Did liberal-bashers cost Garofalo her sitcom?

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 5 June 3 | BILL ZWECKER

[Petronski]

Did liberal-bashers cost Garofalo her sitcom?

June 5, 2003

BY BILL ZWECKER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Is the ghost of Sen. Joe McCarthy alive and well in Hollywood? That is certainly on the minds of many outspoken liberals in Tinsel-town these days. The latest conspiracy theory focuses on the just-announced axing by ABC of very vocal anti-Iraq war activist Janeane Garofalo's new sitcom, ''Slice o' Life.''

Though the alphabet network had given Garo-falo and Universal Tele-vision a thumbs up on the show for next season, network execs changed their minds, telling Daily Variety and other industry outlets it was ''the direction of the series story line'' that led to the dumping of ''Slice''--just days before the show's pilot was scheduled to be taped in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A source close to Garofalo tells this column the actress and comedian was furious by the last-minute change and believes it's yet another example ''of a network bowing to the perceived power of the Bush administration. ... Janeane is convinced her politics and all the hate mail the right-wing lobby stirred up during the war is what is behind all this.''

An ABC spokeswoman denies that, saying this was a decision based strictly on the artistic merits (or lack thereof) of the show--with Garofalo's politics ''never coming into the decision-making process whatsoever.''

For the pilot, Garofalo would have played an unwilling segment producer assigned to come up with corny feature pieces to run at the end of a TV newsmagazine show.

This is Garofalo's second recent TV stumble. A potential HBO project was also shelved.

[Petronski]

[Petronski]

...this was a decision based strictly on the artistic merits (or lack thereof) of the show...

Bwa ha ha ha ha!

[jjm2111]

Poor baby. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut.

[mad puppy]

"Ding"

Wow. 15 minutes goes so fast.

Good bye.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Sigmundfreud!!!!

[VRWC_minion]

Gosh were good.

[smith288]

a "chill wind" blows indeed... BWUHAHAHAH.

[Petronski]

Can you imagine what it is like to think of Dr. Freud if you are a German? His name literally means 'joy.' He is Dr. Joy!

How in the world did he ever get taken seriously?

[dorben]

Thats the way I've got it figured . You can milk the VRWC teat just so much until finally folks just have to admit to themselves they did not make the cut .

Welcome to the real world Janeane .

[rivercat]

Did liberal-bashers cost Garofalo her sitcom?

No... She is responsible for losing her sitcom. When will the libs ever realize that everything you do has consequences (good and bad)?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, not enough people were getting sick,
so a starving young physician
tried to better his position
by trying to figure out what made his patients tick...

[renosathug]

It was just a time-saving measure. They knew it would be cancelled quickly anyway because no one would watch the unfunny, fugly b*tch.

[hellinahandcart]

So calling him "Dr. Feelgood" wouldn't be too far off the mark?

"I feel good!...I knew that I would, now...."

[Sunshine Sister]

Oh poor Janeane. She obviously does not believe in consequences of your actions!

[JohnEBoy]

Man, I am mad at the Bush administration and all the right-wing letter writing crazies, now. We had a chance to be entertained with a laff-riot, splendidly acted television comedy, described as ... "Garofalo would have played an unwilling segment producer assigned to come up with corny feature pieces to run at the end of a TV newsmagazine show."

But Noooooo! We are being denied the incredible opportunity to see this potential Emmy awarded beauty in the wasteland otherwise known as television.

It's just not fair!!!!

[KellyAdmirer]

She was going around arrogantly saying how powerless her detractors were because the show stayed on the schedule. Oops! I guess her having cable tv just didn't prepare her for this one.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Is the ghost of Sen. Joe McCarthy alive and well in Hollywood?

Where's the "Aww Jeez, not this Shit again?"

The latest conspiracy theory focuses on

funny thing is, for the Bill Zweckers of the world, conspiracy theories are valid starting points for news stories. Somebody is writing a paycheck for this idiot.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

These loud-mouthed, ignorant, Hollywood idiots just don't think they can be touched in their ivory towers, do they?

They think they can spout their uninformed, moronic opinions in the public forum about issues they are completely unqualified to discuss, and that they will suffer no repercussions from the public. How wrong they are.

Janeane just got a big wake-up smack-upside-the-head from ABC. Let the rest of the Hollywood idiots be put on notice...

[Hank Rearden]

Wish I coulda been there to watch as she got the news. The nasty little bitch must have been ready to explode.

[w_over_w]

the actress and comedian was furious by the last-minute change and believes it's yet another example ''of a network bowing to the perceived power of the Bush administration. ...

What with two wars, the economy, mideast peace . . . where does he get the time!!!

[Im Your Huckleberry]

They talk about McCarthy as if he was bad and evil.

Not only was McCarthy not a bad man, he was absolutely right, too. Which, of course, is why the left hates him with a passion.

Read "Witness" by Whittaker Chambers and you'll undrestand that not only was McCarthy completely right, but also completely justified in his approach.

[GOP_Proud]

< A source close to Garofalo tells this column the actress and comedian was furious by the last-minute change and believes it's yet another example ''of a network bowing to the perceived power of the Bush administration. ... Janeane is convinced her politics and all the hate mail the right-wing lobby stirred up during the war is what is behind all this.'' >


No, Miss Garofalo, it is the PEOPLE who are speaking...not the Bush admistration. And besides that, what is it with these lib producers? The show must go on. We much prefer to watch the crash and burn. Put it on so the low ratings can prove to Miss Garofalo that it is, indeed, the PEOPLE who will not watch.

Miss Garofalo you have been allowed your free speech. Now live with it. I'm just exercising mine now.

[KellyAdmirer]

Now Garofalo will no doubt spend the rest of her days claiming she actually had a great potential show but was only prevented from becoming the next Seinfeld because of the Iraq thing - rather than admit the truth to herself or others, that she is at best a marginally talented hack actress who barely made it through a season on SNL and whose movies - even those she is in with Jim Carrey like The Cable Guy - habitually bomb.

[Lady Eileen]

Good news.

[Rummyfan]

Zwecker totally misses it... the Bush Administration had nothing to do with Ms Garafalo's unpopularity.... the unpopularity is coming from the grass roots and these are the people who would be expected to watch the show. This is not McCarthyism or censorship. I (we) can pick and choose our entertainment options, and we choose not to watch or otherwise patronize any product featuring Garafalo or Penn or Glover or Sarandon or Robbins (partial list only!).

[YourAdHere]

How soon til she's doing Hollywood Squares? Any guesses?

[EBUCK]

An ABC spokeswoman denies that, saying this was a decision based strictly on the artistic merits (or lack thereof) of the show--with Garofalo's politics ''never coming into the decision-making process whatsoever.''

[MEGoody]

"Is the ghost of Sen. Joe McCarthy alive and well in Hollywood?"

Do these clowns even know who Joe McCarthy was? What's at work in Hollywood is business. Why spend money to put on a sitcom no one will watch?

[Petronski]

....even those she is in with Jim Carrey like The Cable Guy - habitually bomb.

Garofalo: a "talent" big enough to sink a Jim Carrey movie!

[fish hawk]

Typical of Bush haters. Notice they blame Bush and he had nothing to do with it. It's the power of the "grass roots" that had the influence to dump her. If we dont watch her, why make the program? WE DID IT!

[N. Theknow]

Can you imagine what it is like to think of Dr. Freud if you are a German? His name literally means 'joy.' He is Dr. Joy!

Just imagine if he were a.live today and working his way through school with a job at Burger King as....

Deep Fat Freud.

[T.Smith]

If he were alive in the sixties he might have created a band called "Pink Freud". They might have had a hit with "Dark Side of the Id".

[dorben]

Exactly . This Gal thought she could crossline market herself without doing some homework . Well somebody in the front office did .

[eBelasco]

What is her problem? If ABC, a private company, decides it doesn't want to do her show, that's their decision. If she wants gauranteed tv access, she should move to some place like Kanada and apply for citizenship, where they have enforced content regulations.

[Petronski]

Hell, the Kanadian Gubmint would even fund her!

[Sangria]

Maybe they decided she's just not funny nor entertaining.

[SquirrelKing]

a "chill wind"

[Petronski]

Her only comic value is the unintended humor of her constant paranoid bitching.

[eBelasco]

She could claim refugee status while waiting in line at Toronto airport. Maybe she'd catch SARS and MadCow while trying to speak French with the immigration drones.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Not only was McCarthy not a bad man, he was absolutely right, too.

Those recent documents about McCarthy that were supposed to pile on even more, but instead they proved alot of 300 he chased after were in fact Soviet agents. Boy did that story disappear...

Its no accident the Left treats McCarthy's name as if it were equal to Hitler.

[TUX]

Still eagerly awaiting that promised Bush apology.

[Petronski]

Quick, who can post Registered's priceless 'eating crow' art?

[Marie Antoinette]

funny thing is, for the Bill Zweckers of the world, conspiracy theories are valid starting points for news stories

Ha! You're correct of course. Good catch.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Garofalo will be soon spotted on New York City's Bowery cleaning windshields for food money! My dear, did you ever hear of the term freedom of expression? Well, now you have! You see, my dear, in America all sides have a right to voice their opinion. And....we have voiced ours loud & clear! It's not the GW Bush administration that did you in. It's the American people that finished you! Like it or not, baby, that's the way it is!

[commandante_zero]

"I couldda been a condenduh!"

[solo gringo]

No I don't think liberal bashers cost her the sitcom.IMO it was her stupidity and thank god this kind of crap is a plenty without another.

[McGavin999]

Why is everyone saying McCarthyite? Are they admitting that these leftists are communists? That's who McCarthy was going after.

These stupid, immoral, degenerate Hollywood types just don't get it. This country has been attacked and instead of helping to pull the country together, they are out there trying to pull it apart. They just don't get it.

[Enterprise]

Pardon me for repeating the point others have made, but it makes me roll my eyes too whenever these twits bring up the name of Jospeh McCarthy in relation to public entertainment. Joseph McCarthy represented the Government and the use of Government power and resources to investigate citizens. This is not what is at work in the entertainment industry. People pay to be entertained, not lectured or scolded. The marketplace is having a massive negative reaction against people like Garofalo, and it isn't being Government sponsored or driven.

[Reagan is King]

Liberals are mad = I'm happy.

She used her free speech rights, we used ours, she's suffering the consequences of her unpopular views. We get to sit back and enjoy the results and have to suffer though one less boring sitcom. Life is good!

[Petronski]

God bless Ronaldus Magnus!