ABC | Product Reviews by The Experimental Mommy

Talk Back to the TV: Whoopi on the front lines!

Good Morning America’s weather anchor, Sam Champion and sports journalist Stephen A. Smith helped co-host today and the gang was 2 on 2, with just Whoopi and Joy at the table today from the original View crew.

Did anyone notice The View was the big news story on the Yahoo home page today? It seems Whoopi Goldberg is catching flack for continuing to back Mel Gibson for his crazy behavior as of late. While Whoopi agrees Mel is a “bonehead,” she does not think he is a racist. It seems there has now been a 5th telephone recording leak to Radar Online, and the tapes have been tampered with. Sam said there is obviously no clear winner here, and that is something I think we can all agree. Stephen commented that Mel will have a harder time in the court of public opinion than in the regular court of justice, I think he is right!

More Hot Topics today included Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston, The Tea Party, charging big bucks on airlines for carry on bags, and the BP oil spill (a topic close to our region). As of today, the cap was in place and working, thank God, so hopefully progress can be made in the Gulf, and fast.

Jennifer Love Hewitt was the guest today to talk about her new Lifetime movie, The Client List. Jennifer says that in today’s economy, there are a lot of women turning to jobs of a sexual nature in order to support their families. It’s a sad thought that in today’s world a conventional job isn’t enough to pay the bills. Jennifer researched this role thoroughly and really devoted herself to getting it right. The movie looks very interesting and Jennifer has certainly made a jump from her ultra wholesome days on Party of Five! Jennifer has suffered through bad body-image publicity and she discussed how difficult that was for her.

The last guest on Thursday’s show was grown-up child star Joseph Gordon Levitt (formerly of 3rd Rock From the Sun) to talk about his new Sci-Fi movie Inception. Joseph is certainly all grown up and it’s nice to see a child star that didn’t end up going down the wrong path. Inception has a great cast with Leonardo DeCaprio, Michael Caine, and Marion Cotilliard. The movie looks great! Check out Joseph now:

WOW! He's come a long way from 3rd Rock!

This week, The View has been chock-full and very interesting. Can’t wait to tune in next week!

Disclosure: As a “View Ambassador,” I was given financial compensation by ABC Daytime to write my opinions of the recent View episodes. However, all opinions remain 100% my own.

Talk Back to the TV! Watch The View on ABC!

In the summer I have a lot more TV time for myself. Once the kids are in bed, I like to unwind and check out what’s on the tube. I love daytime TV but in the summer the kids and I are on the go, so the DVR is my best friend. One of my can’t-miss shows these days is The View on ABC. I tend to like talk shows that offer a variety of subjects and opinions, and The View fits that bill. The View contrasts the experience and wisdom of legend Barbara Walters (although out on medical leave for the time being), Whoopi Goldberg, and Joy Behar, with the younger perspective of Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. All of the women have strong, intelligent opinions and have no problems letting everyone know them!

Monday’s episode started out with general chit-chat, which is always fun to hear. Today, “Dancing With the Stars” host Tom Bergeron and funny man Jay Mohr were pinch-hitting for Barbara and Whoopi, who is on vacation. The male perspective shook things up a bit and that was a nice change. While the group talked about what they did for Father’s Day weekend, the men offered quick-witted responses to the girls’ banter. I was cracking up at Jay and Joy shooting barbs back and forth at each other. Jay Mohr has flown under my radar for awhile, but he really is funny! I would like to see more of him!

The View does a good job at bringing to the surface the “Hot Topics” making headlines and today was no different. Close to my heart, the big topic I want to hear about these days is the BP oil spill off the Louisiana coastline. The group discussed whether or not President Obama and BP exec Tony Hayward have any business spending time playing golf or racing a yacht with the Gulf waters in peril. This was a hot-button issue for sure as right-winged Elisabeth gets fired up when it comes to the Democratic way of thinking. While I do enjoy hearing varied opinions, sometimes the discussions between the ladies gets so heated that for one, you can’t discern what each of them are saying because they are all talking/yelling over each other, and two, you sometimes feel like you are intruding on a private conversation….kind of like watching an argument between your parents! Either way, the back-and-forth verbal match is always cooled off in a few minutes, and does offer even the most staunch ideas a “tweak” of understanding as to how the other side thinks. Differences make the world go ’round, right? I know whether we are right or left, we can all agree that the Oil crisis is something that needs ALL of our immediate attention, and soon.

Today’s guest was Jada Pinkett-Smith, wife to one of my favorite actors, Will Smith. Jada is a busy wife and mother these days, with her son starring in The Karate Kid and her own series, HawthoRNe, on TNT. Jada talked about the balance between career and family, which is something we can all relate to on some level. Jada recently posed for the cover of Essence magazine and looks beautiful, naturally. She is adorable and seems so “real.” I liked hearing what she had to say about her family and making sure to set aside quality time with her husband to keep things in good balance.

After Jada’s visit, A.J. Khubani, the CEO of Telebrands, stopped by to show off some of his latest products. I laughed out loud as Sherri, Tom, and Jay demo-ed Crazy Critters, Neckline exerciser, Bare Lifts, and the Shake Weight. This part of the show was much more relaxed and helped to end things on a funny and lighthearted note than a controversial discussion. Sherri was hysterical ad-libbing some “risque” activity with the Neckline and Jay picked right up and brought the house down in laughter.

One thing is for sure, the women of The View are smart, funny, and enjoy each other’s company, despite their differences. Coming up later this week are the hilarious David Spade and Chris Rock, and the talented Jeremy Piven. Can’t wait to watch! Tune in with me!