Star Jones got fired last night.
It wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last. She put up a good fight throughout the last couple of weeks of The Celebrity Apprentice. But I guess her time had come. As a viewer I am neither happy nor sad about this.
I have mixed feelings about Star Jones. Now, let me just say that I don't know her personally. These are just my observations accumulated over the years from following her career in the media.
During the O. J. Simpson trial, and back when I enjoyed the myriad of channels from having cable television, I recall seeing Star Jones for the first time. She intrigued me because she appeared to break through a lot of entertainment television barriers. She was not an attractive white male. She was a pretty, heavy-set black female. She had the academic background and credentials that allowed her to go toe-to-toe with any male on a panel of lawyers. She presented herself well, spoke beautifully, and exuded confidence. You could see a glimmer of a diva back then.
I am a devoted fan of The View. I have been there from the beginning. I even went to a taping back in the late 1990s. The format and co-hosts have changed over the years but the concept is the same. Intelligent women of different backgrounds and life experiences discussing their views on what's going on in the world. They are like an extension of my circle of friends. There are some that I agree with, some that are fun to party with, and some that I learn a lot from.
When Star Jones was in her early days of The View I could relate to her because she carried the additional burden of carrying additional weight. It gave me hope that brains will trump looks when it comes down to it. Even fat people can be taken seriously, be respected for their academic accomplishments, and persevere in the public eye. At one time, Star was okay to show that she wasn't perfect. That's when she was most endearing. As Star met the 'man of her dreams' and got consumed with planning her wedding I think she lost some of her appeal. She had the courage to show her struggles with weight and you were rooting for her. Towards the end of her days on The View after she had gotten bariatric surgery she seemed to put on airs and was losing her relatability. She refused to admit she'd gotten the surgery; this made her come off as a liar. The overdone theatrics of her 'fairy tale' wedding turned some people off. Her constant reminder of, "I am a lawyer; I was a district attorney" made her come off as arrogant and unapproachable. So when she finally left The View it was her time.
It was good that she stayed out of the public eye for a while. I recall seeing her do an interview with Larry King and she looked fantastic. She talked about her abrupt leave from The View. I probably would have done the same thing. If someone doesn't want you any longer, why stick around? I rooted for her when she got her own show. Although it didn't last too long at least she had healed enough wounds to start coming back and creating a media presence.
I heard about her heart surgery and prayed for the best. I knew she had heart problems when she was younger and donned a scar in the middle of her chest. I always wished her the best because I have mad respect for her despite her arrogance. I was glad to see her land a spot on The Celebrity Apprentice. She ended up making pretty good t.v. too. While she pissed many people off and rubbed certain people the wrong way you just can't argue her good work ethic. Star Jones is organized, confident, and presents herself well. She had the foresight to anticipate situations and knew how to control it to protect her continuity on the show. But, the show is near the end and it was just her time to go.
As an aside, I caught a snippet of an interview she did with Joy Behar on Joy's show. Star was promoting her new fiction novel, Satan's Sisters. Joy was nice enough to have her on the show even though I always got the feeling that Star rubbed Joy the wrong way many a time on The View when they were both co-hosts. While Star was happy for the opportunity to promote herself and her book, she still laid some digs into Joy which annoyed me. Star should have shown a little more gratitude and respect to Joy.
If someone were to ask me do I like Star Jones I would have to say 'yes, but she's a little too arrogant and condescending'. I appreciate her intelligence and the media barriers she broke. I even look forward to reading her new novel this summer. I just think Star Jones would be well-served to practice a bit of modesty and respect for others.
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