Joy Behar

Infobox_Celebrity
name = Joy Behar


caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1942|10|7
birth_place = Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = comedian, co-host on "The View", film, television actress

Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar (née Occhiuto; born October 7, 1942) is an Emmy-Nominated American comedian, writer, actress and co-host of the talk show "The View".

Biography

Personal life

Behar, an Italian-American, [ [http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/info?pn=joyqa Q&A with Joy Behar] abc.go.com. Retrieved 25/02/08.] was born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York; on October 7, 1942; the daughter of Rose, a seamstress, and Gino Occhiuto, a truck driver. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/64/Joy-Behar.html Joy Behar Biography (1943-) ] ] She married Joe Behar, of Sephardic Jewish descent, in January 1965; they divorced in 1981. They have one daughter, Eve, 37.imdb|0066877] Behar nearly died from an ectopic pregnancy in 1979.

Behar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Queens College, and a Master of Arts degree in English Education from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and was a member of Delta Zeta sorority.Fact|date=January 2008 She was a teacher at Lindenhurst High School in Lindenhurst, New York.Fact|date=December 2007 Behar currently resides in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan.

"The View"

Following years as a stand-up comedian (particularly in New York), Behar became one of the original cast members of "The View" in 1997. Originally she appeared only on the days when Barbara Walters was off; soon she became a regular co-host, with the panel expanding to five when Walters joined in. Behar often hosts a segment called "Joy's Comedy Corner", in which she presents up-and-coming comedians.

Behar is in favor of taxpayer-funded embryonic stem-cell research and is also in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, among other liberal positions. She has expressed her opposition to the war in Iraq and her dislike of Medicare's coverage of Viagra prescriptions. Behar recently referred to the Bush administration as "liars and murderers". [ [http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/categories/streisandiq.asp Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Vapidity - Best of Notable Quotables 2007 - Media Research Center] ] When Fox News show host Bill O'Reilly contentiously claimed on "The View" that it was a mistake for Rosie O'Donnell to come out as gay and predicted that both her career and Ellen DeGeneres's would spiral downward because of it, Behar challenged this view. She replied that "someone has to take those risks [in order for there to be change in society] ." Fact|date=December 2007

Star Jones, former co-host on "The View," and Behar had well-publicized disputes. On March 27, 2006, Star Jones called in to the show to discuss a recent operation that she had undergone. After talking with the show's co-hosts, Behar abruptly stated to Jones, "OK, Star. That's enough about you. On to us. Bye. Keep your [breasts] perky!" [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189337,00.html Star, Joy Bleeped, Cut Off in On-Air Fight on 'View'] ] Jones then responded, "Even today, you [Behar] are still a bitch".

As of 2007, Behar and Walters are the only panelists from the original lineup of Meredith Vieira, Jones, Behar, occasionally Walters, and Debbie Matenopoulos that remain on the show today.

Other work

Behar has appeared in a number of films including, "Cookie" and "This Is My Life", which was directed by Nora Ephron. One of her few TV acting roles was in the 1988–89 TV series adaptation of the movie "Baby Boom". She fulfilled a lifelong dream of acting in a movie with Woody Allen when she appeared in "Manhattan Murder Mystery". Behar has also made theatre appearances in "The Food Chain" and "The Vagina Monologues." Behar wrote a book of humorous essays and stories called "Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?", published in 1999. She has also written a children's book called "Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog", published in 2006.

In 2003, Behar became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. She lost 23 pounds in 11 weeks on the program, though she no longer is a spokesperson for the company. Behar frequently incorporates her Italian-American culture into her comedy and once told Charlie Rose on his PBS program that her grandmother kept a picture of Mussolini in her home. Juxtaposed with that was another joke that she "sounds Jewish", so much so that she had trouble convincing her own mother otherwise. She is mistakenly thought to be Jewish, and has quipped that she is pleased to be "an honorary Shiksa non-grata".

Behar appeared on the 8th season of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, and finished in 4th place, behind Robin Tunney, Christopher Meloni, and Macy Gray, and ahead of Andy Dick. She played for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Behar has directed some episodes of Days of Our Lives from 1965 to 1984.

Criticism and controversy

Behar's political views have drawn criticism. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in an open letter to Behar, admonished her description of then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as "Hitler-like", noting that "Hitler's actions during the Second World War and his responsibility for the Holocaust have no parallel in history." The ADL described Behar's comparison as "inappropriate and offensive" noting that Hitler's name should not be "taken out of context or used for personal attacks or vendettas." [ [http://www.adl.org/media_watch/tv/20061219-TheView.htm ADL letter] ]

Behar has also drawn criticism numerous times from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Catholic League president William A. Donohue remarked that Behar, who was raised a Roman Catholic, "is no stranger to Catholic bashing", pointed to her statement "Don't you remember when you went to Communion? 'In vino veritas.' The priests were all drunk, don't you remember?" The Catholic League maintains "there is an anti-Catholic animus evident among the panelists on "The View", with Rosie O'Donnell and Joy Behar being the worst offenders." [ [http://www.catholiccitizens.org/platform/platformview.asp?c=36974 Catholic League news release] ]

Behar again raised eyebrows when she publicly opined that Democratic Senator Tim Johnson's recent health problems were the result of a Republican Party conspiracy to retake control of the Senate. When conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked, "Why is everything coming from the liberal perspective a conspiracy?" Behar responded "I know what that Party is capable of." [ [http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/categories/tinfoilhat.asp Tin Foil Hat Award for Crazy Conspiracy Theories - Best of Notable Quotables 2007 - Media Research Center] ]

During the 2006 Duke University lacrosse case Behar in a conversation with Hasselbeck and McGowan labeled the innocent players as, "white boys sitting around with black girls, coming in and stripping. Alright, they didn't rape them, but-" [http://newsbusters.org/node/12001] . The players were pronounced innocent of rape and victims of a "Tragic rush to judgment." [http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/12/duke.lacrosse/index.html]

References

External links

*amg name|2:5012
*tvtome person|id=8802
* [http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/cohosts The View Official Profile]

Persondata
NAME= Behar, Joy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= comedian, co-host on "The View", film, television actress

DATE OF BIRTH= 1942-10-7
PLACE OF BIRTH= Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=