WHOOPI: I think it’s good.

LIZ: I think it was great once you came because she doesn’t seem so alone and piled on.

WHOOPI: Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, I guess it also has to do with how you do it. My mother taught me that you can have the dialogue, disagree and move on. The idea that somehow you can’t disagree with people without being pissed at them all the time makes no sense to me. For me, it’s just, let’s talk about this, and here’s what I think and here’s what you think and great. Now, here’s — Barry Manilow.

LIZ: Well, actually it’s really kind of terrific that Barbara wanted to do "The View" against the wishes of ABC. And it was always great to me that she persevered and did it. And for it to now, after a dozen years, to take on a kind of legitimate actual status. I think it’s just great. You are more laid back on the air and Barbara is sort of middle of the road, and I think people believe that you’re both very liberal minded. But they’re not always quite sure. I mean you don’t mix it up like some of the others. And I suppose that’s the burden of being a host: not getting too hot and bothered yourself.

WHOOPI: No, but somebody’s got to move the show.

LIZ: That’s right.

WHOOPI: Somebody’s got to put the fire out.

LIZ: You know, "The View" is now very controversial and it just seems like it’s always making waves these days. And I see that people who have never paid any attention to a women’s show are now paying a lot of attention to it. So have you and Barbara and producer Bill Gedde ever gotten together and said, "Let’s make this show more controversial?"

WHOOPI: No.

LIZ: So it’s not on purpose?

WHOOPI: No, it’s so funny. It seems so odd to me that it’s —

LIZ: Not planned.

WHOOPI: No. No, no, no.

LIZ: You don’t say backstage, "Let’s go out there today and we’ll really chop each other up."

WHOOPI: No. No. What you see is what it is.

LIZ: OK. Well, that’s great because that means it’s real. It’s not artfully showbiz.

WHOOPI: I’m too lazy. I’m too lazy to pre-plan.