If you, as I did, thought that John McCain’s appearance on The View last week was as awkward as the show’s “Red, White & View” segments could get…well, think again. Because, this Monday, the Ladies of the Curved Couch will host…Bill Clinton.
Yep: Barbara and Bubba, side by side! Watch out, Senator McCain…your Awkward Moments Per View Segment world record could be in jeopardy!
Clinton will ostensibly be guesting on the show to talk about the Clinton Global Initiative. (Remember that? The organization that’s fighting AIDS in Africa and developing microfinance to fight poverty and founding schools in developing countries and generally making everyone forget about Monica Lewinsky? The organization that had everyone thinking Clinton was saving the world, or at least his own legacy, before 2008 primary antics made them think he might actually be more angry and petulant and possibly racist than he is messianic? Yeah, that thing.)
But–this being The View, and all–Clinton probably won’t end up spending much time talking about developing nations while on the couch with the Viewers. He will probably end up talking about Barack Obama. And, if the ladies are feeling extra-sassy, about where he stands on the “boxers or briefs” debate.
Either way, we can pretty much be assured that Monday morning will bring some combination of: awkward flirting from Joy, indignant interrogation from Elisabeth, and at least one pointed, South Carolina-related question from Whoopi. Sweet. If they bring the awkwardness, we’ll bring the mimosas.
Megan Garber is an assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. She was formerly a CJR staff writer.