LOTS of Room on The View

Did you hear the news?  Both Sherri Shepard and Jenny McCarthy are leaving The View.

Shepard has been on the show for seven years, and her naiveté was alright when she was surrounded by intelligent women like Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Barbara Walters and yes, even Elizabeth Hasselbeck (who was definitely not stupid).  Sherri’s clueless bubble-headed uninformed opinions provided a refreshing counterpoint to the heavy discourse taking place all around her.

It all went to hell in a hand basket when the producers chose Jenny McCarthy to replace both Joy Behar and Elizabeth Hasselbeck when they left the show last year.  Why they thought this was a good idea was beyond me.  I knew it was a bad idea.  I could have told them it was a bad idea.  Come to think of it, I DID tell them it was a bad idea. (http://ripachesallover.blogspot.com/2013/07/jenny-who-on-view.html).  

What were they thinking, I wondered.  I tried to help them.  I even selflessly offered to become a panelist myself (http://ripachesallover.blogspot.com/2013/06/room-on-view.html), and trust me I would have been better than Jenny McCarthy.  

I tried to watch after Jenny joined the panel, but it was useless.  Jenny and Sherri fed each other’s senselessness, and Whoopi was now the lone voice of reason in this sea of inane banter.  Sadly, after many years of faithful Viewing, I tuned out.  I realized that no one cared if I watched, because my buying power means absolutely nothing to advertisers because of my age. I was bitter.

Sherri announced her departure first, saying she was choosing to leave but still being gracious about her time on the show. Then Jenny tweeted " If Sherri goes I go too. #sisters..." AS IF she was leaving in some sort of female solidarity with her BFF Sherri.  Sorry, but I don’t buy that leaving the show was Jenny’s idea.  #jennyisoutoftouchwithreality

Oh, powers-that-be at The View, this is your chance to redeem yourselves. Do not resort to bringing back Rosie O'Donnell, the least successful panelist before Jenny, as it is rumored you may.  There are so many interesting, intelligent, thoughtful, funny women who can talk about anything from politics to fashion out there who would be spirited but not divisive additions to the panel.  See if Alli Wentworth is still available and go from there.

Meanwhile, Whoopi is the last woman standing on The View, and as fabulous as she is, she can’t do the show by herself…..or can she?  Whoopi came to fame in an original one-woman show on Broadway, in which she brilliantly played five characters, including Fontaine, Surfer Chick, The Cripple, Little Girl and Jamaican Woman.  All she would have to do is slip into her different characters and argue Hot Topics with herself.  Now, I’d tune in again to see that.  After, any one of the characters would have to be better than Jenny.