Rosie O’Donnell’s announcement that she’ll be leaving The View in June isn’t exactly unexpected — her one-year contract was coming up for renegotiation, and you just know that View co-inventor Barbara Walters must have been feeling highly ambivalent about continuing the Rosie Era of The View. Yes, O’Donnell has almost certainly been responsible for the surge the show’s ratings have enjoyed over the past few months, but everything from her feud with Donald Trump to her criticism of the Bush administration’s handling of the Iraq war to her 9/11 ramblings on her blog have made her a polarizing figure. While Walters took pains to say on the air this morning that she had no part in Rosie’s negotiating proceeds — that ABC Daytime dealt with Rosie and her agents — I’m betting that Walters’ increasingly apparent discomfort with O’Donnell’s outspokenness must have figured into the ABC Daytime corporate executives’ offers and counter-offers. Rosie said this morning on the air that she wanted a one-year contract, but that ABC wanted a longer commitment; she said she’d be back to do some “guest-hosting.”
Okay, that’s as close as I’m going to get to objective reporting on this. Now, then: Nooooo! Don’t leave, Rosie!
It’s been such a TV gift to have someone on daytime television who gets as worked up about the Patriot Act as she does about Dancing With the Stars. And don’t start peppering me with oh-you-left-wing-media-types e-mails — I’m saying, how terrific it has been that Rosie has raised issues about government and social policy-making, put them out on the View table, and compelled her cohosts Walters, Joy Behar, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck to articulate their frequently opposing points of view. It’s been fascinating to hear when the audience applauded Rosie’s sentiments, or when they cheered Elisabeth’s counter-arguments, or when they maintained a stony silence of disapproval. All this, on a show that could be just as enthusiastic when one of its hosts chirped, “Next up, Donny Osmond!”
I expressed some of these thoughts in my recent TV review of The View in the magazine. But now that Rosie has announced her plans to leave, two things occur to me…
1. Will Rosie launch her own show? She’s not talking — her publicisttold me she’s declining interviews for now — and maybe I’m being naïve,but I doubt she wants to get back into the daily grind of solo daytimetalking, no matter how popular she’s become once again. She reallybenefited from The View’s mix of “Hot Topics” andentertainment. (I’ll hazard one theory: CNN must be thinking today,“Well, if Larry King wants to retire a little early, we know who couldinterview both Barack Obama and Mickey Rooney…”)
2. Boy, are things going to be popping on The View through June — talk about your must-see TV. I mean, put politics aside: They’ve managed to book Alec Baldwinthis Friday! Or rather, put politics in the mix — that’s the greatthing about Rosie: She revitalized the old slogan “The personal ispolitical.” Even showbiz stars’ problems inevitably raise seriousissues of responsibility.
Comments (1-30) of 100
I’m glad Rosie’s out of there. She is so ignorant.
I said at the beginning that adding Rosie to the view was like adding grapefruit to a fruit salad – the grapefruit wins. The salad ceases to taste like a fruit salad and instead tastes all like grapefruit.
You know, it’s kind of like Paris Hilton… if you guys stop talking about Rosie, she’ll disappear! Trust me, society would be better off.
Koosh Ball flinging, John McDee and the McDLT’s late 90’s Rosie or “radical Christianity,” 9/11 conspiracy late 2K’s Rosie? Jeez woman, go back to Betty Rubble.
To FLGrl, if you really think Rosie is ignorant, what about the rest of the ladies of the View?
I can guarantee Rosie’s impact on the show will last. Never before did the show get heated like this (and the talk not be about menopause) or have the guests/prizes been so grand.
They now have to hire 2 ladies! Me thinks throw out Elizabeth too and bring in a brand new group of women. Joy can stay, she’s harmless.
She’s fat, ugly, obnoxious and ignorant (but hey, at least she’s battin’ a 1000).
ignorant? i personally don’t agree with that. i think she’s pretty informed. i’m sad to see her go. it was wonderful to have a voice on daytime television speaking out for gay rights, and various other liberal issues. i think she would have been the perfect person to be on the view during an election season. sadly, she was unfairly attacked over and over again for her views, usually resulting in people just calling her a fat lesbian. i’ll miss her on the view. and i look forward to seeing where her view pops up next.
How about Barbara Walters, Soledad O’Brien (since she’s out from CNN), Wanda Sykes, Joy Behar and Charla (from Amazing Race!)
Informed? By whom? She was taken in by the 9/11 conspiracy theorists (who are some of the most ignorant individuals going).
Being “informed” is only as good as where you get your information.
So long, Rosie. Hope I DON’T see you again.
Chuck, you are proven to be the ignorant and mis-informed by your personal attacks on Rosie that aren’t even a part of this discussion.
Ken- thanks for the heads up on Alec Baldwin- I’m definitely tivoing that show as I can’t wait to see how the ladies handle his situation. Not much of a View fan but Rosie presence brought the show back on radar so love her or hate her- she made an impact.
This sucks! My interest was renewed when Rosie came to The View. Does anyone remember how boring and lame the show was with Meredith Viera and Star Jones? Rosie gave the show its much needed lift. I agreed with Rosie on most of her polictical views. The one who brings the show down is Elisabeth-she’s the IGNORANT one!
Mo’Nique and Rosanna Scotto.
The mutual agreement thing clearly was a publicity cover-up. Rosie is 1) a one woman show and can’t work with a group 2) is very immature 3) is very political. I am sorry but after her show with Tom Selleck and her debate with him over gun control a while back, her personality changed. I wish her well but “The View” was a shoe that did not fit her foot.
To Chuck_A — name-calling doesn’t make you sound too intelligent, pal. Do you have any real reasons for not liking Rosie? Perhaps your disagree with her stance on gun control?
Anyway, I’m going to miss Rosie, not only because I agree with her on a lot of things, but also because she was honest about her feelings and beliefs. Most TV hosts are so fake. She was the only reason to watch The View.
Before Rosie I used to watch The View when women with intelligence gave their point of view. Rosie in my opinion has turn The View into a “laughing stock”. What a shame!
I would have to agree that Rosie should not share the spotlight; she is a one woman show. However, making fun of Donald Trump by making goofy faces and flipping your hair, and saying ‘eat me’ to the Donald in front of group of young girls does not show a sign of intelligence. She needs her own show, but I definitely won’t be watching.
Remember “The Queen of Nice?” What happened to those days? I think she has made a deliberate effort to get rid of this image – but I honestly can’t imagine why! Good job ruining your career, Rosie.
I am heartbroken at this news. I have been taping The View every day since Rosie returned. While I don’t always agree with her, she brought intelligent, in depth discussion back in vogue. To see she and Elisabeth disagreeing strongly on issues, but still trying to understand each other, has been a gift to thinking people everywhere. In this society, where everyone is afraid to express an opinion because someone might disagree, it was so refreshing to see people who understood that frank discussion is necesary for people to really understand each other. Without Rosie, so much will be lost on this program.
Too bad. Love her or hate her, the show was better and more interesting with Rosie. Remember back when it was Meredith and Star on the show?? What a snoozefest!
Rosie gets my goat but but I cant stop watching THE VIEW when she’s on. Same kind of thing that happens to me with Charla & Mirna on Amazing Race. Joy is the best of the bunch anyway!
They should just pull the show, it is done.
Problem with Rosie is I don’t trust her. While hosting her talk show she never revealed the truth when asked if she was gay, and acted as if she wasn’t (remember Tom Cruise?)
Now that she’s come out, she all militant and paranoid about anything presumed as ‘anti-gay’. She’s so annoying when pretends to know what she’s talking about but ends up sounding stupid on a lot of subjects. And all this talk about her ‘wanting’ to leave is probably bull#$@% too.
So long Rosie…. too phoney for my taste.
I never understood why Trump, FOX, MSNBC and other cable news outfits spent so much time on ROD. The fued with Trump was classic TV, but the other stuff was not news. She was miscast on The View as “the moderator.” I’m hoping they pick Allison Stewart, Elizabeth Vargas or Arthel Neville to fill that slot.
I am disappointed that Rosie is leaving. I am sure she has good reasons but I am selfish…I was wanting her to uncover the actual votes on American Idol for Sanjaya
Malakar. I think he had the votes.
He is a super intertainer and isn’t
that a good thing? Besides singing
he brings a lot to the plate, other
than just standing there. I am 70 years old….Sanjaya has such a sweet
personality, comic, makes you smile.
I need SMILES…Rosie it is up to you
to uncover all these fibs….love to
all of you………barb
I am disappointed that Rosie is leaving. I am sure she has good reasons but I am selfish…I was wanting her to uncover the actual votes on American Idol for Sanjaya
Malakar. I think he had the votes.
He is a super intertainer and isn’t
that a good thing? Besides singing
he brings a lot to the plate, other
than just standing there. I am 70 years old….Sanjaya has such a sweet
personality, comic, makes you smile.
I need SMILES…Rosie it is up to you
to uncover all these fibs….love to
all of you………barb
Let me see if have this straight. Suggesting that the current administration deliberately orchestrated the murder of 3,000 human beings on 9/11 is “raising issues about government?”
No, Ken. It isn’t. It’s merely the lunatic ravings of the hands down biggest ass on television.
Rosie was the best thing that ever happend to The View. I hated Star Jones, and started watching it everyday when Rosie started. I guess I’ll stop in July.
“It’s so great that someone has raised issues about government and social policy making..”? HUH?!?! You count her jumping on the conspiracy bandwagon about 9/11 myths as raising issues? Get real and get a real job! This disrespects the 3,000 lives lost by the acts of terrorists..yes..terrorists, not our government! I don’t care if you agree with the left or right, you don’t make these comments without facts.
Ro hasn’t said that 9/11 was orchestrated by the government,but theat building #7 is suspicious. There is reason to believe it was tampered with… if it could be true, shouldn’t we find out? And a life is a life, no matter how it is taken. Those people did not sign up to die that day. No matter who orchestrated their deaths, their deaths, each and every one, was tragic and horrifying.
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