Is Whoopie Goldberg a good replacement for Rosie O'Donnell on The View?

No

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by Carole Hill

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I have nothing against Whoopie Goldberg! She has been entertaining us in films and on Television for years. As a comedian, she has made us laugh with her laid-back humor and wit, and, there's no doubt why she has remained one of the top in her field all these years. The fact however, that her material is generally raw and uncensored, bordering on R-rated humor, makes me question why she was the chosen one for The View!

Things have evolved in our culture today with regard to what we are exposed to in film, television and radio, right down to the type of humor that we laugh at! I say that because I am a big fan of comedy and enjoy an occasional night out at one of our local comedy clubs around town. Even there, it is easy to see the changes in the kind of humor that makes the audience laugh.

Similarly, it is apparent to me, The View has also evolved with regard to the topics the women can discuss and just how far the censors will let them go on television today.

In my opinion, when Rosie O'Donnell first appeared on the otherwise lackluster show, life was pumped back into the airwaves. I made it a point to watch when I could, because Rosie was so unpredictable with her candor and brand of humor! She cracked one joke after another and brought a ray of sunshine to "Dulls-ville"! The few times I watched the show before Rosie, if I may be so bold, it seemed a little contrived, with the ladies' comments and views staying under the radar. It seemed like no one really dared to voice a "real" personal comment for fear they'd lose their jobs! Let's face it, with Barbara Walters at the helm, the show seemed almost scripted with "politically correct" topics, perfect conversations and squeaky-clean views!

So Rosie did indeed make the show interesting and gave it the punch it lacked and the ratings went through the roof! Rosie was flying high! I don't believe the show ever received as much recognition as it did until Rosie dug right in voicing her views, sometimes irreverent and often times borderline flippant remarks on anything and everything! Nonetheless, Rosie was vibrant, funny and kept viewers tuning in. Unfortunately, we have all heard the stories of the Elisabeth Hasselbeck incident, and Rosie's apparent "meltdown."

Naturally , when a new person comes in and takes over another person's position, as in any line of work, things are bound to be different. Although the panel of ladies tried to transition smoothly without missing a beat with Whoopie Goldberg now in place, there was a different dynamic between them. I believe viewers continued to watch, just to see if Whoopie was going to be funny or spontaneous, but I have yet to see her pick up the pace!

Quite frankly, I was expecting a bit more from Whoopie. I'd tune in and listen to the dialog between the ladies, and it seemed to me that Whoopie wasn't delivering that punch! I remembered her to be funny and she could really raise the roof with her wit, but it doesn't seem to be happening on The View. The show seems toned down, and Whoopie seems toned down as well. This brings me to the question of why then, did the producers of The View think that Whoopie was the right candidate for this show? A great deal of her material is raw and uncensored, bordering on R-rated humor. Could this be why Whoopie can't get fired up because her material isn't suitable for daytime TV!

Was Whoopie hired to take on the role of "referee" to keep the panel from going too far with comments and views? Or, were the producers of the show not going to take any more chances with a moderator spinning out of control by enforcing new restrictions on Whoopie. It is hard to know if Whoopie is holding back because of daytime television restrictions or did the producers make a mistake by picking her for the "moderator" chair on the panel.

The addition of Sherri Shepherd has added a new dimension and she's trying hard to ignite some sparks! The show seems to be rolling forward, but I can't say that I rush to turn it on any more either. If it isn't for the wit and off-the-wall comments from Joy Behar, the show would be headed back to its bland roots.

Rosie took control of the show and spun it in one direction, and now it appears that Whoopie is playing it too safe. I would hate to think that Whoopie has lost her comedic touch, but from what I have seen, she doesn't seem to have the right spunk, if that's a word, to be the lead panelist on The View! Like I said in the beginning, I have nothing against Whoopie as a person or a comedian, but if I were a producer on the show, I would be making calls to find other candidates for that chair on the panel!

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