4-21-11 - Saving Soaps, Virtual Friends and An Interview With Tony Sheldon

In case you missed it....

AMERICAN IDOL, A SOAPS DISCUSSION AND THE KEEP THE ROSIE RADIO GANG PAGE
Rosie and the staff started today's broadcast immediately discussing last night's American Idol.  Rosie exclaimed she said it from the start of the show and she said it again "James Durbin is going to win!"  Janette also thought he did fantastic last night so much so that she listened to his performance three times!  They played the audio of James singing from last night's show for the listening audience at home.  Bobby said it feels like James is the guest star on the contest.  Janette said she was mesmerized last night when James performed.  Deirdre said she thought Casey Abrams sunk himself last night because he's getting A LOT of flack for his performance. They then played Casey's performance from last night.  Rosie wasn't so sure and thought Casey did a good job too.  Rosie said she only watches Casey and James and admitted to reading a book during the other performances.    Rosie did not like Haley's version of Adele's Rolling In the Deep.  Rosie said she was thinking "no, no, no, no, NO!" while Haley performed.  Bobby thought Haley doesn't feel the words of the songs she sings.  Bobby predicted that Lauren or Haley will be voted off the show next.  Rosie and Janette said they don't like the "taped packages" on the show or the short interviews after the performances.  And Rosie said she's distracted by the different colored microphones. 

Rosie wanted to discuss what's happening with the cancellation of the ABC soaps and invited listeners to call in to the show.  Pete read the ratings from the programs which were fairly low.  Rosie took a call from a listener who wanted to talk about the great actors and wonderful shows that have been born from soap operas.  And she called soaps the "film version of the romance novel."  Rosie and the caller discussed the many actors and actresses that started on soap operas such as Meg Ryan, Marisa Tomei, Rick Springfield, Kevin Bacon, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria Parker, David Hasselhoff, Josh Duhamel, Susan Sarandon, Lindsay Lohan, Brad Pitt, Julianne Moore, James Earl Jones and Leonardo DiCaprio, etc, etc, etc! 

Rosie took a call from an 8 year-old soap opera fan who called in on his way to school!  He was adorable  and Rosie talked to him all about school and his love of the soaps which he watches with his Nana.  General Hospital is his favorite.  He then told Rosie all about his two dads and he said his dad was crying right now because he was talking to Rosie on the phone!  Then one of the little boy's dads got on the phone and told Rosie what an inspiration she is.  Rosie thanked them for calling in and was sad she didn't have anything to give them as a gift.

Rosie took a call from a listener who pointed out that America's Most Wanted was once canceled and then brought back to television because of the fans outcries.
Speaking of shows saved by the fans...did you know there's a fanpage dedicated to saving Janette and the Rosie Radio crew?!  You can join it HERE! Do you love Rosie Radio and the staff like many of us and can't imagine your mornings without them?  Then get busy and write a letter to Mr. Greenstein and tell him how much you need them to keep the Rosie Radio staff on Sirius!  
Address your letter of support to...
Mr. Scott Greenstein, CEO,
Sirius/XM 36th Floor

1221 Avenue of the Americas
NY NY 10020This caller also asked Rosie if she caught Tom Shadyac, the I Am documentary filmmaker, on Oprah yesterday.  Oprah gave a shout-out to Rosie on the show and Rosie said she saw it!  Rosie said it was a very big deal that Oprah made room for Tom on the program with less than 30 shows left.  Rosie said she's home everyday now at 4pm so she can catch the few remaining Oprah Winfrey Shows.


Rosie took another call from a listener who is in her mid-20s who has been watching All My Children for her entire life.  She goes by Fire Frons on Twitter and she's one of the leaders in the Twitter movement trying to save the soaps!  Rosie said Robin Strasser is going to call in next week and they're going to talk about the #savethesoaps Twitter movement. 

INVISIBLE CHILDREN, REPORTERS KILLED IN LIBYA AND MEETING VIRTUAL FRIENDS
The staff then discussed the three men from Invisible Children that were on Oprah yesterday.  It's been 25 years since the unrest began in Uganda and on the 24 through 25th of this month they're asking for 25 hours of silence and for everyone to send in $25.  

The staff also briefly discussed the deaths of the two photojournalists in Libya.  Janette was very upset that the President has said our reason for going into Libya was because "we've been called to help" when we haven't felt the need to "help" when there has been civil unrest for YEARS in Sudan, Somalia, and Sri Lanka and we've never stepped in to help there!  Janette was quite upset about it and went on a rant over the President saying it's our responsibility to help when the United States doesn't feel the need to help many other countries who have been suffering with civil unrest for YEARS!  Rosie was a bit taken back by Janette's passionate speech and this started a brief debate over her sanity/stability (done with humor, of course).

Rosie said for her OWN show there may be a segment where she gets to meet some of the people she's been "virtual friends" with but has actually never met in person.  Rosie has to judge who's normal and safe to meet and Rosie said "who is she to judge who's normal?!"  But Rosie said she's always been curious about people which is part of the reason why she loves documentaries so much.  Rosie said you have more of a chance of being hurt if you're a teacher then if you're a celebrity.  Bobby said the difference between most celebrities and Rosie is most celebrities don't invite their fans into their lives like Rosie does!  Rosie told a funny story about the time her phone rang in her art studio.  It was someone calling the wrong number but she ended up having a complete conversation with the woman on the phone.  This woman who was an Orthodox Jew, never really knew who Rosie was so Rosie recommended she read her book Find Me.  Two weeks went by and then the woman called Rosie back and told her she read her book and she thinks she's really a Jew!  Rosie ended up inviting her over for dinner.  And Bobby said THAT'S the difference between most celebrities and Rosie! 

Rosie said if she has fans who are "regulars" who frequently show up at her appearances and she chooses to gt to know them.  Even if the people seem confused or in need of a mental evaluation, she will always have compassion for them and try to know their stories.  Rosie said it's sometimes hard to meet new people when you're famous because you always wonder and question people's intentions.  Janette said it's hard for everyone to meet new people after a certain age.
Rosie said there's a woman named Kat Brooks on Twitter who has over 4,000 friends on Facebook and she's decided to make a documentary about meeting these friends in person to see if they're true friends or not.  She used the website Kickstarter to fund her film.  The movie is called Face2Face and asks if virtual friends are real friends?  Janette thinks virtual friends ARE real friends and said she's made great friendships with people she's met over the Internet.  She mentioned a friend named Kristy who is battling cancer who she thinks about a lot, though they've never actually met in person.  Rosie thinks the movie sounds like a great idea. 

DAN ELDON, 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Going back to the story about the photojournalists that were killed in Libya, Rosie recommended the documentary Dying To Tell the Story about the journalist Dan Eldon who was killed during the "black hawk down" incident in Somalia.  Rosie said Dan's mother and sister created The Creative Visions Foundation that supports "creative activists" who "use media and the arts to create positive change in the world." [source: creativevisions.org]  Janette said it was always a dream of hers to become a foreign news correspondent and Martha Gellhorn was one of her heroes.  Janette said Gellhorn was one of the first correspondents to tell the human interest stories behind the wars.

Rosie was so happy to hear that Chris Colfer was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world!  Janette was very excited by this news too because she's such a fan of Colfer's.  Rosie thinks Chris has changed the way teens deal with effeminate teens in school for the better! 

There's a new poll out that says that 51% of Americans thinks same-sex marriage should be allowed.  Rosie said she doesn't understand why people are so threatened by it and invited listeners to call in.  When Rosie first met Kelli's mother (who has since come a long way) her mother said she would rather Kelli be single and never be sexual, then be gay.  Janette doesn't feel our laws in this country should be decided by religious groups in general.  Rosie took a call from a listener who was sure the divide about gay marriage stems from one's religious beliefs.  Rosie took a call from a listener who called herself a "social conservative" who is against gay marriage.  She said saying two people of the same sex are "married" is like trying to call a cat a dog.  She said marriage is a man and a woman, plain and simple.  The caller said if two gay people want to bind themselves together for legal reasons, that's fine with her as long as they call it something else.  The caller said she's not at all threatened by gays wanting to be married she just thinks it's a misuse of the word.  Rosie said that rule might be fine in this country but asked what happens if the couple goes abroad?  She said in other countries "civil unions" have no meaning but "marriage" is understood in every country.  Rosie said there is an importance for gay people to have the right to use the word "marriage" because it warrants the same privileges, rights and respect.  She said separate but equal is not okay.  Rosie finds it ironic that in Vegas two heterosexuals can get married after knowing each other for only 20 minutes but two people of the same sex who have known one another for 20 years don't have that same right.  Janette said to the caller, with all due respect, if she has no problem with gay people having sharing the same rights with those that are married and her only problem is the use of the word, why can't she just get over it?  Janette said sometimes we have to be the change, and we have to be the ones to change.  Rosie ended the conversation by saying there are always going to be gay people in this world so why can't they have the same rights?
TONY SHELDON FROM PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Rosie then introduced Tony Sheldon from the Broadway musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert!  Rosie asked Tony how he came to be in show business and Tony said he was surrounded by people in the entertainment industry his entire life.  His father was the first Fosse dancer in Australia and his mother is Toni Lamond, an Australian singer, actor, dancer and comedienne!  And his aunt is Helen Reddy!   Tony said he started out dancing and singing on the Australian equivalent of The Tonight Show in Australia when he was only 10 years old.  Then he toured with Oliver for two years. 

Tony has been a part of Priscilla for 4 years.  He began in the workshop of it, they performed it for 1 year in Australia, took it to London for 2 years and now they're on Broadway!  

Rosie said she was very touched by the message of the show.  Tony said the show is really about living out loud in a hostile environment and the message of it couldn't be more timely.  He said the show reinforces the message that your true colors are beautiful and that everyone can be accepted.  Rosie said she got very choked up when she saw it!

Tony said he's been in a relationship for 32 years!  Rosie congratulated him and asked him what their secret was?  He said he and his partner believe in respect, giving each other freedom and laughing every single day.  Tony's partner is an actor, writer and director and has put his whole career on hold for now while he's in New York performing.  Rosie thought that was so sweet!

Tony told Rosie about an especially bad matinee they had recently.  He said it was the matinee from hell when everything went wrong.  First he was late on to the stage after his first costume change and fell and scraped both his knees.  He had to stand and sing during the scene with bleeding knees!  During the next change his dresser got his outfit wrong and he spent the rest of the act in the wrong costume!  At curtain call he looked into the audience and Shirley MacLaine was there!  Tony told Rosie about how she came backstage to meet them all.  He said that made the bleeding knees all worthwhile.

Rosie thanked Tony for coming in and said Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a great show!  She recommended all her listeners go see it!  And she told Tony he was beyond brilliant in it and he deserves the Tony Award for his performance! 

iPHONE TRACKING, TYLER CLEMENTI'S KILLER INDICTED AND GASLAND
Pete read an article about iPhone GPS tracking.  He said the iPhone has a file on it that can show your latitude and longitude of where your phone has been for a year.  Rosie and Janette thought it was a great thing for catching criminals.  Janette, on the other hand, doesn't like the idea and said the concept makes her feel like a bug under a microscope and that all privacy has died. 

Rosie and the staff briefly discussed how Tyler Clementi's roommate has been indicted on 15 counts including invasion of privacy, intimidation, tampering with physical evidence and witness tampering.  The female friend who was involved was not indicted but the speculation is that she will be.  Rosie said it's a horrible story for everyone involved and she wonders how haunted the boy is by what he has done.  Rosie remembered a time when her brother Timmy was about 7 years old and a neighbor kid asked her if he could throw an egg at her little brother.  She said he could and to this day she doesn't know why.  It left a big red mark on his back and she still feels guilty about it.  Rosie and Janette said the entire situation at Rutgers is sad for everyone involved.

Rosie and the staff discussed how the fracking situation has gotten worse for Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  They read the details from the following article and commented on it. Rosie said everyone needs to watch the documentary Gasland.  She said natural gas is not the "safe and clean alternative" it claims to be.

Rosie closed the show.

and that's what you missed - kw