Elizabeth Hassel-blech: Idiot or Racist? You decide!

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Reader “Cola” emailed our tip line about a Cele|bitchy blog post regarding The View’s most annoying co-host and the incomprehensible insults she hurls. Watch and enjoy, Mutineers:

But is she being racist? Or just a sputtering, inarticulate twit? I vote for the latter, but Defamer disagrees:

Though Elisabeth Hasselbeck has offended many during her tenure on The View, she’s never quite had what could be called, in the show parlance, a “Ching Chong” moment. So named for Rosie O’Donnell’s Asian language impression in which she shrieked, “Ching Chong Ching Chong!” and stopped just shy of declaring, “That was me, Rosie, playing an Oriental!” the gaffe is the type that incurs the wrath of an entire race, and Hasselbeck may have had her own in this morning’s episode.
While attempting to reference Deepak Chopra’s recent remarks on the Mumbai massacre (he implied the terrorists had an eye on America), a frustrated Hasselbeck first called him “Glitter Glasses Whatshisface,” and then, dismissing his comments as beneath her recognition, muttered, “Go light a bowl of incense.” Why stop there, Elisabeth? Tell those minorities how you really feel using the most stereotype-laden kiss-offs you can muster! If your stylist tries to dress you in another pirate shirt? “Oh, go take your AIDS pills!” Joy Behar got you down? Just say, “Whatsa matta, you-a? Something land in your spaghetti? Oh, what-a spicy meatball!” It’s fun, easy, and guaranteed to get the letters pouring in! [whats-his-link]

These are the remarks which got her knickers in a twist. In my opinion, she’s referring to Chopra’s new-age/self-helpy connections, zimbly because I think she’s too stupid to realize that agarbathi is Desi. I don’t know about all those letters pouring in there, Defamer. Thanks for the love, though!

Finally, “Glitter Glasses Whatshisface”? But…but…why? It doesn’t even make sense, not that Hasselbeck is known for doing so. Thoughts? 🙂

97 thoughts on “Elizabeth Hassel-blech: Idiot or Racist? You decide!”

  1. If she had delivered the insult in the traditional fashion (assuming it was a dig at new ageyness), we would’ve heard, “Go light a bowl of PUTCH-ouli!”

  3. She didn’t stop speaking for half a second. I guess she meant whatshisname.

    Not racist.

  4. 2 · Rahul said

    I am more offended by defamer describing Deepak Chopra as a “noted Indian scholar”.

    o no, not the south asian vs. indian debate again.

  5. 1 · Nayagan said

    If she had delivered the insult in the traditional fashion (assuming it was a dig at new ageyness), we would’ve heard, “Go light a bowl of PUTCH-ouli!”

    Quite right, old payar.

    2 · Rahul said

    I am more offended by defamer describing Deepak Chopra as a “noted Indian scholar”.

    I knew one of you would go there. 🙂

  6. Hmmm, this thing ate my comment. Raaaacist!

    Okay, Elizabeth needs to learn to argue coherently. Not helping your side, Elizabeth, not helping…..

    Also, why does the View exist?

  7. What does Sri to the three Ravi Shankar have to say about the geopolitical implications of India’s security crisis?

  9. 4 · Manju said

    <

    blockquote>2 · Rahul said

    I am more offended by defamer describing Deepak Chopra as a “noted Indian scholar”.
    o no, not the south asian vs. indian debate again.

    I think calling Deepak Chopra a “scholar” is what was offensive, not the Indian part.

    Also, Idiot or not, Racist or not – she’s freaking ANNOYING and brings out my violent side.

    Taking deep breaths to calm down

  11. I find them all annoying. And Barbara Walters, frankly, is frightening. Seriously. She’s scary.

  13. When she said the glitter glasses comment I completely thought she was talking about Elton John and was waiting eagerly for the Elton John-brown angle.

  14. I didn’t realize we were fighting a stereotype that all desis wear glittery red glasses. What has this world come to…

    As much as Hassle-beck is a prat, this comment is hardly racist.

    I hate how everyone talks over each other on that show. it’s insane to watch. “One voice at a time and inside voices!”

  15. Anybody who dumps on Deepak is OK in my book. But did it have to be someone from the View (esp. Elizabeth)

  16. I saw Michelle Haimoff’s article and felt bad abour my past remarks about the good doctor and metaphysicist. I didn’t realize that Dr. GlitterGlasses’ best efforts were censored like that by CNN (Glitterglasses something of an honorific, as name-calling goes, and Watzisface rude but not racist, IMO). They need her there as a foil for the others and to remind us regularly that a pretty face can hide a dark soul. She does have a part to play- after all she prompted her boss to say, “We did kweeate pwoblums in Ihwack!” and that’s not easy.

  19. Am I supposed to be offended that she made a racial mark to Deepak Chopra. I’m just glad she didn’t go off on Shah Rukh Khan, then it’d would’ve gotten personal

  20. I don’t think that she’s racist, just ignorant… which does happen to be a trait of most racists.

    However, she does win the award for being the most annoying person on TV! Right before Paris Hilton!

  21. ok–why does everyone want to deep-six the Chopra? I know he’s full of tiresome blah-blah, but he’s in a long line of desi missionaries to the goris, like the lately departed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who inspired the deathless Beatle ditty “Come together–right now—all over me”

    get a grip people. Don’t chop the chopra. “He say I know you, you know me, one thing I can tell you is you got to be free ….must be good looking cause he’s so hard to see….Come together right now over me”

    Perhaps Ms. Hasselbeck’s parent’s couldn’t get the tune out their heads.

  22. Elizabeth calling me racist names kind of turns me on. Did I just discover a fetish about myself?

    “Yeah Elizabeth, Ill fly you around on my carpet and land it on the back of a camel while you rub the dot off my head. Whatever you want babe.”

    But seriously can you imagine being married to her? All day long having to argue with her about everything and never getting a word in and right before you go to bed she makes you sing “And Im proud to be an American, where at least I know Im free…….”

  23. Manju, it seems like she might share some inclinations with Ann Coulter. I think she is angry that the good doc would not align her chackras

  24. She’s a pretty sheltered woman. I don’t think she was being racist, but she’s just ignorant.

    I don’t expect much from her, but then again, I don’t expect much from people whose foundation for being famous is just being fit and attractive. She went to BC, a good school, and then chased after Hasselbeck and married him. Then went on Survivor. And now she’s on The View & is being made fun of by people of different political views daily. I don’t think she realizes how much she doesn’t fit in with the typical Hollywood set. I’m sure she’d be great cohosting a show on Fox News with Palin, though.

  25. What does “glitter glasses” even mean?! I thought she was talking about Elton John too!

    I am more offended by defamer describing Deepak Chopra as a “noted Indian scholar”.

    Sometimes you guys just straight slay me!

    I think Elizabitch is just a shouting moron, not a racist.

  27. I don’t think Hasselbeck was being racist. Hasselbeck is a tool. She is in the mode of Sarah Palin and I would bet my right tusk that she runs for Congress at some point in the next 10 years. Saying stuff like she did about Chopra “energizes her base.” What I find most offensive in this whole episode is that CNN would invite Chopra on in the first place. What business does an entertainer have opining on terrorism and national security issues (other than the fact that he is Larry King’s BFF)? It is almost like producers at CNN thought to themselves, “oh, he’s Indian, let’s put him on TV and allow him to talk.” They might as well have interviewed Sanjaya from American Idol. Even Dr. Sanjay Gupta probably would have been more insightful than Chopra. So what’s worse, the musings of Hasselbeck or the tokenism of CNN?

  31. No big controversy. I wouldn’t even call it a racial insult. She is a twit. But this is not something that offends me.

  32. 23 · louiecypher said

    Manju, it seems like she might share some inclinations with Ann Coulter. I think she is angry that the good doc would not align her chackras

    hmmmm…makes sense, Louie. Maybe “glitter glasses whatshisface” was a reference to reverse-beer-goggles.

  33. Joey Behar and Whoopie are just as silly as Hasselbeck…and just with a different ideology. Its just a scheme to make Bawa look normal.

  34. She is a nuisance , not racist. Does anyone really watch that show? Coincidentally, her husband Tim is the one of the most annoying commentators currently on ESPN. Dennis Miller/Rush Limbaugh are a close second and third.

    I’m so glad that it’s Matt Hasselbeck’s brother — and not Matt Hasselbeck (my favorite football player) — who’s married to this idiot.

  36. call me of the asian american studies school of thought…but let me take a poke:

    there is a pretty dang good connection between “racism” (an -ism that defines people racially and seeks to separate individuals and has historically been used to claim white racial superiority among other things) and “racial stereotypes” (a stereotype that is racialized aka smelly italians, or lazy mexicans or angry black [wo]men).

    asian men have historically been typified by whites as effeminate, lacking sexual prowess, being softer, being females. and while being a female (as i am a powerful one myself) is not negative at all, when a man’s masculinity is challenged, it is very much an insult. so hasselbeck cognizantly and maliciously remarked on the red glittered glasses rims that deepak chopra wore on a recent larry king live episode during the mumbai attacks coverage because it is not a social norm for straight men to wear glitter, that too so prominently on their glasses on a network “where millions of America get their news.”

    now, if you ask me, hasselbeck was implying that deepak chopra, men of all men, was in her sad and biased opinion not manly for having worn red glitter on his glasses. so, i believe she did make a racist remark by putting to use a hundreds year old racial stereotype by representing deepak chopra, an asian man (a successful physician, motivational speaker, and businessman=power not of the white kind), as effeminate.

  39. Hasselbeck is not a racist, but she probably would flunk the implicit-association test, I’m sure. She’s a typical Republican blond-cheerleader type (petit trophy wife), and I find her very annoying and foolish. How did she get into BC?

  42. 41 · Manju said

    Prick Up Your Ears

    That’s what Uncle Roberts always warned about (minute 2:27, but the whole thing is excellent advice on the birds and the bees for the misguided youth of today). But, getting back to Laura Ingraham, maybe Shallow Thinker will motivate her to keep her head cocked.

  44. 40 · Rahul said

    38 · Manju said
    than what’s she gonna use to turn ShallowThinker on?
    He’ll just have to settle for Laura Ingraham, although I don’t know if their fetishes match.

    I think Manju pointed out a while back that both Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter were engaged to or dated Dinesh D’Souza and they’d just as soon waterboard a bro as carry his baby. I think Hasselbeck is just trying to upset ChOprah’s (notice you never see Chopra or Oprah in the same place at the same time?) yogic equilibrium by playing the part of a beautiful but cretinous apsara. Rishis were always being driven to distraction by nymphs sent by rivals or so I have read in Amar Chitra Katha

  45. 42 · Rahul said

    maybe Shallow Thinker will motivate her to keep her head cocked.

    well, if the video is any evidence, desi guys everywhere will be pleased to know that she seems to go off half-cocked

  48. What I find most offensive in this whole episode is that CNN would invite Chopra on in the first place. What business does an entertainer have opining on terrorism and national security issues (other than the fact that he is Larry King’s BFF)? It is almost like producers at CNN thought to themselves, “oh, he’s Indian, let’s put him on TV and allow him to talk.”

    Hey, no, Elephant, this time the glittering metaphysicist did speak out, and got censored by CNN for it– check the article Anna linked. It’s on HuffPo at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-haimoff/my-uncensored-interview-w_b_147960.html .

    hmmmm…makes sense, Louie. Maybe “glitter glasses whatshisface” was a reference to reverse-beer-goggles.

    Manju, do you think maybe Ms. Hassleblech is a secret SM reader and saw this? (scroll a bit)

  49. 48 · Amrita said

    this time the glittering metaphysicist did speak out, and got censored by CNN for it– check the article Anna linked

    I read that article a few days ago. It was such a gem of paranoia about persecution by Big Auto that it deserved to be on Kos.

    I really hope one of these networks interviews the REAL desi terrorist expert, Kal Penn of 24 and Superman Returns fame, to ask him for his suggestions.

  50. 2 · Rahul said

    I am more offended by defamer describing Deepak Chopra as a “noted Indian scholar”.

    you lost me, dude. i whats wrong with calling him a “noted Indian scholar” ??