The View

This show is going down hill at warp speed. Three years ago, the show was interesting and intelligent, especially their "Hot Topics" segment where hosts Meredith Vieira, Joy Behar, Star Jones, then host Lisa Ling and occasionally the show's den mother, Barbara Walters would comment on newsworthy stories, often exposing a hidden side that had been buried in the pages of the country's newspapers.

Since then, however, it has regressed into a talk show parody, ranking in terms of content somewhere between Maury Povich and Ricki Lake. No matter how serious the subject at hand, the topic quickly turns to sex, Payless Shoes (for which Star Jones is the spokesperson), Joy's hot flashes or Star's celebrity friends. Subjects like war, murder and child abuse are punctuated either by jokes about viagara, or by Star Jones informing everyone of her self-proclaimed diva status -- Again!

Even Babs herself has fallen into the trash talk abyss, only managing to grab a foot hold long enough to shout out a promo for yet another "riveting" 20/20 special.

If it were not for Meredith Vieira, I would boycott this show completely. Only she seems to have the vaguest clue as to when it is appropriate to push the envelope. But each day I find myself turning it off earlier into the broadcast, shaking my head at the vapid, vacuous piece of pseudo entertainment/journalism this show has become. Please Emmy voters, don't encourage this show with an Emmy nod this year.