On ABC’s The View, what viewers usually get is a one-sided narrative constructed in favor of President Biden. But it seems cracks are appearing in its pro-Biden veneer, with co-host Joy Behar reluctantly confessing to comedian Bill Maher that she suppresses criticisms of Biden in order not to inadvertently tip the scales towards Donald Trump.
Despite the program’s pattern of slamming even Democrats who dare challenge Biden, Maher forced Behar to confess her apprehensions. Interestingly, she wasn’t confident enough to claim that Biden is immune to criticism – it’s just that, as she put it, she’s ‘nervous about saying anything against Biden.’ Her fears are rooted in this hypothetical scenario: by laying bare the facts, she might unintentionally feed the former President Trump’s electoral fortunes.
In response to this, Maher argues for credibility over convenient partisanship. He pointed out that the viewers deserve honesty, implying the act of downplaying Biden’s faults or glorifying his actions impacts the credibility of those who propagate it. He argues, if you’re not honest about what you see, you lose all faith.
Then came the unexpected punchline – Maher confronting the elephant in the room; Biden merely appearing older than his age, encapsulating it humorously as a ‘cadaver-like’ presentation. In a spectacle of absurdity, Behar fires back, employing comic deflection to keep the faith in Biden, exclaiming that Biden’s brain is still sharp.
An earlier segment of the show saw Behar spew vitriol at MAGA hat wearers, asking them to ‘put a swastika on the hat.’ Maher did not let the sweeping generalization slide. He emphasized that although it’s possible to detest Trump, it’s unacceptable to hate his supporters, representing half the country.
Towards the end of the show, Maher had to pacify the waters by defending Behar, assuring audience members that she didn’t genuinely think all Trump supporters were Nazis. Behar affirmed this, in an attempt to bring some semblance of reasonableness to her earlier inflammatory comment.
The dialogue on The View is a microcosm of larger societal divides, making it imperative that media figures avoid unnecessary incitement in their reporting. Critical, honest, and sensible discussions should be the order of the day. However, what transpired on The View vividly illustrates the dangers in forming opinions based on stifled discussions – a lesson conservatives, no less than liberals, should take heed of.
