these days being in a bikini is no big deal compared to when the competition first started, considering people walk around half naked anyway.

@flo Here is the clip

@JLeslie thanks. It is sad to listen to that show, in general. Joy is confused. I hope impressionable people are not watching it.

The idea that women who don’t have supermodel figure are not worthy of competing and winning a scholarship is backward, discriminatory, hostile. What if it were only women with blue blood who could be contestants? The same thing. It is the opposite “What makes you a winner is merit, what you accomplish against all odds, not accident of birth”
That is the main thing for me.

@flo I don’t mind it much. I am kind of like Barbara, they are beautiful and nice to look at. Part of IQ,is accident of birth also. They don’t roll out of bed and look as they do on stage, they work at it to some extent. They can’t win that contest if they are only beautiful and stupid. They might go on to do something in front of the camera, be a spokesperson, journalist, their beauty will be evaluated to some degree in those professions.

Above, “It is sad to listen to that show”, I meant the The View.
It is not an even field. Good looking people are favored on a daily basis.
Maybe everything should run just like beauty pageants then? The justice system, the health care system…. You need to sue or are sued by someone, the judge should just look at you, and look at your opponent and favor the more good looking person. Hospitals should give priority to the good looking people.

@flo No one said that. The realty is most of society does evaluate people somewhat on how a person presents themselves. I saw an episode of that show where a teen gets to become something they want. This one girl went from being a tomboy, looking very average, to a beauty queen. She didn’t have surgery alter herself in any way, no nose job, or liposuction. When she learned to do her make-up, her hair, stand with better posture, speak well, and answer questions it was transformational. She did it because she wanted to be in a beauty contest, but it gave her much more than second place in the contest.

Some careers pretty people have it a little easier. It may not be fair, but it is how it is.

Even straight beauty contests, if that is her gift, being beautiful, and she can work it, why not? Even super models need to be able to take instruction, be on time to work, and manage their careers.

@JLeslie, I forgot to respond to “Part of IQ,is accident of birth also”. Yes, that is why ordinary competitions for scholarship do not exclude good looking people.

And re. “It may not be fair, but it is how it is.” I rest my case. Beauty pageants are not for people who value fairness. Actually, I rested my case earlier with:
“Toddlers and Tiara”

@flo I am not talking about toddlers. I don’t like pageants for young children.

And scholarships are not granted on beauty, but some universities interview students, and having confidence helps in that process.

I don’t completely disagree with your points, I just guess it doesn’t anger me as much as you. If some people like pageants, let them do it.

” I am not talking about toddlers. I don’t like pageants for young children.” I never claimed you were. I was showing the direct result of beauty pageants for women.

Or did you mean it is ok for older children? And how old is that?
If you heard the pedophiles announce that they love Toddlers and Tiara, would you still stay, on the oh-so-mild “I don’t like pageants for children” or would you work to end it because it angers you enough? ( ” I just guess it doesn’t anger me as much as you” )

“If some people like pageants, let them do it.” “It is about being freedom loving, then?

”...confidence helps in that process.” Confidence that comes from substance, not superficiality.

@flo Obviously you are completely against pageants. I think 14 would be the youngest I am ok with pageants. I am ok with younger children performing; singing, acting, etc.; but, not dressed as sexy adults.

Again, I am not talking toddlers, why are you even saying Toddlers in Tiaras to me? I don’t see what pageants for women have to do with pageants for very young children. What are we going to do, rid the world of all competitions and careers that contain women dressed in a way that shows off their curves, coiffed hair, and wears make-up? Half of our TV shows, movies, and media in general is full of pretty people who focus on their looks.

Some of it is about freedom. Some of it is about allowing people to use the assets they were given. Confidence is not just substance. Plenty of people lack confidence in public settings who are very smart and knowledgable.

I am all for uniforms in school, and very little focus on these things for the every day of life of children. But, I don’t negatively judge someone who likes to dress up, do their hair, and maybe even compete in a competition.

I am not trying to convince you of anything. Just giving you my perspective.

You might be interested in this Q about pageants. And, this one especially discusses pageants in general.

@JLeslie you have probably have done your best to explain it to me. We just have the opposite definition of fairness, playing on an even field, not cheating,

Huh?

Joy said on Friday Jan. 21/2010 “we’re supposed to go forward not backward!” re. the swimsuit part. Elizabeth asked Joy Friday and then again Monday, “The whole event, is a thing of the past, why did you take part in it in the first place?” words to that effect. Good question.