Comment of the Day: In Praise of Star Jones
Today we watched Donnie Deutsch get interviewed by Star Jones about something something "sugar babies" whatever. The important thing was: Star Jones! Lots of people hate her! But one commenter, convincingly, made a case for her.
I may be clobbered by some commentators for saying this, but I've always adored Star Jones. I itch for her continual reemergences. I love a good BITCH. I love a sassy, smart woman. I love a hyper-articulate, opinionated woman who personifies bold, outspoken attributes. Star Jones personified a type of black middle class-raised (and not dirt poor-raised like Oprah) professional woman that we had not seen on TV much before Diahann Carroll and I find Star Jones' self-centeredness to be no more outrageous than anyone in television. All of these TV and film types are cross promote EVERYTHING like ants in the ant hill.
I only watched "The View" for Star Jones. She was the reverse of the age-old stereotypical likeable reassuring "mamie" type when she was heavy. She was the anti-Oprah (thank G-d!) She was sharp, lawyerly, albeit with a weak, depressive side due to her weight and problems with men. I understood why she did not wish to reveal her gastric bypass surgery and focused on the other stuff she did. I got it. If you've ever been saddled with depression because of body image issues and man problems you would understand.
I'm an introvert. But, you know, some people are extreme extroverts. They light up around people and are natural public presences. Some of the assumed egoism of these TV types is extrovertism. Over the years, Barbara Walters routinely lied and obscured her dirt (like dating a married black male senator), but she (somewhat) remains reputationally unscathed. Anderson Cooper indirectly and tacitly lies about his sexuality while remaining reputationally unscathed. All these types are egoists. But when a sharp, opinionated black female upper class lawyer is sassy and opinionated and when she micro-manages her image (publicizing her wedding while omitting her surgery) she is demonized. I find the double standards to be ridiculous.
[Photo via Getty]