Rant about Joy on 'The View' - Did you see it this morning?

[mharling]

Joy made a comment this morning that really irked me. I sent her the following e-mail:

"In your show on Wednesday, May 28, you commented on a beautiful Indian woman you saw walking with 2 children. Your narrow-minded assumption was that they couldn't be 'her own' and she had to be their nanny because they were of a different race. Shame on you, Joy!! You have just slapped adoption in the face. Is it really possible that you've never seen a family where not all family members are the same race? Your comment was a disservice to millions of adopted children and their parents. I hope you have the decency to at least realize how inappropriate your comment was and maybe even apologize for it."

I couldn't believe that she could say something like that. My family has been so enriched by adoption (my oldest brother was adopted domestically and my other brother just adopted from Korea) that I was personally offended.

OK, I'm stepping off my soap box.....

Mary
Mommy to Lane Michael 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33928e40550

[liya]

OMG..not only has she slapped adoption in the face but i have seen people whose children look like a totally diferent race and they are their children.. I did not see this show but i am so proud of you for your email response. I am sooo sorry you felt offended by this incident but you are right some ppl are just so narrow minded...thank you for speaking your mind though.


linda

[Melanie]

Wow, that's terrible. What an assumption. They could have also been her birth children w/ an Indian father.

Mommy to Jonah

[blnony]

I have never liked Joy. I don't watch this show any longer simply b/c she gets on my nerves (and I don't get much tv viewing anyway.) I used to watch it, but I just couldn't stand her anymore.
Good job on the email. I completely agree with you.

[mharling]

Since I posted this, I've thought of many more things wrong with her comment!! (And maybe I was narrow-minded to originally think of the adoption theory.) You're absolutely right, they could have been her birth children. They could have also been a friend's or relative's children that she was spending the day with. And what if it had been a white woman with 2 Indian children? Would she have made the same assumption then??? OK, I'm going to stop before I get myself in trouble.

Mary
Mommy to Lane Michael 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33928e40550

[nitaghei]

OHMIGOD!!!

This is exactly the narrowminded attitude that ticks me off. I'm Indian, DH is white, and DS looks just like DH!!

I'm his MOTHER, not his nanny!!

Thank you for sending the email.

Nita

[jojo2324]

Yeah, I stopped watching the show after I couldn't follow the conversations anymore...They are always interrupting each other! And Barbara Walters just sits there looking so disgusted by the whole scene.

Kudos for saying something! I have dark hair, skin and eyes, and my little boy is as pasty as can be, with grey-blue eyes and seemingly red hair, and if not red definitely blonde! When I walk around with him I do wonder if people think I am his mama or his caretaker.

[megsmom]

Ugh. I send kudos to you for responding to her. I did not see this show, but the other thing that bugs me is that she assumed that this woman of color must somehow be in a servent role just because she was dark skinned. Ugh, ugh, ugh. It's amazing how tactless and unaware some people are.

Jen
mom to Meghan 7/13/01
and #2 EDD 11/12/03

[momathome]

Yuck!!! What an obnoxious, narrow-minded woman! I'm glad you bothered to e-mail her over this issue - someone needs to put her in her place!
-Lauren

[mamahill]

Good for you! I don't watch that show any more because I've been offended on more than one occasion. Good for you for showing a backbone and responding. I'm hoping you're not the only one to reprimand her!

[MartiesMom2B]

Good for you for writing about this. I wish I saw that I'd write an e-mail too. You're totally right about the adoption theory and I agree with Nita and Joanne said. Having a chinese mother and being so pasty myself I'm sure people didn't think that mother and I were related.

What a stupid show. I guess I'll have to watch the Price is Right now.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03
http://www.mcdyer.com/MartieSurasky.htm

[chrissyhowie]

Bravo on your email! Well written and to the point! I feel like she should personally answer your email with an apology AS WELL AS make an apologetic statement on air. I know she is human too, but being a public persona comes with the price of needing to watch what you say and do. To have a public personality make a statement like that just reinforces negative stereotypes. Thank you for taking the effort to write and point it out. Hopefully they will address it.