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.
Common Ground: Commentary from the far side of Chicago
Showing posts with label The Rosie Show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Rosie Show. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The next move
Earlier this week, my friend asked me about Little People of America's efforts around the recent Rosie O'Donnell issue. Joking, I told him that LPA's efforts had driven O'Donnell from Chicago. Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported both that O'Donnell's show, "The Rosie Show," was having problems with ratings, guests, and management, and that O'Donnell put her Chicago home up for sale. Interestingly, in this housing slump, while many homes for sale have sat on the market for months, if not years, O'Donnell's home found a buyer in just one day. For a moment, my friend believed that LPA may actually have influenced O'Donnell's decision to leave Chicago.
Of course, LPA had nothing to do with the decision. But nevertheless, I believe the dwarfism community should be proud of the way it responded to the February 8th "Rosie Show."
Hundreds of people reacted to the negative message about dwarfism that were sent by O'Donnell and Handler on February 8th. Expressing outrage directly to O'Donnell, people sent emails, posted on Facebook, and produced youtube videos. In addition to individuals acting independently, the community also called for a unified message from Little People of America, which was delivered by Leah Smith in an Open Letter to O'Donnell. Whether it was in response to the volume of messages O'Donnell received, or one particular message that resonated with O'Donnell, she decided to address the issue on her show. She invited a little person named Chris Errera to appear on her show on February 29. On the show, O'Donnell delivered an apology and she talked about the issue with Errera.
Though O'Donnell gave the dwarfism community what it wanted, an apology and an open discussion about her 'discomfort' with little people, the majority of little people who watched the show seem to be unsatisfied with her response. Writing on Facebook after the February 29th show, people said things like 'too little, too late,' and that her apology didn't address the real issue of her biased behavior toward little people. I agreed with the sentiments and posted a blog on the Huffington Post. This post didn't generate much response among Huffington Post readers. Of the six people who wrote comments, only one supported the post. The others thought I should get over it, or wondered why I was making such a big deal if O'Donnell had already apologized.
But I think it was important to respond. O'Donnell did indeed apology. But she didn't apologize for what she did, and what she said. She apologized for making people feel bad. Her apology and her discussion with Errera never addressed the real reason that some many people were upset, the fact that she objectified and dehumanized the entire community of people of short stature.
Though we didn't get the apology we wanted, and though we have nothing to do with O'Donnell leaving Chicago and her show failing, the dwarfism community should be proud of what we accomplished. We forced O'Donnell to respond. Just as important, we came together as a community in a strong, unified way. Though it won't be easy to come together like that again, what happened with O'Donnell shows that, if we do come together, as a community, we have incredible potential.
Of course, LPA had nothing to do with the decision. But nevertheless, I believe the dwarfism community should be proud of the way it responded to the February 8th "Rosie Show."
Hundreds of people reacted to the negative message about dwarfism that were sent by O'Donnell and Handler on February 8th. Expressing outrage directly to O'Donnell, people sent emails, posted on Facebook, and produced youtube videos. In addition to individuals acting independently, the community also called for a unified message from Little People of America, which was delivered by Leah Smith in an Open Letter to O'Donnell. Whether it was in response to the volume of messages O'Donnell received, or one particular message that resonated with O'Donnell, she decided to address the issue on her show. She invited a little person named Chris Errera to appear on her show on February 29. On the show, O'Donnell delivered an apology and she talked about the issue with Errera.
Though O'Donnell gave the dwarfism community what it wanted, an apology and an open discussion about her 'discomfort' with little people, the majority of little people who watched the show seem to be unsatisfied with her response. Writing on Facebook after the February 29th show, people said things like 'too little, too late,' and that her apology didn't address the real issue of her biased behavior toward little people. I agreed with the sentiments and posted a blog on the Huffington Post. This post didn't generate much response among Huffington Post readers. Of the six people who wrote comments, only one supported the post. The others thought I should get over it, or wondered why I was making such a big deal if O'Donnell had already apologized.
But I think it was important to respond. O'Donnell did indeed apology. But she didn't apologize for what she did, and what she said. She apologized for making people feel bad. Her apology and her discussion with Errera never addressed the real reason that some many people were upset, the fact that she objectified and dehumanized the entire community of people of short stature.
Though we didn't get the apology we wanted, and though we have nothing to do with O'Donnell leaving Chicago and her show failing, the dwarfism community should be proud of what we accomplished. We forced O'Donnell to respond. Just as important, we came together as a community in a strong, unified way. Though it won't be easy to come together like that again, what happened with O'Donnell shows that, if we do come together, as a community, we have incredible potential.
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