GIRL POWER

Rosie O’Donnell Debuts Show On OWN. Lesbian Talk-Show Domination Continues

Today marked the debut of Rosie O’Donnell’s new talk show, The Rosie Show, on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Rosie’s first guest—aside from fellow lesbian Suze Orman, who popped up in the audience—was British gadabout Russell Brand, her professed crush.

Ugh, Rosie we didn’t buy this “crush” crap when it was Tom Cruise and we’re not buying it now. And at least Cruise was the most famous movie star in America at the time—and you were in the closet.  God forbid you invite your real crush, The Good Wife‘s Lisa Edelstein. Don’t deny it, she makes us moist.

The new show seems to include elements of her original daytime series, The Rosie O’Donnell Show—fun games, audience questions, live singing and musical accompaniment—and not much of the combatant topical debates that marked her time on The View.

O’Donnell says she won’t censor her life but that LGBT issues won’t be front and center on The Rosie Show, either. “It’s really inspiring to me… to see like Neil Patrick Harris win the Emmy Award and host the Oscars and the Tonys, and be so brilliant, and have a husband and a baby, and it’s not a big deal in a way that I could not have imagined when I began my career,” she says. “So will we have gay people on? Yes. Will we talk about things that include LGBT issues? Yes. Is it going to be a primary focus? No. It’s going to be just one part of who I am, and one part of the show.” It’ll certainly be part of her guest roster, which already includes Wanda Sykes and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

We’re withholding judgment on The Rosie Show until the show’s found its groove a bit more. We want to see more of sloppy, funny, Broadway-lovin Ro and not too much of an Oprah Winfrey disciple holding hands and crying with audience members. Let’s hope the fact that she’s taping in Oprah’s old Harpo Studios set is just a coincidence.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated