Rosie O’Donnell exited ‘The View,’ and my patience for the show’s musical chairs chaos has now reached a boiling point. First, in no world would Whoopi and Rosie live peacefully on that panel, and any thoughts otherwise are recklessly stupid. Second, the behind-the-scenes bedlam that’s constantly reported in the New York Post is positioning the show as far less classy than it’s meant to portray, especially when it’s up against ‘The Talk,’ whose brand is the opposite. ‘The View’ is supposed to be caviar to ‘The Talk’s’ canned tuna, and it’s instead become imitation crab. Third, the producers need to get their shit together. If you pick a panel, you should stick with it. What you shouldn’t do is impatiently fire your hosts after they under-perform within weeks. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and they should trust their choices. If they don’t, then find new producers who can deliver their product on the first pass. That’s their job.
It’s no secret that Rosie O’Donnell is fundamentally incapable of playing in the pen with others, especially when that pen does not include her serving as host or producer. She’s a talented curator of all things creative, and when she’s not picking the product she’s peddling, she fights against the system. And while I believe her divorce and family-life have largely contributed to her current situation, my guess is she simply didn’t enjoy the work environment and wanted out. It would be nice if she was slightly more self-aware before committing to these projects, but so be it. I don’t like Rosie in a team-capacity anyhow. She’s a host, not a co-host, and you can’t clip a bird’s wings and expect it to soar. Good luck, Rosie. Continue reading “Rosie O’Donnell Divorces ‘The View’ and Wife”
Seven years ago Rosie O’Donnell famously left ‘The View’ after a heated fight with Elisabeth Hasselbeck over Rosie’s controversial comments surrounding the United States government’s actions in Iraq. At the time, Rosie turned to Elisabeth to defend her amidst the media criticism, and Elisabeth refused. The ensuing argument involved finger-pointing, split-screening, and zero commercial breaks. Rosie never returned, but the ladies recently reunited for Barbara’s farewell show, which was seemingly sans drama. It’s since been rumored that Rosie will rejoin ‘The View’ beside Whoopi Goldberg, and Elisabeth pounced at the thought, proclaiming that Rosie “spit in the face” of our military, the network, and Elisabeth herself. She also said she suspects Rosie’s deal has been in negotiation for some time, given Rosie’s ease and ownership of the stage during Barbara’s farewell show.
While Elisabeth’s hot-headed immaturity is expected, these comments are especially shocking. First, they don’t make sense. Rosie O’Donnell already mended the melee with ABC during a pre-taped return to ‘The View’ prior to Barbara’s farewell show. Second, if ‘The View’ can fix a fight with Star Jones, they can certainly do the same with Rosie. Third, Rosie O’Donnell is an avid supporter of the United States military, despite her foot-in-mouth comment seven years ago. Her son attends The Citadel, and she has made many discrete donations to show her support. To resuscitate an argument that is seven years old can only indicate a hidden agenda. After all, if we are all held accountable for our worst moments, none of us would ever work again, including Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Perhaps she’s peeved that she got axed from the high-paying gig, and she’s gunning for Rosie as a result. There’s no other explanation. Listen to Elisabeth’s hateful comments below, and watch the second video for a refresh on the original argument.
It kills me that Oprah cancelled Rosie’s show. Rosie is a force, and it’s not only her opinion that matters, it’s how she expresses it. There’s few people who can get away with mixing emotions with their argument without alienating their listener, and Rosie pulls it off. She should have had more time. It takes time to learn your way on a new show, and it takes time to find the format that the audience most responds to. She just didn’t get a fair chance, and because Oprah’s network is suffering on all levels, Rosie was an unfortunate, unnecessary casualty. Watch below to see her discuss gay marriage with Stephen Baldwin. She doesn’t lose her cool, and she has a civilized conversation with someone on the other end of the debate.
Though I am not a vegetarian, I am fundamentally against killing animals for sport or smiling beside the dead body of an animal one just killed. Such is the case with Rosie O’Donnell, who has recently sparked controversy for appearing with her children beside a dead hammerhead shark, which she caught while shark-fishing in Florida. Sharks are over-fished and risk extinction, and Florida recently banned the activity (note: the activity was banned after O’Donnell’s heinous excursion). To make matters worse, this isn’t her first time shark-fishing. O’Donnell made light of it when the public got angry, issuing a mock service announcement, which included a dig at Donald Trump. I realize that humor can often get one out of trouble (see Alec Baldwin), but that tactic is inappropriate here.
It’s not a mystery why this season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was one of the highest rated in the history of the show. It’s better than ever, and the clip below is so funny I found myself laughing out loud (and not in that ridiculous “LOL” kind of way — a real, legitimate belly laugh). Larry David and Rosie O’Donnell both meet a potential love interest at an event, and they have a discussion about their excitement without knowing they are talking about the same woman. Because the show is heavily improvised, it’s no surprise that O’Donnell and David’s mutual chemistry and comedic prowess magically unite in this non-scripted format. Watch below.
Sirius announced a station exclusively dedicated to Charlie Sheen’s antics, and they clearly stole the idea from Howard Stern’s radio show. The new station will have interviews with some of Sheen’s porn stars, and just last week Howard Stern did the exact same thing while holding a porn star beauty pageant. Also, if you’re a Stern fan then you know that Stern has a news team exclusively dedicated to the antics surrounding Howard Stern’s radio show, which is precisely what the Charlie Sheen station will do. This is obviously how they thought of the idea. You might be wondering what the problem is, especially considering that Howard Stern works for Sirius, so any Sirius popularity indirectly benefits Stern. Because I’m a massive Howard Stern fan, I’m fully confident that Stern is furious about this. First, Stern recently said that he’d like to give Sheen a radio show on one of Stern’s two channels, so it’s obviously troubling that Sirius will put similar content elsewhere. Second, when Sirius offered Rosie O’Donnell a show, Stern was pissed because he wanted her on one of his channels. He publicly exposed his anger, saying that Sirius basically stole his idea without consulting him. It’s completely irrelevant that Stern and Sirius play on the same team. They are still ripping off Stern’s original content, which is unacceptable.
Rosie O’Donnell bashed this week’s episode of Glee, and rightfully so. One of her main contentions is with Lauren Zizes, calling her “unlikable,” and questioning whether she can actually sing. I completely agree with Rosie, and since she seems to have a larger following than The Dishmaster, I’m hoping that Ryan Murphy listens up. Lauren’s has become almost cartoonish at this point. First, why would Puck be interested in her? Judging from her current portrayal, she has no redeeming qualities. Also, Puck’s been superficial all along, and there’s no explanation for his about-face, except that he’s gone completely crazy. There’s so many other overweight girls with big voices that would have been better picks for that part.
No one is a bigger fan of The View than The Dishmaster, but Sherri Shepherd’s commercials during the show must stop. I understand that the network has to make money, and this seems like a creative way to do it, but it simply doesn’t work. First, it’s not technically “product placement.” Product placement occurs when someone within a television show uses a product, and the audience notices it without even thinking it’s a commercial. It’s akin to your mother sneaking carrots in your brownies. Second, because it’s completely obvious when Sherri begins to endorse the product, I simply fast forward through it, as if it’s a regular commercial. See the problem? This ridiculous idea started when Rosie was on The View, and they tried to continue it after she left. The difference is that when Rosie gave gifts to the audience she made it seem as if she really used the product and spent her own personal funds to gift the audience with something she genuinely thought they might like. She wasn’t simply pimping out products because she was paid to do so.
