“Are You Ready to Be Interrogated?” – Hulu’s Barbara Walters Documentary Delivers Answers

“Are you ready to be interrogated?”

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything HULU documentary was a packed retrospective into her work, her personal life and the legacy she curated for herself. We all know her as an esteemed journalist, but this documentary gave us a glimpse into the broken pieces that she melded together to prevail in a male dominated industry during a tenure.

From Fidel Castro to the Kardashians, Barbara Walters had a way to humanize her guests allowing the audience to get a sense of who they are. Barbara was the key who granted access to their world. Little did we know she was asking questions that also revealed herself to the viewers.

Barbara learned this skill from all the nights she spent as a child at her father’s club, The Latin Quarter.  “I learned that celebrities are human beings, and I was never in awe,” we hear Barbara’s voice say. “Years later when I do interviews…. I knew there was a bleeding heart.”

To reach Barbara’s level of success, many hearts had to bleed for her to fulfill that calling she had within her – her work. “She is a role model, but she created the model,” Disney President Bob Iger said. Barbara not only broke barriers for women, but she also cemented a path for herself by using her intelligence and grit.

In 1971, Frank McGee came on board the Today Show but he would not allow Barbara to ask their guests any questions until he asked three questions first. To work around this hostile work environment, Barbara secured interviews outside of the studio where she took the lead and got to ask all the questions she wanted. When Frank died, Barbara became the first female co-host in 1974.

Over the years, she became a household name as well as a mentor to many without evening realizing it. “She always found a way in. She always did her homework. And she always put you in ease and then would go in for the zinger,” said Bette Midler.

Interviews with Connie Chung, Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric and Cynthia McFadden highlighted their relationships with Barbara throughout the documentary. Like many journalism students, I too was inspired by Barbara Walters. Her career achievements appeared as an effortless climb towards her success. As I quickly learned in the documentary, it was a day-to-day obstacle course she had to navigate to create a place for herself within the news industry. Barbara shared, “I had this career I felt I needed to have and I loved it.”

For Barbara, it required sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice to be a mother and a sacrifice to work. And for Oprah, who studied Barbara’s life, it’s why she never had kids. To be brilliant, you must choose where to invest your time and energy and be okay with the circumstances. For Barbara, her sacrifice was the relationship with her daughter, Jackie.

In1976 Barbara became co-anchor on ABC securing a groundbreaking contract of 5 million dollars for five years. Harry Reasoner, her co-anchor, did not want her there and she was constantly ignored by the all-male staff. Something that was to be a joyful accomplishment was filled with sexism and became the “most painful period” in her life. With support from the ABC President, Barbara becomes a rover reporter and was instructed to “get those interviews”.

With her contract including one-hour specials, Barbara catapulted into the newsmagazines’ space with her primetime show 20/20. Through phone calls and writing letters, Barbara’s persistence led her to securing interviews with celebrities, presidents and global leaders. An interview with Barbara Walters provided a level of credibility for those who may have a sketchy history. Or a messy dress.

Determined to always get the story first, she secured the ultimate interview - Monica Lewinsky. It garnered 70 million viewers, the highest rated news interview ever and it was seen in homes from coast to coast. For Monica, Barabra created a safe space for her and her family to share her side of the story. And it was important for Barbara to make sure everything was handled with care, authenticity and comfort for Monica so she could ask those tough questions the world was wondering about.

With the emergence of cell phones and social media, Barbara embarked on a new project in 1997 that wasn’t done before – a talk show with a panel of diverse woman, sharing their opinions from politics to kitchen counter topics.

The View became the blueprint for many panel-style shows after its creation. It was also the vehicle that allowed Barbara to loosen her pearls and connect with viewers, forming a day-to-day relationship.

As Barbara prepared to leave daytime tv in 2014, it made her ponder on her legacy. For all the female journalist behind and in front of the camera, Barbara’s signature is etched in their journey as the torch passes on. It brings comfort that maybe, she made a difference. For me, she truly did. 

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