The View‘s “Hot Topics” segment got a bit personal for several of the cohosts, especially Sunny Hostin. In the episode, Hostin, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Alyssa Farah Griffin (note: Sara Haines was absen
t Tuesday) talked about a viral video in which a woman contended that she was accused of not putting enough effort into her appearance by not wearing makeup.
“I think that’s hard to tell [someone] because no one would ever ask a man why his face wasn’t made up, ever,” Goldberg said in reaction. “And to me, if I’m working on a pole, then you can talk to me about makeup. But if I’m working in a capacity where I have to talk to people and stuff, what does my face have to do with this? What does my makeup have to do with it?” Goldberg’s words were greeted with uproarious applause from the audience.
“I think that after all the years of women wear [it], people are not used to seeing women, other people are not used to seeing women with makeup, even Trump does it. Look at the makeup he wears. People know you have to wear makeup on television,” Behar countered, to which Goldberg pointed out that the woman in the video wasn’t a TV star.
“I do wonder about it because if you’re working for a law firm and interviewing for a law firm position, does that mean you have to have a fully made-up face?” Hostin added, before diving into her own experience with criticism of her appearance. “I will tell you that in my experience, both as a lawyer and as someone on television, my hair has become an issue. I don’t know how to blow my hair out. I don’t know how to flat-iron my hair out, and everybody realized that during the pandemic because we didn’t have hair and makeup crews, and I showed up like this.”
Hostin continued, “I’ve been told many times that curly hair is unprofessional and that I should make a change… One day, I let the stylists blow out my hair for CNN, and I got a call from an executive that same day, and said person said, ‘You found your look. Don’t change it.’”
Behar then revealed that she had a similar experience of being treated differently by professional superiors as a result of her hairstyle: “When I was a receptionist over at Good Morning America… I had an afro sort of hair… The EP wanted me on TV, they thought I was funny. But they never put me on. And then another person said, “If you had blown your hair out — ’cause one day I came out, it was straightened out, some Agent Orange on it — and they said, ‘If you had worn your hair like that, they would’ve put you on television… it’s discriminatory,’” Behar said.
Griffin, who previously served as press secretary for the Department of Defense, added, “I was so conservative because my parents were three- and four-star generals with 30 years older so I wore virtually no makeup I pulled my hair back I wore a suit every day.” She then pointed out the drastic difference between her routine then and now, as a cohost of The View. “So you on one hand as a woman to be taken seriously feel like you have to downplay your looks or your youth or whatever. And then in other circumstances like I was in hair and makeup for like two hours today. It’s some of the industry-dependent, but that was something that I felt like showing up in glam would have hurt me,” she said.
“If we came out here without makeup, people would be scared,” Behar then joked. “People would be like adjusting the screen.”
Goldberg then reminded everyone that she does not choose to wear makeup herself and explained why, saying, “Well, people always say, ‘How come you don’t wear makeup?’ I say, ‘Because who has time? I don’t have two hours to fool around. It’s either you liked this or you don’t. I don’t have to be here. I’ll be home. ‘Cause that’s me.’”
This entire exchange was met with several social media reactions from fans on Twitter, particularly those who wanted to share words of support for Hostin and her curly hairstyle.
“Sunny, I love your hair. Don’t straighten it. Be you,” one fan wrote.
“Your segment on professional looks in the workplace hit home. I train CHWs about code switching and what it means. I used to think I should wear my hair straight to look professional,” another wrote.
Behar’s experience being cold-shouldered by GMA also earned a reaction from those watching. “Same with my hair. I was also told for a job interview if my hair wasn’t flatironed it should be in a bun. I didn’t get the job,” one viewer wrote in response to the claim.
The View, weekdays, ABC
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