Women in Daytime
Whether it is The View, The Real, or The Wendy Williams Show, as viewers, we all have our favorite TV personalities we like waking up to. In recent years, I have always been fascinated by the culture of daytime television. Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like to be a host discussing societal and political issues and having laughs in front of the camera. I wonder if I ever find myself on The View locking horns with other hosts or settling for chill vibes like Kelly Clarkson. Being in the TV business seems like a dream come true until a scandal emerges. Being in the daytime tv business, it can be a battleground to walk on especially if you are doing it with a pair of pumps on. Over time, as viewers, we see some jaw-breaking headlines involving the most influential names in the industry.
The first influential name is Tamera Mowry-Housley. A once-upon-a-time Twitches star turned personality for The Real Daytime. The Disney alum sat at the table alongside another alum Adrienne Houghton, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, and Loni Love. During her time at the network, it seemed the four women shared a pact as they embraced life, womanhood, and a few family crises with laughs and grace. Everything was peachy keen until Mowry-Housley decided to end her contract with the talk show. Now, there are always going to be speculations when a staple host decides to step down from any major network. In an interview with Lewis Howes, Mowry-Housley expressed that the environment at The Real was not always a “safe space” for her. “They will take what you say, put it out of context of who they think you are and that is what happened for years on that show,” she recalled, “I will tell you this, being on a talk show and you can take it or leave it, it’s not a safe space. It’s not. I wish someone would have told me that because then I would have been prepared. I was not.” Mowry-Housley was sharing how the show can twist her words to fit a narrative they were running with. This impacted how the personality interacted with dedicated viewers. After announcing her exit, Tamera Mowry-Housley has been moving on to greener pastures. She has been completely focused on her family life as well as a winery business with her husband and business partner, Adam Housley.
The second influential name is Ellen DeGeneres. The funny and charismatic comedian brought tears of laughter to her audience with games and quirky skits. So, it was quite a shocker when the public brutally learned how DeGeneres was not the kind and smiley host she is on our screens. Over the decades, some may have heard rumors that Ellen DeGeneres is the example of a nightmare boss. However, things took a turn when beauty influencer Nikkie [Nikkie Tutorials] De Jager came out with her interaction with the host. For US Weekly, she lamented, “Maybe I’m being naive, but I expected them to welcome me with confetti: ‘Welcome to The Ellen DeGeneres Show! But instead I got greeted by an angry intern, who was a bit overworked.” De Jager also explained how she did not have her bathroom, unlike past guests.
I think Nikkie Tutorials was the icing on the cake. There also have been workplace allegations made against Ellen DeGeneres. Since 2003, the show began as a pillar for the LGBT community that will soon end with its nineteenth season after an internal investigation took place. In “Behind the Comedic Rise- and Controversial Fall- of Ellen DeGeneres” by Lauren Sarner, the New York Post writer reported that producers on the show accused the host of sexual misconduct and harassment. Sarner also highlights claims comedic writer Ben Siemon made. In the article, Ben Siemon shared, “if she thinks you smell that day you have to go home and shower.” He continues, “every day she picks someone different to hate. It’s not your fault, just suck it up for the day and she’ll be mean to someone else the next day. They didn’t believe it but it ended up being entirely true.” These stories are upsetting and these types of behaviors should never be tolerated in any work environment. It makes one wonder if Ellen DeGeneres was always like this. Or did stardom make her spoiled rotten?
The third influential name is no other than Rachel Nichols. As the sports newscaster, Nichols believed she was being passed over great gigs for being simple. In “ESPN’s Rachel Nichols Suggests She Being Passed Over For Being White” by the Daily Wire, the writer Amanda Prestigiacomo covered the leaked audio that played between Nichols and close associate Adam Mendelsohn. In the audio, Nichols expressed frustrations over not giving opportunities that were given to her colleague Marie Taylor. The ESPN reporter argued, “If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it,” she continues, “Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing[s] away.” After she was exposed, she expressed public remorse. I think the takeaway is the lack of self-reflection on Rachel Nichols’ behalf. It could have been completely true that the network may have passed her over for a more diverse face. Identity politics has been sweeping the broadcast industry due to the high demand for “more representation.” In the future, I suggest broadcasters learn from Nichols’ mistakes and keep their mics or cameras off while venting.
Lastly, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, Meghan McCain embraced being the conservative voice for The View. Over her time at the ABC network, viewers gained perspective from the sole conservative panelist while McCain sparred with other co-hosts on difficult topics. Since stepping down, McCain has been more than open about what it was really like working with most liberal women in daytime television. In “Meghan McCain Tells All,” the Variety columnist Ramin Setoodeh reports on feuds that took place between Meghan McCain and the liberal host. After coming back from maternity leave, the republican amused how Joy Behar missed battling it out in front of the camera with her. Behar responded sternly, “I did not miss you. Zero!”This led McCain to sob during commercial breaks. As heartbreaking it was to go through, this is not surprising. Joy Behar is notoriously known for being difficult and quite the diva on set for years. At the time, McCain shared she was struggling with postpartum anxiety and juggling work and home life. It is very easy for Meghan McCain to feel outnumbered.
In an exclusive excerpt from Meghan McCain’s Memoir, Bad Republican, she revisited the day she announced she was leaving The View. McCain rehashed, “On July 1, 2021, I announced live on air that I was leaving “The View” after four years. My co-hosts learned about my decision that morning, and the shock registered on their faces.” This news came after years of being on the receiving end of shade, insults, and other toxic behaviors. She also explains how The View is “billed as an arena for women to share and discuss their views on politics and the most important topics of the day.” Well, it was quite sad to see Meghan McCain leave the ABC show. She has not let her stop sharing her conservative thoughts on major platforms. After her exit, it was announced she would be a columnist for the Daily Mail. None of the ladies on The View or the network have made any comments to rebuttal these claims.
Well, through these very influential women, it has been proven that daytime television can be a battleground to navigate. Sometimes, it seems it is harder to recognize allies if all you are seeing are enemies. I think it is not enough for more women to step into broadcasting. I think the culture needs to change when it comes to power dynamics, cultural differences, and political ideologies. However, it seems changes are happening. It does not matter whether you like watching The View or The Real or whatever else, viewers crave authenticity and honesty. I believe when drama is happening behind the camera, it will transcend when the cameras are rolling. So, toxic workplace divas might be running for the hills very soon. This battleground is for women in daytime.
