Will Joy Behar Replace Larry King?

Joy Behar is like a jalepeno pepper: you either like her or you don't. Those who dislike Joy Behar find her too spicy or liberal. Those who like the Italian-American comedienne with the 80s hairstyle enjoy her frank opinions and quick wit.

If Joy Behar is a jalepeno pepper, CNN's Larry King, host of the popular Larry King Live talk show, is white rice--bland and plentiful. The suspenders wearing talk show host, who has been interviewing guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment and popular culture for the last two centuries (rumor has it Larry King interviewed Abraham Lincoln just before the theater incident), is best known for his rapid fire questioning style and ability to draw "gets" like a power magnet.

It is possible that Larry King's bland persona and calculated neutrality-King could be dubbed the "Switzerland of talk show hosts"-is the key to his success at attracting top-notch guests, whether A-list celebrities or 15-minutes-of-famers who feel less threatened being questioned by an interviewer known for lobbing relative softball questions. (Former Miss California's Carrie Prejean seemed ridiculous protesting Larry King's alleged badgering for this very reason. Larry doesn't beat his guests with a club; he tickles them with a feather.)

Heir apparent is not always apparent

Although Joy Behar has subbed for Larry King many times in recent years, it is not clear whether she is the official heir apparent to King's throne. If history is a guide, ribald comedienne Joan Rivers subbed for Johnny Carson frequently on The Tonight Show but was bypassed as his successor for the blander, more palatable Jay Leno.

Revving up the rumor mill, last fall Joy Behar launched her own chat show on CNN sister station HLN, a talk show host farm club of sorts (conservative golden boy Glenn Beck jumped from Behar's new time slot on HLN to a prime spot on Fox). Behar's new eponymous talk show fueled speculation that the Brooklyn born Behar is being groomed to take over for Larry King when the septuagenarian's contract expires in 2011.

Would Behar soften her edge?

If Joy Behar does replace Larry King on Larry King Live--changing the name to Joy Behar Live, of course--one would not expect her to be a Larry King clone. More likely Joy Behar would tread a middle ground between Larry King's mainstream show and her current show on HLN, the latter of which is edgier than many Americans could digest with their pot roast and mashed potatoes.

On a recent episode of Behar's HLN show, for instance, one segment included an X-rated conversation about a certain possible physiological similarity between Jon Gosselin's former girlfriend, Haley Glassman, and Lucy Mancini from The Godfather. In another segment, playwright and author Larry Kramer asserted (without revealing his source) that both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln engaged in homosexual behavior.

On the same episode, Behar's chat with D-lister Kathy Griffin was panned by socially conservative blogs such as NewsBusters after the two comediennes dished on overtly religious people, calling them "self-righteous," "angry" and "hypocritical." (NewsBusters stated aim is "documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.")

Who is competing with Behar for Larry King's job?

One thing Behar has going for her in the race to take over Larry King's plum TV job is her key competitors seem to have withdrawn from the contest. According to an unnamed source quoted in a New York Post article, Ryan Seacrest's contract with Fox puts him out of the running; CNN work horse John King is a one trick pony, specializing in politics; and Diane Sawyer has snagged a loftier gig as anchor of ABC evening news.

So will Joy Behar be Larry King's replacement? CNN isn't saying... yet, but two of the prime clues to pay attention to could be who CNN uses the most frequently to sub for Larry King on his nights off and Behar's ability to garner respectable ratings on her under-the-radar HLN show.

Stay tuned!

Sources:
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/item_lWyMPbhX6hInKwsrUDWNeJ
http://joybehar.blogs.cnn.com/
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/carolyn-plocher/2010/02/18/behar-and-kathy-griffin-religious-groups-self-righteous-and-hypercr