8-12-10 "The show about Janette's biopsy"

In case you missed it...

PETE AT THE STAR WARS CONVENTION, ELIZABETH EDWARDS AND BYRON KATIE
Pete is not in the studio today because he is at a Star Wars convention (and pretending that it's for work).  Actually, it is.  Sirius is having Star Wars celebration radio on Sirius XM Stars too.   The Star Wars Celebration Radio channel will be hosted by Raw Dog Comedy's 'Mark Says Hi' and Cinemagic's Dave Zeimer. It will air Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 15 on Sirius channel 108 and XM channel 139.  Pete was so upset about losing the band member name game yesterday he sent everyone on the staff an email about it last night.  He thinks that he lost because the game was rigged.  But Brendan said that he asks Rosie to select who will go first so that Brendan doesn't get accused of any shenanigans like giving any one particular person easier/harder answers.  Rosie has 5 wins total for the summer so far, everyone else has 2 except for Pete who only has 1!  And Pete made the chart and purchased the stickers!  In the email Pete sent out last night he said, "Dear staff, it occurs to me just now that The Monkees was a fictional band that didn't play their own instruments.  Therefore, yesterday's game is null and void."  Yesterday Pete was crazed over the fact that he didn't win!  Rosie and Shoshana have never seen him so upset. 

They got Pete, who is at the Star Wars convention, on the phone and he reported that he just saw the actor that played Chewbacca in Star Wars!  Pete said he flew on Jet Blue yesterday and although he had no desire to curse out any flight attendants he did think about pulling the emergency shoot.  :)  Pete is staying at one of the convention center hotels which is a fairly long walk to the convention center itself and he found himself running there this morning out of excitement!  He said he's surrounded by Darth Vaders and Storm Troopers and one guy just walked by him carrying a Yoda in a baby sling and it's AWESOME.  Pete said he is hoping to come back to the studio on Monday and participate in some games that aren't rigged.  Rosie told Pete that his email last night made her laugh out loud and she sang the "Hey, Hey We're the Monkees" song to him. 

The Monkees for Pete

Rosie went to a few Happy Meal Collectible Conventions.  She used to collect Happy Meal toys and would organize them in order on the shelves in her office to the point where she could tell if anyone had moved one, even slightly.  She said she was "O.C.D. times 1000" when it came to her Happy Meal Toys.  Rosie said there is something cool about being with people who come together in the same area that have such a similar passion.  Yeah, ever been to a Rosie book signing?  I'm just saying.  Rosie told a story about staying at a hotel once where they were having a werewolf/vampire convention and getting into the elevator with a werewolf in full makeup!

Last night Rosie finished the game Angry Birds on her iPhone and watched Elizabeth Edwards on Larry King Live.  She was promoting her book Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities which has just been released in paperback with a new afterward that covers the end of her marriage to John.  Rosie said her story is sad yet inspiring to see all of the things she has been able to survive - the loss of a child, the break-up of her marriage and the humiliating and painful publicity that followed.

Rosie talked briefly about how Byron Katie will be on the show tomorrow.  Rosie said that Byron speaks a lot about cancer and says that she's not afraid to get it but she's open to the possibility.  She says she could be full of cancer right now and not even know but as of right now she's not living with that thought.  Janette said that's easy to say when you don't have cancer. 

JANETTE'S BIOPSY
Janette revealed that she will be leaving the show at 11 am today because she is going to get a needle biopsy because they saw something suspicious on her mammogram yesterday.  Janette knows rationally that there's a better chance that she doesn't have cancer than that she does have it but the thought of dying has crossed her mind because of the news.  Not to mention that her longtime boyfriend Barry's closest friend died of cancer last week.  Janette said that she will be using this as ammo for being in a particularly bad mood for the rest of the week, so advised everyone not to get on her bad side.  Janette's friend got her cancer diagnosis at 4:30 pm on a Friday and she immediately went out and rented every comedy she could find and then sat with her daughter and watched them all weekend.  Rosie and Janette both recommended the book Love, Medicine and Miracles about the healing power of laughter.

Janette said she's successfully going with the emotion of denial when it comes to this news about the biopsy.  She said that even if she does have cancer it's very small.  But her thoughts immediately turn to fears of death because that's where she always goes with her thoughts.  But in this case, she prefers denial.  Rosie asked Janette a lot of questions about the procedure she was going to have and Janette hadn't even read the paperwork fully.  Janette doesn't want anyone to go with her, not even her boyfriend Barry or her sister Lanette.  Janette said that Barry and Lanette would drop everything to be there in an instant if she needed them to be but she doesn't want anyone with her. 

Deirdre said she is getting an MRI today on her knee and her mom is coming with her.  Rosie had a "thumb sized fatty tumor" removed from her breast when she was only 32 years old.  She saw her friends Lois and Valerie in the waiting room and they all sat and worried if one of them would get "the news" who would it be.  And in the end, one of them did have it.

Janette said she'll find out the results of her biopsy on Monday.  Shoshana googled it and said that 4 of every 5 biopsy results are not cancer.  Janette's sister Lanette offered to come in support but Janette didn't see the point.  She also didn't want her sister to see her boob!  She said they're not a "naked or farter family." 

Rosie said that Janette told her the news this morning as if she was going to have to leave early like she was going to the dry-cleaners!  Janette said she was trying to minimize the whole thing because she is not the most balanced person.  She said she doesn't want to even allow herself to think thoughts of cancer until Monday.  Bobby understood.  He had to get a test once for something that had to do with his kidney.  It could have been horrible if what they thought was wrong was actually wrong and he didn't want to allow himself to think that way.   Shoshana said it's hard to control what to worry about and when.

Janette said that they took multiple mammograms of different views of her breasts and when they told her that they had seen something suspicious and she had to have a biopsy she emailed Deirdre from her iPad and told her she's dying.  Janette said she always goes straight to making a joke out of it because what's the alternative?   

Lou came back from commercial playing I am a Rock by Simon and Garfunkel.  Rosie took several calls from listeners who either agreed with Janette's decision not to have anyone with her for the biopsy or who thought she should bring a friend.  Janette explained that she doesn't want to worry about anyone's feelings except her own right now.  Rosie asked Janette if she thought about her feelings and how this would effect her!

Rosie asked Janette if she would call her when it's done and Janette told her she would email her and Rosie could call her when she has time.  Janette said that there would be nothing to say and Rosie said she wants to comfort her!  Rosie asked Janette if she ever asks for emotional help.  Janette couldn't recall a time she ever has.  Janette explained that anger is an easier emotion for her and it's the first place she goes because it's the place she's most familiar with.  Janette said that even though she has a very bad temper she doesn't hold a grudge.  Rosie asked her if she's ever going to forgive the people on The View.  Janette said that what the people at The View did was "assholian."  Janette said that for The View to say that she destroyed two floors of artwork and to go after an employee like they did was really awful.

In the end, Janette said that until she knows there's something to worry about she doesn't want to be bothered with thoughts that it could be something.  If it was cancer, Janette can't even say what she would do because it's still an imaginary situation.  Rosie has had six biopsies and every time she's positive that it's cancer and every time it isn't.  So has Janette's sister Lanette.  Janette said that if she needs someone she knows Barry will be there immediately to console her but she's going to the appointment alone.   

DEAR ZACHARY
Rosie asked the staff to give a brief synopsis of the documentary they all watched entitled Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.  SPOILER ALERT!  Skip to the Whitney interview if you don't want to know what happens.  The film is a documentary about a man who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend.  The purpose of the documentary was to give to the man's child so he could know his father better someday.  The father was a doctor and was murdered by his ex-girlfriend who was pregnant at the time.  She had the baby after the father had died.  The woman was on trial for killing the father but she was released on bail.  The grandparents had to still interact with the woman that murdered their son in order to stay in the baby's life.  They wanted custody of the child and even had it for a while.  One day, the mother killed herself and the baby by jumping to her death with the baby strapped to her.  The baby was killed by the mother during the making of the film.

Shoshana was mad watching the film because she felt sucker-punched when the mother killed the baby.  She was shocked and angry when the baby died. Deirdre was extremely angry that they let the woman out of jail!  Deirdre said she has never been that angry watching a movie and she was mostly angry at the judge because it's society's responsibility to protect the innocent. 

Rosie asked the staff if the film was enjoyable at all or just painful.  Rosie said that people wrote in to her on her blog and were angry at her for asking them to watch such a depressing movie.  Shoshana agreed and didn't see what positivity could be gained from the film.  Supposedly the film is helping ensure that the laws change and that this doesn't happen again.  Rosie talked about how she couldn't imagine how the grandparents survived all these tragedies.

Rosie loves documentaries because she loves seeing someone else's truth and what they've survived.  She said it shows us all that we can go on and get through anything.

WHITNEY FROM THE REAL L WORD

Rosie admitted she  is addicted to the show The Real L Word! She then introduced  Whitney, whom Rosie called a "lesbian player" who was on the phone.   Whitney likes to call herself "openly non-committal."  Whitney is only 28 years old and being gay was never an issue for her.   She said the biggest "coming out" moment she ever had was one day she brought home a girl that she was dating and not a boy.  It was never an issue for her parents.  And Whitney said that calling herself a Tomboy as a child was an understatement.  She said she loves being a woman but she identified with things that boys did.  She was the only girl enrolled in football in her entire state, for example. 

Whitney was born in Connecticut and moved to New York and lived there for 9 years.  She had 2 bachelors degrees and was going to go to law school but now she's a special effects makeup artist.  Whitney said that all the women cast on the show are successful, driven women. 

Rosie asked Whitney how she was cast on the show.  Whitney said that a friend of hers got called in to a casting and she went along to keep her company.  They both auditioned and Whitney got through.  The audition was like an interview and they wanted to find out all about who she was as a person and how she identifies.  

Whitney works freelance as a special effects make-up artist but really wants to start a non-profit doing art therapy with kids.  Whitney is very artistic and paints and does mixed media.  She said she loves to work with her hands. ;)  Rosie said obviously!   

Rosie immediately went "there" and asked about the "dildo episode."  Whitney said she made a pact to herself when she was cast that she would go all in or none at all.  She said she wouldn't close the door in any room on her life and she didn't.  She's very comfortable with her body and she sees the episode as empowering and educational.  Whitney said society is accepting of men expressing their sexuality but says it's not okay for women to do the same.  Whitney said that the room that they were in in the episode was not a large room and it's not like they didn't have any idea of what was going on.  Rosie asked what Romi (the receiver in the episode) does for a living.  Whitney said that Romi is a make-up artist too.  Rosie can't believe how comfortable everyone is with showing their bodies including Romi!  Whitney said that Romi's comfort with her body is very "refreshing."  Spoken like a true playa. 

Rosie joked with Whitney about the many girls she hooks up with on the show and asked her if there were any of them there during  the time of their phone-call.  Whitney said that there might be a woman in her closet but she wasn't sure.

Rosie asked Whitney what it's like to be a "celesbian rockstar."  Whitney said that people do recognize her now and she really appreciates the support.  She's also gotten many emails from young girls who've been able to come out to their friends and parents because of the show which makes it all worth it. 

Rosie complimented Whitney on how comfortable she seems in her own skin.  Whitney praised her parents for that and said that they were very nourishing to her in that sense.  Whitney said she went from a girl to a boy overnight and yet was never made fun of.  She said she entered school with a comfortable confidence and no one ever bothered her.  Whitney said the most important thing we can teach kids is to be confident and comfortable in their own skin.  Whitney said that the majority of feedback she's received has been supportive.  Although she doesn't regret the episode featuring the "hardware" she does regret her disregard for Tor.  Rosie told Whitney she's been breaking Tor's heart since Tor moved there and Whitney didn't want to hear that.  

The cast members are currently waiting to hear if they're being renewed for another season.  She said they are all great friends and the new family she's made from doing the program  is the best part about doing the show.   Whitney said that when Rosie comes out to L.A. she and Rose want to take Rosie out!  Rosie ended the interview telling Whitney that she and the other cast members are all lovely women and the show is very enjoyable and that it brings visibility to a sub-culture that some people don't understand.  Whitney appreciated Rosie's comments about the show when she said that lesbians can come in all shapes, sizes, colors and levels of femininity.  Whitney said that fellow cast members Nikki and Jill catch a lot of flack and people question their sexuality because of their femininity and it's important for people to realize that lesbians are not all the same.  Rosie said she wants to do a guest spot on the show and sit in a lawn chair during the next white trash party and watch.  Whitney joked that all you will see is dust as Rosie scurries out of there in a hurry!  Rosie offered to be Whitney's bodyguard as she fights off all the ladies.

Watch the season finale of The Real L Word this Sunday at 10pm on Showtime!

GAME
In today's game Brendan tells the state nickname and the player had to name the state. 

ROUND ONE
Rosie - "the sunshine state" The answer was Florida.  She got it. 
Shoshana - "the peach state"  The answer was  Georgia. She got it.
Lou (for Pete) - "the empire state" The answer was New York.  He got it.
Bobby - "the aloha state" The answer was Hawaii.  He got it.

ROUND TWO
Rosie - "the garden state" The answer was New Jersey.  She got it.
Shoshana - "the show me state" The answer was Missouri but she guessed Nevada.  She was out. 
Lou (for Pete) - "the golden state"  The answer was California but he guessed Colorado.  Pete was out.
Bobby - "the last frontier" The answer was Alaska.  He got it. 

ROUND THREE
Rosie - "the Grand Canyon state" The answer was Arizona but she guessed Nevada.  She was out. 
Bobby - "the Keystone state" The answer was Pennsylvania and Bobby won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bobby is now on the board with three wins.  He thanked Pete for not being at the studio today because he said that Pete probably would have cheated and won!  Rosie asked if the game shouldn't count because Pete's not there and then decided against that and said it will make Pete even madder if it counts.  Shoshana said that she and Jeannie don't get to play all the time so it's fair to let the game count.

Rosie said that she's going to be filming an episode of Who Do You Think You Are, a show that will retrace her mother's heritage and will be going to Ireland shortly. Bobby thinks it will be an amazing experience for Rosie.   Rosie had a second when she briefly fantasized that her mother is still alive and living in Ireland.   She said after 38 years she's still thinking she could still be out there...

Rosie closed the show saying not to miss tomorrow's show with Byron Katie! 

and that's what you missed - kw