Although I didn’t get to see the episode of The View when Joy Behar went through hypnosis and past-life regression, I’ve read that she’s been very vocal about what she thought of the experience.

After her sit-down with Dr. Brian Weiss, she told ABCNews.com: “The guy claims that he hypnotized me, but I don’t believe it.  He can say whatever he wants, but I was just really relaxed. I felt like I was getting psychoanalyzed. He told me to go back to some period in history in put myself someplace, so I went back to Louis XIV’s court.  But I was a cub reporter. I was just somebody watching. I wasn’t getting my head cut off, I wasn’t one of the peasants."

Despite the fact that she was able to go back to that period in time during her “dream-like” experience, she calls reincarnation “a bunch of crap” which, obviously, is very telling of what she thinks of past-life regression.  I haven’t gone through anything like that before but I have been hypnotized and I think that too many people think they are going to be unconscious or something but, really, hypnosis is just a deep form of relaxation – which is basically what she described.  I also think that if you go into something believing that it’s just a “bunch of crap” it will affect how your feel about the experience.

When asked what does believe in, the comedienne replied:  "Nothing.  I believe in comedy. I believe in laughing, in having fun, and in being good to people. I don’t believe in after death, before death — nothing. When you’re here you’re here, when you’re gone, you’re gone."

image: Newscom

I know that when Oprah announced that she was creating a Twitter account, almost everyone that I knew immediately followed her.  She gained almost half a million followers in less than a month even though she hasn’t really done anything.

According to Chicago Now, Oprah “had 1,336,827 followers when she sent her last tweet on June 6. Today she has 1,801,684 (and counting).”  That’s really incredible.  If you’ve ever tried to build a following on Twitter, you will know that it’s not always that easy.

It’s unfortunate, therefore, that she really doesn’t interact on the site.  Her last tweet was exactly a month ago (June 6, 2009) when she wrote: "Today went to see Phylicia Rashad in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. It too was outstanding. Makes me crave BROADWAY!!"

I would love to hear more about what she’s doing this summer and what products she’s trying out and which restaurants she enjoys. 

I definitely don’t tweet as much as I should but I also am not a celebrity and I certainly didn’t send my first update on television. 

You’ve already created the profile - please tweet some more, Oprah!

image: Bauer-Griffin

Today show host, Matt Lauer, interviewed Michael Jackson’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, this morning and was given a rare behind-the-scene glimpse of Jackson’s beloved Neverland Ranch.

It was a very emotional discussion, of course, with Jermaine speaking candidly about his brother’s death a week ago today.

He recalled how he learned about the tragic news: “She was crying, saying he was dead. To hear my mother say, ‘Michael is dead,’ to feel and hear the tone in her voice to say her child is dead, is nothing that anyone can ever imagine.  I tried to console her but I wanted to see Michael and I wanted to see my brother. To see him there lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me. But I held myself together because I knew he’s very much alive in his spirit, and that was just a shell. But I kissed him on his forehead, and I hugged him, and I touched him and I said Michael, ‘I’ll never leave you. You’ll never leave me.’”

Even more heartwrenching was what he said next:  “I don’t know how people are going to take this, but I wish it was me.  I’ve always felt that I was his backbone; someone to — someone to be there for him.”

I’ve been wondering how Michael’s three children have been coping.  On that subject, Jermaine said that they took the kids to see Michael after he had died: “I know it’s tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first I was against it, but what do you say if you don’t show them?”

The children a currently in the care of Michael’s mother, Katharine, which would have been his wishes, according to his will.  Jermaine said: “I thought it was a great will because the children are fine, my mother’s the perfect person to be there, and it’s definitely him.”

He also led Lauer around the massive grounds of Neverland Ranch.

Jermain also spoke of his brother’s strength: “Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. But I’m not saying it’s right, because it’s not right, but in this business the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turn(s) to.”

While funeral plans are still being made, Jermaine did comment on the speculation that Michael could be buried at Neverland: “This is his home. He created this. Why wouldn’t he be here?”

Watch the interview:

SEE MORE PICTURES OF NEVERLAND RANCH AFTER THE JUMP!

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Regis Philbin had the day off so Kelly Ripa co-hosted the show yesterday with her husband, Mark Consuelos.  It was hilarious when they talked about their two-week long road trip with their children.  Instead of jet-setting around the world, the pair elected to travel with their three children in a rented minivan. 

When they showed pictures of the kids as they visited a variety of sights on the trip, I seriously cracked up because their oldest son, 12-year-old Michael, refused to smile in any pictures.

Image: INF

Looking back at Oprah Winfrey’s 1993 interview of Michael Jackson is particularly poignant after the King of Pop died last week.  The primetime special begins with voiceovers explaining what Michael Jackson means to the world.  It was touching then and it’s heart wrenching now to watch. 

It was the most revealing look into Jackson’s life at that time and I remember everyone being amazed that he allowed Oprah into his private sanctuary – the 2700 acre Neverland Ranch.  She said that she was expecting to see some llamas roaming around the grounds but, instead, was surprised to find a beautiful home and a library filled with leather-bound books.  I was riveted the first time I saw the interview and I was riveted again as I watched it today. 

Watch Parts 2-4 After The Jump!

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Daytime talk show host, Tyra Banks, attended the 2009 BET Awards last night.  She seems to have slimmed down a bit for summer but I really did not like her outfit and hairstyle.  She looked happy and upbeat, though, so that’s a plus! 

Tyra also presented the Best Male Athlete award to NBA superstar, Lebron James.  I’m guessing she was excited that he won? 

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Yesterday, Perez Hilton, called Mariah Carey “unprofessional” and a “major diva” because (according to his “sources”) she was several hours late for a video shoot for a Macy’s commercial which infuriated the other celebrities including Donald Trump and Jessica Simpson.  

Meanwhile, Martha Stewart who was a major part of the production had been tweeting updates from the video shoot all morning.  I thought it was amazing when she tweeted: "by the way mariah did not keep us waiting as reported by perez hilton the shoo[t] is on schedule thanks to [director Barry] sonnenfeld’s complete command."

I am so glad that Martha Stewart stood up for Mariah and I hope that more and more people will call Perez out when he spreads lies and cruel gossip around about people.  As a blogger, I know that we can sometimes get things wrong and it’s not our fault but it’s awful to label someone, a human being, as being a “diva” or “unprofessional” when you don’t even know the circumstances.

Good for you, Martha!

image: Zuma Press

When talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, was asked about how she felt when American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert came out of the closet, she had the following to say: “It’s the healthiest thing that you can do for yourself, and it’s not trying to be anything other than honest ,,, and you’re helping other people that are struggling.

You know, we’ve seen recently in the press how many kids have killed themselves because of being bullied and teased at school. And so whenever there’s somebody that is successful and talented and happy and openly gay, I think that sends a really positive message for all these kids out there that are struggling.”

I agree with Ellen.  She has broken down barriers by being openly gay even though the admission likely played a role in the cancellation of her sitcom.  I think that there are a lot of people who will benefit from the courage of these celebrities who come out of the closet and I’m glad to see that a veteran like Ellen is showing her support for Adam.

image: Bauer-Griffin

Talk show host, Regis Philbin, reacted to the deaths of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson yesterday. 

According to Entertainment Tonight, Regis said (of Jackson’s death):  "It was a tremendous shock.  I know his health probably wasn’t the greatest but I didn’t expect him to go this soon… I remember him on the Joey Bishop show years ago, he must have been nine or 10 years old and I’ve been watching him ever since.  He came on the show and just electrified people. It’s a big loss."

Of Fawcett’s death to cancer yesterday, Regis added: "I interviewed her over the years.  She was a great beauty. She really hung in there and defied all the odds."

What a sad day in Hollywood.  I’m happy to see the outpouring of love and support, though.  How have you reacted to these celebrity deaths?  I couldn’t stop thinking about it all last night.

Back in March, Joy Behar revealed to her co-hosts on The View that she and her long-time boyfriend, Steve Janowitz, were thinking of getting married.  On Barbara Walters’ SIRIUS XM Radio show she said:  "I have been with a guy for 26-and-a-half years…  Somebody that I know lost her partner.  They were gay women.  And the partner was in the hospital, and she had to pretend that she was her sister in order to really deal with stuff.  I don’t want that to happen to us … and I also just feel that I want to."

Now, New York’s Daily News is reporting that the wedding is off:  "I’m getting my own talk show on HLN, so I don’t have to get married anymore.  Actually, I got cold feet again, so I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s off the table. What’ll happen is, when I decide to do it, I’ll do it, and then everybody will know I did it. I can’t make up my mind."

In my own personal life, I’ve opted for a traditional marriage but I know a lot of people who simply choose to live together without going through with an actual ceremony.  I don’t think she should ever get married if she doesn’t want to unless, of course, it’s causing problems in her relationship. 

image: Newscom