FishbowlNY - Turning the Page For New York Media
Thursday, Jun 14

Paris To The View? Don't Rule It Out, Says Barbara Walters

paris_phone_061107.jpgBarbara Walters is still milking her impromptu jailhouse phone call from Paris Hilton, and it seems Walters is at least considering Hilton for a guest spot on The View when the heiress gets out of prison.

Walters and longtime executive producer Bill Geddie talked about such a scenario on Babs' Sirius radio show, while simultaneously patting themselves on the back for upholding diversity quotas (one apparent hurdle for a prison-to-View move for Paris: she's not black):

CALLER: I think what's lacking from The View are two things: an African-American voice and a young, hip, party girl. I wonder if you would you ever consider bringing Paris on as a co-host?

BW: Wouldn't that be fun. By the way, we've had an African-American on almost every single day, and we do think it's important to have an African-American on when we choose the new people we're adding, but there hasn't been a day practically this whole year that we haven't had an African-American on. If Paris wanted to come on and be a member of our panel ...

BILL GEDDIE: Let me answer that: no.

BW: Let me answer that: yes.

BILL GEDDIE: No.

BW: Yes.

BG: Whatever, it's not going to happen.

BW: Bill and I used to say when we do specials if we both agree that's great, if he feels very strongly about something, then we go with him. If I feel very strongly about something, then we go with me.

BG: But the end of the story is that if she feels strongly and I feel strongly, we go with her [Barbara].

BW: [Laughing] And that's the way it should be.

More grist from the show, including Paris' jailhouse reading materials (the Wall Street Journal — seriously), the View hiring update and more:


BARBARA WALTERS: She said she's different, this is the big story.

[Reading Paris Hilton quotes from their conversation] "I'm not the same person I was. I know now that I can make a difference, that I have the power to do that. I've been thinking that I want to do different things when I am out of here. I used to act dumb, it was an act. I am 26 years old and that act is no longer cute. It's not who I am nor do I want to be that person for the young girls who looked up to me. I've become much more spiritual, God has given me this new chance."

BW: Then I asked what kind of things she might want to do, and she'd like to help in the fields of breast cancer, her grandmother had breast cancer, mulitple scelrosis, her father's mother suffered from the disease, or she thought she might want to get toy companies to build a kind of "Paris Hilton Playhouse," where sick children might come and the toy companies would donate toys.

BW: She has had a person ... this I couldn't quite get. She has had a person in her life before she went to jail, who she described as a "spiritual advisor," who told her 'My spirit or soul did not like the way I was being seen, that is why I was sent to jail, God had released me.'

BW: She's reading newspapers, The LA Times , and... The Wall Street Journal. It's not surprising that she likes The Wall Street Journal.

Five days [is a long time] to sit by yourself, and she's alone in the room, and think 'Why am I here, have I changed, what brought me here?' The difference we're going to see is when she gets out. But the fact that she says 'I used to act dumb it was an act, but I'm 26 years old and that act is no longer cute."

BILL GEDDIE: We've been around her ... and she's perfectly pleasant.

BW: This was not a vindictive or a mean girl...ot on drugs, not on cocaine, not falling apart.

I asked her what she was wearing, she was wearing the prison garb, an orange or brown jumpsuit. She's not allowed makeup. She said her skin was so dry, there's no cream there, but she said it doesn't matter, I'm not that superficial girl, I have not looked in a mirror since I got here.

She said I feel that the purpose of my life is to be where I am but however usually with a situation like mine the person serves 10% of their time ... I have served 30% of my time.'

BW: That's legitimate.

BW: Her mother told me that Paris told her, 'I will never again have another drink and drive.' By the way, she does still have a license which I thought was surprising. So I think the big thing out of this ... when she says I'm 26, that was an act, it's not cute anymore, I've changed, and we give her the benefit of the doubt and let's see what happens when she gets out.

She says she's changed, she says she's going to be different. We have to wait and see when she comes out...is she? Or is she going to put on little short skirts and go the clubs again, in which case a lot of people will feel that they were taken.

BW: We'll see what happens when she gets out, does she write a book, does she do a movie, does she change her life?

BW: Before she could just be adorable and get money for being adorable, but what happens if now this sort of 'cute girl' gets out and no longer is being just cute? What does she do, how does she earn money? Is she going to get a television show ... is the new serious Paris going to be able to earn the same kind of living?

CALLER: I think what's lacking from The View are two things: an African-American voice and a young, hip, party girl. I wonder if you would you ever consider bringing Paris on as a co-host?

BW: Wouldn't that be fun. By the way, we've had an African-American on almost every single day, and we do think it's important to have an African-American on when we choose the new people we're adding, but there hasn't been a day practically this whole year that we haven't had an African-American on. If Paris wanted to come on and be a member of our panel ...

BILL GEDDIE: Let me answer that: no.

BW: Let me answer that: yes.

BILL GEDDIE: No.

BW: Yes.

BG: Whatever, it's not going to happen.

BW: Bill and I used to say when we do specials if we both agree that's great, if he feels very strongly about something, then we go with him. If I feel very strongly about something, then we go with me.

BG: But the end of the story is that if she feels strongly and I feel strongly, we go with her [Barbara].

BW: [Laughing] And that's the way it should be.

Another caller asked the same question about a potential African-American host and Paris on The View:

BW: She would certainly always give us something to talk about.

BILL GEDDIE: First of all, we had an African-American on for nine years with Star Jones. We have really two positions open, I think people forget. We got a lot of hiring to do here. So the chances of us hiring two white women ... not very likely.

BW: And we do like the diversification and we think it gives us ... for some discussions, not all, a different point of view. We got a lot of work to do and we've fortunately been going very strong on The View . We were a little concerned when Rosie, who is such a strong personality, left, but we are going strong.

EARLIER:

  • Paris Gives Babs Jailhouse Gift

  • new on mediabistro.com

    The Future of Social Media with Chris Anderson

    The editor of Wired explains how to create a social network that works.
    Watch the video

    Email This Post

    Fill out the following information and click on the Send button in order to send this post, Paris To <em>The View</em>? Don't Rule It Out, Says Barbara Walters , to a friend.
    Friend's name
    Friend's email address
    Your name
    Your email address
    Note to your friend (optional, max 200 Characters)

    Read more on FishbowlNY >

    Turning the Page For New York Media
    FishbowlNY in Your Inbox
    Mobile Version
    RSS Feed
    Our Blog Network

    BayNewser

    WebNewser

    TVNewser

    PRNewser

    MediaJobsDaily

    GalleyCat

    UnBeige

    MobileContentToday

    AgencySpy

    FishbowlDC

    FishbowlLA

    FishbowlNY

    FishbowlNY Staff
    Editor:
    Amanda Ernst

    Contributing Editor:
    Drew Grant

    Columnist:
    Diane Clehane

    About FishbowlNY
    Follow FishbowlNY
    Email FishbowlNY

    Anonymous Tips
    Topics

    About

    About Us - Modules

    Acquisitions

    Advertising

    Alternative Weeklies

    AMC 2006

    AMC 2007

    AMC 2008

    Awards

    Beijing Olympics

    Books

    Bottom Feeding

    Breaking News

    Circulation

    Daily Angle

    Dissecting NPR

    DNC '08

    Election '08

    Ellies '08

    Fashion Week

    Fishbowl Initiatives

    FishbowlNY Poll

    Inauguration '08

    International

    Keith Kelly Distilled

    Legal Trouble

    Lunch

    Magazines

    Markets & Media

    Media Companies

    Media Events

    Media Lookbook

    Media Minutiae

    Media People

    Mediabistro Circus

    Memopad Distilled

    Menu

    Movies

    New Media

    News

    Newspapers

    NYT in 90 Seconds

    Obituaries

    Parties

    Pop Culture

    Radio

    RNC '08

    Scandals

    Scholarly Pursuits

    Strike Watch

    SXSWi '08

    The Crystal Ball

    The Internet Presidency

    The Revolving Door

    The State of Journalism

    Time 100

    Trends

    TV

    Video

    Archives

    November 2009

    October 2009

    September 2009

    August 2009

    more...

    Links

    AdAge

    Beet.tv

    BusinessWeek | Fine on Media

    Buzz Machine/Jarvis

    The Colbert Report

    The Corsair

    Daily Show

    Editor & Publisher

    Ed2010

    Folio:

    Gawker

    Gothamist

    Guardian America | Media

    HuffPo

    IWantMedia

    Marketwatch | Friedman

    Mediaite

    Mediapost

    Media Wire Daily

    NY Daily News

    NY Mag | Daily Intelligencer

    NY Observer | The Media Mob

    NY Post | Keith Kelly

    NYT | Media Decoder

    The Onion

    Paid Content

    Poynter | Romenesko

    Silicon Alley Insider

    Slate | Jack Shafer

    Wall Street Journal

    WaPo | Media Notes

    James Wolcott

    WWD | Memo Pad

    Job Listings

    Featured Listings

    Promotion Design Coordinator (Graphic Design)
    Wenner Media
    New York, NY

    Account/Project Manager
    Mucca Design
    New York, NY

    Freelance blogger
    Oyster Hotel Reviews
    New York, NY

    Art Director, Marketing Services
    Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
    New York, NY

    Upcoming


    Get Over Your Writer's Block
    November 30
    New York

    On-Camera Media Training
    December 4
    New York

    Create Order Through Simplicity
    December 5
    New York


    ADVERTISEMENT


    mediabistro.com l Member Benefits l Jobs l Freelance Marketplace l Courses l Events l Forums l Content
    mediabistro Blogs: Media News l TVNewser l GalleyCat l UnBeige l FishbowlNY l FishbowlLA l FishbowlDC l PRNewser l AgencySpy
    MobileContentToday l WebNewser l BayNewser l MediaJobsDaily l mbToolbox
    Site Map l Advertising/Sponsorships l Partners l About Us l Contact Us/Help

    internet.commediabistro.comJusttechjobs.comGraphics.com

    Search:

    WebMediaBrands Corporate Info

    Legal Notices, Licensing, Reprints, Permissions, Privacy Policy.
    Advertise | Newsletters | Shopping | E-mail Offers