Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person

[catherine]

I have always admired Barbara Walters. I worked at NBC in the 70s when she defected from NBC to become co-anchor with Harry Reasoner--a very controversial move, but a coup for women journalists at the time.

But I saw her special last night, and while I enjoyed it for the most part, I was disappointed in her cliffhanger "most fascinating person"--Amal Alamuddin Clooney. So today I read an opinion piece on how Mrs. Clooney was chosen for all the wrong reasons--that is, Barbara Walters chose her for snagging pop culture's most eligible bachelor, rather than her accomplishment in human rights. I was sad to read the comments after the piece because every one was about how irrelevant, clueless, and even "demented" Barbara Walters is. They even called her a hack, which, is unfair, IMHO--after all, she has interviewed many world leaders in her long career.

Very sad swan song.. if that's the case. She left the door open for more "surprise" specials in the future, but after this faux pas, not sure ABC will ask her back. (Plus, she must have had eye surgery recently, because, man, her eyes were way too googly!)

Not sure why I'm even posting this, but I just wonder if she would have garnered more respect from the younger generation if she had quit while she was ahead. I still think she's an icon for the strides women made in the 70s.

Anyone else see the show? Any thoughts?

[Lainey]

I didn't see the special but I caught the headline. And I also happened to catch a few minutes of one of the Entertainment Tonight type shows - even the younger hosts on that show were surprised, and one of them said plainly that marrying a famous man should not garner Amal the title of Most Fascinating Person; in fact, she's an attorney and accomplished person in her own right.
I was pleasantly surprised at their feminist take on it - gives me hope that the younger people watching a typically shallow pop culture show might actually learn something.

[iris lilies]

No, I didn't watch this. These oldsters need to go gentle into the good night of retirement.

Of the decades of work that Walters has put into the news, I still think of her as Queen of Fluff. But mainly, I think of her as having a strong relationship with her daughter. I must have skimmed her biography to get that impression, but it seems like she was a good mom and she and her daughter are close.

[Packy]

I liked it when that one gal on Satturdy Night, Gilda, used to mock Babba Wawa. That was funny. Ha.

[Alan]

I've never seen her appeal. Every time I've seen a bit of her prime time specials I've been reminded of Ted Baxter.

[Packy]

Well, see: She was a "First" of something or other in broadcasting, by a Formerly-oppressed Minority. So, if she was a littlebittybit mediocre(which she was), there was not much that could be done. If they'd canned her way back when, there would have been claims of unfairness. You've got to let them have their way, or else. That's how that works.

[catherine]

I'm not an apologist for Barbara Walters, but, geez, Queen of Fluff? So she did ask Katherine Hepburn what tree she would be, and she does have tons interviews with pop culture icons under her belt.

But how about interviews with Sadat, Begin, Putin, Castro, etc. etc.? IMHO, she's worked too hard and done too much respectable journalism to just write her off.

And, Alan, my DH has had a crush on her going way back to when he was in his twenties. She was probably in her mid-late 40s at the time, but he found her incredibly sexy. So to each his own.

And, Packy, I also loved Gilda Radner's impersonation of her..

[Alan]

And, Alan, my DH has had a crush on her going way back to when he was in his twenties. She was probably in her mid-late 40s at the time, but he found her incredibly sexy. So to each his own.


LOL, my comment had nothing to do with attractiveness or sex appeal, Here's an example. I believe this was where Barbara got her inspiration for The View:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC45J93w3J8

[goldensmom]

I liked it when that one gal on Satturdy Night, Gilda, used to mock Babba Wawa. That was funny. Ha.

Me too. Nowadays, I can say 'Babba Wawa' or is that new 'toiwet wawa you are wearing?' and those of a certain age get it, those younger think I've just had a stroke.

[Teacher Terry]

You made me laugh out loud!!

[catherine]

You made me laugh out loud!!

I don't know exactly to whom you were referring, but Alan's clip definitely made me realize why Baba Wawa and Oprah are such good friends.

[Teacher Terry]

Goldensmom post.

[Tussiemussies]

I have heard that through her career she supported a sister who could not support herself....

[catherine]

I have heard that through her career she supported a sister who could not support herself....

Yes, she did. I read her biography and she said that one of the reasons she was driven to succeed was because she felt she had these family obligations she had to fulfill.

[Gregg]

Being a good person at heart and being past one's (somewhat dubious) prime are not mutually exclusive.