Rosie O'Donnell lashes out at Barbara Walters -- again

While promoting her upcoming NBC variety special, “Rosie Live,” Rosie O’Donnell couldn't avoid questions about her controversial time on "The View."

Barbara Walters, she told reporters on Wednesday morning, “wanted everyone to believe and think and act as if [the women on ‘The View’] get along and are really good friends and happy and hang out together, and, you know, that’s just not the reality.

“I’m not saying they loathe each other, but the fact of the matter is, there was not a lot of camaraderie off camera.”

O’Donnell famously exited the ABC daytime talk show after months of politically charged bickering with her co-hosts, among them Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who came under scrutiny again in this election year as the show’s only staunchly conservative voice.

But she conceded “arguing about politics is not the best use of my talent.”

“I didn’t grow up thinking, ‘I hope I can talk about politics.’ If you watch my stand-up comedy, I talk about my life, my family. It only became about [politics] with the job on ‘The View.’ ”

And so the comedian returns to her roots with next week’s feel-good variety show, which she promised would be free of anything serious.

“The job description here is to entertain. ... It will be an hour of fun, laughter, singing and dancing. No politics. No arguing. No talking about controversial things. That, to me, is what is needed now.”

O’Donnell said the economic downturn could even mark the return of the variety genre. “I think they’ll all come back in a few years. The timing is right for this. The economy has made it so families are staying home more.”

Guests scheduled to appear on “Rosie Live” include Liza Minnelli, Alec Baldwin, Ne-Yo, Alanis Morissette, Gloria Estefan, Kathy Griffin and Jane Krakowski. If NBC chooses to pick up the show, O’Donnell says it will be produced in six-episode installments, the first of which would arrive in January.

Some reporters questioned why O’Donnell had been “oddly absent” from the uproar of California’s passing of Proposition 8, which denies same-sex marriage in the state.

But the comedian scoffed at the idea. “This is nothing new for me. When I got married, it was an act of civil disobedience as much as it was a love story. There is not any person in the country who doesn’t know I’m for gay marriage.

“I’m not vocal enough? I got married before anyone else did. I’ve been living it and living it for a very long time."

“Rosie Live” airs Nov. 26 at 8 p.m.

-- Denise Martin

Photo credit: NBC Universal

Comments

[hms]

Excuse me, but why does the media continuously give this woman a soapbox to belly ache from? WHO CARES WHAT SHE THINKS AND SAYS! A smart woman, but clearly irratic and mentally fragile.

[Jane]

Rosie is just trying to live her life the best she can. She is doing something good thats near and dear to her heart. Leave the past in the past. I cant wait to see the show, GO RO!

[Daniel]

"Arguing about politics is not the best use of my talent."

What talent?

[Daniel]

Let's see.

She can't act. Can't sing. Can't dance. Can't do magic tricks. Isn' t funny. Is dumb as a rock. Doesn't know squat about politics. Knows nothing about government and international relations. She is uneducated. And she is butt ugly.

Maybe she should run for congress?

[Dee]

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Posted by: EricChicago | November 19, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Funny how women with strong opinions in America are always attacked and put down.
---snip---
I wish full success for Rosie! She has earned it.
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Like Sarah Palin. I wish full success for Sarah! She has earned it.

[Glynn]

I really wish people would get it right and not tell half-truths. I am addressing EricChicago who said: "Funny how women with strong opinions in America are always attacked and put down.

She was against the gun lobby which Mr. Selleck was a spokesperson for. She had every right to debate with him."

First of all, I have the clip of that show. Tom Selleck was on the show strictly to promote his new movie. Rosie immediately started grilling Tom Selleck about his position on guns and Tom Selleck graciously tried to redirect her. He stated several times that she had promised not to bring up the gun issue, that he was there to promote his movie. Each time he did so, she became even more strident to the point of becoming nearly hysterical. It was a disgraceful display of a woman totally out of control. You might remember, she was a spokesperson for K-Mart, who sold guns. She also was involved in an issue with trying to get her body guard a gun and she made a big deal out of it when it was denied. In other words, she is perhaps the most extreme hypocrit out there. Let's get our facts straight here.

[GarandFan]

"I didn't grow up thinking"......................

How true. And no worries, you still aren't.

[Dee2008]

Hmm. The Tom Selleck interview? What I recall was a charmingly pleasant actor showing up on her program expecting a bit of light chatter. Instead he was confronted by a vicious attack on his politics. That was the day I first realized Rosie is a nasty piece of work. She's done nothing since to change my mind.

[Gary]

Rosie is a militant, and a trouble maker. BUT, The View is just plane dysfunctional! Pretty unwatchable. Listening to those women rant gives me a headache. They are all liberal losers who just rant.

In retrospect, Rosie is the better person, as she was smart enough to get away from that insanity!

[Roger from Ohio]

I was reading Rosie’s blog during this whole time. She said on her blog many times that EH and her used to send each other emails. Rosie didnt leave because they disagreed about politics, she felt betrayed by her friend when EH didnt defend her.

Also, it says that Rosie said that BW fired her…. On Rosie’s blog, she said they couldnt come to terms on the new contract so they didnt renew it well before the on air blow up.

[Mandi]

Rosie is clearly mentally unstable and has dangerous anger issues. It's sick and exploitative that the media uses her to get ratings. She needs to be heavily medicated not given a television show!

[David Ortiz]

Did the clueless author of this article REALLY write that Elizabeth Hasselback came under scrutiny for being the ONLY conservative voice on the program ?!

I would say that Hasselback was not "scrutinized," rather, she was routinely a-t-t-a-c-k-e-d for merely expressing her views.

Liberals are always raging at people who don't toe the line.

[warbaby]

Words I never thought I'd see in conjunction with Rosie O'Donnell:

"my talent"
"feel-good"
"an hour of fun, laughter, singing and dancing"

On the other hand, "I didn't grow up" shows rare insight, don't you think?

[DL13]

And she still has fan appeal? You're kidding!!!

[Dan]

Nothing in this article constitutes "lashing out"
The headline is misleading.

[drjohn]

“arguing about politics is not the best use of my talent.”

Talent?

Rosie? Talent?

Surely you jest.

[sugga]

No talent? Can't dance? Can't sing? Hrmmm...I guess that's why she's worth millions and continues to make money doing the same. Like some of you have said, she can't make money off her looks right? She's doing something right now isn't she? Haters, get a life!!

[Marsha Johnson]

I am simply amazed at all the bashing of Rosie, she was brought on the show by Barbra Walters as the life saver of the show, and when she showed who she was ,Barbra and especially that Can't do anything wrong....Elizabeth Hasselback couldn't deal with with her. Everybody who's anybody knew that Rosie has a strong personality, and likes being in charge and if you ask me they got what they deserved !!!! kudo's for Rosie for not backing down... Elizabeth needs to go back to reality tv that's where she's better suited... and Barbra ...well she eats her young, you see what she did to Star Jones !!!!! need I say more.

[Mark D.]

Between Rosie and Behar...there just wasn't enough space on one stage for both to HATE Everything. Was almost a Chess match on which one could vent more hate on something, over the other. Must completely suck to be either of them..

[Eugene F. Shewmaker]

OK, Rosie. They weren't paying you to participate in a lovefest. All they wanted was some interesting and, if possible, some stimulating conversation and maybe a laugh or two. And Barbara Walters was the den mother, mustn't forget that. After it was over, they didn't expect you to hang out. All you had to do was get your hat & go home.

Gino