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.

[McGruff]

"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."

Should be "65-yr. old men at the barber shop"

[Doc Savage]

AAAArrrggghhhh!! I'm blind, my retinas have exploded in searing hot pain, my eyeballs have liquified to oozing glue!!! Never show her face again, please!

[Petronski]

Je parle français.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Well, you are a self-described "curmudgeon", so presumably you have expertise when it comes to rants.

Yes I am an expert on these matters! I have spent my life in the Army and the oilfield, two places where a good rant is normal.

Just last night I practiced on my 14 year old when I saw her English grade ... keeping in mind that her mom is an English teacher!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Hey, buddy, you gotta a problem wi' me?"

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Moi aussi. J'ai vecu cinq ans en France. Vive le bon vin!

[Petronski]

Vive le bon vin! . . . . et le bonne vie!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I'd say you have some impressive credentials in the rant realm.

I'm predicting that Rosie's performance was sufficiently over-the-top to spark some follow-up news stories.

[azhenfud]

Re: That horrible pic of her hair. Eeeewww!! A blind man could do that well with shrubbery shears.

I never cared much for Rosie in the first place. She's nothing but a over-sized, loud-mouthed, attention-seeking broad with the acidic character of an onion....

[xp38]

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 is her own entourage.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Her own entourage, and on her way to becoming her own Zip Code!

[Notforprophet]

I thought Mary Jo White was a Federal prosecutor. I didn't know they did side work in civil cases.

[WorkingClassFilth]

You mean there was a departure from rational behavior? I dunno 'bout that.

[hispanarepublicana]

During the interview Katie's face looked like she was seeing a turd in a punchbowl.

[azhenfud]

Bump. What you said.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Mary Jo White is now in private practice. I'm not sure if Pres. Bush named a new US attorney for NY, effectively pushing her out, but in any case she's definitely in private practice.

What was so distasteful was the way that Rosie bragged to Katie about how she had specified to her people that she wanted them to find the best "woman" lawyer. Why wouldn't she simply want the "best" lawyer? Could you imagine if a guy had said: "yeah, I told my people to get me the best male lawyer?"

[yendu bwam]

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

Hey Rosie, looking for more than legal advice?

[Jabba the Nutt]

I listened to Rosie (didn't watch) on last night's O'Reilly program. I thought she came off pretty well and O'Reilly's opinion was that Rose would win the lawsuit. Rosie went on O'Reilly about 8 months ago and again, she came over pretty well and answered the tough questions. I'm wondering, if there's some psychological clash between Rosie and Katie? Rosie did well with the masculine O'Reilly and lost with the feminine/weaselly Katie.

[yendu bwam]

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.

Yeah - all those soccer moms are telling their daughters - "I want you to grow up juuuust like Rosie...."

[mc5cents]

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.

You got that right! LOL And you can bet she NEVER tells them to hold the mayo!!