Our first victory in the great 2014 overhaul of “The View”: Rosie O'Donnell appears to be rejoining the show alongside veteran panelist Whoopi Goldberg. We basically asked for this. Now let's perfect “The View” once and for all — we need Kathy Griffin to join the show too.
A three-comedienne panel would be a strange new world for “The View,” but Kathy Griffin is simply the perfect fit. She's candid, she's able to talk about anything, and she's actually willing to be vulnerable and even solemn when the occasion calls for it. She gets “The View.” And now “The View” should get her. Here are six reasons why:
1. She has a great friendship and onscreen rapport with Rosie.
Kathy Griffin and Rosie O'Donnell could talk about anything. They don't have to try to be interesting because they're actively interested in everything. It's sort of addicting, particularly in this clip from Rosie's short-lived OWN show.
2. She is informed. Or at the very least, she can tangle with people who are informed.
Kathy neeeeever riffs on a topic unless she knows what she's talking about. She prepares for every talk show appearance “like it's the Olympics,” according to her. But even when she's not the reigning expert in a conversation, she can still poke fun at a newsy authority like Candy Crowley. Candy is clearly bewildered, and it is fantastic to see.
3. She can make fun of everyone, even her idols.
Here's Kathy with the original Kathy, Joan Rivers. The jokes are bawdy and nasty, and somehow that makes you believe even more in their friendship.
4. Like Rosie, she has a very casual knowledge of everything in pop culture history.
This is extra footage from a PSA Kathy shot with Cher. Note how, even as she's riffing, she can make a joke about the lesser-known features in Cher's filmography. When's the last time you heard David Letterman successfully reference “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”?
5. Her Bravo talk show didn't give her a fair shot.
Kathy proved on her short-lived Bravo chatfest that she can handle hosting a dishy talk show, but she's truly at her best when she's with other guests. “The View” would be the ultimate version of her talk show — a chance for her to try out her spitfire wit on more people and in more casual conversation.
6. She has trashed “The View” so much that it's only right she ends up working there.
I love how Kathy says here that the art of conversation has been lost in late-night talk shows. She cares about the sanctity of antiquated TV formats and believes they can still be good. “The View” is about as stodgy a format as they come, but Kathy knows that working hard within those confines makes for great TV. And I would kill to see Barbara Walters reemerge in a plastic mustache as Kathy describes here.