• Happy birthday to Spanish InstaHunk, Frandullon86! #woof
• Chelsea Handler will guest star on Will & Grace this fall as a “high-powered lesbian” who begins to date Grace’s sister.
• Former Apprentice star and White House Office of Public Liaison official Omarosa is releasing a tell-all titled “UNHINGED: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House.” I’m guessing it will not be flattering for the president or his allies.
• A new Republican bill in Congress would ban any U.S. embassy from flying the rainbow Pride flag – ever.
• Gay men were egged outside a gay bar in Florida.
• The Roseanne spinoff, The Connors, will debut on ABC on October 16.
• Fox News anchor Shep Smith is not having the Trumpster calling journalists “fake news.”
“Over 22 years at this network, it’s been my experience that the journalists of Fox News and Fox Business and those of our colleagues at competitors at CNN and MSNBC, NBC, ABC and CBS, Bloomberg and PBS, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Washington Post – all of them operate in the public interests. We work to discern what is truth. Then to present it to you in context and with perspective. As your representatives in the people’s halls, we report to you without fear or favor while striving to hold those in power to the same standards. This is the foundation of what we do.”
Watch one of the few sane voices at Fox News below.
In an odd, unsettling clip, Roseanne Barr is shown to be distressed and agitated.
The comedienne references her since-deleted tweet in which she likened Jarrett, a black former advisor to Barack Obama, to an “ape.”
“I’m trying to talk about Iran! I’m trying to talk about Valerie Jarrett about the Iran deal. That’s what my tweet was about,” Barr shrieks.
“I thought the bitch was white!” she said with more intensity. “Goddamnit, I thought the bitch was white. Fuck!”
This is something. Watch below.
An unhinged Roseanne Barr posted this video to her YouTube account explaining her racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett: “I thought the bitch was white! God damn it! I thought the bitch was white! Fuck!” pic.twitter.com/19M6ngOuPc
Earlier this month, Barr had announced she would sit for a TV interview to explain her side of the story behind the unraveling of her hit sitcom after making racist tweets about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
To my wonderful fans who I treasure and love-who have carried me these past weeks when I was 2 weak 2 carry myself: I will be doing a TV interview this week. I’ll tell u about it tomorrow!
A day later, she reversed herself: “After a lot of thought, I decided that I won’t be doing any TV interviews, too stressful & untrustworthy 4 me & my fans. I’m going to film it myself & post it on my youtube channel in the next week-the entire explanation of what happened & why! I love you all-sign up & get ready.”
After a lot of thought, I decided that I won’t be doing any TV interviews, too stressful & untrustworthy 4 me & my fans. I’m going to film it myself & post it on my youtube channel in the next week-the entire explanation of what happened & why! I love you all-sign up & get ready.
ABC officially announced its canceled series Roseanne will continue on this fall as The Conners with a 10-episode straight-to-series order set to premiere this fall on Tuesdays at 8PM, the series’ former timeslot.
“The Conners’ stories demonstrate that families can always find common ground through conversation, laughter and love,” said the statement from ABC. “The spinoff will continue to portray contemporary issues that are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago.”
The press release also included, “Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series.”
You may recall Roseanne was canceled in May after Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
Shortly after ABC’s announcement this evening, Barr issued her own statement:
“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved.”
The Conners cast, including Sara Gilbert (as Darlene), John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Lecy Goranson (Becky) and Michael Fishman (DJ), soon followed up with a joint statement:
“We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans of our show, and it’s clear that these characters not only have a place in our hearts, but in the hearts and homes of our audience.
“We all came back last season because we wanted to tell stories about the challenges facing a working-class family today. We are so happy to have the opportunity to return with the cast and crew to continue to share those stories through love and laughter.”
While the network hasn’t addressed how Roseanne will depart the show, it appear as though her character is being killed off.
From the official synopsis:
“After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before. This iconic family — Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. — grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America. Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns – with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails.”
A possible second life for ABC’s hit sitcom Roseanne is looking more and more likely according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Roseanne Barr has agreed in principle to walk away from the characters she helped create in order to allow Roseanne’s cast and crew to pursue a spinoff in the wake of the show’s May cancellation due to her racist tweets.
ABC and producer Carsey-Werner are insisting that Barr not participate financially or creatively in the proposed spinoff, which is said to revolve around the character played by Sara Gilbert. Other Roseanne writer-producers and castmembers, including John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, are said to be tentatively on board (they would receive the same fees as previously negotiated for the second season of the Roseanne revival, which was ABC’s top-rated program this season).
But since Barr would be entitled to substantial fees and backend on any spinoff of Roseanne (the original series was created by Matt Williams, but it is also credited as being “based upon a character created by Barr”), she must waive those rights before any such show could proceed.
According to THR Roseanne is tentatively negotiating a one-time “go-away-money” payout.
Behind the scenes Barr is said to be contrite over how her racist tweet about former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett torpedoed the newly-rebooted show which became the #1 sitcom on ABC this past season.
Gilbert, Goodman and Metcalf would receive their contractual $300,000 per episode salaries.
Although cut out of future royalties for new episodes, Roseanne would still receive royalties for the first ten episodes of the show.
According to several sources, ABC is considering a revamp of it’s now cancelled reboot of Roseanne.
In the aftermath of cancelling the sitcom after Roseanne’s racists tweets last week about Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, the network is said to be looking at reshuffling the show to shift the focus to the character of “Darlene” played by out actress Sara Gilbert.
Gilbert, who has been acting as an executive producer for the reboot, has apparently been reaching out to the show’s cast members about interest in continuing with a revamped show.
TMZ reports that John Goodman is “very interested.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC is scheduling a confab later this week to explore other options for the show.
One caveat: Any new format would “have to be without Roseanne Barr, and the actress and former head writer of the sitcom would not be able to financially benefit from any new incarnation of the series.”
In that Roseanne was a creator of the original show, I’m not sure how you could utilize the same characters without compensating Roseanne.
What do you think, readers? Would you watch “Darlene?”
In a candid interview, CNN’s Van Jones asks The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons if Roseanne Barr went too far with her tweets.
Addressing the recent scandals with Roseanne Barr, who saw her #1 series on ABC get cancelled over racist tweets, and Samantha Bee, who got in hot water calling Ivanka Trump the “c-word” on the air, CNN’s Van Jones asked Parsons if it’s difficult to be funny without consequences in the age of Donald Trump.
“It crosses my mind every single time I sit down for an interview or speak in public, anything,…It’s hard to speak your mind,” said the 45-year-old actor from Texas.
“We’re easily offended right now, frequently about things that are probably not that important.”
Jones asked how Parsons processed the recent Roseanne debacle to which Parsons says, “I only thought about it on an emotional scale, which as ‘how’ and ‘why?’ That was my reaction to it.”
“Reading the tweet, I thought, ‘How did you type that?’”
Parsons did pivot to the current political thought regarding Donald Trump’s infamous “grab’em by the pussy” remark: “It’s ok to say certain things as an elected official right now that it’s not necessarily ok to say as an entertainer. And I find that fascinating.”
The actor also lamented the unemployment effect of Roseanne’s hideous tweets on her fellow actors and crew of her sitcom. Riffing on the current whisper campaign in Hollywood about possible spin-off series for Sara Gilbert or Laurie Metcalfe, Jones inquired if Metcalfe should be given her own show.
Parson emphatically responded, “Laurie should always be given her own show.”
A post shared by Jim Parsons (@therealjimparsons) on May 29, 2018 at 3:14pm PDT
Jones shifted to the issue of red-state citizens feeling locked out of the Hollywood industry to which Parsons (a native Texan) shared, “I have so many conservative traits about me. I’m such a family-first type of guy.”
And speaking of traditional values and family-first, Jones brought up Parsons wedding in 2017, “As recently as 2012, people like Barack Obama was a bit hesitant to say publicly he was for marriage equality. Five years later, 2017, you’re married and it’s no big deal. Nobody cares at all.”
“In fact, the big deal, which really took me by surprise considering how traditional I am, was how meaningful the day was,” said Parsons.
“We did it because it was meaningful, but to actually go through the wedding; to be there in front of all of your loved ones, your family. It really gave such meaning to doing this so people could bear witness to it. It meant so much more to me than I was prepared for. Especially having grown up where it wasn’t a possibility.”
One of the busiest men in show business, Parsons not only has his long-running Big Bang Theory sitcom on CBS but he opened on Broadway this week in the iconic, groundbreaking gay-themed play, The Boys in the Band.
And, his new movie, A Kid Like Jake, landed in theaters on Friday wherein Parsons plays the father of a four-year-old who enjoys “gender-expansive play” dressing up in whatever gender clothes feels best at the time.
Watch the CNN segment below and you don’t forget to check out The Boys in the Band and A Kid Like Jake, both open now.
Roseanne Barr took to Twitter today (I thought she quit Twitter…???) to explain that her online meltdown yesterday that resulted in her #1 sitcom on ABC being cancelled was really due to the sleep medication Ambien.
“It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien-tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible,” she wrote. “I made a mistake I wish I hadn’t but… don’t defend it please. ty.”
The tweet, like many others on her account, has since been deleted.
CNN anchor John Berman wasn’t buying it:
I have only taken Ambien once…but I don’t remember one of the side-effects being racism.
People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.
ABC has pulled the plug on the revival “Roseanne.”
The move comes after series star Roseanne Barr made a comment on Twitter Tuesday morning referring to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett as looking like the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes.” Jarrett, an African-American, was born in Iran to American parents.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement.
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger voiced his support for the cancellation, tweeting “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
Barr deleted her tweet about Jarrett not long after posting it. She followed it up with an apology which read, “I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste. I am now leaving Twitter.”
Out lesbian Wanda Sykes resigned her position as a consulting producer before ABC could cancel the show:
Also, out Roseanne star Sara Gilbert spoke out against the ugly rant:
Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.
This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.
"Some things apparently, are more important than money … and that is very heartening." @VanJones68 reacts to ABC canceling Roseanne, adding "I'm ashamed to say this, I thought she was probably going to get away with it." https://t.co/00WENTPtXp— Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) May 29, 2018
Excellent op-ed by Roxane Gay for The New York Times about the reboot of ABC’s “Roseanne.”
It well worth the read as the Ms. Gay reconciles separating art from the artist.
As I watched the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, I thought again about accountability. I laughed, yes, and enjoyed seeing the Conner family back on my screen. My first reaction was that the show was excellent. But I could not set aside what I know of Roseanne Barr and how toxic and dangerous her current public persona is.
I could not overlook how the Conner family came together to support Mark as he was bullied at school for his gender presentation, after voting for a president who actively works against the transgender community. They voted for a president who doesn’t think the black life of their granddaughter matters. They act as if love can protect the most vulnerable members of their family from the repercussions of their political choices. It cannot.
This fictional family, and the show’s very real creator, are further normalizing Trump and his warped, harmful political ideologies. There are times when we can consume problematic pop culture, but this is not one of those times. I saw the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, but that’s all I am going to watch. It’s a small line to draw, but it’s a start.
