After a bawdy public tirade at the New York Women in Communication awards luncheon, in which she claimed Rupert Murdoch “scared her,” and called out to Donald Trump to “Bite me,” while grabbing her crotch, Rosie O’Donnell will not return to “The View” for a second season.
Of course, despite those antics, O’Donnell didn’t get any of the grief that Don Imus did, an odd double-standard to say the least.
In recent weeks she’s lent credence to the certifiably insane “9/11 Truthers,” claiming that “This was the first time in history that fire melted steel,” a statement that shocked and dismayed metallurgists the world over.
She’d also continually attacked Christianity, once claiming that, "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America"
She also had a running public feud with the equally feisty Donald Trump and sand-bagged Kelly Ripa for alleged “homophobia,” right after she herself had raised the ire of Asians with her “Ching-chong” remarks.
Barbara Walters said "This is not my doing or my choice."
But Walters was often left to clean up Rosie’s messes and often had to make clear that, “"I would like to point out that Rosie's view is not always mine," and after the latest flap, added "I would like to say for the record that I am very fond of Rupert Murdoch."
One reason many feel this was a “firing” and not an amicable resignation is that the timing of the announcement doesn't particularly suit O'Donnell’s plans to remain in daytime television. Her contract won’t allow her to introduce a new program to the syndication market until September 2008.
It’s an irony that in the post-Imus world, the first casualty is yet another Liberal – Rosie O’Donnell.
Of course, despite those antics, O’Donnell didn’t get any of the grief that Don Imus did, an odd double-standard to say the least.
In recent weeks she’s lent credence to the certifiably insane “9/11 Truthers,” claiming that “This was the first time in history that fire melted steel,” a statement that shocked and dismayed metallurgists the world over.
She’d also continually attacked Christianity, once claiming that, "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America"
She also had a running public feud with the equally feisty Donald Trump and sand-bagged Kelly Ripa for alleged “homophobia,” right after she herself had raised the ire of Asians with her “Ching-chong” remarks.
Barbara Walters said "This is not my doing or my choice."
But Walters was often left to clean up Rosie’s messes and often had to make clear that, “"I would like to point out that Rosie's view is not always mine," and after the latest flap, added "I would like to say for the record that I am very fond of Rupert Murdoch."
One reason many feel this was a “firing” and not an amicable resignation is that the timing of the announcement doesn't particularly suit O'Donnell’s plans to remain in daytime television. Her contract won’t allow her to introduce a new program to the syndication market until September 2008.
It’s an irony that in the post-Imus world, the first casualty is yet another Liberal – Rosie O’Donnell.
2 comments:
I never watched Rosie or the View - but arrogance and contempt look bad no matter what ideology one holds. No one I know likes her, or admits it.
Hi Jmk !
Hi Rachel!
Yeah, I wouldn't picture you as a Rosie fan, or even much of a daytime TV fan, for that matter.
I guess the Imus firing has changed the rules a bit - sponsors don't like controversy, especially personal insults/attacks (which had long been Imus' fare) and that was probably what led to Rosie's contract not being renewed either - that crotch grabbing "Bite me," to Donald Trump.
I still think the Imus thing was way too contrived. Here's a guy and his inane "crew," who made insults, boorish comments and stupid ad hominum attacks their stock and trade for years, fired for doing exactly what they'd been doing for decades.
It doesn't make sense EXCEPT that WFAN (a sports-talk station) was losing ratings the rest of the day because Imus' listeners didn't stay with the sports talk after his show.
It let MSNBC off the hook for airing what amounted to a 3 hour radio program each morning, let WFAN go get a sports morning lead in and it also allows Imus and crew to seek a more lucrative deal (if one exists) out there in the sattelite world.
I didn't like Stern much and I didn't like Imus much either, even though listners say they each "had their moments." Fifth grade bullying humor doesn't do it for me.
Rosie, I feel sorry for....not financially (I'm sure she'll do well down the road)...but I think she's got some serious (emotional) problems from siding with Alec Baldwin ("I scream and curse at my kids too"), to endorsing clinically insane conspiracy theories ("This would be the first time that fire ever melted steel.")
I think Rosie's gone off the deep end.
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