Who is Joy Behar? TV host apologizes for making an inappropriate joke about NFL player Carl Nassib
Comedian and longtime host on “The View” daytime TV talk show Joy Behar made headlines yesterday when she cracked an inappropriate joke about gay NFL player Carl Nassib.
Joy Behar joked about Nassib’s announcement on Monday that he was gay by saying,
“After they said ‘penetration in the end zone,’ they lost me,” prompting shocked and annoyed reactions from her fellow panelists.
Later in the show, Joy Behar tried to walk back her wisecrack and apologize by stating:
“I just long for the day when you can just be gay in the world, and it doesn’t become a big deal. By the way, that inappropriate joke I made for daytime television? Scratch it. Make-believe I never said it.”
Joy Behar's joke was met with an immediate backlash online
Behar’s attempt at comedy fell flat on the show and was met online with a swift rebuke from many. Daily Beast reporter Justin Baragona simply posted "Yikes" alongside a clip of the joke.
News editor Jon Nicosia was less than impressed with Behar's quip about the Raiders' Carl Nassib.
Behar's co-hosts on The View reacted with shock and dismay after she made the joke.
Who is The View's, Joy Behar?
The 78-year-old New York comedian, television host and actress has had a long career in show business. She began as a humble receptionist before becoming a producer on ABC’s Good Morning America in the 80s.
During this time, she started to perform stand-up comedy around the Big Apple and featured on Good Morning America and hosted the Live from Queens comedy show.
Behar’s big break came when she became one of the original hosts on The View in 1997. The show was co-created by news journalist Barbara Walters. She was a full-time panelist on the show before briefly leaving in 2013 to pursue other entertainment projects.
The comedian returned to the show that made her famous as a regular panelist in 2015. Outside of working on The View, Behar has starred in many stage productions in New York City, including The Food Chain, The Vagina Monologues, and Love, Loss and What I Wore.
She has written multiple books, including a collection of humorous essays and stories called Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments? and a children's book called Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog, published in 2006.
Joy Behar has yet to comment further on the Carl Nassib joke and the subsequent reaction online.