'Insane Asylum' Allegation: 'The View's Liberal Guest Imbalance
"The View" Descends into Chaos: Fox News Slams ABC's Daytime Staple as "Insane Asylum"
In a scathing takedown, Fox News contributor Guy Benson has labeled ABC's "The View" an "insane asylum" after a shocking study revealed the show has welcomed a staggering 102 left-leaning guests this year – with not a single conservative in sight! The Media Research Center's NewsBusters study, which analyzed episodes from January 6 to July 25, exposed the jaw-dropping disparity in guest lineups.
The results sent shockwaves through the world of daytime TV, with Benson and his Fox & Friends co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade blasting "The View" for its glaring bias. The conversation began with a tongue-in-cheek remark from Earhardt: "So 'The View' only has one view?" – a clever jab at the show's notorious lack of diversity in opinion.
Kilmeade, meanwhile, couldn't help but reminisce about the good old days when Barbara Walters first launched "The View" in 1997. He recalled how the pioneering journalist aimed to create a platform for open discussions and differing perspectives. "Then what happened?" Kilmeade asked wistfully. "It ends up being an angry Democratic show." The stage was set for Benson's scathing critique.
"I am actually surprised by this because 102 seems a little low," Benson began, before delivering the coup de grâce: "It's an insane asylum now!" He went on to argue that if the left had succeeded in reinstating the fairness doctrine – their long-held goal to regulate talk radio and ensure equal airtime for liberal voices – "The View" would be out of business. In other words, it would be "basically illegal."
Lawrence Jones joined the fray, blasting the show's co-hosts – Whoopi Goldberg, Ana Navarro, lone Republican Alyssa Farrah Griffin, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, and Sunny Hostin – for their hostility towards right-leaning guests they've had on in the past. Kilmeade chimed in, calling the discrepancy "the least surprising stat ever."
But don't just take Fox News' word for it! The Media Research Center's Nick Fondacaro, who conducted the study, weighed in with his own insights. According to Fondacaro, "The View" has undergone a significant shift since last year – becoming even more extreme and biased.
"The cast would defend and praise their reliance on legal notes, only to abandon the practice altogether in the latter half of the season," he explained. Meanwhile, they've become increasingly comfortable with making wild, unsubstantiated accusations, particularly during the early months of the second Trump administration. Fondacaro noted that even ABC's Standards and Practices division seems to turn a blind eye to these egregious infractions.
But what about the show's defense? A source close to ABC pushed back on claims that "The View" doesn't welcome conservative talking points. "Without going into detail about the show's booking process, there is wide outreach across the aisle," they insisted.
However, the facts speak for themselves: with a whopping 102 left-leaning guests and zero conservatives in sight – including Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was discounted due to his voting history (he supported Kamala Harris over Trump). The likes of former President Joe Biden, rising Congressional Democrat Jasmine Crockett, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Elissa Slotkin have all made appearances on the show this year.
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania's centrist Democrat senator, appeared on January 27 – only to be peppered with questions about his relationship with Donald Trump. Even centrist guests like Gloria Steinem and Javier Bardem can't escape the show's liberal leanings.
As for the study's methodology, Fondacaro clarified that it excluded stars whose segments didn't touch on politics. However, that still leaves the question: what exactly is going on at "The View"? The Media Research Center – a conservative watchdog group founded in 1987 and home to NewsBusters, launched in 2005 – has dedicated itself to exposing and combating liberal media bias.
With this bombshell study, it's clear that "The View" needs to answer for its glaring lack of diversity in opinion. Will ABC take steps to rebalance the show? Or will "The View" continue down its current path, solidifying its reputation as an "insane asylum"? Only time (and ratings) will tell.
Sources:
- The Media Research Center
- NewsBusters
- TheScholarlyNote.com