0Barbara Walters Is Retiring

Barbara Walters has been in the journalism business a long ass time and has interviewed everyone from major political figures to… the Kardashians. She’s also sat her can on The View roundtable for the past several years, putting up with insufferable whiners and putting the world to rights despite her advancing age. Well, now the 83-year-old is ready to hang up her hat come summer 2014 and will be retiring for good.

From ABC News:

The legendary newscaster will leave TV journalism next summer

For decades, Barbara Walters has inspired millions with her groundbreaking interviews — but after 37 years with ABC News, the newscaster is announcing on “The View” Monday that next summer, she will retire from TV journalism. Until then, she will continue to anchor and report for ABC News, appear on “The View,” and anchor specials throughout the year including a “20 Years of 10 Most Fascinating People” special in December, an Oscars special, and a May career retrospective.

Walters will remain Executive Producer of “The View,” the show she created in 1997.

“I am very happy with my decision and look forward to a wonderful and special year ahead both on ‘The View’ and with ABC News,” she said. “I created ‘The View’ and am delighted it will last beyond my leaving it.”

Walters began her career in 1961 at NBC’s “Today Show,” where she eventually became a co-host.

“No one was more surprised than I,” she says of her on-air career. “I wasn’t beautiful, like many of the women on the program before me, [and] I had trouble pronouncing my r’s. I still do!”

Right on, Babs. You’ve earned it.

May 13, 2013 at 2:30 pm by Jennifer

1Memo to the Kardashians: Barbara Walters is ONTO YOU.

Did you know that Barbara put the Kardashians (all of ‘em) on her Most Fascinating People list this year? Well, back when she made the list, she didn’t realize how “fascinating” (and by “fascinating,” I mean “crummy, turncoat moneygrubbers”) they were – at least until Kim’s marriage to Kris Humphries imploded for entertainment purposes.

Barb was a guest on Dave Letterman‘s show last night, where she talked about feeling hoodwinked by the tumultuous trio and realized that she couldn’t trust them. If you can’t view the above video, here’s the crux of Barbara’s comments:

“They [the Kardashians] were the first ones we interviewed [for the Most Fascinating List] and we did them in September. We said, anything going to happen? ‘No no no, you can do it now because nothing’s going to happen.’ Then Kim gets married. Then Kourtney gets pregnant. Then Khloe’s moving to Dallas. You cannot trust the Kardashians.”

I’m just surprised that someone as well-spoken and tactile as Barbara WALTERS only just now realized that you can’t trust those who shit where they eat. Christ.

Forget the Lion King – it’s the Kardashians who are dangling at the bottom of the food chain.

December 14, 2011 at 11:30 am by Sarah

3Watch This: Mariah Unveils Her Twins (No, Not THOSE Twins) on National Television

At long last! Meet Moroccan and Monroe, Mariah Carey‘s babies with husband Nick Cannon. Well, OK—in the preview clip from 20/20 you really only see the backs of the babies’ heads. (But! The full interview is embedded below! BABIES!)

The happy foursome sat down with Barbara Walters to talk about love, marriage, and baby-makin’. And although it’s old news, I sincerely did not know about Mariah’s miscarriage. Ugh.

If you have time, do watch the whole interview, which first aired last night. I’d always wondered what makes this couple tick, and the way Mariah Carey is always on the verge of snapping at Nick Cannon is kind of adorable. It really is! She can’t stop messing with him, and he’s totally into it.

Highlights:

- Mariah’s L.A. home has a huuuuge chandelier. (Lady, I’d expect nothing less.)

- The happy couple has indeed nicknamed the twins “Roc and Roe,” which is just, oh, no.

(more…)

October 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm by Jenn

15Barbara Walters Takes Credit For Ruining Ricky Martin’s Career

In a recent interview with Queen of the Stone-Age, Barbara Walters, there appear to be some regretful vibes floating around.

Walters, who infamously interviewed Ricky Martin in 2000, claims that her “push” for Martin to acknowledge which team he pitched for inadvertently ruined his career.  Although Barbara has never shied away from interrogating celebrities about their sexual orientation, Walters claims that the interview with Ricky Martin was her’ most regrettable interview to date.

“In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was. A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question.”

Whether he is or isn’t or was or wasn’t doesn’t really amount to anything. It’s not like questions like those are really relevant, anyway.  But, Barbie, dear, I wouldn’t take it to heart.  Martin’s career was probably over before it began as it were.  For Christ’s sake, he started off with Menudo. If that’s not preemptive career suicide, nothing is.

March 9, 2010 at 8:36 am by Sarah

25Let’s Take a Moment To Talk About Mo’Nique

I’m real emotional about Sunday already. The Oscars on Sunday? When Mo’Nique’s totally going to win Best Supporting Actress for her life-changing performance in Precious. Life-changing. I went there and I mean it. I’m real into Mo’Nique winning and so it’s a pretty good thing that there’s almost no chance she can lose.

With Mo’Nique, it’s more than just the fact that she knocked her role out of the park, I also just think she’s awesome. The NY Post got a preview of her interview from the 29th Annual Barbara Walter Oscar Special and here are the highlights:

On her open marriage to her husband Sidney:

“Let me say this: I have not had sex outside my marriage with Sidney. Could Sid have sex outside of his marriage with me? Yes. That’s not a deal-breaker. That’s not something that would make us say, ‘Pack your things and let’s end the marriage…’

“We’ve been best friends for over 25 years, and we truly know who we are. Oftentimes, people get into marriages and they don’t know who they’re laying next to. I’m very comfortable and secure with my husband.”

On her hairy legs:

“He loves the hairy legs and if Sid likes the hairy legs, there you go. I tried shaving one time, and it was so uncomfortable and painful. I said never again would I do that to myself. I’m 42 and I’m very hairy.”

On her potential Oscar speech:

“I don’t like thinking about that, because I’m big on the universe. I don’t want to start making this speech or [think about what] I’m going to say because I don’t want the universe to say, ‘Really? You so sure about that?’ Let’s not jinx it.”

Alright, so she doesn’t want to jinx it, but I will. That hairy-legged lady is going to win so hard.

The full interview will air Oscar Sunday and make sure to tune in because this year is Barbara Walter’s last year of doing the legendary special!

March 4, 2010 at 2:11 pm by Molls

24Barbara Walters Will Cut You

Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg verbally flambéed commentator Glenn Beck today on The View.  It’s always interesting to watch a celebrity who is so obviously caught in a lie.  Perhaps what made it so fascinating though was that the dialogue kept co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck silent for six minutes and thirty-five seconds.

May 20, 2009 at 3:18 pm by Wendie