 In 1984, the New York Times noted she had risen from obscurity to almost instant stardom. Ruth Westheimer hosted several series on the Lifetime Channel and other cable TV networks from 1984 to 1993. She became a household name, a major cultural figure, appeared on several network TV shows, co-starred in a movie with Gérard Depardieu, appeared on the cover of People magazine, sang on a Tom Chapin album, appeared in several commercials, and hosted a Playboy video. Actually, a few of them.