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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
They’re all terrible people, with the exception of Debbie and Joy and this is like a badly written Vanity Fair article that got expanded well beyond its mildly interesting point. Skip.
For a non-fiction book, Ladies Who Punch is easy to read and becomes a can't-put-down book. I enjoyed learning about all the ins and outs of how a show gets made and all the behind the scenes drama happening over the years at The View.
My negatives about the book are:
1. The bias. All books have bias so it's important to be on the lookout. The author does bring up that he's a journalist many times throughout the book so as a journalist I would expect Setoodeh to really try to remove his bias. I felt that he had favorite cast members. For example, Whoopi decided not to sit down for an interview for the book and it felt like the author held some resentment against this co-host for that. It was also obvious that the author dislikes President Trump. I understand the cause for dislike but I felt the book shouldn't be so blatantly biased and present the story and facts without the author's point of view. If he's "just" an author than he's obviously free to have his own point of view. But as a journalist, I do feel like that should be taken out and let the reader make up their own mind about the facts presented.
2. 2016. The book was published in 2019. I was expecting to read about some of the newer cast members such as Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Megan McCain. These cast members were mentioned in the short epilogue but the book wraps up in 2016. I understand it takes a while for a book to be published, but I was expecting some more recent gossip. So when I realized there were only a few pages left and we had just hit 3 years ago, I knew we weren't going to hear the tea about some of the hosts I'm most familiar with.
My negatives about the book are:
1. The bias. All books have bias so it's important to be on the lookout. The author does bring up that he's a journalist many times throughout the book so as a journalist I would expect Setoodeh to really try to remove his bias. I felt that he had favorite cast members. For example, Whoopi decided not to sit down for an interview for the book and it felt like the author held some resentment against this co-host for that. It was also obvious that the author dislikes President Trump. I understand the cause for dislike but I felt the book shouldn't be so blatantly biased and present the story and facts without the author's point of view. If he's "just" an author than he's obviously free to have his own point of view. But as a journalist, I do feel like that should be taken out and let the reader make up their own mind about the facts presented.
2. 2016. The book was published in 2019. I was expecting to read about some of the newer cast members such as Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Megan McCain. These cast members were mentioned in the short epilogue but the book wraps up in 2016. I understand it takes a while for a book to be published, but I was expecting some more recent gossip. So when I realized there were only a few pages left and we had just hit 3 years ago, I knew we weren't going to hear the tea about some of the hosts I'm most familiar with.
I haven't watched The View in years and still found this book fascinating. I recommend it!
The View
The View of the ladies, as reported in this book is, probably, as close to backstage gossip as one can get.
The View of the ladies, as reported in this book is, probably, as close to backstage gossip as one can get.
I care nothing about The View, but somehow still loved hearing the story behind it's creation, stars, casting, and Barbara Walter.
Fun book if you have any interest in The View and some of the backstage stories and the story of how it all started and kept chugging along
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Ladies Who Punch by journalist Ramin Setoodeh is the story of popular television talk show The View and the many women who hosted the show in the last two decades. The book reads more like tabloid gossip than an informative behind-the-scene documentation. While it informs, it also makes the reader cringe when there is too much information. The author often comes off as bitchy and vindictive. All in all, an ok read. If you are a fan of The View, you might want to pass on this book.