Arts & Entertainment
Almost ••• Jewish
Comic and The View
co-host Joy Behar,
often mistaken for
a member of the
tribe, brings her
stand-up act
to town.
Alice Burdick Schweiger
Special to the Jewish News
F
ans of ABC's The View will
have a chance to see one of the
show's co-hosts, comic Joy Behar,
in person during appearances Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, at the Andiamo
Celebrity Showroom in Warren.
Although she is Italian and sometimes
refers to her Catholic heritage, many view-
ers perceive Behar to be Jewish. She did,
after all, come out with a memoir called
Joy Shtick, about her coming to comedy
in middle age, and sometimes peppers her
conversation with Yiddish slang.
When the opening "Hot Topics" seg-
ments of The View deal with an issue
with anti-Semitic overtones, Behar unfail-
ingly comes to the defense of the Jewish
people. "I find it very important and am
glad if viewers have noticed:' says Behar,
whose ex-husband, Joe Behar, and long-
time live-in boyfriend, Steve Janowitz,
both are Jewish.
The Brooklyn-born Behar, whose
mother was a sewing machine opera-
tor and father was a teamster, earned a
master's degree in English and began her
career as a teacher. After a brief stint as a
receptionist at Good Morning America,
from which she was fired, Behar set out to
follow her dream and do stand-up.
Over the years,
Joy Behar: "I am
she has starred in
her own HBO spe-
fearless on all
cial; hosted a call-in
subjects related
radio show in New
to bigotry."
York; appeared in
several films, including Woody Allen's
Manhattan Murder Mystery; and had a
couple of successful runs Off-Broadway.
Her career took a fortuitous turn when
Barbara Walters saw Behar perform at
Milton Berle's 89th birthday party.
"Barbara asked me if I wanted to be on
her new show:' says Behar. "Knowing that
Barbara was involved assured me that it
would be a smart show. I was hired to sit
in when Barbara wasn't there, then people
liked me and I became a regular."
Behar talked to the Jewish News about
her upcoming comedy show in Detroit, her
Jewish connections and life on The View:
JN: What will you talk about in your
Andiamo Celebrity Showroom appear-
ances?
JB: The fact that everyone always thinks
that I am Jewish. Since I grew up with a lot
of Jewish people and my ex-husband and
boyfriend are [Jewish], I may as well be
Jewish. I will also talk about politics and
guests on The View.
JN: Why do you go on the road at this
point in your career?
JB: Stand-up is what I do; television is
just a job for me. My comedy act is my
own production, direction and perfor-
mance, and nobody tells me what to do. I
like that.
JN: Have you been influenced by any
Jewish comedians?
JB: Robert Klein and Joan Rivers. Robert
and I think alike and have similar back-
grounds; he was a teacher, too. I get my
strength and attitude from Joan. She
is fearless out there and takes the First
Amendment very seriously, as do I.
JN: What is it about Jewish men that
you find attractive?
JB: They are fun and don't take them-
selves seriously. I can't explain it — we
just click.
JN: Do you find a lot of similarities
between Italians and Jews?
JB: Yes, a lot. I think that's why there is a
tremendous kinship. There is the thing
with the food, family, holidays, humor and
mothers — a ton of material.
JN: Since your live-in boyfriend of
almost 25 years is Jewish, do you cel-
ebrate any of the Jewish holidays?
JB: When his Aunt Ruth was alive, we
went to seders. I was married to Joe for
16 years, and his father was Conservative
— almost Orthodox — so we celebrated
the holidays.
JN: How do you feel about Mel Gibson?
JB: I think he should have a public cir-
cumcision without anesthesia.
JN: Why do you think his film
Apocalypto was so well received?
JB: His fans don't care that he is anti-
Semitic. But just because a film does well,
doesn't make it good, or that I would see
it. Barbara [Walters] (the Jewish creator
of The View) said she wouldn't see any of
his movies [after the anti-Semitic remarks
he made while being arrested for drunken
driving last summer]. He makes an anti-
Semitic movie and is mad at the Jews
because they call him on it. I thought his
Passion of the Christ was anti-Semitic.
JN: What is the best part about doing
The View?
JB: The spontaneity of the show. I read
the research and don't have to learn lines
— all I have to do is go on national televi-
sion and give my opinion.
Almost ... Jewish on page 68
February 15 2007
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