The Talk: Discussion Thread

[Mr. Vixen]

I'm not even talking about Sharon in regards to the Talk - I like her on the Talk. But in general, on everything else I've ever seen her on, I've found her conceited, arrogant, condescending, crude and overall annoying.

Leah was the best part of the show for me. Which is obviously what I was saying.

[DaytimeFan]

I don't assume anything anyone else says to be obviously what they mean.

[Mr. Vixen]

Clearly Leah was not the most popular, as you said, or she would have been fired. Therefore, it was clearly my opinion.

Next please.

[JackPeyton]

Leah Remini seems a bit... off... i base this off her interviews, comments, and secondhand stories from people.

[EricMontreal22]

I base it on my completely unfair bias about scientologists. But as phony as I find SHaron, as I said for me (personally lol) i think it was wise to let her go.

[JackPeyton]

yeah, shes not even the normal hollywood scientology was hip in 2007 and i jumoed on the bandwagon kind, shes like 100% devoted.

[DaytimeFan]

Some can see it as fake...I look at it as smart. Most actors behave differently when they're overseas, Sharon is just one of many who plays to what the audience wants to see or can handle. Let's face it, the UK accepts nastier, bawdier, ballsier people. The USA doesn't...or at least that's what executives believe. Middle America wouldn't stomach UK Sharon Osbourne, just as UK audiences would find American Sharon Osbourne dull.

It's all business with Sharon, I know I'd do the same if I was her, she packages herself depending on the market, she does it better than most.

[DRW50]

You make a good point. It's funny because some still go around saying the UK is more conservative than the US. I don't know why.

[DaytimeFan]

Only insulated Americans would say that, anyone whose been to the UK for more than 3 days of tourism in London would know that the UK, like the rest of Europe, Canada and several Asian countries, is far more liberal in sex, humour, violence...you name it. America is exceptionally puritanical, all bought and paid for by Corporate USA.

Sharon knows it. Every celebrity knows it. You should see Robin Williams, Goldie Hawn, Mark Whalberg etc etc etc on the BBC's The Graham Norton Show they're like animals who have finally let out of their cages. They get to have opinions. You should see Valerie Bertinelli's interview on the CBC's George Strombolopolous Show. They're UNLEASHED.

[alphanguy74]

I think maybe people feel that way about the UK because to some degree, there is that reuptation for the British not being very emotional or demonstrative... and for whatever reason, they equate that with conservative. In the US, I think people expect CERTAIN celebs to be outrageous and bawdy, and they expect that from those people, like Bette Midler and Joan Rivers. I saw Dolly Parton's appearance on Graham Norton, and I think she was a bit more daring there than on shows here.

[DaytimeFan]

Right, it all comes down to a lack of awareness beyond the borders of the United States. The only people who are going to think the UK is more conservative than the United States are those people who haven't been there. As a good chunk of the American population doesn't have a passport it's clear that a lot of people are living in ignorance.

[DRW50]

I watched one or two clips of this online, as I wanted to see the part about Treyvon Martin. Why is Aisha Tyler the moderator? Is she a journalist now? I just know her from Ghost Whisperer.

I'm surprised Sara Gilbert is still around, since it has nothing to do with the premise she created (moms! moms!)

[EricMontreal22]

I think that's a valid point. For me it's just personal (and no it's not due to her bullying Dannii Minogue--I felt this way before). I feel like even on The Talk, where I agree with much she says, she contradicts what she has said in other places/on other shows. It's working for her--and you're right that she's incredibly shrewd for tailoring her persona to the market. I guess it rubs me the wrong way when I hear some North Americans think how kind hearted she is--I'm not sure I can think of a current celebrity who manages to behave so very differently depending on her market--but again in a way, that's to her credit. And I appreciate that you enjoy it.

I think it's just a North American view of the UK as repressed, sophisticated. Obviously they have never seen the trash press which has *always* been "worse" than the American equivalent, or their reality shows. I also think some of that is due to the class divides that still exist in England (the US has its own issues with its very different take on class, but...)

[EricMontreal22]

I had an American friend who was watching some fairly dull Canadian TV when he was visiting and was shocked that they can swear here. We seem to fall somewhere between the US and the UK in terms of a lot of that--though we don't quite have the trash culture of either and I think that's largely because we simply feed off of it from either of those cultures. I do appreciate that Canada--and I think even more than the UK from my experience living there for 6 months and Ireland for another 6, is still more accepting of sex/nudity than violence.

This is something some of my American friends take as me insulting the US culture--and most of what I enjoy in pop culture stems from the US, so it's not meant to sound that way, but Americans are fed a mentality from when they're young of being the land of the free. I seriously have met some very intelligent people who think that their country has the final word in freedom of rights when it comes to any other place in this world.

[Max]

Although England may indeed be more "liberated," the main reason why it is perceived by Americans as the more conservative country is because they still have a monarchy (albeit one that has little power) whereas we were the ones who rebelled against having a king. This is really all the common man knows, as he is unaware of just about everything else regarding British culture.

While there is no disputing that the U.K. is the much more liberal country, I am surprised that its citizens still insist on keeping its monarchy (and all the formality that goes along with it). If British folks are upset about the fact that ignorant Americans perceive them as too conservative or uptight, they should get rid of that obsolete institution.