My Star-ry Eyed View

I awoke this morning to some disturbing headline news. Yesterday on "The View", Star Jones-Reynolds surprised the whole world with the announcement that her contract would not be picked up for a 10th season. I had to grab the Q-Tips from under the bathroom sink and really clean out my ears to make sure I heard everything correctly. Let me repeat that:

Star Jones-Reynolds is no longer on "The View".

Yesterday, Ms. Jones-Reynolds let her audience know about her departure from this long-running show two days early. Yes, she was not supposed to let the cat out of the bag until Thursday morning's show, but she awoke on Tuesday morning and felt that is was her duty as a "celebrity" and a "credible news person" not to hold onto this important information.

After spilling the beans, this was the number one story of the day. Let me put that into perspective for her long-time fans of the show. Yesterday in the news:

RAFAH, Gaza Strip -
Israel turned up the pressure on Palestinian militants to release a captive soldier Wednesday, sending its warplanes to bomb a Hamas training camp after knocking out electricity and water supplies for most of the 1.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -
Iraqi forces captured a key al-Qaida suspect wanted in the bombing of a Shiite shrine, but the mastermind of the attack that brought the country to the brink of civil war was still at large, a top security official said Wednesday.

Associated Press
Storms swept into the Northeast on Wednesday, forcing thousands of people from their homes, including more than 2,200 who fled from a rising Maryland lake. A section of interstate highway was washed out in New York state and at least nine deaths were blamed on the stormy weather. Three people were missing.

Associated Press
Star Jones has quit "The View." She called her time on the show "the most amazing nine years of my entire professional and personal life." Jones didn't announce a reason, but it's been widely speculated that she'd leave before Rosie O'Donnell came on the show to replace Meredith Vieira. O'Donnell has publicly criticized Jones for not revealing how she lost all the weight she's lost. Jones says her last day will be sometime in mid-July. She says she's "not sure what the future holds." Jones then got a standing ovation from her co-hosts and the audience.

I later found out that she was asked not to return to the show on Wednesday after making this early announcement. I had to hold back my tears. Why, I ask you? WHY???? (falling to the ground with my head in my tear-filled hands)

I know being in this movie-making industry, I should care about what happens with celebrities that might or might not affect my career. However, when celebrity stories push out far more important stories of true tragedy from the mainstream, I find it hard to care. I feel bad that Star lost her job, like so many other people did yesterday, but, as a celebrity, she will bounce back, unlike so many other people.