Would Rosie O’Donnell Be Less Vilified if She Were Male?
Back when Rosie O’Donnell hosted her enormously popular television show The Rosie O’Donnell Show, she had an excellent reputation in the media and, at worst, was criticized for being too “soft” with her guests, many of whom she idolized. Her biggest “scandal” would be messing up a craft segment or gushing too much over Barbra Streisand. The one time that she attempted to be a bit political, when she quizzed NRA member Tom Selleck about the dangers of guns, she received some criticism in the press, but nothing to the extent that she has today. Of course, those were different times. Since the time that her show ended voluntarily, so much has changed for O’Donnell, as well as for our country. Rosie came out of the closet as a lesbian to the mainstream public, although she never really kept her life, or long-term relationship with Kelli Carpenter, a secret and she never lied to the media about her sexual orientation. Indeed, she even thanked Kelli during one of her Emmy acceptance speeches, but it did not lead to any Entertainment Tonight breaking news segments. Following the end of her show, she cut her hair short and she and Kelli got married in California. She also had failed business ventures, with the disaster of Taboo on Broadway and the ending of her magazine, which culminated in a messy, public trial.
Rosie O’Donnell started blogging back in 2004. The archives of her original blog are still available at formerlyROSIE. She wrote about politics and the Bush administration way back then, but did you ever hear about it on Fox News or Access Hollywood? Of course not, because back then, Rosie did not mean ratings. Although she still had a lot of fans, after the magazine trial ended, she really was out of the public eye. The only reason that Rosie’s blog has become tabloid television fodder is because the producers of those shows have learned that if they have a story about Rosie, they will have higher ratings. Do you really think that Bill O’Reilly believes that the things that Rosie says on the The View are ruining this country? It is pretty clear from his show that he doesn’t even know what it is that she has said on The View, evidenced by the fact that he frequently misquotes her and spins her words around (I have seen more spinning in the No-Spin Zone than at a ballet). On his Thursday show, he said that it is Rosie’s “contention that 9/11 was a conspiracy” and then played a tape of the segment from The View in which Rosie said that she did not believe that 9/11 was a conspiracy. How’s that for spin? O’Reilly is more concerned about getting ratings for his own show and, as a bonus, maybe scaring people into believing that they should not question the Bush Administration, than he is about getting the facts straight.
As a comedian, Rosie O’Donnell pokes fun at other celebrities. She has done this in stand-up and she gets roaring laughter. She says the same thing on The View and is called mean and hateful. What about Jay Leno? Doesn’t he make fun of celebrities on a nightly basis? Is it okay to mock Donald Trump at night, but not during the daytime? Bill O’Reilly makes political statements every night, many of which do not have basis in truth, but do you see him criticized every night on Entertainment Tonight? Is it because he is on cable television and not network television, a distinction he is so fond of?
There is something else underlying all of the criticism of Rosie O’Donnell that is pretty obvious if you take a step back and look at the whole spectacle: Rosie is criticized with such an amazing and unending force not because she is an outspoken liberal, but because she is an outspoken woman. Back when she did not make bold political statements she was adored, or at the very least, ignored by most of the gossip rags. It is not until her time on The View, when she began making political statements and supporting her causes that everyone is up in arms about what she is saying on a daily basis. Although it often goes unsaid, many people, both men and women, do not like outspoken, opinionated women.
Fox News Anaylst Bernard Goldberg appeared on O’Reilly’s show in which he called the audience of The View, “the most unsophisticated, politically unsophisticated, viewers in all of America.” Of course, what he was saying is that the viewers, who are primarily female, are incapable of critical thought, incapable of understand politics, and are likely to take everything that Rosie says and believe it without investigation. This comment was insulting to all women, not just those that watch The View, because it supports the notion that women do not understand politics and do not educate themselves about what is happening in our country. Women are not lemmings, simply following Rosie blindly and echoing her sentiments without research. It is worth pointing out that Goldberg, like most of Rosie’s critics, admitted that he does not watch The View. He is an analyst, yet he admits that he does not even watch the show that he is analyzing, relying only the clips and sound bites that pervade the media.
While it is true that many viewers likely listen to Rosie and agree with what she has to say, it is not because they do not know better; it is because she is saying what a lot of other people are already thinking. Rosie O’Donnell is by far not the only person speaking out against the Bush administration or thinking critically about what is happening with Iran. However, she is the only woman to do so with such an expansive daily platform. It is only because people fear that she has the power to change minds that they wish to silence her; that and they know that talking about her will get a few more people to listen to them. Would they be so scared if she were a man?
Rosie O’Donnell, women, The View, Bernard Goldberg, Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump, Iran, WTC7, 9/11
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
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April 3rd, 2007 at 8:39 am
Nice post Winn. I can’t say that I’m a fan of Rosie, shes a little obnoxious for my taste but her opinions are just a valid as the next man’s. I find O’Rielly hilarious but that’s because I know he’s a moron. Plus without him we wouldn’t have Stephen Colbert.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:02 am
Rosie is just plain irritating. And I think she would be equally as irritating as a man. I watch the view on occasion and have since it’s inception because I am a fan of Barbara Walters. All those other “news” guys are just adding to Rosie’s rankings. They are loudmouths just like she is. However, given that the show’s name is the VIEW, that’s what it’s all about, 4 women expressing thier views. Although Rosie tends to take center stage…
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 am
Great points Tracy. And isn’t it interesting that Bill targeted Rosie while she’s on vacation. Yeah she blogs and all but it’s different when you hear the other side’s own words. Whatever. She may be a loudmouth and opinionated but The View will die if they fire her. It’ll turn into a boring show especially since Meredith is not there anymore. Star never really impressed me.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:35 am
Ooops, I meant Winnie, but I do agree with Tracy regarding what the show is all about and the ratings bit too :).
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:50 am
I think you’re right–she wouldn’t be so villified if she was a man. I admire her for speaking out, when way too many other members of the media are just plain scared to do so. I’ve always liked her and hope she’s able to keep her job at The View.
bobbi c.
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I’ve always loved Rosie, from way back in her stand up days till now. I do think she’s picked on more because she’s female, lesbian, and outspoken. It’s a mans world of politics still, and though they claim we’re equal, they still would rather us little women be seen and not heard. While I avoid politics because it makes me irritable and mean, I can fully understand the wish to get one’s point of view into the mainstream.
My *only* beef with Rosie is that sometimes, she’s so passionate, she forgets that other people have opinions too, and walks over them a bit.
But that’s a minor beef, and I fell she has every right to keep her View - especially on a show that is for the pointing out of one’s View, out there.
On her questions and answers part of her blog, she said she was re-upped for next year, if I read it right. Hooray!
April 4th, 2007 at 3:03 am
My question is why are the news shows making it seem like Rosie started a feud with Bill O’Reily when he started it. Why didn’t they report what he was saying last week and only reported this story when she made comments on her blog about him. Why do they twist her words too. I guess they don’t want to bother to watch the show. Oh and by the way she hasn’t re-upped. She keeps saying that she won’t make that decision till May. People keep asking her but she keeps saying the same thing.
April 4th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Rosie is the primary reason that I watch the View. I find her intelligent, warm, and passionate in her beliefs and opinions. People seem to be forgetting that the name of the show is “The View” where the panel is supposed to be free to express their views.
If Rosie was parrotting the “party line” they would be praising her because this country’s talking heads have such a “double standard”.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Rosie is a lesbian? I will pray for her.
April 4th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
O’Donnell chose to live her life like a man, but you want to make her the mouthpiece for women and use the “if she were a male” argument to muddle why her anti-American comments created a backlash. Here is an excerpt from an opinion piece from Tawfik Hamid, a former terrorist.(WSJ, Tuesday 4/3/07)
“Worst of all, perhaps, is the anti-Americanism among many Westerners. It is a resentment so strong, so deep-seated, so rooted in personal identity, that it has led many, consciously or unconsciously, to morally support America’s enemies.”
Even though Hamid’s opinion piece was not in response to O’Donnell’s comments, I’m sure you understand the correlation between the two. If you don’t, then there lies the problem and why there was such a backlash.
If O’Donnell hates the American people that much so be it; if she wants to express extreme views, so be it. But, she must grow up and accept responsibility for her comments possibly emboldening those who would harm our troops and civilians.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:37 am
You made one observation in the post I have to comment on. You said: “Fox News Anaylst Bernard Goldberg appeared on O’Reilly’s show in which he called the audience of The View, “the most unsophisticated, politically unsophisticated, viewers in all of America.” Of course, what he was saying is that the viewers, who are primarily female, are incapable of critical thought, incapable of understand politics, and are likely to take everything that Rosie says and believe it without investigation.”
I think what he was really saying was “I don’t understand how women think about things.” While men who talk about politics tend to also talk about sports, women who talk about politics tend to also talk about families and relationships and other “girlie” things, which in a man’s world means not serious stuff.
Here’s my question: Men don’t get all bent out of shape about women making fun of Sports Center, they just ignore it. So why don’t women just ignore the male criticisms of shows the women like?
April 5th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Pam: I have to disagree. I don’t think calling an entire gender “politically unsophisticated” is the same as saying he doesn’t understand “how women think about things.” It is not a matter of people criticizing The View, so much as it is a matter of people prejudging an entire gender, that I have a problem with.
April 5th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I don’t know if the reason is because she is a man or because she’s Rosie but I do think most of the feuds are built up out of proportion are slanted to make her appear in fault. I’m not a fan of Rosie or Bill O’Reilly not even a little but if I had to vote between the two of them to get one fired it would be Bill. I think people also forget the fact that Rosie is not a journalist she is an entertainer. O’Reilly likes to consider himself a journalist (I disagree) so he should know to check his facts. As for her statements being Anti-American I am so sick of hearing that any time someone disagrees with a politician in power or expressing a view that is a little outside the norm they are “un-American”. After all American is supposed to be a place for expression of different views and opinions. Yes a lot of her opinions are wacky (for lack of a better word) but I’ve seen much more controversial statements by political commentators and celebrities with a lot more clout than she has.
April 6th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Rosie is criticized because she is a woman? Ah…OK. It’s truly astounding how many people in the nation are so blind to hate. Rosie lost my support when her raging hatred started to burst at the seams during the time she was loosing her show and her magazine. Rosie is being criticized because she a woman? Are you kidding me? She has brought all this “negative” attention on HERSELF. She is clearly an angry person who lives to spew venom and spread vicious loathing.
Really people…. wake up. Hate breeds hate. She is getting what she deserves and frankly I think she should be fired and go into anger therapy and heal her obvious deep seeded issues. I would much rather see someone on TV who spreads goodness and hope and inspiration. We need more “Oprah’s”. To close your eyes to it and deny it’s existence does not mean it isn’t real. It’s realpeople. She’s a hater. God help us that people like O’Donnell are actually getting support. I hope that you would want to be fair? Well then I assume you also support Ann Coulter, who, after all is a woman too…?
February 15th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Very interesting Winnie..
I had not read this before.
You make some very good points, some things I haven’t considered.
Although i didn’t agree with all of her political views, I never minded her sharing and expressing them.
I think it is totally wrong for someone, anyone to think that because the view’s audience is mainly women, and many stay at home moms, that we can’t think for ourselves.
I don’t like it when it say that about Rosie, or when it is said about E.H.