Rosie's Rant: Sputtering in Rage in Interview with Couric

The Today Show

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Rosie O'Donnell just completed an appearance with Katie Couric on The Today Show that might well go down as one of the angriest, most vituperative displays in the annals of morning TV.

The interview took place in the context of the multimillion dollar lawsuit that the publishers of the "Rosie" magazine brought against her.

Katie tiptoed around, clearly uncomfortable asking Rosie tough questions. But to her credit, Katie had done her homework and did indeed ask some tough ones.

Thus, for example, when Rosie bitterly complained that the magazine refused to put a photo of the paraplegic Christopher Reeve on the cover, Katie piped up to say: "I understand that the photo was five years old, taken from far away, and not deemed appropriate."

Rosie was so clearly angry, barely able to control her rage, aimed at anyone, including Katie. Referring to some issue that had arisen on a TV show, Rosie accusingly asked Katie: "did you WATCH the show?"

Rosie was furious about the publisher discounting the magazine's subscription rate. Just a detail, but her rage was so evident.

Katie reading from lawsuit: "through summer of 2002 Rosie and entourage became increasingly abusive . . . and Rosie said she would personally 'take down' magazine unless she had total control."

Rosie naturally denied it.

In perhaps the most remarkable segment, Rosie bragged: "I have Mary Jo White as my attorney. Do you know who she is?"

Katie: "Yes. But please tell our viewers."

Rosie: "She is the #1 woman lawyer in the country. I told my people, get me the best WOMAN lawyer!"

Katie: "What of charge you were abusive?"

Rosie: "It's absurd. You know me."

Katie stuck to her journalistic guns: "In fairness I haven't worked with you."

Rosie then bragged: "I employ thousands, hundreds, of people. I'm the CEO." The implication was that as a big, powerful, important person with lots of employees, she was entitled to be very demanding and abusive.

"Come on, Katie, it's like, if you send someone out for a tuna fish sandwich on rye with no seeds, all of a sudden you're abusive."

Rosie: "I'm definitely bringing a countersuit and donating all proceeds to charity. This is about integrity. I am too strong to let people get away with this."

Katie: "Do you think, in explaining all the negative press about you in recent times, that there's an undercurent of discrimination against you because you came out as a lesbian?"

Rosie: "No. I'm getting more support than ever. 65-yr. old women at the hairdressers hug me and tell me how proud they are of me."

Just one, non-stop furious rant.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Rosie's performance was so over the top that I'd guess you'll be seeing excerpts on the news, on the late night comedy shows, etc.

This is a woman filled with anger and rage.

Now, if only Katie were this tough in going up against some Democrat weasel!

[SouthernFreebird]

She goes to a hairdresser?

[Ulysses]

Now, if only Katie were this tough in going up against some Democrat weasel!

uhhhh...what is Rosie, if not "some Democrat weasel"? I get your point, though...

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Yes, I was thinking that too, but yes, I had in mind elected weasels of the Daschle, etc. variety.

[11th Earl of Mar]

She goes to a hairdresser?

No kidding. It looks like she just shaved her head. [I think they call that a 'butch.']

Who needs a hairdresser? All she needs is a barber.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Interestingly she spoke at length about her latest haircut. Apparently she wanted to produce a play about Boy George. But he told her she was too suburban. So she got a haircut which is apparently considered trendy, flew back to London to see Boy George, who approved and agreed to let her produce the play.

You know you're in trouble when . . . you make fashion decisions to appeal to Boy George!

[stevio]

I never knew why she was called the "queen of nice". You can see it in her smile she's anything but.

[AppyPappy]

Katie: "What of charge you were abusive?"

What? Is she channeling Master Po here?

"Ah young water buffalo. What of charge you were fat loudmouth lesbian?"

[Former Proud Canadian]

Looking at her recent behaviour I think it is obvious that this woman desperately needs some help. She is not acting in a rational manner.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

This anger has always been there. It's amazing that she was able to dupe a substantial number of people for a long time into thinking she was nice.

[Olydawg]

"Come on, Katie, it's like, if you send someone out for a tuna fish sandwich ...

I bet she's sent out for quite a few of these.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Well, I might have been paraphrasing. Too bad she didn't ask Rosie to stand on one foot!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Hey, idiot, and this time, don't forget the extra mayo and the family-sized bag of chips!"

[AppyPappy]

Too bad she didn't ask Rosie to swallow a shotgun.

[TomGuy]

Rosie suffers from fame-itis, a condition that afflicts those who become household names and, thus, think they are superior to common folk.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I'm getting more support than ever. 65-yr. old women at the hairdressers hug me and tell me how proud they are of me

Is this ALL those 65 yr. women do to her? Somehow, I know there must be a lot more to that story. There ARE pictures. I hope.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

One additional interesting tidbit from the interview. In explaining why the publishers made a mistake in lowering the subscription price, Rosie said:

"I told the publishers that in any case there'd be 2 million people who would subscribe regardless of the price. I knew this because there were two million people who bought my CD even though I can't sing, and who bought my Barbie doll even though I'm not exactly the most beautiful woman in the world."

Leaving aside the Barbie doll, this does raise the question: what kind of standards or ethics do you have, Rosie, putting out a CD which you knew to be of poor quality?

Weren't you just exploiting your loyal, gullible followers for profit? Isn't this exactly the kind of grasping, greedy, exploitive behavior that you and your fellow Dems condemn in corporate America?

[ClearCase_guy]

Looking at her recent behaviour I think it is obvious that this woman desperately needs some help. She is not acting in a rational manner.

The Leftist playbook: When the going got tough, Torricelli droppedout and the Dems went to plan B (Lautenberg). If Rosie finds the going tougher than she'd like, I expect her to announce that she has been struggling with substance-abuse/sexual-abuse/mental illness. She "hasn't been herself". She "needs treatment". It's "not her fault". And all will be forgiven.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Lookout Katie, I think that wildebeast is about to charge!!!

[Ulysses]

There ARE pictures. I hope.

Pictures?!?! Pictures?!?! Ewwwww!!! That picture that accompanies this article is bad enough, don't you think?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

That's about right. There was a sense that at any moment, Rosie might totally lose it. Perhaps putting Katie in a headlock and wrestling her to the ground. Or maybe one of those "Alien" creatures would spring from her chest and start devouring people.

[Ulysses]

That picture that accompanies this article...

My bad...I'm thinking of the "butch" shot on Drudge!

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

My wife, to her understandable embarassment, was getting the Rosie mag for free. She never asked for it, she didn't buy Rosie's CD (didn't know it existed) and she no longer plays with dolls.

She made good use of it, at the bottom of our parrot's cage. Too bad they won't be sending it any longer.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Pictures? Well, you asked for it:

[Ulysses]

Did you have to go and do that?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Isn't it true that the parrots went on a hunger strike and brought a habeus corpus action for inhumane conditions of confinement?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hey, he asked for it.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

And by the way, you'll note that at the bottom of the photo it says: "premium video." Makes you shudder to think what the "economy class video" would look like!

[Ulysses]

Hey, he asked for it.

Yeah, but my mom always said, "Be careful what you ask for...you might get it!"

[Ulysses]

too funny!

[evad]

Now, if only Katie were this tough in going up against some Democrat weasel!

No way that will happen.

Rosie is fair game now ...persona non grata in the lib-world. RAT weasels are still to be treated with kid gloves.

[johnb838]

This is a woman filled with anger and rage

When did we become so unforgiving as a people? This seems vaguely reminiscent of when Ellen came out and apparently didn't find the love and acceptance she was expecting so she became a shriveled up old shrew and drove poor Anne Heche to heterosexuality (yea)

[Jhensy]

I watched it. This woman better hire a financial advisor very quickly. She is committing career suicide in amazingly rapid fashion.

Not only did she just abandon her only 2 sources of income in less than 2 months, she is now burning every bridge possible in the industry. With all those houses, and hangers-on, and adopted kids, and expensive "causes"...she's got some serious overhead that will dwindle a fortune in no time.

No one will go near her now... after finally revealing her real self as a angry bull dyke to her dumbass soccer mom fanbase, she would have been smart to at least turn on the charm and play nice. Instead, she can't help herself and has to bray her obnoxious garbage in everyone's faces.

I'm loving every minute of it. You go grrl.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"When did we become so unforgiving as a people?"

Hmm, looks like The Torch's swan song complaint has legs.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I was thinking more of pics on Rosie 'hugging' (hmmm...) those 65 yr. old women at the barber shop.

[two23]

ROz was on O'Reilly last night (c'mon Bill, just cause she's Irish--)
She has the "me-me-me" disease. She's lashing out cause she knows she's in a flat-spin and can't pull out.
Narcissism is ugly--and she's the poster child for it.
(Her sideways mullet hair says it all---half man--half woman--and the emotional chaos that it represents)

[johnb838]

Darn right... it's the best thing since "can't we all just get along?"

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Glad to hear from another FReeper who witnessed this display.

It's interesting to consider that The Today Show regularly airs interviews with people who have suffered, or whose loved ones have suffered, the most unspeakable, painful crimes. Survivors of 9-11 and family members of those who died obviously come to mind.

These were people who would be justified in displaying tremendous anger and bitterness. But almost invariably, their inner strength, faith and decency of character permit them to conduct themselves with dignity and composure.

In contrast, here is Rosie throwing a Category 5 Temper Tantrum over a contract dispute.

[Petronski]

"Come on, Katie, it's like, if you send someone out for a tuna fish sandwich on rye with no seeds, all of a sudden you're abusive."

A tunafish sandwich, Rosie? Are you trying to be a cliché?

[Mercat]

Hey, I like the new Rosie better than the old one. She not only came out as a lesbian, she came out as an angry crabby power woman (I can ID with the later not the former) and after 9/11 would not play with the lib stars and their absurd fund raising and says she likes President Bush. What's not to love?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Posting expertise question: how do you get the accent mark in cliché?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I just copied and pasted yours, wouldn't know how to do it on my own.

[NautiNurse]

Caught the fat one on O'Reilly last night. He sure does treat her with kid gloves. Maybe he is trying to kill her with kindness...

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hmm, what's not to love about an "angry, crabby power woman"? Yeah, that's how most of us guys like our women.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Based on her threatening appearance with Katie, it is very plausible to imagine that O'Reilly was in fear of his life.

[Petronski]

Not gracefully. I go to Microsoft Word, and use Insert | Symbol...

Then I select the symbol I need, then cut and paste back to explorer. Awkward but effective.

[azhenfud]

"Come on, Katie, it's like, if you send someone out for a tuna fish sandwich ..."

I bet she's sent out for quite a few of these.

Now that would be abusive...

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks. Impressive dedication to high posting standards!

[cricket]

["Katie: "What of charge you were abusive?"

What? Is she channeling Master Po here?

"Ah young water buffalo. What of charge you were fat loudmouth lesbian?" ?"]

. . .bump for a great laugh; and wisdom worth repeating. . .

[two23]

"Caught the fat one on O'Reilly last night. He sure does treat her with kid gloves. Maybe he is trying to kill her with kindness...

Nope..O'Reilly supports gay adoption and in an interview a few month's ago (with her)..he pretty much felt she is a good representitive for gay adoption. Sometimes Bill can be a disappointment....