Everything's Coming Up Rosie

The four years that have elapsed since Rosie O'Donnell's talk show left the air haven't been too kind to the woman known as the "Queen of Nice."

During that time, her magazine imploded, her stand-up career became basically a carbon copy of Kathy Griffin's, she starred in an extremely grating TV movie, she got a really bad haircut, and she took a $10 million bath when her Broadway show was hooted off West 45th Street.

But last night on The Tonight Show, as she plugged an HBO special premiering Thursday night about her "R Family Vacations" venture, I began to feel a pang of remorse.

Rosie has been awfully easy to kick around for reasons including some of her more outlandish public statements and reports about the way she treats staff and her rivals in private.  But there is something refreshing about someone who is so unapologetically gay in mainstream media and entertainment that is lacking even in people like Ellen DeGeneres, who is generally gay only for the occasional gay-press article.  (Before the flamers arrive, let it be known that I love Ellen DeGeneres.)

Few people have the courage to go on a show like Jay Leno's and even-headedly talk about the merits of gay adoption.  I'm not exactly a disinterested third party in terms of these issues, but I have to think that she is a great spokeswoman for these causes when she wants to be.

(There was also a nice moment when she bantered with her blog-pal, "Ross, the Tonight Show Intern," that was sure to warm bloggers' hearts everywhere.  LOL!)

So mark us down with Queerty on this one:

We think it's time for Rosie to come back in style, we love her and she's been away for long enough.

It's probably long past time for Rosie's penance to end.

[Watch video – 13:10, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 13:10, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Comments

[Tom]

While she may be an expert on the topics of television and gay adoption, she comes off as ignorant and ill-informed when speaking about politics or current events. When confronted with facts that contradict her point-of-view, she becomes belligerent.

I doubt she could return to her middle-of-the road talk show persona that made her so popular now that she's voiced her sometimes radical stances (i.e, gun control).

[Queer Conservative]

Before she came out, Camille Paglia once said of her: "Backstage she bites, and she has a closet the size of Greenland."

[Brent]

Thanks for that - it was kick - I love reading her blog too. You go malcontent!

[PatrickP]

She’s not exactly the best spokeshole for gay parents.

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jun/05060907.html

http://www.sbministries.org/media/ro-1.wmv

Via: http://beautifulatrocities.com/archives/2006/03/mr_star_jones_r.html

[Queer Conservative]

Spokeshole?

[Mikell]

She got her facts wrong, maybe she was just nervous.

In Florida, we can Foster Parent to our hearts content, but we can not adopt.

[Aatom]

"her Broadway show was hooted off West 45th Street"

and this would be in what city exactly?

[Malcontent]

Aatom: LOL.

Everybody knows that Broadway is in Broadwayville.

[ExNewYorker]

Aatom: I think West 45th Street is somewhere in the heartland of Virginia.

[beautifulatrocities]

She's a lunatic. She boasted on the View how she made wifey stop breastfeeding because Rosie was jealous. Because, you know, having kids is about stroking your ego. She's a good argument against gay adoption

[LikeOMGFab]

In Rosie's defense, she is a star. Stars know diddly about politics or current events... unless your Susan Sarandon. *smile*

[Queer Conservative]

Or Tim Robbins or George Clooney. Or Harry Belafonte or Danny Glover or Sharon Stone or Star Jones.

[Queer Conservative]

Or Whoopi Goldberg. Oh and Ted Danson or Vanessa Redgrave or Bono.

[Queer Conservative]

Oh oh oh and Gwyneth Paltrow is a poly sci expert too.

[el polacko]

sorry... i'll never be able to see rosie as more than a pushy opportunist. she went from intensely closeted friend of the american housewife to un-elected official spokesperson for all things GAY... highlighted by her bounding into frisco to be married in city hall and steal all the publicity thunder away from lesser, run-of-the-mill homos...ugh. now she's the ultimate earth-mother of gay families .. no thanks. she's the white, lesbian jesse jackson.

[Tommy]

I have a sof spot for loud fat womyn.

[Tommy]

soft