The women of “The View” have been unable to escape dismissive jokes made on Monday towards Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson’s nurse getup and monologue during the Miss America pageant’s talent portion. The panelists will once again tackle the topic today, from a standpoint of the unexpected ongoing controversy, TheWrap has learned.
While comedians Michelle Collins and Joy Behar already essentially apologized for — or at least explained away — their remarks, the situation has not gone away and hashtag #NursesUnite is still bringing people of that profession and their external supporters together on social media.
As a result of the blowback, two major sponsors have already pulled out from “The View.” Johnson & Johnson and Eggland’s Best both bailed.
“Johnson & Johnson values and appreciates nurses and we respect the critical role they play in our health care system,” the company said in a Thursday statement to TheWrap. “We disagree with recent comments on daytime television about the nursing profession and we have paused our advertising accordingly.”
Eggland’s Best followed suit, also saying in a statement yesterday: “In light of the comments about the nursing profession recently made on daytime television we will we will no longer be advertising on the show in question.”
ABC did not have a comment over the lost advertisers.
During the Miss America Pageant on Sunday, Johnson, from Windsor, Colo., walked out on stage in her nurse’s scrubs and delivered a unique monologue detailing her experiences in the medical profession with an elderly Alzheimer’s patient.
While the monologue sparked sympathy with many viewers of the ABC broadcast, the following morning Collins and Behar mocked her performance.
“The talent, though, I have to say, the woman who won sang opera, and she was incredible. Really good,” Collins said. “But then there was a girl who wrote her own monologue and I was like, ‘Turn the volume up, this is going be amazing, let’s listen.’ She came out in a nurse’s uniform and basically read her emails out loud and shockingly did not win … it was hilarious.
“Why does she have a doctor’s stethoscope on?” Behar asked Collins, who replied: “She helps patients with Alzheimer’s, which I know is not funny, but I swear you had to see it.”
A few days later, the two walked back a bit. “We love nurses … we adore you, we respect you,” Collins said. “You guys are wonderful, you’re the most compassionate people.”
“I was not talking about her as a nurse, we were talking about the talent competition and I think it got misconstrued,” she continued. “By the way, if your bosses are watching, you all deserve raises. Give them more money, give them everything, take my money.”
For Behar’s part, the comedian just said on Wednesday that she wasn’t paying attention during the segment and didn’t realize the contestant they were goofing on was a nurse.
“We’re all at their mercy, let’s face it,” Behar said of the profession. “It’s not like I was trying to be funny, it was just stupid and inattentive on my part.”
After, Collins called nurses “hilarious.” Behar added: “Nurses are great.”