In the realm of daytime chat shows - or virtually any other kind of television format, really -The View is arguably one of the most contentious shows on TV. The hosts might not be an octagon or wearing gloves, but episodes can get every bit as rivalrous and chaotic as a UFC feud, with the stalwart Joy Behar and resident conservative Meghan McCain regularly getting into heightened tiffs over one political issue or another. Such awkwardness usually creates decent buzz for The View, but it looks like the big boss at ABC News is growing weary of such in-fighting.
ABC News President Kim Godwin, who just landed the job in April 2021, apparently felt like The View's daily squabbles were getting to be a bit much across the board, so she reportedly called an impromptu meeting with The View's on-air talent and the producers. According to TMZ, Godwin was inspired to make the virtual meeting happen after ABC received a bunch of comments and responses after Monday's episode, with many of them calling for Meghan McCain to be fired for her latest behavior.
It's said that Kim Godwin told The View's commentators that their debates have become far too personal in recent months, with co-hosts attacking each other personally rather than sticking mainly to the topics at hand. As well, Godwin allegedly stated that she is not content with the direction of the show veering off into places that could be deemed as toxic by the show's viewership. Which is a pretty important element here, considering The View's audience has seen some upticks this year as the world slowly shifts out of pandemic-lockdown mode. But are more people tuning in because of the in-fighting?
It might not even matter to Kim Godwin if she definitively wants to put a stop to The View's politically inflamed conversations. It's not like the show was failing before it became such a pillar for mid-morning verbal spats. Granted, the stars do get along sometimes behind the scenes, or at least they're decent about acting like it, so it's possible this talk with ABC News' boss could be the light that guides The View to more evened-out conversations and debates with its revolving door of co-hosts.
For those who aren't aware of the backstory, the Monday, May 24 broadcast featured The View's co-hosts getting particularly riled up during a discussion surrounding anti-Semitic remarks made by controversial Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green. Now, viewers can probably assume Whoopi Goldberg knew exactly what she was doing when she asked her fellow panelists to share their thoughts, and Meghan McCain certainly didn't disappoint in that respect. She clapped back at Sunny Hostin's comments and then went off to the point where Goldberg cut her short to jump into a commercial break, which understandably didn't sit well with McCain, who later got into it even more with Joy Behar.
Will ABC News' Kim Godwin be able to completely eradicate The View's most hectic moments? Only time will tell, so tune into the talk show every morning on ABC to see what'll happen next.
