Joy Behar says many homeschooled kids are “demented”


School discussion starts at 5:45 and Behar’s comments on homeschooling are at 6:55

Leave it to one of the women of The View to say something completely ridiculous any day of the week. Most recently, Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been the host in the hot seat as a result of her sometimes blind following of the GOP and conservative talking points, without much to back up in terms of actual opinion. And Sherri Shepard is no stranger to the ridiculous comment. But this week’s perpetrator was Joy Behar.

The conversation came up about where the Obama girls would be educated once they move to DC. Discussion on public versus private schools ensued, until Behar, who, by the way, is a former school teacher, suggested that the girls be educated in the White House, in what she called a “Little House on the Prairie” way. But when Elisabeth uttered the word “homeschooled”, Joy’s response was one that has the homeschooling community up in arms, and rightfully so.

Behar: I think those kids should be educated in the White House, this is my feeling.

Hasselbeck: Homeschooled?

Walters: You think they should have homeschool? Noo.

Behar: With other children, they should bring them into the White House and make a Little House on the Prairie.

Hasselbeck: Little House on the Prairie?

Behar: Yes, in the White House, that would be what I would do.

Hasselbeck: I’m all for homeschooling, I actually think it’s a good thing. Some of them…

Behar: (Waving her hand in Elisabeth’s face) A lot of them are demented when they’re homeschooled. Please.

[Transcribed from YouTube]

Behar went on to talk about how homeschooled kids don’t get the social interaction they need, that they’re afraid of other people and it’s all about “mommy and daddy” telling them what to think. Hasselbeck pointed out to her that homeschoolers participate in sports and extracurricular activities through school, community programs and consortiums with other homeschooling families and that Joy’s statements were all stereotype.

Joy Behar doesn’t know what she’s talking about and was really rude to a growing segment of families in this country and others. Homeschooling isn’t just polygamist sects who fence themselves off from the world, homeschooling is a very viable alternative to standardized school that shouldn’t be knocked if you don’t know anything about it. I applaud Elisabeth Hasselbeck for knowing something about the topic and defending it against an ugly and unwarranted attack. She wasn’t suggesting Malia and Sasha be homeschooled, she was teaching Behar the reality of homeschooling, but Behar wasn’t listening. As usual.

Joy Behar is shown on 10/9/07 at an art exhibit. Credit: Fame

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

43 Responses to “Joy Behar says many homeschooled kids are “demented””

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Kim says:

    I strongly disagree with Behar. What she says is offensive. There is no need to be rude and disrespectful. I do though have concerns anout social interractions of homeschooled children. Has any study made to show how they cope once they are adults?

    The Obama children however should be taken to school, public or Private. Their lives are not normal at all and home schooling can only further remove them from society. They are more secluded than other children, home schooling can only increase that. Unless of course there are real threats against them.

  2. RReedy says:

    Just where Joy came from, I don’t know…never heard of her before the View…but she grates. She has no manners whatsoever and comes across as pushy and arrogant.
    She isn’t even funny!

  3. REbecca says:

    Joy needs to get laid, she is so angry all the time. She is the new Rosie/Star.

    sometimes I wish they had two Conservative’s and three Liberals on the show so it would be a bit fairer. Jeesh, talk about the “fairness doctrine” the only view I ever see is liberal. I am trying to think of a word that would be the equivalent of homophobic for conservatives. Give me some suggestions, Im sure someone will think of something after reading my post.

    back to the homeschool’s stuff…

    I went to a very good public school in a very wealthy town north of Boston, I had friends who went to private school and others that were home schooled. They are all smarter than me, and are doing great in life.

  4. geronimo says:

    Homeschooling issue aside, (people will have both positive and negative views on this, based on their own experience), everytime I read a post about the View, my jaw just drops at the moronic stupidy of these women and their levels of intellect. I know it’s supposed to be light, daytime entertainment but FFS, these women are dunces. 😯

  5. mojoman says:

    The real demented people in this context is Behar herself..that’s offensive and blatant ignorance! I got lot of girlfriends who homeschooled their children and they are the most respectful, well behaved kids we know.

  6. Wif says:

    I have neighbours, a number of them, who were homeschooled. They ended up being very bright, thoughtful kids who managed to get the gov’t mandated curriculum done in half the time and spent the rest of their day doing music lessons and environmental volunteering. Absolutely NO problems with socialization at all.

    So I started thinking about it for my own kids, only to find that in discussing it with my friends, the bulk of them thought it was something done primarily by the religious right to shield their kids from the world and control thought (done with the best of intentions, of course).

    So homeschooling can be very beneficial or very harmful. The problem is that it’s all in the hands of the parents, and society has no influence in that. At least at regular schools there is a principle and board to whom the teacher is accountable to.

    I opted NOT to homeschool because my kids talk all the time and I want the break. I wish I had the patience to do it though.

  7. cara says:

    Funny that this hag should call anyone “demented’ as that’s how I feel about her. She reminds me of my dad’s wife (they could be twins). You know the kind, they think they’re so intelligent and book smart, yet the only books they read are airport novels.

    Remind me, what was she doing pre- The View days? Stand up, right.

  8. vdantev says:

    Demented no- socially out of sync with their peer group? Perhaps. But public schools are a nightmare and need repair on more than one level FAST.

  9. Kim says:

    My biggest problem would be having to stay with kids every day. Now that would kill me.

  10. Chun Li says:

    I know a 6-year-old home schooler and her favorite book is “The Secret Garden.” I remember reading that in 5th grade.

  11. ri23 says:

    vdantev: Exactly. A lot of kids that aren’t socialized with peers end up not being able to pick up on social cues or how to behave in groups. I know kids who are homeschooled and socialized and they’re fine, but I know kids that aren’t and they are very strange.

  12. texasmom says:

    Different families home-school for different reasons. Many are religious, but there are also other segments that are frequent home-schoolers, like the profoundly gifted. I know a lot of kids in the gifted community that ended up being homeschooled because the public schools simply don’t accommodate them.

    Stories about homeschoolers who excel academically may say less about the effects of homeschooling and more about who is likely to get homeschooled!

  13. Vern says:

    Does it never occur to people that Behar is simply doing her job by stirring up shit? WFC?

  14. Marlene says:

    I’m glad this whackadoodle isn’t a teacher anymore! Just wished she’d keep her pie hole shut as she doesn’t speak for the majority of Americans nor hold our views. This is why I won’t watch The View anymore…

  15. Lee says:

    thx vdantev

  16. daisy424 says:

    Does anyone with a brain cell take what this woman utters seriously? 🙄

  17. devilgirl says:

    I wish all of the hags from The View would just STFU! Who cares what ANY of them think. I know a few home schooled children. 1 is attending NYU, 1 is a writer out in L.A ( has credits for Deadwood) and the other two are well adjusted, high school jr and sr’s, with many friends. Home schooling may not be for everyone, but it works.

  18. heehee says:

    Ouch! A homeschool alumni myself… I’m gonna graduate from college already on Dec 7th and I can get along with people of all ages and backgrounds. I’m often told I’m one of the most interesting and deep person others have met. Not to say that of me, but to defend homeschooling! Really, does anyone think that public school is living up to its obligations anyway… it could certainly be better. Homeschooling is one answer to that, and I know it works for sure. Depends on the family, too, how the kids turn out socially.

  19. Michelle says:

    Kim are you really talking about others being rude and disrespectful? Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? I mean her comment was very rude, but for you to act like some sort of moral police…hahahahaha! Sorry, had to pick myself up off of the floor. Oh and by the way, I am a JA fan, who is mighty offended by the way you make all of us look, in case you were wondering!

  20. Ron says:

    I have a friend who has homeschooled her 5 kids. They are nice kids, but they really are socially inept with their peers. I hope that when they head to college they can balance that out.

  21. Baholicious says:

    I’d homeschool if I had kids. The public school system worked great for me but now it is in shambles and the potential for gun and other violence against one’s child is growing. That being said, most households can’t afford to homeschool in terms of having a stay-at-home parent to do it or hiring a tutor. Nor can they afford private schools, though I’m no fan of the elitist attitudes that tend to come with private schools. What’s a parent to do nowadays? I don’t envy them 🙁

  22. ER says:

    Home schooling doesn’t have the stigma that it once had. Many more parents (religious and non religious) are choosing to educate their children at home. They can hand select their child’s curriculum instead of subjecting them to whatever the school district has to offer.

    Hillary Clinton said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, I’ve seen the village and I don’t want them raising my child!

  23. jess says:

    i cant stand joy, but i somewhat agree with her. as someone in college, i meet homeschooled kids quite often. they are usually VERY smart and very kind. but also VERY shy and socially awkward. i can always tell when someone has been homeschooled before they even tell me. even in elementary school, the homeschooled kids on my sports teams were just “different” than the rest of us.

  24. RCDC says:

    in my experience, how well socialized a homeschooled kid turns out depends a lot on their personality. really outgoing kids get back up to speed faster than shy ones.
    baho- usually i agree with you, but i have to say, public schools are nowhere near as dangerous as they are made out to be. are they more dangerous than 20-30 years ago? yeah, but what isn’t? low-level disturbance is what’s gone through the roof. and private schools aren’t all “elitist” – many are actively trying to gain a broader applicant pool so that they can have a more diverse student body. unless you mean academically elitist, in which case… well sure. but you get that at public G/T schools too.
    ER – most districts require homeschooled kids to pass standards exams every year. to do that, they do have to cover a lot of the same material. same goes for charters.

  25. jenn says:

    oi, the women on the view are something else. i can’t watch more then 10 mins at a time before their squaking at each other gives me a headache. Whoopie seems like the only one with any kind of sense.

    i wasn’t homeschooled. But in college i knew a guy who was, he was 17 and already a junior. Great right? yea, but he didn’t know how to socialize at ALL. His personality was really off putting, really condescending and arrogant. But that’s only one person.

    When my sister was in college she became friends with someone who was homeschooled. She turned out to be socially stunted and also didn’t know how to interact with other dorm residents. She was also younger then the other people in her hall.

    When I taught i had a student who was homeschooled until I had him in the 9th grade. He was very bright, but couldn’t socialize with his peers. Poor guy would try so hard. It didn’t help that his mom would come in everyday and wanted him to have an totally separate curriculum then the rest of the students.

    My husband and i have discussed and we would never homeschool our kids, because while people may complain about the state of our public education, it is a place for kids to learn how to socialize and work with their peers. What good does it do to teach them in a bubble then release them to the world where they have to learn to work with people with different ideas for the first time.

  26. ER says:

    Socialization takes place anywhere people can be together…besides at a school it can be at the park, church, home school co-ops, play groups, and team sports just to name a few.

    RCDC – Yes, states do require home schoolers to pass standardized exams, but how the material is presented is up to the parents. For example, a parent who does not believe in evolution can teach their children about it, but don’t have to present it as fact. As long as the children have a knowledge of it they can pass the exams.

  27. cmoursler says:

    I homeschool both my children. I guess you could call my oldest “socially stunted” in that she doesn’t obsess about boys and is interested in science, she doesnt run down others and judge them on theier social or peer groups. She likes people based on their merits. Unlike her publicly schooled peers, she is a happy, well adjusted teen who likes her parents and loves herself enough to not emotionally amputate her soul.

  28. devilgirl says:

    Frankly, if I would have had the choice of going to school (although I went to private school which isn’t quite like public) or being home schooled, I would have for sure opted for home. Kids are vicious and cruel. I became very shy as a result of the kids making fun of me ( I was, still am, very petite 5ft) and developed a very bad self esteem problem in my early teens. I literally felt tortured by kids at one time and being around the SOB’S every day did not help me socialize or be better equipped to deal with constant criticism.School almost became torturous for me. Fortunately, I out grew my self esteem issues because of a great mother and grandmother helping me do so, certainly not because I was around a bunch of kids every day helping me do so.

  29. cakes says:

    Homeschooling has its benefits and draw backs just like public schooling. Homeschooled kids can have social lives with out public education.my husband has a young cousin that’s homeschooled and she’s just like any other 16 year old girl.

  30. lanette says:

    i don’t have kids but if i did i’d want them home schooled because there would be some things i wouldn’t want them to learn from school. i don’t see anything wrong with that because i think that there is a war on kids and parents do need to have some control over what they are “taught”. there are still many ways for kids to interact with other kids.

  31. Tiffany says:

    wow – all of you who think that homeschooled kids sit in their houses 24 hours a day really need a reality check. There are SOOOO many things that homeschooled kids do and get this “social” time. There are homeschool co-ops where kids go to classes with other homeschooled kids one day a week. They play sports, many of them. Just to name a few activities.
    Don’t try to tear down something that is good, especially when you have no first hand knowledge about the subject. – your half truths from your second cousin’s mother aren’t worth a dime.

  32. Bony says:

    Not true. I was homeschooled. I attended a support group with other kids and still had friends. I got to do more activities than my public school peers and went to a ton of dances. Most public school kids are shallow and don’t choose friends by their merits

  33. Aspen says:

    LOL…

    That woman is so hateful.

    Homeschooling is not one thing, one result, one method.

    Parents homeschool for many reasons in lots of different subcultures and on many different levels.

    What a bigoted thing to say.

  34. Sparrow says:

    I homeschool my 8 year old son. He attended the second half of the year at a Charter school when he was in Kindergarten. It was miserable. I wanted to pull him out immediately but he wanted to finish the year. He had 5 and 6 year old kids threatening to cut his throat/go get a gun from Dad and kill him. That’s not to say all the kids were like that but because he was/is an intelligent and eloquent boy he tried to handle it by himself (we tried to get the teacher involved but she didn’t really have the time or ability to handle 28 kids). He doesn’t want to go back to a brick and mortar school anytime soon. He is very social–has plenty of kids in our neighborhood that he plays with regularly, is in karate and dance and swim lessons as well as attending our homeschool coop. He’s been on stage in plenty of musical productions that seat thousands. He’s gone to dances. He plays baseball. He loves video games, science and math. We go camping and take trips regularly. We’re always commented on at the bank or the store about how intelligent he is and how well behaved. We go on lots of field trips to places like the zoo, aquarium, art institute, natural history museum. He’s a very well adjusted little boy, not demented. He interacts daily with his younger brother. The neighbor kids that attend public and private school that he plays with influence some of the more disturbing questions that my son asks (like “Does Hillary Clinton go door to door killing babies?”). I’m just thankful my son knows he can come to me and talk with me anytime about anything. I believe that an involved parent makes the difference whether it’s schooling at home or out of the home. Joy’s comments were absurb (wasn’t Whoppi homeschooled? as are many celebrities). But then that show hasn’t interested me in years–sensationalist journalism at its finest.

  35. sandy hermanson says:

    This is the first time that I have been on this site. I am checking it out because a friend of mine told me about Beher’s comments and I wanted to see some of the public reactions to it. Oh, my friend told me today as we were having a T-Day performance by all our children, that are homeschooled. So, I’m very happy to see that most of you understand that home schooled children (and parents) are just like every other parent in America. We just want the best for our children. There are a million reasons people choose to home school. I totally agree that the women on the view are annoying but unfortunately they have the “floor” and it’s very hard to sit by and listen to anyone call your child “demented”. Maybe, it shouldn’t but it feels like a personal assult. So, to all of you who made intelligent comments about what home schooling truly is (a choice), I thank you!!

  36. velvet elvis says:

    Hey…I was home schooled.

  37. AudreyM says:

    Just happened across this…As a former teacher I just have to say…Homeschooled kids are the “only” ones who are strange and demented??? PUULEESE!!! You sure don’t hear much about “homeschool shootings” in the news now, do you?

  38. logeshwari says:

    This s not true….I disagree this.They are al very intellegent than others.They are doing great thing.They are most reepectful.

  39. I know a lot of kids in the gifted community that ended up being home schooled because the public schools simply don’t accommodate them.We just want the best for our children. There are a million reasons people choose to home school…

  40. The problem is that it’s all in the hands of the parents, and society has no influence in that.. At regular schools there is a principle and board to whom the teacher is accountable to…

  41. The conversation came up about where the Obama girls would be educated once they move to DC. Discussion on public versus private schools ensued, until Behar, who, by the way, is a former school teacher, suggested that the girls be educated in the White House, in what she called a “Little House on the Prairie” way.

  42. That is well known that cash can make us free. But how to act if somebody does not have money? The one way only is to try to get the http://lowest-rate-loans.com or just small business loan.

  43. Joy is not any Joy to anyone. She’s a very hateful person. The only people who listen are those looking to justify being hateful. What a waste of a human life! I pity this person. Hasn’t this person done enough damage to society already. Please do the world a favor, remove her from public View.