Conclusion

When the media announced on Friday, March 16 the cancellation of "The Rosie Show," the news wasn't that surprising. Considering that Rosie O'Donnell had already reported she was moving to New York, and that other media stories had reported on turmoil behind the scenes on "The Rosie Show," official cancellation of the show seemed the next logical step.

The cancellation has inspired a new wave of posts on social media by people of short stature. One man who, after O'Donnell made her disparaging remarks about little people back in February, created a petition that called on the Oprah Winfrey Network to cancel the show, posted a message that thanked the hundreds of people who signed the petition. Others who spoke out against O'Donnell over youtube thanked the people who showed them support. Most people who commented on social media indicated that they were very pleased with the news by "liking" the media stories on the cancellation that were posted on Facebook.

I am not disappointed by the news of the show's demise. I don't feel bad for O'Donnell. My guess is that she didn't like living in Chicago and she wasn't happy working on "The Rosie Show." She is probably pleased to put the show behind her. Though the cancellation and the negative reports of what happened behind the scenes on "The Rosie Show" will tarnish her reputation, I am sure O'Donnell will pick up the pieces and will continue to have a successful career in entertainment.

Nevertheless, I am hesitant to click the "like" button on Facebook stories about the cancellation. Despite the petition by the one individual member of the dwarfism community, I never, and Little People of America never, wanted O'Donnell's show to be cancelled. We wanted her to recognize the damage that her comments about and her attitude toward the short statured community could have on people with dwarfism. We wanted her to make a real apology for what she did, and to engage in a real discussion about dwarfism. Few will say that her so-called "apology" late in February would suffice. With that in mind, there is a bit of 'comeuppance' and karma around the cancellation. But I would have much rather been a contributor to the forces that made her show better in the long run, than be one of the many who kick her on her way out the door. Because some day, another door will open for O'Donnell. I just hope she uses her next opportunity to build bridges, rather than walls.