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calarco 's review for:
Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "the View"
by Ramin Setoodeh
I must confess that I have a guilty pleasure—and that is psyching people out before boasting that I’m too old to feel shame for liking the things I do. Also, I’m a huge fan of The View. In [b:Ladies Who Punch|31450865|Ladies Who Punch|Ramin Setoodeh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547491926i/31450865._SY75_.jpg|52153708], Ramin Setoodeh tries his darndest to sum up the twenty-year legacy of one of America’s most iconic (and a times iconoclastic) daytime talk shows. For me it falls flat.
Splitting the book into three equally partitioned arcs, “Barbara’s View,” “Rosie’s View,” and “Whoopi’s View” was an odd choice for one. While Rosie made for memorable moments (fights), she was only really there for 1.5 seasons, not even. True to the book’s title, this beach read focuses more on melodrama and meltdowns rather than detailing how the show was actually impactful over the changing decades. Was some of this entertaining? Yes. But was any of this truly memorable? Not really, no.
It should be stated that Ramin is 100% a fan of the show and his passion is very present as he delves into its history and lore. Also impressive are the number of interviews he conducted to write this book. Sadly, for me at least, this admiration guides Ramin’s spotlight to follow his own interests to the detriment of a better story. This is compounded by the fact that the book is only 300 pages long, which is too short to waste pages on uninteresting nonsense.
For instance, he writes a good chunk about Jenny McCarthy’s (one season) tenure on the show, but barely spares a word for Sunny Hostin. In addition to being on The View for three seasons, Sunny is ABC’s legal expert and has some truly noteworthy insights on the latest headlines…as well as an intense love for her pet chickens. Now THAT is the combo of expertise and weird schlock that makes me a fan of this ridiculous, beautiful show.
Overall, if you are a MAJOR View fan, sure, give the book a go—it is a super quick read. That said, it’s nothing to write home about, and it’s certainly not a Hot Topic.
Splitting the book into three equally partitioned arcs, “Barbara’s View,” “Rosie’s View,” and “Whoopi’s View” was an odd choice for one. While Rosie made for memorable moments (fights), she was only really there for 1.5 seasons, not even. True to the book’s title, this beach read focuses more on melodrama and meltdowns rather than detailing how the show was actually impactful over the changing decades. Was some of this entertaining? Yes. But was any of this truly memorable? Not really, no.
It should be stated that Ramin is 100% a fan of the show and his passion is very present as he delves into its history and lore. Also impressive are the number of interviews he conducted to write this book. Sadly, for me at least, this admiration guides Ramin’s spotlight to follow his own interests to the detriment of a better story. This is compounded by the fact that the book is only 300 pages long, which is too short to waste pages on uninteresting nonsense.
For instance, he writes a good chunk about Jenny McCarthy’s (one season) tenure on the show, but barely spares a word for Sunny Hostin. In addition to being on The View for three seasons, Sunny is ABC’s legal expert and has some truly noteworthy insights on the latest headlines…as well as an intense love for her pet chickens. Now THAT is the combo of expertise and weird schlock that makes me a fan of this ridiculous, beautiful show.
Overall, if you are a MAJOR View fan, sure, give the book a go—it is a super quick read. That said, it’s nothing to write home about, and it’s certainly not a Hot Topic.