FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL DINNER, DWTS AND PROMISCUITY RELATED TO WEIGHT
Rosie started today's broadcast talking about last night's Family Equality Council dinner where she met Zach Wahls. Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student, spoke about his family during a public forum on opposing House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives which would end civil unions in Iowa. The video went viral on the Internet and The Family Equality Council asked him to speak at their event last night. (see video of Zach's original speech to the Iowa House below)
Rosie said she thinks Zach is every parent's dream for what their first born son will turn out to be like. She said he is such a good speaker he reminds her of Bobby Kennedy. Rosie even told Zach what a wonderful speaker he was and that a lot of people can write a beautiful speech but very few can deliver it in such a powerful way. Zach told Rosie he didn't realize he was being taped during his speech that day in front of the House of Representatives and after a few days the video went viral and before he knew it, his entire life was changed. He wondered if he could take on the challenge in front of him. Rosie wanted Zach to talk to Parker and be a role model to him and Zach reassured Rosie that he was the same way as Parker when he was 15. Rosie joked that when she was casting the role of her "oldest son" Zach was the boy she was thinking of! Rosie said the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert performed last night too! Rosie said it was a really beautiful night. As they were leaving, Rosie met the girl who bid and won her painted Emmy she had donated to the cause. Rosie said overall there was something very touching about the whole event last night. You can see pictures of the event on Rosie.com and on Family Equality's Facebook page. Because Rosie was at the dinner she didn't get to see Dancing With The Stars but Janette and Bobby did so they caught her up. They both thought Kirstie Alley looked great! They discussed how Ralph Macchio's partner fell during their dance and how Ralph kept the dance going with his partner. Janette said she only cares for Kristie Alley at this point and both Janette and Rosie hope Kirstie wins. Jeannie remembered the show she called "Dancing With a Fat Girl" which was really called Dance Your Ass Off. Jeannie wanted to know what ever happened to that show.
The mention of the show sparked an entire discussion about weight. Shoshana read an article that stated that obese teen girls are more likely to use drugs or alcohol and engage in risky sexual behaviors. The study showed that "obese girls were less likely to have had sex than healthy-weight girls, but were more likely to have used drugs or alcohol before having sex." Janette had said something in the morning meeting that horrified Rosie so she made her repeat it on the air. Janette said she was told "fat girls always fuck" by many men before. In other words, if you go to a bar and you want someone to sleep with and the night is ending, guys will often pick up a fat girl because they'll always give it up. That's what Janette's been told by many men before, anyway. Jeannie could see the point. Rosie said the statement made her heart hurt. Janette was very heavy as a child and said she never wanted people to look at her and think she's never done "it." Jeannie said she has many regrets looking back about her sexual past and said many of the choices she made were because of low self-esteem and looking for love in all the wrong places. Jeannie said she thinks she was promiscuous because she had no self-esteem and wanted to be admired by boys. She also said she spent her entire teenage life being envious of young, beautiful, thin, girls. Rosie had always hid her own sexuality out of shame and she thought most other people who are heavy would have been the same way. She was a bit shocked by this revelation. Janette has always viewed her own promiscuity as power. In a way, Jeannie did too but there were times she felt shame afterward. And no matter what, Jeannie always thought there was a chance a relationship might come from it.
Rosie said she couldn't ever have a one night stand with someone because of her body issues. Jeannie remembered telling her mother she wants to fall in love with the person she's going to marry when she's fat, so she'll know he loved her for her. Jeannie wasn't extremely thin when she got married but she was thinner than she is now. And even today, she would like to lose weight for her husband because she thinks it could make their relationship better because she would feel better about her own body.
As an aside, Rosie told a story from last night's event. Rosie said her ex-girlfriend, Michelle Blakely, and her wife were at Rosie and Tracy's table last night and Tracy passed Rosie a note that said Michelle and her wife don't even look gay. Rosie wrote back, "Do I look gay?" and before Tracy even read it she laughed and shook her head yes!
Rosie took several calls on the topic of obesity and promiscuity. One caller agreed with the conversation and said one night stands were a validation to her and the opposite of everything her father ever told her about herself. Today she said she feels a lot of shame about what she did but at the time, she was trying to prove that she was lovable to her father. Rosie recommended the caller get some therapy for her father issues and thanked her for calling and sharing her story.
Rosie took another call from a listener who has witnessed her husband's friends play a game to see who could get the fattest girl to dance or who could get the fattest girl to come home with him. Rosie took a call from a male listener who was overweight his entire life and often treated like shit at the gay bars he visited. Rosie and Bobby began to talk about the stigma with being heavy and being a gay male in the gay community.
Rosie took a call from a listener who was very promiscuous in her 20s and now, looking back, she regrets it. She said she was the "fat" one in her group of friends and she thinks being heavy contributed a lot to her promiscuity. On the contrary, Janette is glad she was promiscuous as a young person. She said she had fun and found it very empowering!
THE ROYAL WEDDING, FEATHERS AND DRESSING WELL WITH COMFORT
Rosie said the Royal wedding is this weekend and the only ones in the studio who give a shit are Bobby and Amanda. It causes Jeannie and Rosie anxiety watching Kate getting married to a royal. They both are worried she doesn't know what she's getting in to and Rosie called it "a gilded cage." Bobby, who loves the tradition of the royalty in England, has faith that it's going to be different this time. He believes William is marrying Kate truly out of love and because of the way he was raised, it will be a different life for her than it was for Diana. Rosie said it's an impossible paradigm to be upheld as more than human. Janette doesn't really care about the wedding but was upset that Kate is bringing back the feathered fascinator which means more bird death.
Rosie told a hilarious story about attending Eva Gabor's funeral. Rosie said it was before she was very famous and when she went to enter the church she couldn't get in because she wasn't on the list. As she was asking to be let in Esther Williams told security Rosie was with her! Rosie said during Mass only about 9 people got up to take the host because most of the attendees were Jewish. As Merv Griffin walked by her he made her get up and take the host with him. Rosie said Eddie Albert got up to speak about Eva and told a very funny story about her. Eddie had once commented on her dress saying how beautiful it was but he told her she couldn't wear it on his program. She wondered why not. He said because all the young women will want to go out and purchase the same dress and if you do many birds will be killed because her dress was full of feathers! Eva said back to Eddie, "Oh Eddie, feathers do not come from birds, they come from pillows!" Rosie said the entire place erupted with laughter.
Rosie said when she goes to tape her new television show on OWN she wonders what she will wear. She says what to wear is always an issue for her. She talked about Oprah's red soled shoes which originally she thought she had specially designed high heels with no-skid bottoms! Rosie didn't realize they were the famous Christian Louboutin red soled shoes! She even thought Oprah had to put red soles on the bottom of all her shoes because her staff might be stealing them! lol (I'm pretty sure she was joking about that one.) Rosie said, for herself, she doesn't want to wear anything that's too expensive for the typical viewer to purchase and wear. She said for example, the shirt she wore to the event to present her publicist Cindi Berger with an award cost $1,000! And she's never going to wear it again!
Rosie was thinking she'd dress in Eileen Fisher for her new TV show and that is the most expensive clothing she will wear. Rosie said she doesn't want to feel like she has a costume on and wants to look real. Rosie wore basic black to the event last night and Tracy wore a tunic and tights. Tracy was worried after they got there because she felt very under dressed. Rosie said they were on the less-dressed end of the spectrum of clothes at last night's event but said that's who they are! Shoshana read from the invitation which said, "This event is meant to be fun so as long as you look good and feel good, you'll fit right in." So, in Shoshana's estimation they nailed it! Janette thinks Rosie should practice by wearing her Eileen Fisher clothes in pre-production meetings and walk-throughs so she can get used to wearing them before the show starts. Rosie said she can't ever get herself to wear her really nice clothes unless she has to go to an event or to work. Janette suggested Rosie doesn't even bring her old clothes to Chicago and only bring the "good" Eileen Fisher type clothes with her so she doesn't have a choice.
When Rosie came back from commercial she read on her twitter feed that Phoebe Snow had passed away. Rosie said she was sad to find out this news. Rosie, Jeannie and Janette talked about getting to the age when people around the same age as you start dying and how weird that feels. Janette will read the obituaries and said she "feels the hot breath of the reaper on the back of her neck" when she reads about people who have died in their 50s and 60s. Jeannie said longtime friends of hers and those of her father's came to her father's funeral after reading about his death in the obituaries. Jeannie never reads the obituaries but Janette does. Rosie said she had to meet with her lawyer about her will yesterday and she said that always feels it's foreboding. Rosie Radio played Phoebe Snow's Poetry Man and went to commercial break.
Phoebe Snow Poetry Man
BOOK OF MORMON'S ANDREW RANNELLS
Rosie then introduced Andrew Rannells who's currently starring in The Book of Mormon on Broadway! She said the night she went to see Book of Mormon, Andrew told her The Rosie O'Donnell Show made him want to be a Broadway star and know that it's possible. She joked and said, "Please God, thank me if you won a Tony and make my life's work worth something!!!!" lolRosie was beside herself at what a cutie patootie Andrew is. Andrew told Rosie he had originally auditioned for a role in her musical Taboo but didn't get the part. But Andrew said it was one of the best auditions he's ever been on because Rosie was so encouraging to him and told him right away he didn't get the role so there was no waiting. And it all worked out because now Andrew is starring in the biggest hit on Broadway right now! Rosie and Andrew talked about how different it is to originate a role instead of coming in to a role two years in because the audience is filled with celebrities! He's seen/met Goldie Hawn, Joel Schmacher, Kevin Spacey, John Lithgow, Jim Carrey, Gary Marshall, and Judith Light amongst others! He said he had a meltdown when he saw Judith Light from the television show Who's The Boss! During the curtain call he pointed to her and told her he loved her and she mouthed it back to him!
Andrew said he grew up in Nebraska and he would watch The Rosie O'Donnell Show growing up and besides the Tony Awards, that was his only exposure to Broadway. He then studied at Marymount University for two years but left school to fulfill his passion - acting.
The Book of Mormon was written and created by the same creators who did South Park. Rosie said she had never seen South Park before but her son told her there's an entire episode entitled "All About the Mormons." Andrew said he doesn't play any of the characters from the cartoon but said it's the same humor. They didn't want to give too much away about the musical so all Andrew would really say was that he plays a character who is chosen to go on a Mormon mission to Uganda. Rosie said she was completely shocked to hear the language she was hearing in the theater! Andrew said because Broadway has no rules like television and film, the creators were really allowed to be free with what they chose to write.
Rosie said the show was brilliant, shocking and has received great reviews! Andrew said the show is not making fun of the musical form and doesn't even make fun of the Mormon church. He said it's a real musical created by people who love musicals. And for Andrew, being able to be part of both a musical and something that's so culturally timely/significant, it's a big moment for him.
Andrew said his family has seen the show and they love it. He said his mom was there opening night and every time he turned around he was chatting/flirting with Paul Rudd! Rosie said she has just discovered Paul Rudd though he was on her television show once and she doesn't remember it! She said she saw Paul in the movie How Do You Know and she's since had a Paul Rudd film festival at her house.
Andrew said the first Broadway musical he ever saw was Rent. He said Rent holds a special place in his heart and he tried out for it many times. He was called back 25 times for it but never landed the role. Rosie told Andrew he was perfectly cast in this role.
Rosie and Andrew swapped stories from the theater like the time she was in Grease on Broadway, and a man in the audience was talking loudly on his cell phone. He said, "I'm at this musical and ya know that Rosie McDonald? She can't sing for shit." And Rosie heard him! And one night she was looking in the audience and some drunk teenagers started a fight! She got off the stage to get the stage manager to have him break it up! Andrew said there was a fight in the audience one night when he was performing in Jersey Boys too. They had to stop the show. Rosie talked about the time a woman fell into the trap because the door was left open. She said the rest of the cast continued on like nothing had happened but Rosie became hysterical and they had to drop the curtain!
Rosie thanked Andrew for coming in to the show and told him he is "immensely talented." Rosie asked him to "be her Broadway boy" and recommended all her listeners go see him in Book of Mormon.
Rosie closed the show.
and that's what you missed - kw
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The girl who won the Emmy and sang for her was me:) It was a wonderful night and a great cause. Singing for Rosie, was the highlight of my night. Thank you for the opportunity!
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