2-24-10

In case you missed it...

• Rosie wanted Bobby to sing the theme song at the start of today's broadcast but Bobby admitted that he didn't know the words to it yet. So, those that did know the words sang it a capella! John McDaniel (the pianist made famous to most of us Rosie bloggers for his work on TROS) wrote the Rosie Radio theme song. Janette and Rosie raved about how much they love John McDaniel and what a great guy he is. I listened to some of his piano on his website today and it is beautiful. Be sure to check him out! John has received many Emmy award nominations and won a Grammy award!

• Rosie mentioned how she misses the show The Partridge Family (random segway, I know). She also mentioned that she is not feeling well lately because of the horrible weather in N.Y. and her S.A.D. She said it is rainy, gray and depressing outside and the weather is making her feel sad. Rosie told a story about when she moved to California in the 1980s and how stunned she was that it was sunny every day. She said that from November til March is the worst time for her. Deirdre loves the rainy weather. Bobby said he loves it too as he grew up in Florida where it was always sunny. Janette said "relentlessly good weather gets on her nerves." And she followed that up with it is "hotter than then the seven hinges of hell in Florida." I can't help but quote the woman. It's just too good.

• Deirdre told a story about how she was asleep in today's car ride from NYC to Nyack and Janette yelled NO! at the top of her lungs and scared her half to death. Apparently they had a new driver today and he was about to get on the wrong route to the studio. Janette also screams to alert the staff when Rosie's walking to the studio from her house. A listener called in with her recommendation for S.A.D. and told Rosie to get a full spectrum light and use it twice a day. (Rosie mentioned how she had already tried that.) She also recommended an amino acid that produces serotonin called 5-HTP.

• Are you sitting down? Cause this is the good part! After the call Rosie recommended that listeners go to the ShadyCam to watch her squirrel retrieve the nuts they had left for him on the window sill in the studio just as Deirdre mentioned a Rosie Radio Facebook discussion they were having about Shady and Rosie interrupted her and said "Wait, is that the one that Kelly does? and then she said KELLY WEIST! And she pronounced my name correctly! No one ever does that! LOL She's incredibly smart, what can I say! Janette said No, that's the Rosie Radio Recap blog and that's where we go if we ever can't remember something that was said on air! I almost fell off my chair and then my phone started ringing off the hook! So congrats Edward for getting a shout-out on your Facebook page and congrats to the Rosie Recap blog (me) and my proofreaders Liz and Michele! Shall I stand and make a speech? First I'd like to thank...

The SHOUT-OUT! :)

• The next part is a little fuzzy but I believe Rosie told a story about a drunk possum who drank some beer that was left down by the river by her house.

• Bobby and Rosie talked a bit about Heidi Fleiss who is on a show called Celebrity Rehab where celebrities with addictions come on and try to get sober. There is an HBO documentary about Heidi Fleiss and her attempt to open a brothel for women that I saw on HBO called The Would Be Madam of Crystal if you're interested.

• Rosie mentioned how Kirstie Alley is on a new A&E reality show called Big Life that chronicles her attempt to lose weight. Rosie was catching up on her Tivoed show last night and watched all the episodes of Celebrity Rehab. She said you get caught up in other people's drama so you don't have to live in your own. Rosie mentioned Mindy McCready, a country singer, who is on the show. Rosie told a story about meeting Mindy when she was doing a performance of monologues and presented by Eve Ensler where they read first person narratives of women's stories in prison. I found this online. Not sure if that was what Rosie was referring to. Rosie said she met Mindy before the show and Mindy handed Rosie her baby after only knowing her for a few moments and then disappeared for the 2 hours before the show, and how odd that was. Rosie loves kids so it wasn't a problem but it was just strange because they didn't know each other. Mindy was there to sing a song that she had written and after her performance Rosie went to give her the baby back and she didn't want to take the baby. Rosie saw it as extremely odd. Since then, Mindy has come out with an addiction to drugs and the baby has been adopted by Mindy's mother. Rosie questioned what the value was of a show like Celebrity Rehab. A listener called in who watches Celeb Rehab with her kids to try to explain to them the dangers of drugs and Rosie recommended Intervention instead and described the show to her. She said the great thing about Intervention is it's about real people (not celebrities) and it shows that not everyone survives addiction. Rosie said she doesn't watch the show Hoarders anymore because there's only so many times you can see cats covered by mounds of laundry. It's all the same story and pretty hopeless. I so agree. I am over both those shows actually. They are way too depressing.

• Rosie took several callers on the topic of addiction including one caller who thinks Celeb Rehab is glorifying addiction. Janette and Rosie talked about a candid camera bit they once did for TROS where they asked people what they would and would not do in order to be on TV. Janette said you wouldn't believe the things that people agreed to do just to be on TV. One person even agreed to be set on fire yet wouldn't dress all in the color orange for a year. Rosie and Janette talked about society's desire to be famous and to be on TV. A listener called in who was struggling with her son's marijuana use and Pete recommended stripping him of his privacy by taking his door off the bedroom.

• One very sad listener called in to talk to Rosie whose youngest son got involved with drugs. When he was 17 he started rebelling and using cough syrup and other drugs. At 18 years old he had moved on to harder drugs like heroin, crack and cocaine and his parents got him in long-term rehab with intensive counseling. The caller's son is 21 years old and now in prison for 60 years for murder. The caller discussed with Rosie the feeling of looking into his son's eyes and seeing his baby. He and his wife blame themselves and Rosie encouraged the caller to not blame himself and told him that some children are going to make mistakes and there's nothing parents can do. The caller talked about how even his neighbors and friends have turned on them. Rosie recommended the book Beautiful Boy to the caller and was deeply effected by the man's story. It was a very sad call. I know Rosie always says she would have been a teacher had she not become famous but she would have made a fantastic therapist.

• Rosie took a caller from a listener who got Gastric Bypass Surgery and is now an alcoholic. She had been sober for just a week and Rosie encouraged her to go to an AA Meeting and hoped that she stays sober. I found an article on Gastric Bypass and addiction HERE.

• A listener called in who got her son arrested to get him sober and recommended Al-anon to the previous caller whose son was arrested for murder to alleviate the responsibility he and his wife feel.

• A prevention and motivational empowerment speaker called in and Rosie seemed to appreciate his thoughts on the topic but expressed the fact that these parents need real solutions rather than a feel good mantra.

• After that caller Janette expressed how she feels you have to be an addict to really understand it. She listed her Weight Watchers leader as an example. The Weight Watchers leader knows what it is like to be fat and to struggle to lose weight. Janette talked about marijuana and how she doesn't think it's a "gateway drug" but she does think it's addictive. Janette said if you can't be in the room with it without touching it, you can't do it. Janette started smoking pot in 1985 cause she couldn't sleep yet she's not smoking it anymore. Rosie asked if she would ever consider a year without it like Rosie did a year without beer. Janette said she needs to look at it one week at a time. Deirdre expressed her frustration that pot is illegal but alcohol is not. Janette said marijuana helps her with anxiety and clearing her head for ideas when she's writing. Pete believed pot could be a gateway drug for younger people but said that pot isn't as damaging for adults as alcohol can be. Interesting drug conversation!

• Bobby discussed his own addiction with food. He said he never wanted to eat in front of people and Rosie commented that it was 4-5 years before Bobby would eat in front of her. Bobby said that he wouldn't eat on front of people and then he would be starving and go home and binge eat. He remarked how well his new diet is working because he doesn't get so starving so there's no chance to binge.

• Rosie said she has an Amazon addiction. She said she often sees things on Amazon she thinks she needs and knowing she can GET it tomorrow encourages her to buy it. She listed some amazing tweezers as an example. Janette remarked how she had several stray hairs that no one told her about and Rosie attributed that to the fact that most of the studio members are in their 40s (as in they have bad eyesight). Janette said her sister Lanette "sports a full goatee" and how someone needs to tell her. LOL

• Rosie took a caller who asked how you say something to a friend when you are concerned about their weight. Bobby recalled how Rosie approached him about his weight and it went something like this: Rosie said, "I love you and I don't want you to die. I'm concerned and some of your friends are concerned and I'm worried you're not able to take care of yourself right now." She insisted he go to her doctor. Janette cautioned the caller that "fat people know they're fat" and when your friends start telling you you need to lose weight it makes you feel less accepted by the people you feel most comfortable with. Janette was once 275 pounds and she's 5'3" and when someone would comment to her about her weight she would think "I want to find someone else to hang out with." So she warned the caller that the kind gesture can sometimes backfire. Rosie suggested the caller start by telling her that he cares about her and say if there's anything he can do to help her to just let him know. Rosie, Janette and Bobby commented what a hard situation it is to talk to a friend about their weight.

• Rosie asked if there were any listeners who had an online gambling problem and invited them to call in. Lou played The Gambler and went to commercial. Good one Lou!

• A listener called in and told Rosie of his online gambling addiction. He explained how he lost thousands of dollars, almost lost his wife and his house. Another listener called in whose husband gambles online and wound up losing tons of money doing it. It was only after she threatened to leave with her 3 kids that he eventually stopped.

• A listener, who works with recovering gamblers, called in who talked about the similarities between gambling addiction and alcohol addiction. Rosie talked about when she was working in Detroit and the irony of seeing a city that had been so ravaged by the poor economy with a packed and thriving casino. Janette and Rosie talked about how scary it was to work in Atlantic City. Google Pete said he doesn't gamble online because he is sure he would have an addiction to it.

• Rosie told a story about how was playing Texas Hold 'em once and won a big jackpot and then decided to get up from the table and leave and how she was YELLED at for getting up. Pete said he has been yelled at for taking a hit when playing poker. Bobby said he likes slots because of the pretty lights and music. LOL Pete talked about how he once installed video poker machines and remarked how easy it would be to make sure that the machines didn't pay out.

• Rosie, Janette, Bobby and Deirdre talked about working at The Rosie O'Donnell Show and how everyone made really good money working there. Rosie remembered seeing staff members coming in with name brand expensive stuff and how many of those people are now broke because they didn't save their money. Rosie said Janette quit after one season because she thought she wasn't good at it and Rosie convinced Janette to stay on and make her a producer. They went to commercial playing Lady Gaga's Poker Face. I love me some Gaga. PERFECTION LOU.

Lady Gaga sings Poker Face

• Rosie closed the show doing her Janette impersonation. It's too good to try to blog about so I decided to tape it. Here it is...

• Don't forget Sonya Fitzpatrick the Animal Communicator will be on tomorrow's show and the radio crew will be bringing in their own pets to be "read." THAT should be interesting radio!