Book Review: ‘Ladies Who Punch’ Is Great Behind The Scenes Look At The View

I turn on The View everyday to see what kind of a train wreck it will be. These women come on everyday and debate topics, talk all over each other and sometimes have on-air spats (my favorite). It has gotten better over the years as far as all that goes but in the heyday of the show it was awesome to me. Now we get to learn a lot of the behind the scenes of the show that has been on TV for over 20 seasons. Author Ramin Setoodeh has gotten interviewed and talk to a lot of people associated with the show and gotten access like no other. What follows is a book that blows the cover off of things.

He talked to most of the hosts over the years and the people behind the scenes. With very revealing stories it is a must read for fans of the show. How Barbara would lose control of things and have to reel people in. How Rosie and Elisabeth would fight on screen and their relationship offscreen. How Meredith feels she was forced out because of her age. How Jenny McCarthy was brought on for a specific purpose and then Barbara tried to change her. How the hosts would drive everyone crazy trying to fit into the show. And of course there’s a lot about Star and among things how she tried to use the show for free things for her wedding.

It’s all in here the fights, the relationships, how the show has evolved over the years and how the co-hosts really felt about each other and doing the show. Again I cannot stress what a great job author Ramin Setoodeh has done with research and putting this all together.

You can pick up the book in stores now from Thomas Dunne Books.