SCV: But what is this? Another show?
Joy: Are you kidding me? There’s so much out there that needs to be discussed. Today we have the Iranian president talking uptown , the head of some other terrorist state called Libya walking around Bedford Ny and the whole world screaming for attention and you want to know why?
She looks at me with mock humor but with a kind of assertive madness that she means business and that for her challenging her audience and raising awareness to difficult questions is her forte.
As she is talking another battalion of cameras take her hostage (or is it really the other way round?) from there it was inside the remodeled OAK room the vintage art Deco room where the hierarchy of TV land sauntered, flirted and treated us with distinct charm.
Coming across one of my personal favorite TV anchors was Hoda Kotb.
SCV: You know you really moved me when you gave that speech at the Pink Agenda Breast Cancer Benefit. Actually to tell you the truth you moved everyone in the room.
She looks at me a touch taken aback but rather quickly delighted.
Hoda: Oh I tell you I love those kids and the cause is very dear to my heart.
From there I was able to summons one of my all time favorites Suzy Ormon who has extolled the world over on financial responsibility and essentially personal empowerment.
Overhearing her talk:
Suzy; “You know why us girls are here? It’s because we put ourselves here. That’it. We control our destiny, it’s not men or what other people say it’s us women making active conscious decision and that’s just the way it is.”
SCV: Suzy, I love you so much. I have to ask you are always a breath of fresh air and well I am just curious with what’s your take on celebrity culture and all those reality shows?”
Suzy: You know it’s very interesting, the more misery people go through the more they want to escape their lives, and it just makes sense that there are all these reality shows out there because darling everyone wants to escape especially during this recession.
At that moment the spotlights lit up and shone on the dame of dames – Barbara Walters who with class, pizzazz and some much loved take it or leave it attitude addressed the distinguished audience (who included a who’s who of media world- Whoopy Goldberg, Larry King, Ali Velshi, Alan Alda, Anderson Cooper, Alina Cho, Joan Rivers, Al Sharpton, Lorrraine Bracco and Vera Wang and countless others that my pen didn’t recognize…)
In the end Barbara Walters gave her blessing and Joy must have looked relieved for there were now 2 titan media titans on stage and to be honest Joy who got her shot 12 years ago was glad to be there but more importantly needed to be there.
Joy, I look forward to seeing your show, just remember one day when you make it real big to invite this wretched scallywag onto the show one day, you wouldn’t believe how much it would thrill me….
Kudos to you Ms. Behar!
