Friday, December 15, 2006

OK - I'm breaking my promise this once.

First, here's the original clip:



Next: Response to Rosie's Stupidity



Finally: Rosie's apology



In short...I'm not sure what to think. I am really getting tired of the excuse of "I'm a comedian". You know what? I'm not a prude...I have heard some pretty raw routines in my day. They are funny. However, with comedians (as with other celebrities) the lines between stage persona and real persona get blurred. If an audience hears someone use a racial/ethnic/homophobic/sexist/disability slur, they're going to think it's OK because their favorite comedian says it. That's true for ANY comedian - white, black, green, male, female, etc. You can't deny it...it's there and it always has been.

However, here's an interesting reply from an offended party re: her "apology". To quote an article from the San Francisco Chronicle:

"She doesn't think she did anything wrong. ... She's sorry Asians are so sensitive and actually complaining instead of sitting, smiling and nodding because we don't understand or don't want to cause waves," said Sandy Louie, 32, of Cupertino. "Rosie should not be let off the hook with the statement she made to get the protesters off her back. What she did was wrong, and she has not acknowledged it."

In addition, here's what the Journal Gazette had to say...

Previously, on her blog at www.rosie.com, O’Donnell wrote that she “wasn’t mocking / that’s my best impression” and that her “bad accent was not meant to insult or degrade / linguistic incompetence – guilty / mocking – never.” She told one detractor to go “f- urself.” (Author's note: I went to Rosie's blog this morning, and I couldn't find the entry or the comments. Rip-off.)

Spoofing a language belittles the people who speak it, community leaders say. They also say it’s disappointing to hear such insensitivity from O’Donnell, who has championed gay and lesbian rights and taken others to task for being homophobic.

Yep...I'd have to agree. It does seem like she's talking out of both sides of her very large mouth.

Again, as I've said, this is not an issue about her sexual orientation. It's an issue regarding her tact. She's also kind of positioned herself as the "leader"on that show, which I think is totally frustrating. Whatever ego trip she's on, I think she's in for a nasty fall...say, around the first of the year.

Sigh...then again, what do I know? I'm a fat, bipolar straight chick with big feet.