Breakfast w/Greg: The Advocate talks to Joy Behar; Roger Federer may be finished for 2009

Good morning!

I really enjoyed reading Ross von Metzke’s interview with Joy Behar for Advocate.com. I’ve picked out five questions to highlight from their chat. I gotta say, reading Joy’s answers in print makes me appreciate Joy’s intelligence and common sense all the more.

Those qualities are a big reason why her new cable show is getting so much buzz and becoming must-see TV. Here is some of what Joy had to say:

Q. Right out of the gate, you’ve started talking about “don’t ask, don’t tell,” about the National Equality March, about Obama’s promises to the gay community. Is it just coincidence that these are all hot-button issues right now, or did you know going in you’d be talking a lot about gay rights?
A. Well, I focus on things that I’m interested in. I’m sure there are other shows where they don’t mention gay rights. So it’s a ‘Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?’ situation. And, in this case, the egg came first. [Laughs]

Q. Are you surprised that there hasn’t yet been any movement on “don’t ask, don’t tell”?
A. I find it shocking. Israel has gays in the military. Other countries have it. We’re way behind on that whole topic. That’s this country — this country is very conservative in so many ways and it’s a very slow process to get them outside of their conservative cocoons. This idea that it’s going to be uncomfortable for the men — why would it be uncomfortable unless they’re gay themselves and won’t admit it? I don’t see why it would be uncomfortable. They’re out there fighting a war but they can’t [handle] some guy who’s coming on to them? Gimme a break [laughs]. It’s insulting to the military, I think.

Q. You had Barney Frank on and gave him a chance to somewhat redeem himself after angering a lot of gay activists with his comments about the march. What was your take on his feelings about the march?
A. I think he was thinking a lot of it was old-school. “What’s the point in doing this? You should be more focused on lobbying.” My point is, you can do both. That was where I got him to, I think, for him to say, “Well, yeah, that’s true, we can do both.” A lot of times, marching on Washington is a personal catharsis for people. I did it many times in my heyday. It’s nothing new. It’s a great way to feel as though you’re part of the system.

Q. Do you think by having your own forum now in which you can talk politics and current events, you’re setting yourself up for further attacks from the right wing?
A. Absolutely [laughs]. Bring it on. I don’t care. Once you give your opinion on television, which I’ve been doing for 12 years on The View, you have people who hate you. I mentioned somebody’s name the other day on The View who is dead now from my childhood, and somebody called my aunt to complain. It’s just on and on. No matter what you do, you’re going to have people who get ticked off at you.

Q. You got a lot of press last week for asking, “Isn’t Janet Napolitano gay?” Were you really shocked to find out she’s not, or at least that she’s not out?
A. [Laughs] She’s not out. I just assumed she was. I mean, I don’t want to stereotype her… I thought Janet Reno was too. I don’t know, maybe it was the Homeland Security job. I don’t know. I was actually surprised it made the blogs. I thought, Of course she’s gay. But I must have just been talking out of both sides of my brassiere that day.

FEDERER FINISHED? I’m here in Palm Springs for the week chillin’ out a bit. Most years, I come out here in March to watch the big tennis tournament in Indian Wells and usually in the field is Roger Federer, the world’s top tennis player.

Word is that Federer is considering not playing any more tournaments this year which would serve tour officials right since they are the architects of this endless 11-month tennis season.

The season should end after the US Open, in my opinion, instead of dragging on well into November. Federer has not played since losing the Open final and reportedly wants to take time off to be ready for the Australian Open which begins in mid-January.

Someone has got to stop the madness!