After many puzzling comments from Sherri Shepherd on “The View,” it is beyond thrilling to hear that Sherri Shepherd has officially been named the new host of Game Show Network’s “The Newlywed Game.” After some speculation, BV Buzz reported exclusively that “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd would split some of her time hosting the game show.
Sherri’s new game show gig could save women of color—if she left “The View” to focus on it.
On “The View,” she embarrasses women of color in more ways than one. Fitting right into some caricature of black women (in the same way Elizabeth caricatures Republicans), she contributes random, head-scratching thoughts that leave many wondering why–of all the talented black female personas in Hollywood–Sherri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg were bestowed the honor of co-hosting “The View.”
Is co-hosting “The View” not an honor? Is honor too lofty a word? Is the show deliberately meant to pivot the stances of the most random, most puzzling women in the world? Don’t those who watch television in the morning deserve a show in which the hosts, especially the black female hosts, don’t say the darndest things—or what’s worse, believe them?
We all knew something was terribly wrong when Sherri thought the earth was flat. But, to make matters worse, we discovered that she darn near condoned men hitting back women who hit them (not that women should men, but what “on earth” informs Sherri’s opinions? No pun on earth).
Sherri’s a comedian. Whoopi’s a comedian. We get it. “The View” isn’t some pretentious intellectual show meant to get the goat of snooty, “deep news analysis” type viewers who beat every news issue to death (see Keith Olbermann). Yet, neither Sherri’s nor Whoopi’s comments are all that funny. At least Joy Behar, who’s the other comedian on the panel manages to be funny and poignant—whether you agree with her views or not. What about Holly Robinson Peete as a co-host? She has delivered hearty opinion on issues like autism, and she’s able to balance that seriousness with her light-hearted nature. Oh, that’s right, some other CBS show that’ll compete with “The View” scooped her up.
Life isn’t all fun and games, dear “The View” producers. Whom you pick to host your show, matters, because clearly none of the mainstream media has enough sense to scout, develop and cast women of color as purveyors of sound opinion in our society. When you have a slot—heck, two slots—open on a show, you don’t cast Whoopi who thinks Mel Gibson is awesome, and you don’t cast Sherri who thinks—only sometimes.
Good luck with the game show, Sherri! We await the day when the majority of black women are represented on television, both decently clothed and making some daggone sense.
