Controversy: April 2007 Archives

That poor, pathetic man is up to his old tricks again.
PAGE SIX reports that the obnoxious Donald Trump sent a gigantic black undergarment Rosie O'Donnell wore in the movie "Exit to Eden" to Barbara Walters on Monday to hang on the office wall at "The View."
The girdle-like outfit - variously described as "a bustier" and "a giant pair of panties" - was bought at a charity auction by a fan, who then had the relic framed under glass and delivered to Trump.
"I sent it to Barbara to hang in her office because I didn't want it in mine. It was funny, except that it was really gross. It's disgusting," Trump told Page Six. "I feel sorry for [Rosie's] wife. It can't be pleasant."
I feel sorry for YOUR wife Donald! She's married to a 61-year-old third-grader!
On "The View" on Monday, O'Donnell asked Walters, Joy Behar and Elizabeth Haselbeck: "You want to hear what a 61-year-old businessman did today? He sent Barbara . . ."
Walters interrupted: "But this is for me to say. This was sent for me, it was not sent to you." O'Donnell: "Go ahead, you say it." Walters: "No, I don't want to." O'Donnell: "You don't want to?"
Walters ended the conversation, "I really do not want to stir up the whole Donald Trump thing again" - leaving viewers wondering what they were talking about.
Yesterday, Walters, who's also the creator and executive producer of "The View," was still playing peacemaker. "I am supportive of my friend and colleague Rosie," she informed us, "but I have no desire to continue a feud with Donald Trump."
Ratings for "The View" soared last December when O'Donnell ridiculed Trump as a "snake-oil salesman" and flopped her hair to one side in a wicked impersonation of him. Trump fired back, calling her "a fat slob" and "a bully," and claimed Walters regretted hiring her to replace Meredith Vieira.
Fortunately, ratings for Trump's tired reality show "The Apprentice" have done anything but soar.

The decision by Out Magazine to feature Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster on their cover as out celebrities remains a hot topic. Out In Hollywood spoke with several famous actors and athletes over the weekend at the GLAAD Awards and at the Q-MeCon Queer Media and Entertainment Conference. Here is what some them had to say:

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA (tennis legend): "Outing is against my religion but I think politicians that speak double-speak -who say one thing and do another - should be outed. But as far as celebrities, you cannot out people. It's not right. They need to do it in their own time and their own time frame. That's the only way to be because it changes your life too much, still. But again, the more of us who come out, the less it changes the next person's life. I don't know much about Anderson Cooper and I never read his book. If you leave [being gay] out that's one thing, but if you try to say that you are straight then that's a problem."

WILSON CRUZ (out actor): I think it defeats the purpose and I'm against it. When we start outing people, we start talking about shame because you're putting them in a position of having to defend their sexuality. So when people come out on their own, they are doing it from a position of pride. I want people to come out, but I want them to come out on their own terms and I want them to use it as an opportunity to educate people about the fact that there's nothing to be ashamed of. We have plenty of enemies and I think when we start start feeding on each other, it's a sad day."

JOHN AMAECHI (out former NBA player) : "t's innappropriate. We can't have it both ways. It can't be a personal journey that is supposed to be an enlightening and rewarding experience to come out and yet at the same time we are also going to hijack other people's personal process and turn it into something political. That's how it works. Let people do it in their own time. I understand there are people in positions of great power, and perhaps people who could make great differences for LGBT people. But it is not our place to hijack their process."

ALEC MAPA (out actor/comic): "I'm all for outing evangelical preachers who are preaching against homosexuality and keeping us from our rights. And if you are a closeted politican and you are actively campaigning against gay people, then you deserve to be outed in the most publicly humiliating way possible. I'm out for those kinds of people. But I think that whether or not you decide to come out is a very private thing, it's a very personal thing. I knew that I made that choice really early on and it was something that I had to be comfortable with. And, of course, everybody knew to begin with anyway so it was hardly a surprise.
"It is getting kind of ugly. I think it's the technology, the information is immediately available now. In the 50s, with Rock Hudson, you could keep a story buried. Now, Michael Richards gets caught with a camera phone and in one minute, it's the shot heard around the world. I think it's really indicative of the information age that we're in right now. It's instantanious."

CHARLIE DAVID (out actor): "I think the coming out process is such an individual journey for each of us and we have to respect that. I'm personally not one to rip someone out of the closet."

ROBERT GANT (out actor/producer): "I'd love to see everyone out, living their truth. But we don't know what our neighbor's journey is." When Gant told his mother he was going to come out on the cover of The Advocate Magazine, she said: "Why don't you just shoot us in the heart with a rifle first?"

DAVE KOZ (out musician): For me, I would have much preferred the way it happened. I got to choose when I wanted to do it. It's such a personal thing. But as you can tell [he motions over to Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris nearby on the red carpet], they seem to be OK with [being outed]. Ulitmately, the best thing is...somebody truly being who they are and being OK with it and their career goes on. Ultimately, hopefully there won't have to be this outing and everyone will say, 'Hey, this is who I am, let the cards fall where they may. That's the way it was for me. I fretted about it for years. If I could have bottled the energy that I spent thinking about coming out, it would have been a lot of bottles.When I finally did, it was the biggest non-event. Nothing changed but everything got better."

REX LEE (out actor): I'm very uncomfortable with it. I think people should come out at their own pace. I think if I had been forced to come out before I was ready, it might have been a disaster. I'm out now, and I'm proud of that. But it took me awhile ot get there."

JASON LEWIS (actor, portrayed gay on "Brothers & Sisters"): "I think if it's a person's choice to go there then great. But it's like anything where if someone isn't feeling comfortable about making that change in their life, you really shouldn't shove people in a direction they're not ready for."

CHAD ALLEN (out actor/producer): "It frustrates me to no end...i see how hurtful it can be. We are a better world when we give each other space and love to go at our own pace." But Allen says he is encouraged that "we have actors now coming out what seems like every week and they get to say, 'I'm gay, OK Perez Hilton? Let me get on with my work."

Rosie O'Donnell has not backed down from anything since she began moderating "The View" last fall. But now she is saying that with an anti-Rosie campaign started with a "StopRosie" site, she's going to shoft from speaking out against the Iraq war to focus on other topics - domestic ones - like poverty, foster care, education and the state many Katrina survivors are in.
But she did clarify her opinions on her Rosie.com blog and reiterates that she does not regret anything she has said about the war:

This is what she posted:

"a huge terrible storm is coming
a nor easter
the potential hail has bumped imus
off r top story tonight

i was on the stoprosie site

- "You know, this President invaded a sovereign nation in defiance of the UN. He is basically a war criminal. Honestly. He should be tried at The Hague."
- "Don't fear the terrorists. They're mothers and fathers."
- "Democracy is threatened in a way it hasn't been in 200 years and if America doesn't stand up we're in big trouble."

correct quotes
thank you ethan
well done

and yes i stand by all of them
however on number 2
i would like the word terrorist
in quotations

dont fear "TERRORISTS" - they are mothers and fathers

u see
since terror been used to scare americans
since 9 11
terrorists - terrorists - everywhere
all of them - bad guys
terrorists - after us - here and there
they sold it
we bought it

we gave away r civil liberties
fear works

the 911 terrorists
most came from saudi arabia
and we invaded 2 other countries
minor details

here is the point
i was trying to make
to elisabeth
who cant see any of "them"
as anything but terrorists

hundreds of thousands of humans
not "terrorists"
iraqi mothers and fathers
have been killed by US

those innocent ones
the mothers and fathers
they r not "terrorists"

try to paint with a huge brush
a big mess

borderlines everywhere

the media has demonized arabs
the facts about the death toll on all sides
is sickening and under reported

i am against this war
i support all the troops
i want them home

i have decided that from now on
i will talk about other things
on the view

like y thousands still live in renaissance village
18 months after katrina

or that 28 million american children live in dire poverty

that 1/2 of all black and hispanic kids in america
do not graduate from high school

1 in 150 autistic = EPIDEMIC

half a million children r in foster care
they r lost
the system is broken

from now on i will not raise my voice
about this criminal administration
i am sick of screaming IMPEACH

unreal
from now on i will say
unreal
ok
just know on the inside
i will be yelling

unreal
i am registering as an independent
cause i am sick of both sides
cowardly silence

as democracy dies

finally a blog
no pray
no play"

The out playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein ("Torch Song Trology," "Hairspray," "Mrs. Doubtfire," writes an interesting piece in today's op-ed section of the NY Times over all the Don Imus brouhaha.

Here are some excerpts:
"Since I’m a second-class citizen — a gay man — my seats for the ballgame of American discourse are way back in the bleachers. I don’t have to wait long for a shock jock or stand-up comedian to slip up with hateful epithets aimed at me and mine. Hate speak against homosexuals is as commonplace as spam. It’s daily traffic for those who profess themselves to be regular Joes, men of God, public servants who live off my tax dollars, as well as any number of celebrities.
In fact, I get a good chuckle whenever someone refers to “the media” as an agent of “the gay agenda.” There are entire channels, like Spike TV, that couldn’t fill an hour of programming if required to remove their sexist and homophobic content. We’ve got a president and a large part of Congress willing to change the Constitution so they can deprive of us our rights because they feel we are not “normal.”
So I’m used to catching foul balls up here in the cheap seats. What I am really enjoying is watching the rest of you act as if you had no idea that prejudice was alive and well in your hearts and minds.

What surprises me, I guess, is how choosy the anti-P.C. crowd is about which hate speech it will not tolerate. Sure, there were voices of protest when the TV actor Isaiah Washington called a gay colleague a “faggot.” But corporate America didn’t pull its advertising from “Grey’s Anatomy,” as it did with Mr. Imus, did it? And when Ann Coulter likewise tagged a presidential candidate last month, she paid no real price.
Face it, if a Pentagon general, his salary paid with my tax dollars, can label homosexual acts as “immoral” without a call for his dismissal, who are the moral high and mighty kidding?
Our nation, historically bursting with generosity toward strangers, remains remarkably unkind toward its own.

Roseanne Barr has posted a statement on her blog to explain what she really meant to say when she insulted gay activists on her radio show this week:
See earlier post: Roseanne Blasts Gay Activists
Here is what she wrote not too long ago after further reflection.:
"The leaders of gay groups need to align with the leaders of Acorn, and other groups of poor and desperate Americans and fight against those who oppress all of us! I have met too many gays who are Republicans, and I cannot understand how they could choose that!
Let's all leave our own bedrooms, kitchens, neighborhoods and groups and meet each other to form a diverse army that stands for Democracy and Economic Justice!!!!
(Again I apologize for any pain or hurt I have caused those whom I have always loved and befriended).
Posted at 4:03 PM - Permalink

And this:

My Bad.....
I deeply regret that I have offended gay people. I said things that I do not really mean, before I had thought them through... I was wrong and I seriously apologize!
Call me up today and let me have it! I will apologize and try to make clear what I really meant to say... which was that everybody needs to unite right now, and step outside of their own neighborhoods, groups, races and classes to stop Bush's war on our country and our people. I love gays and I hate division. I am just a big idiot with a big mouth sometimes. I will learn to be more careful! Please forgive me, I am so sorry!!!!

Call (909) 888 - 5222 between 5 - 6 pacific time to give me your two cents.

Roseanne Barr may have included gay characters in her 'Rosanne" sitcom and even kissed Mariel Hemingway, but she had some pretty uncool things to say on her radio show (she has a radio show?) about gay actvists:
"Never once in my 54 years have I ever once heard a gay or lesbian person who's politically active say one thing about anything that was not about them. They don't care about minimum wage, they don't care about any other group other than their own self because you know, some people say being gay and lesbian is a totally narcissistic thing and sometimes I wonder. I've never heard any of them say anything except for 'accept me 'cause I'm gay.' It's just, it's screwed. It's no different than the evangelicals, it's the same mindset. They want you to accept Jesus and you guys want us to all believe it's OK to be gay. And a lot of us, a lot of them, I do, I don't give a damn who anybody has sex with, as long as they're not underage and an animal. I don't give a damn, it's none of my damn business. I'm just sick of all the divisiveness, it's not getting any of us anywhere."
Hmmmmmmmm. Roseanne Barr blasting people for being narcissistic.
Pretty ironic.

I don't know who this kid is but enough people do that his mug is all over the blogosphere today. He's Jason Wahler who appeared on the reality show "Laguna Beach." He's got some issues. Wahler was arrested in Seattle over the weekend and in his drunken state, clearly did not take it very well.
A Seattle police wrote in a report that they found a "very intoxicated" Wahler passed out on the floor in a hallway. When cops tried to take Wahler into custody, he allegedly lashed out, calling the arresting officer "a nig**r, a fag**t, and a poor f**k."
Police also wrote that Wahler stated, "that he was rich and would have my ass." Wahler, who was described as "belligerent and hostile," allegedy threated an officer a second time, saying, "Come down to L.A. county and get your ass kicked!" He was booked on charges of criminal trespassing and assualt. It is Whaler's fourth arrest in nine months.
What. A. Loser.
As judge Judy might say: "Looks fade but stupid is forever."

I dunno , if I ever have a wedding, I'm probably not inviting Mickey and Minnie. But I at least want the option! And thanks to some good reporting from AfterElton.com, which exposed that The Walt Disney Co. did not allow same-sex couples to participate in a popular Fairy Tale Wedding program, the policy has been reversed!
Disney previously had allowed gay couples to organize their own weddings or commitment ceremonies at rented meeting rooms at the resorts, but had barred them from purchasing its Fairy Tale Wedding package and holding the event at locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that are set aside specifically for weddings.
"We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding guidelines to include commitment ceremonies," Disney Parks and Resorts spokesman Donn Walker said. "This is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests."
Disney had allowed gay couples to take part in its vow renewals program but excluded them from buying wedding packages by requiring a valid marriage license from California or Florida, which do not permit or recognize gay marriages.
Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding packages start at $8,000 and include a wedding planner, the ceremony, food and beverages, flowers and table decorations. The Lavish Wedding Option also includes a ride to the ceremony in the Cinderella coach, costumed trumpeters heralding the couple's arrival, and attendance by Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters dressed in formal attire.
"We are not in the business of making judgments about the lifestyle of our guests. We are in the hospitality business and our parks and resorts are open to everyone," Walker said.

This is quickly making the rounds so I wanted to post it for you. It's Out Magazine's May issue. I found myself a bit dismayed because I respect the work of Jodie Foster and Anderson Cooper very much. They have chosen to live their lives as they see fit, but not address their sexuality publicly and I see no reason to disrespect that.
But Towleroad.com reports that Cooper sits at #2 among a list of America's most influential gay men and women in Out magazine's "Power 50". The list is based on cultural resonance, political influence, media profile, and wealth. Jodie Foster sits at #43.
A Michael Musto cover story which looks at celebrities and public figures who live in the "glass closet".
Says Musto: "It’s true that stars are free to put up whatever walls they want in order to maintain boundaries with the public. But even at their most controlling, straight stars never seem to leave out the fact that they’re straight in interviews. Whenever a subject tells me, ‘I won’t discuss who I’m dating’ or ‘I resent labels,’ I generally know not so much that they’re passionate about privacy but that they’re gay gay, gay."

Here is a link to the complete story.

What is it about an opinionated, strong woman like Rosie O'Donnell that men like Bill O'Reilly and Donald Trump find so threatening? Is O'Reilly upset because Rosie has a venue in which to spout her liberal views and she makes headlines? After all, he too has a platform for his conversative views.
But now O'Reilly is calling Rosie the enemy.
Last night on "The O'Reilly Factor," with he called Rosie "radical" and "dangerous," and suggesting, as a financial newspaper did, that she's spewing anti-American propaganda, TMZ.com reports. Click HERE to see the clip.
In his "Talking Points" segment last night, O'Reilly picked up the Investor's Business Daily's editorial calling O'Donnell "Tokyo Rosie," a reference to "Tokyo Rose," the nickname American GIs gave to Japanese women who broadcast anti-American messages over the airwaves during World War II.
I'm getting sick of the Rosie feuds but y'know, this is America and she can say what she wants. I happen to agree with a lot of it. Most of what O'Reilly says I do not agree with but I'm not calling him a traitor or whatever.
I just think he's misguided.

OK, this is getting out of hand.
Another Rosie O'Donnell feud ignited last week and I didn't even know about it. Gee, ya take a few days off of the Rosie beat and you will miss something.
Conservative talk-show host Bill O'Reilly called for Rosie's firing from ABC last week calling her "nutty" and "irresponsible."
Rosie replied via her blog by comparing O'Reilly to a character in George Orwell's "1984" who is "a fattish ... man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms."
She accused him of being a totalitarian puppet of News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, as she put it, in her lower-case verse, "like 1984/molding the facts/2 suit the needs/of big brother rupert." And Rosie also revealed that when she and co-host Joy Behar made reference on "The View" to a sex scandal involving O'Reilly, they were told they had to can it about O'Reilly or else "bill o would 'go after' all the hosts" of their show.
Does high school ever end?