'The View': Meghan McCain says she and her co-hosts aren't treated fairly due to 'sexism'

When it comes to "The View," Meghan McCain is a firm believer that she and her fellow co-hosts are held to a higher standard than their male TV counterparts.

"I don’t think we’re treated fairly," McCain told Yahoo Entertainment, referring to herself and co-hosts Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Abby Huntsman. "I never really cry 'sexism' that easily – I’m very hesitant to throw that around."

But McCain said their all-female panel faces harsher criticism and they are continually pitted against one another, a narrative she's personally "exhausted" by.

"'Catfight,' 'ripped each other’s hair out,' 'scream-fest,' 'shrill,' all these things that are used about women on television and in politics and in basically any industry," said McCain.

She continued: "I wish people would just give us a fair shot, because it’s a serious show that’s taken seriously and it has made me more cognizant of how women who are running for president are perceived."

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McCain's time on the ABC talk show has been somewhat contentious since she joined the panel in October 2017 as the lone conservative voice. But she wants people to know she is more than her politics.

"I think a lot of 'The View' viewers think that I’m just this, like, ice queen, steel (expletive), that’s, like, shooting guns and drinking and being crazy," she said. "I have a very personal side, and I have a warm side and I think that the show doesn’t always do a good job showing everyone’s 360 degrees and that’s just the nature."

Her hope? "I just wish people would give us all a break. … That’s also a standard our show is held to that other shows are not," she said.

Despite her beliefs, McCain isn't asking for any pity. She joked, "Don’t feel bad for me. I mean, I’ve got a cool job, too. It’s not so bad."

More: Meghan McCain tells Joy Behar the one thing the audience does on 'The View' that bugs her

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The View': Meghan McCain says 'sexism' fuels criticism of the show