Live Blogging The View

Comedienne Rita Rudner made her appearance on The View this morning to promote some of her latest projects. Her book, entitled I Still Have It…I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fiftysomething, shares some of Rudner’s reflections on aging. She told Barbara that the worst part of being 50 is being 54, while the best part is that people who have dyslexia think that she’s 45. Still, Rudner, who recently adopted a daughter, says that there are some benefits to being an older mother, despite the fact that young children have seemingly boundless energy.

Rudner says that she likes Las Vegas because it’s a “small town with the best of everything.” Her performances from Nevada have been recorded on DVD, and was released today on the compilation, Live From Las Vegas.

Cirque du Soleil contortionists wowed the crowd with their demonstrations of agility and creativity, as they performed a piece from O, their hit show at the Bellagio. Although parts of the complete show take place underwater, the artists brought the same grace and splendor to The View stage.

Cirque du Soleil fans can enjoy circus theater in multiple ways; some of the shows, such as O, are permanent and remain in one city for their entire run, while other shows, like the popular Kooza, travel and can be seen locally.

Pop star Jessica Simpson is branching out: she says that she’s always wanted to sing country music, and is embarking on that journey with her upcoming album, Come On Over. The title track from that CD has already been successful, crowning Simpson the ‘Highest Charting Debut Solo Artist’ on Billboard’s Country Singles Chart.

Simpson is also active in other areas; her designer shoe line is highly sought after among the ladies of The View, and will likely be joined in popularity by Fancy, her perfume line that is scheduled for release in August.

Jessica Simpson’s personal life is also hectic, as she’s dating professional football player Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, her sister Ashlee recently got married and is expecting a child.

The advent of dating websites has made the world of mingling more accessible and easier to navigate for many searching singles. The benefits of online dating systems are numerous; perhaps the most useful feature is the ability to find potential mates who fulfill certain specified criteria.

Unfortunately, people may at times exaggerate or embellish profiles in order to appear more attractive. An article in the New York Times suggests that men tend to lie about height and professions on the sites, while women generally fib about age.

Elisabeth suggests that people should make themselves look slightly worse on the sites, so that dates are pleasantly surprised when the two meet in person; Barbara counters that such people would not be offered dates in the first place.

A sagging economy is no excuse for saggy skin, according to research by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which predicts that 17% of Americans will undergo some type of cosmetic procedure by 2015.

The article, found on Livescience.com, claims that liposuction is the most popular surgical procedure for men, while breast augmentation was number one for women. Among non-surgical procedures, Botox injection tops the list; in fact, the study also predicts that the majority of cosmetic procedures will be non-surgical by 2015.

Former President Bill Clinton is still focused on making his mark in the 2008 presidential election. Although his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, lost the race for the Democratic Party nomination, Bill is eager to get a Democrat in the White House this November.

Clinton has thrown his support behind Senator Barack Obama; some suspect that the move may be a ploy to bolster Hillary’s bid for the vice-presidential spot. Others wonder whether Bill’s involvement will hurt Obama’s odds, since he was perceived as a distraction during his wife’s campaign.

Last night, the ladies of The View enjoyed some of Las Vegas‘ unique nightlife options.

All of the co-hosts ate at Rao’s, an Italian restaurant that has its origins in New York City. After dinner, Whoopi, Joy, Elisabeth, and Barbara saw Bette Midler perform; the Divine Miss M has a two-year engagement for her hit, “The Showgirl Must Go On,” which has returned to the Caesars Palace Colosseum.

Sherri, meanwhile, spent the evening enjoying the music of Morris Day and the Time. All of the ladies recommended George Wallace’s comedy routine, which he performs at the Flamingo.

Barbara Walters will be signing copies of her memoir, Audition, at the Forum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from 1pm until 3pm today.

The book has topped several bestseller lists; fans in the area will have the opportunity to meet the media mogul.

Whoopi took the audience of The View inside a Walgreens store to display the variety and quality of products that are available; she pointed out items such as cotton swabs, makeup, sunglasses, flip-flops, potato chips, blood testing meters, sun protection aids, sleeping pills, fans, body wash and moisturizer, cameras, batteries, binoculars, movies, and of course, Whoopi cushions.

Walgreens sponsored The View’s trip to Las Vegas, and is encouraging people to visit the Take Care Health Tour bus for screenings and advice.

Danny Gans continued to discuss his career, saying that he constantly adapts his routine to suit contemporary tastes. He says that two of his most popular audience requests are for impressions of Larry the Cable Guy and characters from The Simpsons.

Gans demonstrated his talents by performing songs he arranged specifically for the co-hosts; he sang as the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis duo in his song for Whoopi, and as Nat King Cole for Joy. He also did his impression of Rod Stewart for Elisabeth, sang as Stevie Wonder and Clint Eastwood for Sherri, and performed as Frank Sinatra for Barbara.

Danny Gans has been called the greatest celebrity impressionist on the Las Vegas Strip. He does over 100 impressions in his show at the Mirage, and has been voted Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year for 11 consecutive years.

Gans recalled some highlights of his show, including performing an impression of Regis Philbin while the host was in the audience; Gans also named opening for George Burns as one of the best encounters of his professional career.

David Archuleta, the American Idol runner-up, spoke with the ladies of The View about his life after the show. He says he’s been too busy with music to pursue a romantic relationship; the only rumors that persist are those about his cloying father, Jeff, who was banned from the American Idol backstage area for assuming too much control over the show.

Archuleta cites Eva Cassidy as one of his greatest musical influences; he also performed “Stand By Me” on the show.

He will join winner David Cook and the other 8 finalists on the American Idols Live tour, which begins on July 1.

David Cook, who won the most recent season of American Idol says that he has been incredibly busy since the season finale; aside from recording his first post-Idol album, Cook is also preparing to tour with the other finalists from the show.

Cook performed his debut single “The Time Of My Life” for the Las Vegas audience; he will sing the song in over 50 cities on the American Idols Live tour.

Radio personality Don Imus doesn’t seem to be able to stay out of trouble when discussing race.

After a 2007 faux pas, in which he insulted members of the Rutgers University basketball team, Imus’ media credibility plummeted; Imus has refueled that particular fire and re-established himself as a commentator who cannot see past race when discussing the legal troubles of Adam “Pacman” Jones.

Jones, a professional football player, was suspended for the entire 2007 NFL season for his involvement in an altercation in Las Vegas, which left one man paralyzed. Imus seemed unable to resist ascribing Jones’ difficulties to the fact that he is black; the host later referred to the incident a misunderstanding.

The world-famous Chippendales dancers opened this morning’s episode of The View. Chippendales, which has been voted Best Male Revue by the Las Vegas Review Journal, will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

The Chippendales show at the Rio Hotel & Casino started as an entertainment venue for women; the brand has expanded, making the company one of the most profitable in Las Vegas.

Magicians Penn and Teller demonstrated some of their sleight-of-hand tricks on the stage of The View this morning.

The two also advertised their television program, Penn and Teller: Bullsh*t!, which is the longest-running Showtime program in history.

Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Debi Mazar all star in the HBO hit Entourage; the show follows a group of young men as they try to make a living as actors in Hollywood.

The cast of Entourage and the co-hosts of The View will cross paths again, as one of the upcoming episodes features the stars appearing on The View for promotional purposes.

The fifth season of Entourage starts on September 7 on HBO.

R&B sensation Rihanna visited The View to chat with the co-hosts about her rise to fame. Her ambition has garnered her a Grammy Award for her hit song, “Umbrella,” and has fueled rumors about her involvement with singer Chris Brown. Rihanna denied the gossip, saying that she and Brown are good friends, but are not dating.

Rihanna’s hit CD, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was recently released as a CD/DVD combination; the CD includes some new songs, including “Take A Bow,” which she performed for the audience this morning.

Comedian and political satirist George Carlin passed away late Sunday night from heart failure in Santa Monica, California.

Carlin, known for his biting wit, was the first host of Saturday Night Live; he had been named one of the greatest stand-up comedians by Comedy Central.

Michelle Obama’s appearance on The View last Wednesday is still at hot topic this week. Several media outlets, including the New York Times, report that Mrs. Obama appears more personable and friendly after co-hosting the show.

The dress she wore has also become the must-have item of the political season, as stores are rapidly selling out of the black-and-white floral ensemble from White House, Black Market.