Julie Chen: It's Cool If You Call Her Chenbot

[VioletHues]

I won't lie, I would love it if Will took over. I'm not ashamed!

[hoosiermom]

Julie was not on the Talk. She is taking time off to be with her “family”

[CrazyDog]

While I think she will likely ride out the season, and maybe beyond, I think a new host would be great. But I liked Dr. Will as a player, but I do not want him as a host. I'd like to see someone who can find the balance between being impartial, but interested enough to stay clued into what's going on with the feeds, but also having fun with it. I'm not sure Will has the time or interest(?) to really follow the show. Will would have been a great host in the earlier seasons, where there was more good game play, and fewer people shooting for social media fame over actually winning. Showing up for an hour each season to do the jury round table seems like a better fit for him, IMO. 

I would like Ross personally, because I think he really enjoys the game and would bring some fun energy. But I know he drives a lot of people crazy, lol.

[Cramps]

1. Julie Chen got at least one but probably both of her jobs because of Les Mooves. She has said in interviews that he specifically took her from the news and also put her on Big Brother. (he was married and they were not a couple then, although in retrospect, with what he’s now been accused of, who knows what was really going on). And she was initially an awful host. She’s actually grown into the role very well. As for  The Talk job I assume she got it because of who she is. Wouldn’t you want the boss’s wife on your show? Or maybe Les demanded it. It’s one way to guarantee a place on the schedule. 

2. I don’t know whether Julie will be on the talk today, but I’m guessing she will, and  I’d be shocked if she wasn’t on B.B. on Thursday and didn’t at the very least finish out the season. She’s a professional. And how do you justify penalizing a woman for her husband’s actions? That said, when there is a new guard comfortably in place heading cbs, I wouldn’t be surprised if she eventually lost her job or jobs due to “creative” decisions. Because now there is no one demanding she be there. 

3. This is a very similar situation to Project Runway All Stars and Georgina. Her season had already been filmed when the Harvey stuff broke. Does anyone know if there has been talk about her future with that show? 

4. Evel Dick says Dr Will started the Dr Will as host rumors himself. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Cramps

[missyb]

At least when Julie hosts Big Brother and meets and  interviews the HG, they will be some of the only people who do not know what has transpired over the weekend and today. Hopefully that can keep her centered.

[green]

2 hours ago, hoosiermom said:

Julie was not on the Talk. She is taking time off to be with her “family”

Well this is what is giving me pause.  Weird.  She is a professional and shouldn't be doing stuff like this per Hollywood's rules of the road.  But maybe that is just that other show and she will do the BB show just fine.  I mean BB is a show where she isn't suppose to do anything but host it, not talk about herself.  But maybe Will did get a call as a stand-by just in case by a nervous CBS/Grodner.

I still think she will finish out BB20 just fine but if it was my show I guess it would make sense to have an understudy waiting in the wings since it is a live show on Thursday and the show must go on.  Especially since she skipped her other show today.

Edited September 10, 2018 by green

[Cramps]

Interesting. Maybe she wasn’t on The Talk  because 1. their lawyers and PR people haven’t figured out what to say. 2 PR recommended  she stay off the air today. 3.Or she’s actually now considering leaving non-head of network Les after the latest round of horrific allegations. 

 

BB won’t require her discussing her personal life. One would think she’d be back for that. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Cramps

[IndyMischa]

Option 4: CBS wants her off the air (maybe temporarily, maybe permanently) but was kind enough to call it "taking some time off."

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, IndyMischa said:

Option 4: CBS wants her off the air (maybe temporarily, maybe permanently) but was kind enough to call it "taking some time off."

That would be awful. Julie is not her husband. What he does shouldn't reflect her own career, but unfortunately, with him having a position of power, that's sorta what's happening. If Julie were to leave, I'd want it to be her own choice. I wouldn't want CBS pushing her out because of Moonves. She may defend him, though she's only made one statement so far and that was weeks ago, but I can't imagine the situation she's in right now. I think her taking a few days is likely her not knowing how to address this situation and people suggesting she take some time. With The Talk being live and on daily, and with it discussing situations like this, it would be impossible for Julie not to have to address it. If she was on her talk show and chose not to speak about it, people would blame her for covering for Moonves and his actions. If she did go on The Talk and made a brief statement, it would either be her covering for her husband or her being on her husband's side, depending on what the statement would be.

Yes, her taking some time is covering her own ass, but her career very well may be on the line and it doesn't have anything to do with her and her ability as a reporter and host. That's the biggest shame of all, I think.

Julie's basically in a no-win situation right now. 

[IndyMischa]

I agree with you on all points, @Lady Calypso. I just know Hollywood is mercenary enough that a forced break is at least a possibility. 

[gunderda]

It's very easy for someone to take a day off from those talk shows.  It wouldn't look nearly as weird as it would be if she were to not be on BB Thursday night. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

JC is worth dozens of millions of dollars. She's been the Queen of CBS/Viacom for years.  How many seasons of BB have been played out?

I believe she was looking hard at a gracious exit irrespective her husband's trials. 

What's left for her as a talent? 

She could easily start a production company (Does she already have one?) and keep her hand in media without being on camera and beholden to a merciless show clock.

I wish her well, whatever her decisions.

[Skyfall]

4 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Who would be a more likely replacement - Dr. Will or Ross Matthews, do you think?

Kevin Hart

[laurakaye]

4 minutes ago, Skyfall said:

Kevin Hart

please noooooooooo

[Skyfall]

8 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

JC is worth dozens of millions of dollars. She's been the Queen of CBS/Viacom for years.  How many seasons of BB have been played out?

I believe she was looking hard at a gracious exit irrespective her husband's trials. 

What's left for her as a talent? 

She could easily start a production company (Does she already have one?) and keep her hand in media without being on camera and beholden to a merciless show clock.

I wish her well, whatever her decisions.

20 seasons (roughly 19 years as 1 year had 2) plus CBB. So 19 years and 21 seasons of the same show. Not counting OTT as I didn’t watch nor have any info how that all worked out.

2 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

please noooooooooo

If there are no production changes you can bet it’ll be him or Paul. I wouldn’t mind a Dr. Will but I’m not sure how he would do as a host.

[Sandiscot]

It's amazing how quickly some people drag Julie into her husband's stuff even though none of these alleged misdeeds occurred while she has been married to him and most of them took place before he was even at CBS.  I also wonder if there's a woman's sob story that Ronan Farrow won't believe. How impartial is he, really? It may be that all of these tales are 100% true, it may be that some women have decided, thirty years after the fact, that they made a bad decision back then and now they can make themselves feel better about it.  I'm sure it's probably somewhere in the middle, as are most things.

[green]

20 minutes ago, Sandiscot said:

It's amazing how quickly some people drag Julie into her husband's stuff even though none of these alleged misdeeds occurred while she has been married to him and most of them took place before he was even at CBS.  I also wonder if there's a woman's sob story that Ronan Farrow won't believe. How impartial is he, really? It may be that all of these tales are 100% true, it may be that some women have decided, thirty years after the fact, that they made a bad decision back then and now they can make themselves feel better about it.  I'm sure it's probably somewhere in the middle, as are most things.

I seriously doubt it is somewhere in the middle.  Isn't Farrow with the NYT?  If so they, along with the Washington post, have the best and most accurate fact checker staffs in the world.  Moonves knows he is checkmated and he can't squirm out of it no matter how much he says otherwise so he re-signed taking his golden parachute with him.  But he is a typical power freak so if he had a shred of innocence regards the accusations he would have fought it through.  He didn't and good riddance to him.

Yeah he was in a power struggle before that with Redstone is her name over who would head up a CBS/Viacom proposed merger.  But she didn't make up these stories about him.  Maybe she helped float them out more so something finally happened but so what.  He did the deeds in the end and she is happy to benefit from those deeds.  Big time CEO stuff is a hardball sport.

And no Julie Chen has nothing to do with these accusations but she was in an affair with him way before she married him.  Their affair was nothing criminal but was something devastating to his first wife.  And she got her jobs at CBS through Moonves so I can see her eventually leaving because of all this "awkwardness" for her working for the person who was trying to push out Moonves (and did) more than anything else.  But there will probably be a buffer period while the contracts are played out and expire so as to not look that bad either for Chen or for the network.

Of course option two would be to leave Moonves but I don't think that is happening ... though maybe it should.

Edited September 10, 2018 by green

[zibnchy]

Unless she was out pimping for him (she wasn't), Julie is not responsible for her husband's rapey behavior. Les is responsible. Les is the rapist.

I can't imagine anyone else as host of BB. I hate Will *almost* as much as Paul.

[green]

If there is a new host eventually, I vote for Ross.  Well as long as there is no Marrisa involved as a co-host that is.  Since they were planning a second celebrity version over the winter, if they are still on with that then Ross would make perfect sense for that gig.  If he worked out well in that I could see him get the regular summer gig as well.

[Sandiscot]

Ronan Farrow's articles have all been in the New Yorker.

 

4 minutes ago, zibnchy said:

Unless she was out pimping for him (she wasn't), Julie is not responsible for her husband's rapey behavior. Les is responsible. Les is the rapist.

 

 

I have not seen any accusations of rape. 

[IndyMischa]

I would be fine with Dr Will, but Paul is a hard no. I could probably gag down Ross or Marissa, but Mark would definitely be my choice from the CBB pool. 

I did find Julie's full statement on her Talk absence, and she specifically said she'd be on BB this Thursday. For what that's worth... 

[zibnchy]

7 minutes ago, Sandiscot said:

I have not seen any accusations of rape. 

A woman who used to work for Les described him forcing her to give him a BJ. That's a rape accusation. Then he ruined her career.

Edited to add: I found this easily. This is a quote copied from a Washington Post article written about the accusations against LM.

"Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, a now-retired TV executive, told Farrow that she filed a criminal complaint late last year with the Los Angeles Police Department, accusing Moonves of “physically restraining her and forcing her to perform oral sex on him, and of exposing himself to her and violently throwing her against a wall in later incidents.” They worked together in the 1980s."

Edited September 10, 2018 by zibnchy

[green]

11 minutes ago, Sandiscot said:

Ronan Farrow's articles have all been in the New Yorker.

I have not seen any accusations of rape. 

Okay then I was wrong.  The New Yorker.  But they are pretty darn reputable too.  It sure as heck was some National Inquirer garbage rag he works for. 

And yeah forced oral sex is a flavor of rape.

 

10 minutes ago, IndyMischa said:

I would be fine with Dr Will, but Paul is a hard no. I could probably gag down Ross or Marissa, but Mark would definitely be my choice from the CBB pool. 

I did find Julie's full statement on her Talk absence, and she specifically said she'd be on BB this Thursday. For what that's worth... 

Mark?  As in last season's Mark who did nothing all season but some stupid showmance thing and squirt mustard in Josh's eye?  (God, last season was a horrible mess, wasn't it).  Anyway I assume that isn't the Mark you mean but I know of none other associated with BB.

Edited September 10, 2018 by green

[IndyMischa]

2 minutes ago, green said:

Mark?  As in last season's Mark who did nothing all season but some stupid showmance thing and squirt mustard in Josh's eye?  (God, last season was a horrible mess, wasn't it).  Anyway I assume that isn't the Mark you mean but I know of none other associated with BB.

Sweet Josephine, NO. (bless his heart) :) Mark McGrath from the Celeb edition. 

[green]

1 minute ago, IndyMischa said:

Sweet Josephine, NO. (bless his heart) :) Mark McGrath from the Celeb edition. 

Okay, thanks.  If there was a Mark on the celeb version I already forgot him though.  All I remember are Ross, Marissa, Omarossa and some basketball player who actually tried to escape from the House.  He was the sane one in the end I think, heh. 

Sorry but someone named Mark doesn't ring a bell with me.  But then I can't remember the majority of contestants on these shows.  In my brain at the beginning of the season and out of same at the end of that season.  I'm still waiting for BB19 Mark to disappear from my gray matter but people keep bring him up in the Live Feed thread so I can't get him out of my head just yet.

[IndyMischa]

Mark McGrath = the one with crazy hair and way too much plastic surgery, but smart, quick-witted, and funny, with hosting experience on another show. 

 

[green]

Okay so he looks like Will 2.0 with way too much plastic surgery.  Also the one whose hair looked like it was molded on my a special effects department.  Got you now.  Thanks.

[mikewho]

I remembered Mark McGrath from his stint as frontman for Sugar Ray. But that was only after I looked him up during Celebrity BB. They had a few hits. I hated them all.

[IndyMischa]

The only one I can think of is Fly, which was terrible. (Sorry, Mark!) 

[mojoween]

Today is Monday.  There is no one on earth, even a former hamster, who could pull off what Julie is going to be expected to do on Thursday.

Selfishly, I like Julie.  I don’t want anyone else to do it.  I fully understand, though, if she wants to take time off, because she wants to get her head on straight and assess her next steps out of the spotlight and take time with her son.

[Nashville]

34 minutes ago, green said:

Okay so he looks like Will 2.0 with way too much plastic surgery.  Also the one whose hair looked like it was molded on my a special effects department.  Got you now.  Thanks.

How could you forget Groot?  :D

 

 

[NutmegsDad]

On 9/10/2018 at 11:52 AM, laurakaye said:

Who would be a more likely replacement - Dr. Will or Ross Matthews, do you think?

Jeff Probst. ;)

[Skycatcher]

Short term, Dr. Will - BB chief resident famewhore (there are so many, but he's the first and foremost).  Long term, Ross Matthews - probably scheduling conflicts would prevent immediate short term (this week?) participation. I would be hoping for somebody else over either of them for the long term.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Skycatcher

[Nashville]

5 hours ago, NutmegsDad said:

Jeff Probst. ;)

<troutslap>

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Nashville
Because God said it needed video.

[Cherry Cola]

19 hours ago, IndyMischa said:

Mark McGrath = the one with crazy hair and way too much plastic surgery, but smart, quick-witted, and funny, with hosting experience on another show. 

 

This is a brilliant suggestion!! I like Mark!

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, Cherry Cola said:

This is a brilliant suggestion!! I like Mark!

Actually, I ended up liking Mark a helluva lot more than I ever expected to at the start of his season.

But, nice as he is, Mark still ain’t Ms. Julie....  

[jumper sage]

On 9/10/2018 at 11:52 AM, laurakaye said:

Who would be a more likely replacement - Dr. Will or Ross Matthews, do you think?

I like Ross.  He is just campy enough to be fun and he is a student of the game.

6 hours ago, NutmegsDad said:

Jeff Probst. ;)

OH, NO, YOU JUST SHUT IT!

On 9/10/2018 at 12:07 PM, Nashville said:

THIS is the galling point of all this brouhaha for me.  You may love you some Julie, or you may hate the Chenbot - either is ok, opinions and cowboy hats.  But no matter what, the decision on whether BB’s host continues in her current role should be made by or based on the on- and off-screen performances and actions of Julie Chen - NOT Mrs. Les Moonves.  To do otherwise is a total abdication to the back-to-the-50s patriarchy mindset nobody espouses any more, and totally disregards and disrespects any consideration of Julie as an entity independent of her husband.

I agree with you on this.  I have heard that Moonves is stepping down but will get a huge parachute $120mil and will be kept on as a consultant.

[laurakaye]

On 9/10/2018 at 5:49 PM, mikewho said:

I remembered Mark McGrath from his stint as frontman for Sugar Ray. But that was only after I looked him up during Celebrity BB. They had a few hits. I hated them all.

 

Fly, When It's Over, Is She Really Going Out With Him, Every Morning, Into Yesterday...these are staples on my "happy" playlist.  I think I liked Sugar Ray so much because Mark sounds a lot like Joe Jackson, who I also really like.  Beyond that, Mark has interview experience so he'd be a perfect replacement for Julie, should the need arise.  A team of Ross/Mark would be pretty great.

[Skycatcher]

Julie Chen Moonves - cool. Way to take a stand, girl!

[AuntieDiane6]

Yeah ... I caught that.  Subtle, yet speaks volumes.

[mojoween]

I don’t know how I feel about it.  I mean, on the one hand, he’s the father of her child.

On the other hand, he is accused of some pretty monstrous shit that I wouldn’t be standing behind, husband or not.

[Rachel RSL]

Yeah, I get it. It’s her life, it’s her husband but damn. It’s like she’s more proud to be his wife now that he’s been outed as a dirtbag womanizer? Father of my child or not, it’s not the way I would have reacted for sure.

[IndyMischa]

9 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Yeah ... I caught that.  Subtle, yet speaks volumes.

I'm not sure "subtle" would have been my first choice. I thought it was a live hand grenade tossed into the middle of the boardroom... 

[Gemma Violet]

I wonder if Julie has read Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's essay this week on Moonves in the Hollywood Reporter where she explains how he destroyed her career.  Linda was the successful and much-buzzed-about creator of Designing Women and Evening Shade and then basically disappeared.      

Edited September 14, 2018 by Gemma Violet

[Skycatcher]

I thought it was a classy way to make The Statement everybody, especially the media, was waiting to hear. "Will you stick with him or leave?"

[Callaphera]

28 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Yeah ... I caught that.  Subtle, yet speaks volumes.

Subtle was the picture she tweeted earlier of her hands holding the Big Brother 20 interview cards with her wedding band showing on her finger. 

"I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Good night."... was the equivalent of using a sledgehammer. Boom, CBS. 

Edited September 14, 2018 by Callaphera

[mooses]

She obviously is planning on not being at CBS much longer. But, after that, I hope she's not going to end up trying to spin this as getting punished for her husband's actions. I mean, she has the right to her job. She should be able to continue to do it because she is independent, and shouldn't be tied to her husband's actions. And she has the right to stand by her husband (even though I don't think he deserves it. At all). But, it's probably going to be frowned upon when you blend the two in a clear, "screw you" move. Like, if you want to keep your job, do your job and don't bring your husband (who is being accused of doing some seriously terrible things by many, many people who I'm sure Julie doesn't believe) into it anymore.

I wonder who the next host will be. It won't be the same without Chenbot flubbing every Thursday night.

Edited September 14, 2018 by mooses

[Alice Mudgarden]

I kind of admire the balls on Julie. Whatever I feel and whatever I would or wouldn't do is irrelevant; Julie's got 'em the size of grapefruits.

[Rachel RSL]

24 minutes ago, mooses said:

She obviously is planning on not being at CBS much longer. But, after that, I hope she's not going to end up trying to spin this as getting punished for her husband's actions. I mean, she has the right to her job. She should be able to continue to do it because she is independent, and shouldn't be tied to her husband's actions. And she has the right to stand by her husband (even though I don't think he deserves it. At all). But, it's probably going to be frowned upon when you blend the two in a clear, "screw you" move. Like, if you want to keep your job, do your job and don't bring your husband (who is being accused of doing some seriously terrible things by many, many people who I'm sure Julie doesn't believe) into it anymore.

I wonder who the next host will be. It won't be the same without Chenbot flubbing every Thursday night.

I feel the same way. I think Julie really had the support of most people for all the reasons you mentioned. She shouldn’t be punished for her douchebag husband and I was admiring how professional she was tonight. But that Moonves bomb at the end was clearly a giant “Screw you!” Not just to CBS but to the many (many, many) people he’s hurt. I mean, she can’t be that blind to think none of it is true. She chose a side, and that’s her right, but if this makes her lose support and her career suffers...she made her bed and now has to lie in it. With Les Moonves.

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, Callaphera said:

Subtle was the picture she tweeted earlier of her hands holding the Big Brother 20 interview cards with her wedding band showing on her finger. 

"I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Good night."... was the equivalent of using a sledgehammer. Boom, CBS. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the behind-the-scenes conversations this week didn’t include some pretty high-up CBS honchos whispering in Julie’s ear, “Look, kiddo - Les is gone, pure and simple, done deal.  So keep your mouth shut and your head down, just do your fucking job, and maybe you won’t be headed out the door right behind him.”  

And this was Julie’s answer - it wasn’t a shout, but it wasn’t a submissive whisper either.

 

1 hour ago, Rachel RSL said:

I feel the same way. I think Julie really had the support of most people for all the reasons you mentioned. She shouldn’t be punished for her douchebag husband and I was admiring how professional she was tonight. But that Moonves bomb at the end was clearly a giant “Screw you!” Not just to CBS but to the many (many, many) people he’s hurt. I mean, she can’t be that blind to think none of it is true. She chose a side, and that’s her right, but if this makes her lose support and her career suffers...she made her bed and now has to lie in it. With Les Moonves.

Maybe, and so be it.  But is it any stretch of reasonable to expect Julie (or any other spouse of an accused, for that manner) to publicly disavow their sworn life mate, for the sake of accumulating some PR brownie points?