Adam Carolla Show – Episode Summary

Episode: Debbie Matenopoulos on Why She Was Fired from The View & Newsom’s Cringy Moment
Date: December 8, 2025
Guests: Debbie Matenopoulos (TV host, journalist, cookbook author)
Host: Adam Carolla
Co-host/News: Rudy Pavich

Episode Overview

This episode features Emmy-nominated television host and journalist Debbie Matenopoulos, best known as the youngest original co-host on The View. Adam digs into Debbie’s unprecedented hiring and firing from The View, the legacy of Barbara Walters, generational clashes in media, and the changing standards for public personalities. The show also touches on the trajectory of major city governance (specifically LA and NYC), a viral Gavin Newsom “leg cross” meme, and cultural observations on media, food, and nostalgia.

The tone is sharp, direct, and comedic, as Adam and Debbie reminisce, reflect, and riff on showbiz, politics, caregiving, Greek food, and more.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Debbie’s Journey: Breaking into TV & The View

• Early Career: Debbie shares that she started in TV as an MTV intern at 17 ([03:31]).
  • “I was there from 93 to 97. You said you were coming in when I was going out.” – Debbie ([03:47])
• Being Hired for The View: Hired at just 21, The View filmed her NYU graduation ([04:13]).
  • “I didn’t finish college yet. The original [panel] was Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, and me. We were the OGs.” – Debbie ([04:24])
  • The concept: “Five women from different generations, different backgrounds, different views.” – Debbie ([10:04])
• Barbara Walters' Influence:
  • “She was a trailblazer. Tough as nails. A perfectionist.” – Debbie ([05:21])
  • “She used to hit me under the table, really…down to what I wore, down to the color of my hair.” ([06:16])
  • “She would never, ever divulge what her political party was. She needed to get interviews from everybody.” ([11:08])
  • Adam: “An umpire can’t announce they’re a huge Dodgers fan…” ([11:30])

The Firing from The View

• Debbie discusses being the first and youngest co-host to be let go ([13:32]).

  • “She fired me. I was the first one voted off the island.” ([13:32])
  • “They liked the idea of the young one but didn’t know what to do with a 22-year-old.” – Debbie ([14:14])
  • “I wasn’t doing anything crazy. I was just being a kid…They cared back then.” – Debbie ([16:13])

• Changing Standards:
  Adam observes that media used to have strict, unspoken “rules” about how personalities had to behave, but “at some point, there are no more rules.” ([17:40])

The Arc of The View & Mediapolitics

• The View was created to showcase multiple viewpoints, but over time became more ideological.
  • “Now there are many organizations that just started off pretty neutrally...At some point, they become…leftist…Which is where everything sort of goes.” – Adam ([08:35])
  • “Journalism is…almost dead…everyone has their own opinion.” – Debbie ([10:23])
  • “She would shut us down a lot…she was tap dancing between ABC News and this lifestyle show.” – Debbie ([12:59])

Life After The View & Personal Evolution

• Debbie stayed connected to the show, returning for multiple reunions and anniversaries.
  • “It was like PTSD. I was so scared, like when you go back for Thanksgiving.” – Debbie ([27:51])
• Moved to LA around 2000 and built a new career – including as a cookbook author.

Greek Identity & Food

• Plug for her cookbook Greekish with “interactive” features (QR codes for video instructions) ([31:39]).
  • “My daughter calls them ‘lamb lollipops’ – if they’re made correctly and juicy…” ([30:19])
  • “I’m a Greek snob…all my friends are like, ‘this is great,’ I’m like, ‘it's actually garbage, but okay.’” – Debbie ([33:10])

Personal Story: Caregiving and ALS

• Debbie details leaving her career to care for her father after an ALS diagnosis ([41:42]).
  • “Your brain is completely intact and you’re a prisoner of your own body.” – Debbie ([42:09])
  • “If you live long enough, you will be a caregiver or need someone to give you care.” – Debbie ([44:10])
• She promotes Nomos Smart Care, a non-invasive home monitoring system for caregivers ([44:44]).
  • “If there’s anything I can do to lift that weight for someone…I know what it feels like.” ([46:23])

Politics, Culture, and Adam’s Rants

The Decline of Mayoral Leadership in Big US Cities ([50:48] onward)

• Adam launches into his signature rant about the “lineage of dopes” running LA and New York for decades, tracing from Tony Villaraigosa to Karen Bass; Bloomberg to Adams to Mondami ([53:59]–[56:02]).
  • “If you want to know why there’s graffiti everywhere and a homeless problem…you can’t run a city for 20 years with fucking dopes…” ([62:41])
  • “48 years of shit…longer than I’ve been on this planet.” – Adam ([98:33])
• Observations about how ineffective or ideologically rigid mayors have progressively made the cities worse.

Memorable Rant Quote:

“You take these six people…these are the people who ran L.A and New York for the last 20 years. And they’re all fucking dopes. Can you believe? Like, how fucking dumb are we? ...here’s the keys to the biggest city…and we’re going to get these guys with these fucking 10 cent heads.” – Adam ([57:19])

The Gavin Newsom “Leg Cross” Meme & Presentation Politics

• Discussion of Gavin Newsom’s viral, hyper-crossed leg pose, and what “presenting” means in contemporary politics ([76:05]).
  • “He didn’t sit this way 15 years ago when he was 40…” – Adam ([79:31])
  • “It’s 100% progressive dudes. The right-leaning version is Oakley blades on a ball cap—you never see that dude ‘deep leg cross.’” – Adam ([77:16])

The State of Journalism/Media

• Reflections on the decline of objective journalism and the rise of personal brands and echo chambers ([11:39]–[12:59]).
• SNL’s lampooning of The View as a sign of cultural impact.

Whoopi Goldberg’s Transgender Athlete Remarks (and incoherence)

• Adam plays a Whoopi clip; the group debates who or what she’s arguing for; Adam calls her incoherent ([21:20] onward):
  • “She doesn’t make sense when she talks, but she’s on a talk show where she’s paid to talk every day, but she doesn’t string together ideas or thoughts.” – Adam ([21:20])
  • “If you have to hear it again to figure out what she was saying, that’s a bad sign for a person who talks for a living.” – Adam ([22:27])

Food, LA Nostalgia & American Icons

• Wide-ranging riff on LA landmarks—giant restaurant mascots, diners, and fast food signages (Carpeteria genie, Randy’s Donuts) ([34:09]–[37:46]).
  • “You could open a carpet place or a tire place; you’d need a giant thing. It was a necessity.” – Adam ([37:21])
  • “Guys get nicer, women get crazier—that’s how it works.” – Adam ([92:33])

Quick Hits: Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Barbara Walters:
  “She wrote the book on female journalism…99% of the women that are in television today would not be in the position they are in if it were not for Barbara Walters.” – Debbie ([05:21])

• On Generational Shifts:
  “Back then, now they [networks] want you crazy, right?” – Debbie ([14:14])

• On Returning to The View:
  “The first time I went back, it was almost like PTSD. Like when you go back for Thanksgiving, you fall back into that place in your family.” – Debbie ([27:51])

• On ALS & Family:
  “I packed all my stuff, put everything in storage, and went back to Virginia and lived in my high school bedroom for three years.” – Debbie ([42:49])

• On LA’s Decline:
  “You can’t run a city for 20 years with fucking dopes and not expect the city to get shitty.” – Adam ([62:41])

• On Leadership:
  “They never had anything in the tank in the first place.” – Adam ([54:07])

• On Progressive “Presentation”:
  “Who changes the way they cross their legs? Unless there’s some sort of psychological thing going on where you are presenting to the audience.” – Adam ([76:21])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 03:10 | Debbie & Adam reminisce about early TV careers, MTV, The View origins | | 05:01 | Debbie on Barbara Walters: mentorship, strictness, and legacy | | 08:49 | Adam rants on politics creeping into organizations (incl. The View) | | 13:32 | Debbie explains her firing from The View | | 16:13 | Adam & Debbie discuss generational gaps and changing “rules” in media | | 18:12 | Debbie on the private, funny side of Barbara Walters | | 27:45 | Returning to The View after getting fired; emotional reflections | | 30:03 | Greek cooking, her interactive cookbook, and ethnic food in LA | | 41:42 | Debbie’s ALS caregiving story; promoting smart care technology | | 50:48 | Adam’s extended rant: decline of city governance in LA/NYC | | 76:05 | Gavin Newsom’s deep leg cross and signaling in politics | | 84:15 | Discussion on streaming giants (Netflix-Warner Bros. merger) | | 92:33 | “Guys get nicer, women get crazier—that’s how it works.” |

Episode Takeaways

• Debbie Matenopoulos’ story is one of both trailblazing and vulnerability, revealing the complicated dynamic of early fame, mentorship under Barbara Walters, and the pressure of “playing a role” on national TV at a young age.
• The legacy of The View, and media generally, is a cautionary tale about generational transition, the decline of neutral journalism, and how organizations shift ideologically over time.
• Adam delivers with trademark wit, dissecting culture, politics, nostalgia, and “the rules”—often skewering both the past and present with equal parts cynicism and humor.
• The episode blends nostalgia, social commentary, and personal stories, resonating with listeners familiar with TV history and those interested in how media, politics, and personal growth intersect today.

Final Thoughts

From candid conversations about growing up “on TV,” to why “rules” in Hollywood and politics fade, to the importance of family and caregiving, this episode spotlights resilient personalities and unanswered questions about where our culture is headed. The mix of humor, honesty, and personal growth set against the backdrop of pop culture makes this a standout installment of The Adam Carolla Show.

For more, visit adamcarolla.com or check out Debbie’s latest projects, including her cookbook “Greekish” and caregiving tech partnership.