by Ashley Canino
My grandmother religiously watched 20/20 and thus, as a kid, so did I, nestled at her side on the sofa. That memory abuts another, one of myself huddling over a Barbie doll in my living room, surreptitiously clipping her long, blonde hair with safety scissors, until my mother shouted, “What are you doing?!” I turned to her, holding up the freshly shorn doll, which I had dressed in as conservative a suit you can find for a Barbie, and announced, “It’s Barbara Walters.” Whether or not she was a popular inspiration to young girls, she has certainly been a worthy one. Walters has had an unparalleled career in broadcast journalism, breaking ground for women in the historically male-dominated space, and she is often cited as an inspiration by other contemporary female journalists. On May 16th she will retire from her daily role as co-host of The View and interviewer of the world’s most fascinating people. Her career extends decades before my time, but so many of her interviews illuminate the zeitgeist of my generation. Here are a select few of those pieces, particularly with other women who have made an impact in media and our social landscape.
Jenna Talackova – 2012
Jenna Talackova may be the least famous interviewee on this list, but her story is emblematic of contemporary social shifting. Talackova was disqualified from the 2012 Miss Universe pageant for being transgender. She fought her disqualification and won. After getting the details on the physical aspects of the then Miss Canada’s transition, Walters got the details on her legal case from famous women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred. Talackova’s story and legal case challenged the qualification that a woman is only someone who was naturally born that way, and Walters gave the story its due attention
(video of interview)
Oprah Winfrey – 2010
On the eve of the end of her twenty-five year run as host of her eponymous talk show and the launch of her cable network OWN, Oprah Winfrey joined Walters for an hour-long interview and retrospective of her life and career. The dynamic is noticeably different from other Walters specials as the two broadcast titans bandy control of the interview. Despite Winfrey’s formidable television presence and comfort in the format, Walters still gets her trademark moment when Winfrey gets tearful describing her close friend Gayle King. Vested interest in Winfrey is not a prerequisite for appreciating the energy between the two women who respectively ruled daytime talk and primetime news.
(video of interview)
Judy Garland – 1967
Back before I was even a thought, Walters sat down with Judy Garland and her children (minus the recently married Liza Minnelli) just two years before the actress would pass away from a drug overdose. The simultaneously diminutive and prolific star of film and stage was one of my grandmother’s favorite entertainers, but she was mostly known to me as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Garland’s comments on the unrelenting demands of fame and the prying nature of the press are telling precursors of tragic celebrity storylines that are now all too common now and further exacerbated by the proliferation of digital media.
(video of interview)
Monica Lewinsky – 1999
My earliest memory of political scandal is Bill Clinton’s near-impeachment following his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Extra-marital affairs abound in the world of politics, but few such improprieties get the Supreme Court involved. At the turn of the millennium, Walters pressed Lewinsky on details of the affair, including how she and Clinton covered it up, the difference between a sexual relationship and “messing around,” and whether or not she thought about what his wife, Hillary Clinton, might feel if she became aware of the affair.
(video of interview)
Hillary Clinton – 2012 & 2013
On the flip side of that scandal is Hillary Clinton, who has become infinitely more than a scorned first lady. In 2012, Walters named Hillary Clinton one of the most fascinating people of the year for the third time in about three decades. Just as Clinton was exiting the Secretary of State office, Walters asked about the potential for her to run as president. Clinton replied that her focus going forward would more likely be academic or philanthropic. When Clinton sat down with Walters again as number one on the list in 2013, she was non-committal, but the potential for a 2016 campaign was evident. Now, Clinton is the strongest candidate to be the first female president of the United States.
(video of 2012 interview and 2013 interview)
Top art: The panel of The Today Show, where Walters started her career. From left: Gene Shalit, Barbara Walters, and Frank McGee. Copyright 1973 NBC Television.
