Monday,
January 21, 2008
Joy (Occhiuto)
Behar- Co Host of "The View" - 25 yr Comedian
The
ANNOTICO Report
Joy
Behar, who’s known best for her work on the ABC morning gabfest
"The View", where for the past 11 years she’s been
showing off the acerbic wit, that got her start in comedy but not until her
late 30s, after working as a high school English teacher.
Behar like most comics, feel the need to keep at least
one foot in the game, and continues to perform. She joked, Even Jerry Seinfeld
does, who’s the richest man on the planet".
Josephina
Victoria "Joy" Behar (nie Occhiuto; born October 7, 1943) Italian American,
was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York; the daughter of Rose, a
seamstress, and Gino Occhiuto, a truck driver.She was married to Joe Behar in January 1965 and
divorced him in 1981; they had one daughter, Eve. Behar nearly died from an ectopic pregnancy in 1979.
Behar holds a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from
Scranton
Cultural Center Plays Host to Comedian, “View” host on Jan. 25
Scranton Times-Tribune - PA, USA
By Josh McAuliffe
Staff Writer
January 18, 2008
Joy Behar wouldnt refer to standup
comedy as her love. Thats too cutesy a word to describe what can often be
a rough and tumble line of work, she said.
Its like a passion more than a love, she said during a recent
phone interview. Its a lust.
Whatever it is, it seems to be working just fine for Ms. Behar, whos known
best for her work on the ABC morning gabfest The View, where for the
past 11 years shes been showing off the acerbic wit she spent years
perfecting in smoky comedy clubs around the country.
On Jan. 25, shell be
taking her act to
Life is good at The View these days, Ms. Behar said. Ratings are up
at The View since Whoopi Goldberg and
Sherri Shepherd came on board, and the shows vibe has been much more
amiable since Rosie OD onnells short but
controversial tenure came to an end last May.
Its a very mellow feeling. No tension at
all, said Ms. Behar, who still keeps in touch with her old standup pal Ms.
ODonnell through e-mail. I dont feel any of it this year.
Fitting in
She said Ms. Goldberg and Ms. Shepherd have proven to be naturals at The
Views chatty, off-the-cuff format, which she attributes in part to
the both having backgrounds in standup.
They figured out that comedians are good on the show, she said.
I like Sherri and Whoopi very much.
Meanwhile, Ms. Behars pal Elisabeth Hasselbeck
recently returned to the Barbara Walters-produced show after a few months of
maternity leave, opening the gates again for some spirited political debate
between the liberal Ms. Behar and the conservative Mrs. Hasselbeck.
I like having her back, Ms. Behar said. When I talk politics, I
dont want to preach to the converted.
< BR>For how well known shes become through her association with
The View, Ms. Behar said shes under the impression that a lot of
her fans have no idea shes a comic.
I have 25 years of it, which is a long time, she said.
Now is a particularly fruitful time for her act, with a good dozen or so
engagements on the horizon, which is a lot when placed on top of the five
View tapings she does a week, she said.
Im very into my standup right now, she said, noting most comics
by and large need to keep at least one foot in the game. Even Jerry
Seinfeld, whos the richest man on the planet, she joked.
As a comedian friend of mine said years ago, its my oxygen, she
said. Youre just out there on your own. Its stressful. Its rewarding.
The Brooklyn native didnt get into comedy until
her late 30s, after working as a high school English teacher, a receptionist at
Good Morning America and the host of a radio call-in show, the lat ter two of which ended with her firing.
Standup came from me being funny as a teacher, in the teachers room
mostly, she said. I thought, I want to make
some money at this.
However, being funny with friends and being funny up on stage in front of a
roomful of strangers are completely different things.
Its a whole other ball game, she said. Its
like the difference between strumming on a guitar at a hootenanny and playing
with Eric Clapton.
Beginners luck
Surprisingly, the first time Ms. Behar got up on
stage, she killed. The second time, however, I died like a dog,
despite doing the same exact material. What she didnt
realize at the time was that the two sets were done
under different circumstances and for two totally different audiences.
It took six months to get back on (stage), said Ms. Behar, noting she
only kept doing it because she was broke and a single parent. I was a very
tentative starte r. Because I would
remember the bad, and not the good.
Eventually, everything came together, and Ms. Behar had an act she could add to
and subtract from over time. For next weeks
There might even be some local flavor interspersed through the set. As a young
girl, Ms. Behar occasionally visited
In
Theres really no shortage of things Ms. Behar can talk about, because even
when shes not doing her act, its continually evolving in her head.
It keeps your mind occupied at all times, she said. Thats
ho w comedians see their standup.
In other words, the lust is as strong as it ever was.
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