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?

[Ben Bolt]

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!!!