The media cannot stop talking about Jenny McCarthy’s interview in the fall issue of NEW YOU magazine on stands July 29. You’ve seen coverage on The Insider, E!, People and more. Here we offer a taste of what’s to come.
BY Ruchel Louis Coetzee PHOTOGRAPHY BY Fadil Berisha
NEW YOU: Since you seem to be an absolute chameleon, where is Jenny McCarthy in 20 years?
Jenny McCarthy: Believe it or not, I think I’m still on The View. I love the show. I’m doing so much work to improve myself—signing up for critical thinking courses and doing all my media training. I want to be at the top of my game, and when I’m 60 I want to still have a face that moves. I want to have beautiful, healthy grandkids and still have Donnie be the hunky love of my life.
NY: How do you feel about plastic surgery?
JM: I am completely for whatever makes anybody feel better about themselves. I definitely like movement in my face, as well as seeing myself get older in the mirror. But I do also know that there needs to be maintenance when you’re on television. It’s tough when you have to think of your job, and maintain a certain kind of shine.
NY: How can your girlfriends help you through a tough time, such as when your character comes under attack?
JM: You have to be strong enough as a woman to voice your opinion, and sometimes you can get really beat up. I’ve watched Sherri and Whoopi since I started on The View. They know as soon as they say something. They’ll go, “Oh no…” which means: Just wait. Twitter hate is going to happen. They know that there is no gray area in anything. People are either with you or against you, and if you take a position and people don’t agree with it, they can hate you for life. When really, it’s just a position you hold, that has nothing to do with your personal self.
NY: To many people, the byline is still: Jenny McCarthy, Playmate. Isn’t that old by now?
JM: I was thinking about the last episode we did with Barbara Walters on The View. I was sitting next to Oprah, with Diane Sawyer and Maria Shriver behind me. I thought, “Oh wow, look where I am.” When I first moved out to L.A. and I was a Playmate, I’d be asked, “What do you want to do?” I’d reply, “Comedy.” They’d say, “Honey, that’s funny. A Playmate in a comedy? That’s never going to happen.” But then I was on Singled Out. Later, I said I wanted to write a book and they said, “That’s hilarious. No one would pick up your book.” Now, I have 10 books. I almost enjoy the challenge. You tell me I can’t do it? Guess what—I’m the rule-breaker.
