The View’s Joy Behar Was Once Passed Over for a Television Job Because She Did Not Blow Out Her Hair

The impact of a candidate's physical aspect on their employment prospects was the subject of a Hot Topics discussion on The View panel. Joy Behar disclosed during the conversation that she was a receptionist at Good Morning America. She confessed to her fellow panelists on View that she lost a job on camera because she neglected to blow out her tresses.

As reported by Decider, before displaying an old photo of herself with her beautiful locks to the audience of The View, Behar remarked, "I had like an afro sort of hair." Subsequently, she elaborated that the GMA executive producer of the time desired her appearance on television due to his perception of her as 'funny', but there was never an opportunity for her to flourish.

Behar added, "They never put me on, and so another person over there said, ‘If you had blown your hair out’ — ’cause one day I came in with it straightened out, you know with some Agent Orange I used — and he said, ‘If you had worn your hair like that, they would have put you on television.’ It’s very discriminatory."

Furthermore, she was not the only panelist whose professional life had been impacted. As for Sunny Hostin, she stated that pressure to straighten her curly hair had 'become an issue' in both her legal and television careers. Hostin told her co-hosts, "I don’t know how to blow my hair out. I’ve been told many times that curly hair is unprofessional and that I should make a change."

Alyssa Griffin, who previously held the position of press secretary at the Department of Defense, further stated, "I was so conservative because my parents were three- and four-star generals with 30 years older so I wore virtually no makeup I pulled my hair back I wore a suit every day." She subsequently emphasized the stark contrast between her previous and present schedules. She added, "So you on the one hand as a woman to be taken seriously feel like you have to downplay your looks in your youth or whatever. And then in other circumstances like I was in hair and makeup for like two hours today."

This entire exchange elicited numerous responses from Hostin's Twitter followers, particularly those who wished to express their admiration for her curly hairstyle. One fan commented, "Sunny, I love your hair. Don’t straighten it. Be you."

Another viewer chimed in, "Your segment on professional looks in the workplace hit home. I train CHWs about code-switching and what it means. I used to think I should wear my hair straight to look professional. Thanks to Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, HB, the CROWN Act." Behar's encounter with GMA's cold-shoulder treatment elicited feedback from viewers as well. Another viewer wrote, "Same with my hair. I was also told for a job interview if my hair wasn’t flat-ironed it should be in a bun. I didn’t get the job."