The View is the oldest all-female talk show program on commercial TV, now celebrating 26 seasons in 25 years.  The program premiered in 1997 with four co-hosts: Meredith Vieira as moderator, Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulo, and Barbara Walters.  Since those early days, there have been many changes in the line-up.  Courtney Shea's "Special Report" in the July 17, 2015 Toronto Star listed 15 different female co-hosts, ranking them in reverse order from worst to best.

Listed as number 15, Debbie Matenopoulo (1997–98) was "only 22 when The View premiered."  "Matenopoulo ... was quickly dubbed 'Ditzy Debbie' by the press and portrayed as 'the uninformed young one,' in SNL's amazing parodies.  Beyond that, she failed to leave much of a mark before getting fired in the middle of season two.  She probably wasn't the worst, but who really remembers?"

Listed as number 5, Barbara Walters (2007–2014), "gets points for imagining a talk show format that has since been copied more times than the Eames chair. ... Note that in her 17 years at the table, she never really raised her voice against anyone.  Instead, like the ultimate gossip madam, she kept it classy and let her girls do the dirty work."

Listed as number 1, Joy Behar (1997–2014).  "Where to begin?" Shea asks.  "Whether talking 50 Shades of Grey with Obama, storming offstage after Bill O'Reilly equated Muslims and terrorists or calling her boss Barbara Walters a slut, Behar could always be relied on to keep things spicy.  Her rare talent for making pop sound smart, politics sound sizzling and everything sound hilarious made her the glue that held the panel together for seventeen seasons."

All this seems pretty tame compared with what View co-host Kathy Griffin did in May of 2017 by posting an online photo showing her holding up the severed head of President Donald Trump.

A much better source of womanly wisdom is this alphabetical list of fifteen genuine journalists:

1. Maria Bartiromo: Anchor and Global Markets Editor, FOX Business Network
2. Tammy Bruce: Talk radio host; Fox News contributor
3. Harris Faulkner: Anchor of The Faulkner Focus and co-host of Outnumbered
4. Jennifer Griffin: National security correspondent
5. Mollie Hemingway: Senior editor, The Federalist
6. Laura Ingraham: Host, The Ingraham Angle
7. Amy Kellogg: Joined FOX News Channel (FNC) in 1999 as a Moscow-based correspondent.
8. Martha MacCallum: Anchor and Executive Editor of The Story with Martha MacCallum
9. Heather Mac Donald: Writes for several newspapers and periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Criterion, and Public Interest, and is the author of four books, including The War on Cops: How The New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe.
10. Kayleigh McEnany: Co-host of Outnumbered; former press Secretary for Donald Trump
11. Katie Pavlich: Editor of Townhall.com and co-host of 'The Five'
12. Dana Perino: Co-anchor of 'America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino' and co-host of 'The Five.'
13. Judge Jeanine Pirro: Co-host of 'The Five'
14. Abigail Shrier:  Has written for numerous publications, including City Journal, Newsweek, RealClearPolitics, The Federalist, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.
15. Kimberley A. Strassel: Opinion Columnist, Potomac Watch, The Wall Street Journal.

Each of these women brings a unique and penetrating perspective to the most compelling issues of today.  Whether it's inflation and taxes or law enforcement and national security, they have all exhaustively researched and published articles — and many of them books — that enlighten and inform with hard facts, not just wild-eyed opinions that only muddle and confuse.  By the way, they are much more attractive and dignified than the women of The View.

Image: The View.