I’m writing this post to the now-unemployed Rosie O’Donnell.Consider it a message from one overly opinionated Irish American blogger to another.
Ro, I’m so disappointed in you. And I say this as someone who normally agrees with you and can’t believe Elisabeth’s blind faith in the president or his war.
I’d write an open letter to Elisabeth, too, but I don’t think she’s Irish and I don’t she would get it. Afterall, this is the same woman who believes we’re safer after invading Iraq. (Though I should say I normally agree with EH’s views on Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and gluten.)
But I digress. Back to the issue at hand.
Rosie, I loved what you *and* Elisabeth brought to The View. Lively, unapolgetic, female opinion. But I hate how you left the table: Emotional, petty, mean.
Basically, I think the whole messy spat – including the incident in which your producer drew a moustache on a photo of Elisabeth – is disparaging to women. The View is the one show in which women talk about world events, politics, etc. from the viewpoint of mothers, sisters, friends. And what did you and Elisabeth do with this opportunity? You acted as if women can’t have a reasonable debate without it being swept up by emotion, personal insults or petty adolescent behavior. You weren’t arguing about Iraq or terrorist troops. You were arguing about your frienship. On national television. The country is in the midst of a war that is dividing the nation and angering foreign allies. And what do you let the debate spiral into? A yelling match over who was cowardly to whom.
Then your producer defaces a picture of EH, as if she’s 12 and you applaud. You seem like a big ‘ol Bully — which casts all women with strong opinions in a bad light.
Quitting the View also suggests women can’t have strong opinions without personal feelings get in a way. Ro, you let your emotions and bruised ego get the best of you. It’s sad and demoralizing.
That said, the spat did give us the best Web moment of 2007: I loved when you used your blog to liken the fight to the Sound of Music, an awesomely bizarre metaphor in which Rosie is Leisel and Elisabeth is that Rolf, that Nazi-worshipping cutey patootie. It may have been the petty move of woman acting like she’s 16 going on 17, but it was inspired nevertheless.
