>>
we're back at 8:10 with the latest edition of today's professionals.
star jones
,
donny deutsch
and dr.
nancy snyderman
are here to break down the headlines of the day.
>>
hey, matt. good morning.
>>
congratulations to beyonce and jay-z. had a
baby girl
over the weekend here in new
york city
but not without controversy. according to some reports the couple paid money to renovate a section of the
hospital
and secure it for their purposes which inconvenienced other couples who had just had babies. nancy, let me start with you. is this unusual? do celebrities get different treatment at places like that?
>>
celebrities get different treatment. there are areas of hospitals called the
gold coast
whether it's a suite, a floor or an area where the rooms are usually nicer and they are reserved for vips who they hope hospitals can hit up for cash or fund-raising later. the issue here though is that even if you're put in one of the special rooms you should not ever block another parent from seeing babies. my suspicion is lennox hill didn't stop them from seeing their children. i suspect body guards stepped out of bounds.
>>
the
hospital
has said they did not pay a large amount of money in a donation. do they have more explaining to do?
>>
does the
hospital
have more explaining to do?
>>
yeah.
>>
i think the
hospital
made a
phone call
to a parent who felt they were inconvenienced. the
hospital
has done its
community outreach
unless someone makes a specific allegation, the
hospital
's obligation is done.
>>
all three of my children were born at that
hospital
. although i think they were nice to us, i don't believe we had that kind of special treatment.
>>
we don't know the allegations are for sure.
>>
do vips get better treatment?
>>
absolutely.
>>
you get corner places and i can honestly say --
>>
i'm sorry.
>>
i'm just going to say it.
>>
i know there were no phones allowed in my room. my chart stayed in my room. they do allow certain privilege. i admit that.
>>
are you done? seriously, duh, celebrities get preferential treatment, number one. number two, obviously if they got in the way of somebody having a kid is crazy. they paid a million dollars? that money could have done to charity.
>>
whatever they paid it did because they didn't take the room with them.
>>
apparently we are seeing an increase in the number of hospitals for example that are refusing to hire people who smoke cigarettes. should people be discriminated against because they have a nicotine habit?
>>
this is not driiscrimination.
>>
tell me why.
>>
the
cleveland clinic
won't hire you because job productivity is less. their
health care
costs are increased. if you sign up for a job they say we'll help you kick the habit. you go through a
smoking cessation
program. we'll give you the necessary medication, come back in. urinate in a cup. if there is nicotine residue you don't get the job. it makes good business.
>>
also, by the way, if we solve
cigarette smoking
, cancer, there are no
health care
problems. why is as a
business person
should i fund people killing themselves and making
health care
more expensive for everybody else.
>>
would you hire a smoker?
>>
i would, but i have no problem not hiring a smoker and i would rather not.
>>
legally you are protected as an employer. you can say, no, i will not have smokers there.
>>
here's where the
slippery slope
is coming. obesity is the next topic.
>>
that's where it's going.
>>
right now it's tobacco. but obesity is protected under the disability act.
>>
the equal opportunity employment commission doesn't consider smokers a
protected class
.
>>
it's not race, religion or somebody who suffers from a disability.
>>
it's an addiction.
>>
the theory is you can kick it. they say no.
>>
let's move on. target has a new
ad campaign
out right now that features a group of young children. one is a 6-year-old boy born with with down's syndrome. he's not singled out in any way in the
ad campaign
. he's part of the group. what do you think of the
ad campaign
?
>>
i love it. this is your area of expertise.
>>
i love it.
>>
fantastic. if all you are saying is we are inclusive of everyone. years ago for ikea our agency showed a gay couple in an ad and the statement was, we're for everyone. there is no norm in our society anymore. that
's wonderful
. what a fantastic --
>>
getting rave reviews online. the fact that it's even a subject is a sad commentary. it should be the accepted norm in
2012
.
>>
it is out of the norm and it
's wonderful
.
>>
to be home and see someone who looks like your child in an ad would make me more interested.
>>
let's move on. on monday on this program we had an interview with sydney spies, an 18-year-old
high school senior
from colorado. she submitted this photo as her official yearbook photo. at first it was approved and then rejected by the all-student
editorial board
of the yearbook. did they make the right call?
>>
yes.
>>
yes.
>>
i will tell you that as the editor of my
high school
yearbook, the role of an
editorial board
is to make editorial decisions. it's done on this show, in yearbooks. they made the right decision.
>>
if it doesn't fit with what they think is an appropriate senior picture then they get to make the decision. and when, in fact, did we start --
>>
the men are biting their tongues.
>>
when did we start thinking that a photograph where you look like you are
20 minutes
off the pole was an appropriate photograph for a yearbook picture?
>>
if this is the way -- obviously if there was nudity or it was pornographic, but this is the way she wants to be displayed. i wonder if a guy did the equivalent if it would be the same.
>>
yeah.
>>
i wonder.
>>
if he's holding his package --
>>
she's not.
>>
she is an aspiring model.
>>
okay.
>>
she feels it is an artistic photo of herself.
>>
good for her.
>>
she can pay the $300 to make it an ad which the yearbook committee allows. this little portrait collar --
>>
it's prudish. if a guy was in the same pose in a tight t-shirt it would be the same issue. it's sexism in reverse.
>>
she submitted a second photo. this one was also rejected.
>>
okay. same issue.
>>
can we blow it up a little bit?
>>
no, no.
>>
it looks like hoochies-r-us. you're having a fantasy here.
>>
i'm not.
>>
the interesting thing was when her mother said part of my job is to get behind her and say, you go, girl. i would argue that's not the role of a mother. not to be your best friend. it's to say, sweetheart, in 30 years you may not think this is a good idea.
>>
we conducted a poll at today.com. 220,000 people or more responded. 76% said it is inappropriate. 19% said it is not. 4% still making up their mind. like donny, they want to see the photo again. thank you very much.
