Why Rosie’s Talk Show Failed

32 Comments

1. 1
   notwithoutmytv
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 10:03 am

   There’s only room for one woman who’s large and in charge at OWN, and that’s Oprah. I think if the Big O had had more contact with Rose about the show, it would have blown up even SOONER. There was never any way two personalities that big were going to play nice.

   And this idea of “being true to yourself” is real noble, until research says the audience doesn’t want what you’re doing, but you keep doing it on principle. How many times have we seen that not quite work out on competitive reality shows? Santorum just lost every primary vote he might have gotten in Puerto Rico by “being true to his message.” Maybe sometimes you should be true to yourself ON THE INSIDE.

2. 2
   WaffleBoy
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 10:25 am

   Hi Nads, thanks for the great link. God, does OWN have anything that people want to watch? This is turning into a blood bath. It’s too bad, because the first version of the show sounds like it might have done well in an afternoon time slot.
   I wasn’t too surprised to read about how horrible Rosie is supposed to be. I remember reading a story about her ripping a woman who worked at her magazine a new one and telling the woman that “people who lie get cancer.” The best part of the story? The woman was a cancer survivor.
   Also this has nothing to do with this story, but am I the only one who still loves that when Rosie was in the closet, and she had all of Hollywood to pick a man for her fake crush that she picked Tom Cruise? Gee that made me smile just typing it.
   So Nads, what is O going to get to run in Ro’s time slot?

3. 3
   snowshoecat
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 10:29 am

   NWMTV, isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

   Who’da thunk that Rosie and santorum would have so much in common?

4. 4
   Parisi LaRoe
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 10:44 am

   Rosie went out of style just as fast as those stupid, flying koosh-balls she used to send into her audience before.

   Oh yes, Nads. I am back permanently! YAY!

5. 5
   Jimbob Jones
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 11:56 am

   “As if that wasn’t enough, Rosie wouldn’t listen to market research–market research told her that her gay-friendly audience that was once on her side became tired of hearing Rosie talk about being gay all the time. ”

   This reminds me of when Ellen Degeneres came out on her sitcom, and then ABC proceeded to destroy the show by making it the “Ellen is Gay Show!!” — saying the word ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ every fourth word instead of having the show still be funny. That sucked, because I was a big fan at the time.

   Sad that having the character come out, which could have been great (and led to more comedy as the character got to know herself), turned into the ‘jump the shark’ moment for the show because ABC didn’t seem to get how to make it work.

   As for Rosie — what the heck happened to her? She went from being a gifted comedienne to a psychopath.

6. 6
   gerritv
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 12:10 pm

   OWN has its ever popular ‘Test Pattern’ which is currently their highest rating show.

7. 7
   notwithoutmytv
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 12:14 pm

   Jimbob Jones: The same thing happened to me.

   One minute I was knockin’ ‘em dead with my own TBS sitcom, the next I have an implacable need to fill all my pockets with those wooden coffee stirrers every time I pass a Starbucks.

   Success is a harsh mistress.

8. 8
   Jimbob Jones
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 12:54 pm

   You collect stirrers, too?

   They all laugh at me, but when I complete my rocket ship, who’ll be laughing then?!?!

9. 9
   Jimbob Jones
   Posted March 19, 2012 at 12:57 pm

   I thought that “National Anthem with a bad photo of a sunset” was their highest rated show…

   Oh, wait, you’re right — Test Pattern captures more of the important 18-39 male demographic.

10. 10
    notwithoutmytv
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    Not Honest Abe Lincoln. When you land on the Moon, he’ll be there to greet you.

11. 11
    maryedith
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    I don’t remember that being ABC’s fault about Ellen’s sitcom becoming The Gay Show. I remember Ellen wanting it that way and constantly whining about ABC holding her back. I remember hearing that she basically destroyed the show herself by getting rid of anyone who disagreed with her approach after she came out. Was that not the real story? Cause I’d hate to be unknowing slandering her in my mind!

12. 12
    maryedith
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    And didn’t Roseanne’s show implode for similar “Issue-of-the-Week” reasons after she finally got control over producing it? Didn’t she also fire everyone who wanted the show just to be a comedy? Maybe it’s not a good idea to give these comedians too much creative control.

13. 13
    lindaw205
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    Rosie is her own worst enemy. I hope she’s socked away her money for the future because she seems to have destroyed her career.

14. 14
    anniedawg25
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    I think it was a combination of nobody watching OWN to begin with, timeslot, topics, and Rosie and Oprah themselves.
    Rosie’s been pretty much irrelevant for years now, and I think (gasp) people are just over Oprah. Instead of retiring from her show and just riding off into the great Showbiz sunset, Oprah made a network and basically overexposed herself. Instead of 1 hour of Oprah a day, we get HOURS of Oprah…and honestly, I think people just don’t care about Oprah and much as she thinks we do.

15. 15
    l.e.boe
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    All this has inspired me to come out of my closet and finally admit to the world…. I HATE OPRAH!! I’ve always hated her, she is so full of her big self!! But every time I’ve ever hinted at not loving her I get death stares and my phone stops ringing for weeks…. I hate Oprah even more then I hate Rosie. There I said it…. sigh…. I feel better already.

16. 16
    SuburBint
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    I never understood the Cult of Oprah either. Yes, she rose from tremendous adversity to become one of the most recognized, successful, and powerful celebrities of all time. But she is pushy, condescending, and quite frankly, I don’t think half of the stuff she espouses even makes sense. I did, however, love the 30 Rock episode where Liz thinks she’s sitting next to Oprah on a plane and the way it pokes fun at the whole Oprah phenomenon.

    I did like Rosie’s old talk show back in the late ’90′s, but tbh I was usually pretty baked when I watched it, so it might have completely sucked. I cannot STAND the way she “blogs,” I hated her in Fiddler on the Roof, and have you seen her Etsy store? Everything she does lately screams “I’m still relevant, dammit! Look at me!”

17. 17
    Joy_Subtraction
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    I hate Oprah and I hate Rosie. It only figured that Rosie would be on OWN. They’re both fat (yes, I said it) bitches who think we all give a rat’s butt what they think.

    What’s worse about Rosie…. I could never watch (or trust, for that matter) a person who can’t even smile. When your only smile is a cringe, it’s clear you’re an asshole.

    @l.e.boe – I hate Oprah more than Satan, so I’m with you and don’t judge you at all. Actually, I’m pretty sure Oprah IS Satan.

18. 18
    WaffleBoy
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    This is my unasked for theory as to Oprah’s popularity. Did you ever see Castaway? Do you remember the volleyball Wilson? Oprah was Wilson for people like young moms who weren’t getting out of the house a whole lot. While it lasted, Oprah was a pretty big deal, but now her show is off the air and I don’t think Oprah ever realized that she was America’s favorite imaginary friend who will someday be carried off in a storm while we paddle back to civilization, and then wondered why we ever hooked up with Helen Hunt in the first place.

19. 19
    lindaw205
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    I hate Oprah and Rosie, too, and I think all those celebrities that worship at the feet of Oprah only do so cuz she’s so powerful (was so powerful?) in the biz. As to why the average jane doe fell in love with her I can only surmise that Waffleboy is some kind of evil genius and has figured out the answer to this riddle. Much like the theory of relativity only this one involves Oprah.

20. 20
    l.e.boe
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    WOW! Who knew there were others out there like me!! I feel so loved and ….sniff…sniff… accepted!! @WaffleBoy even when I was stuck at home with a screaming infant I stll hated Oprah. My imaginary bff’s were Bob Barker and Pat Sajak…. don’t judge.. screaming infants and lack of sleep mess your head up bad!

21. 21
    snowshoecat
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    Oh I know what you mean, i.e.boe. i thought I was alone in not being in the cult. I felt like such an outsider, but i wouldn’t say anything about not “getting” it.

    Screaming infants do that to ya. i would call back breathers just to have an adult to listen to.

22. 22
    cattyfan
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    More like the uncomfortable teeth-baring of a rabid coyote.

23. 23
    maryedith
    Posted March 19, 2012 at 7:34 pm

    One of my favorite Onion headlines ever simply said “Oprah Viewers Anxiously Await Instructions.”

24. 24
    Nik
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 9:29 am

    Oh Lord, I thought I was the only one. Thank goodness, there are others out there!

25. 25
    anniedawg25
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Pat Sajak is actually pretty funny! I like watching him on Wheel of Fortune. He’s much nicer than tha smug prick Alex Trebek

26. 26
    classy drunk
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 10:04 am

    Holy shit…funniest exchange ever.

27. 27
    classy drunk
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 10:14 am

    So what I am not in the cool kids club. I like Oprah. But that damn Alex Trebek deserves a high five to the face.

28. 28
    Jimbob Jones
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    You may be right. I remember hearing way back when that it was an ABC issue, but, then again, this was pre-Internet (and I can’t say I’ve spent much time researching it).

29. 29
    Clair
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    Is it still cool to say ROFL? Or did it become LOLz?

    Anywho, WaffleBoy – awesome!

30. 30
    Hol
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    Don’t really know if the problem was Ellen or abc but I know that for us we stopped watching cause we got tired of the constant gay references. Didn’t care if either Ellen or her character was gay but all gay dilemas all the time on the show got boring

31. 31
    Jimbob Jones
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    You know what it reminds me of — The Simpsons episode where Homer comes up with Poochie the Dog for the Itchy and Scratchy show. One of the producers (or maybe it was Homer — it’s been a while) says something like “…and when Poochie isn’t in the scene, all of the other characters should ask ‘Where’s Poochie?’”

    It’s the same thing that happened to Ellen — just in case you forgot she was gay in the thirty seconds since they last mentioned it, they’d mention it again. It got old — quick, when nobody cared if she was with a guy or a woman (except for the morons who ALWAYS care, and who gives a crap what they think?) — we just wanted the funny back.

32. 32
    Jimbob Jones
    Posted March 20, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    
    lindaw205:
    
    Rosie is her own worst enemy. I hope she’s socked away her money for the future because she seems to have destroyed her career.

    There’s always Reality TV.

    “Rosie’s Love Bus”
    or, more realistically:
    “Rosie and the 18 Voices in Her Head”