Monday, June 21, 2010

Joy Behar

We were watching Joy Behar when she was a stand-up in the eighties. She was on every small-time cable show there was, most notably Robert Kline's. She was very funny.

For that reason, bored and needing some tv, I tried her show a couple of times again last week and I'll tell you if you can get past some of the guests she's good. Very quick and funny. I heard a lot more than I cared to about the Miley Cyrus underwear photo "scandal." Who's the dude who linked to it and may be facing legal problems? He actually made sense in defending himself though he strikes me as a pretty smarmy guy.

Then came Lady Gaga at Yankee stadium. I give her another year and then she's smoke. She's a Madonna imitator who lacks Madonna's sense of fun and cunning. Even Madonna reached a place where she couldn't shock people any longer. Gaga's a much better singer than Madonna but not even close as a showbiz phenom. I enjoyed watching Madonna kicking all the mobbed-up record executives around for two decades. It was strictly a boys club till she came along.

Ms. Behar recommended Larry King's interview with Mick Jagger which I finally caught up with last night. I'll tell ya I like Larry King. He's always been a crazy bastard with all his wives and all his gambling and his endless tales about his impoverished boyhood in Brooklyn (we get it, Larry). But anybody who can stay on the air with huge audiences (now in decline) doing interviews with absolutely no prep...I mean he walks into the studio, a staffer hands him the questions and he goes on. He's a dope but a likable one. Oh I'm sorry Aaron Burr, I thought you were RAYMOND Burr. We'll be right back after this message.

I was afraid his Jagger turn would be like his notorious interview with Sinatra. I mean Sinatra was a true asshole all his life. But King elevated him to sainthood. It got to be hilarious and is still joked about forty years later.

In honor of Jagger Larry wore a blazing red shirt, black suspenders and jeans. Hey, man, let's go clubbing at the old folks home tonight. (I'm old, too, Larry.) The outfit was corny but endearing. Larry was trying hard.

None of the questions were particularly interesting but Jagger turned them into fascinating insights about the Stones and himself. Jagger is a very smart guy. I mean you don't hear many rockers quoting Somerset Maugham twice. The interview reminded me of Boz Scaggs on a radio interview talking about noir and Graham Greene's influence on it.

I'll likely watch Joy again. I wish she'd reprise her stand up bit about how the Brit Royal Family is actually German and how many of them secretly supported Hitler. Now there's a stand up turn that got your attention.

8 comments:

RJR said...

I HATE Joy Behar! I would like to jam her politics right down her throat. I think Fred Amersen's imitation of her on SNL is spot on. Who cares?

RJR

Anonymous said...

You've reached an all time low when you devoted this post on Joy Behar. But the Jagger bits are interesting and the new "Exile on Main St." release which he was promoting ROCKS!

Kenneth Mark Hoover said...

I really enjoyed Larry's late night radio show. I was going to college at the time and I would listen to it while studying.

Anonymous said...

Wow. All the Joy hate. The world is a funny place, with the things folks get worked up about.

Jeff P.

Todd Mason said...

Not only was she a good standup, but a cute one. Still a handsome woman, but I've been underwhelmed by the JB SHOW episodes I've seen so far...and had some hope she could elevate THE VIEW, but no...she and Meredith V. were dragged down by it...

Anonymous said...

I despise Joy Behar! Not only is she a total moonbat, but her view on issues are totally ignonrant and unfounded. She had no clue about FACTS! All she cares about is trying to be funny. Unfortunately, the women in the audience at the view seem to think she is just wonderful because they too are not educated about the facts of such issues like the Arizone immigration act. Hey Joy, we know you've been a teacher, and you're from Brooklyn, how about picking up a piece of legislature and actually reading it and understanding it you Fing idiot!

Anonymous said...

Joy Behar is a sexist pig of the first order. Her anti-male stance reeks with typical psuedo-feminist hypocrasy. She condones domestic violence against men and applauds women who use and abuse men physically, emotionally and ESPECIALLY financially. PIG!

FAye said...

I agree with she's an idiot. I can't stand that woman -- and you are right NO FACTS -- she's not very smart and of course it shows that she never reads history. Why do we allow people on TV to call other people names -- she does it everyday. It's not funny. Get her off TV.