the hasselbeck controversy on svu

acc to elizabeth, a friend called her up and told her about the
character "elizabeth hassenbeck" on svu.

are you telling me taht the svu cast and crew wasn't able to pick up
the similarity during script reading or production? nor did they raise

David Johnston...

How would they know that Hasselbeck was nuts?

Rob Jensen...

Hargitay and Meloni have both been guests on The View (Hargitay
guest-hosted when Hasselbeck was on maternity leave and Meloni was the
A-slot guest for that episode and I know this because I'll watch any
talk show that either Hargitay or Meloni are guesting on). I'm sure
they heard stories.

Plus both SVU and The View tape in NYC. I'm sure the rest of the SVU
staff heard stories by other means than Hargitay or Meloni. It's a
smaller biz than you think.

IOW, Hasselbeck's reputation likely precedes her.

-- Rob

protest?

elizabeth has got a valid reason to protest. acc to wiki, her family

Brandy Alexandre...

The thing is one of the writers knew who she was and didn't like her,

Obveeus...

That is speculation, but I don't think a reason has been established as to
why a name somewhat similar to hers was used. Maybe it was to take a jab at
her, maybe it was to make the character in the show seem more
real/personable, and maybe it was just a simple coincidence.

and no one else knows who she was because she's a big nobody, and
didn't notice.

Obveeus...

She is on a 5 days per week network TV show, so she isn't exactly nobody,
but I agree that very few people watching L&O: SVU likely made any

Brandy Alexandre...

Not to mention the thinking people of the world are at work at the time
she darkens the screen.

connection.

Dano...

Well she was a nobody before the show...unless you count marrying an NFL QB.

Obveeus...

Everybody was a nobody before they became a somebody.

The best thing she ever did...

Brandy Alexandre...

I'd want to get rid of "Falarski," too, but I don't think "Hasselbeck"
was a good trade.

Barry Margolin...

She was also a popular player on Survivor, and before that she was host
of a cable TV show.

Default User...

Well, a mediocre, career-backup quarterback. She should have landed his
brother.

Goro...

Uhm, her husband's a big nobody,too. I mean, who does he play for (er,
backup for )? He's just "Matt's little brother" for NFL fans.

It would be like marrying The Bachelor guy and saying he's a famour NFL
QB (does he even play for an NFL team anymore?)

Brandy Alexandre...

I don't even know who the brother is. I couldn't even tell you what he
looks like. It goes to something all "celebrities" need to keep in
mind when they feel like pitching the "don't you know who I am" fit.
You're only a celebrity in the circles that recognize you. No swinging
sports dick is a celebrity to me because I don't watch sports and
wouldn't be able to spot one of them on threet without a play book.

Goro...

point taken. Of course, Brother Matt (of the Seattle Seahawks) did
start in the Super Bowel last year, so did "star" in the highest
watched tv show last year! :)

chicagofan...

I can assure you I didn't! I still don't know or care anything about
her; except what has now been written here of course.
She needs to get over herself.
bj

was stalked.

Victor Velazquez...

No, she hasn't. I've never heard of Elizabeth Hasselbeck before this
ingenious PR stunt.

Barry Margolin...

So we should use you as the arbiter of who's famous and who isn't?

Victor Velazquez...

I watch a lot of TV. I see a lot of magazine covers at the checkout line.
I regularly peruse rec.arts groups. So yeah, if I haven't heard of you, you
aren't really famous.

Barry Margolin...

Her claims to fame: She was the most popular contestant on Survivor 2
(and came in 4th), she married an NFL football player (and took on his

deering24...

Hell, I don't remember who came in 1st on S2...

Barry Margolin...

You're not the one who claimed that he was tuned into popular culture,
so if he hadn't heard of her she must not be famous.

name), she hosted her own shows on the Style cable TV network for 4

deering24...

Um, there are a batch of NFL players who are a _bit_ more famous than
her husband...:)

years, and she's been a co-host on The View for the past 3 years. So

deering24...

Yeah, and everyone gets the Style channel, of course...

deering24...

And _everyone_ watches THE VIEW while at work...

Barry Margolin...

No single person is likely to be familiar with all her accomplishments
(I didn't know about the Style shows until I read her Wikipedia bio),
but when you put them all together you've got someone who's likely to be
recognized by a decent segment of the viewing public. In particular,
Survivor fans and women (the target audience of the Style channel and
The View).

she's been on TV on a regular basis for the past seven years.

deering24...

Big deal. Media is so atomized these days that what was big-time fame
even ten years ago is just media-noise now.

Barry Margolin...

I'm not claiming she's an A-list celebrity. But her name has been in
entertainment news quite a bit even before this brouhaha.

I've never watched any of her shows, but I've still heard of her just
from "E! News" and "The Soup".

C.
**

I don't watch Survivor or The View, but I couldn't help hearing about
her just by watching entertainment news shows like E!News.

You're not a Hollywood insider, the production people are, so they
should know better.

Victor Velazquez...

So people only Hollywood insiders know about should get special treatment?
Like they don't get enough breaks already?

Barry Margolin...

It's not like they can avoid using names that sound like anyone, that
wouldn't leave any possible names. But they shouldn't use names of
famous people, especially ones that they need goodwill from like talk
show hosts.

SoHillsGuy...

Hasselbeck, 29, was also upset that the fictional character was a
30-ish year-old New York woman. I think if the fictional Elizabeth was
a 67-year old hair dresser in Idaho, it wouldn't have been that big of
a deal.

I wonder how many other non-famous people have their names used
"accidentally"? Isn't that the reason for the "no resemblance" disclaimer?

Jonathan Roberts...

Some show used the name "Prentice Hall" for a bad guy. It is of course a
noted textbook publishing company. I know a man who writes for the
company and he wondered if the author of that script had had a book

wdstarr...

Or is just a guy who remembers how much he spent on textbooks in
college. :-)

rejected ...

mooseboyskip...

I agree, it's just a name. A slightly similar name. And since the
people on SVU are already at work by the time the View comes on, I
doubt if they're regular watchers. And the writers also pretty on the
ball, so I think they have the ability to realize that SVU is fiction.
Based on real events, yes, but dramaticized. Also, Hasselback's a bit
of a nutbag. And lastly, my friend Steve Holtzman didn't complain when
his name was used on Seinfeld. He didn't even watch the show. :)