Rosie O’Donnell is tired. Or so she says in a series of blog posts and answers to the “ask ro” questions on her site. She’s so tired of the attacks from groups like stoprosie.com and people like Tom DeLay, she’s decided to censor herself:
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
Really, Rosie? Say it ain’t so.
It seems the endless brouhahas and dump-truck feuds are really getting to her. In her replies to those who attack her directly via the site, she’s starting to bite back:
Mitch writes: No question. I just wanted to let you know how dispicable [sic] most americans think you are.
cause u mitch
r the spokesperson
for most of us?
Jan writes: What are you REALLY trying to accomplish? Your screeching hostility distracts me from catching your points. I can no longer muster ANY respect for you, and you lost your comedic edge long ago.
yes jan i suck
go find the rosie sucks website
and post 2 ur tiny hearts content
On the one hand, who can blame Rosie? It can’t be easy to face so many faceless attacks every single day. But I don’t want her to give in, even a little bit. Rosie talks a lot about “free speech in America,” but if she censors herself — on one issue or a hundred issues — what will happen to free speech on The View?
Actually, that reminds me. Rosie and other commentators often forget to mention something important: Speech isn’t quite as free on network TV and over-the-air radio. So when the FCC or the marketplace decides somebody can’t or shouldn’t say something, that’s not enitrely a free speech issue. It’s partly just the way things go in a regulated and ad-supported industry.
But that doesn’t mean Rosie (or anyone) should censor herself. And Rosie knows that, which is why she has defended Don Imus. Tom DeLay can bray “If the Left takes Imus, we’ll take Rosie” all he wants, but Rosie never wanted to “take” Imus in the first place.
I can’t say I’m sorry that the marketplace (as Joy Behar keeps pointing out, it’s the marketplace, not “the Left”) has removed Imus from his bully pulpit. I’m sure there will be others lining up to take his place. But I don’t think there’s really anyone else on TV like Rosie, and I for one don’t want her to quiet down just yet.
