Grex Agora47 Conference

Item 158: Cancer survivor: Rosie O'Donnell told her liars 'get cancer'

Entered by tod on Fri Nov 7 00:13:49 2003:

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63 responses total.

#1 of 63 by richard on Fri Nov 7 01:47:44 2003:

I like Rosie O'Donnell because she sent my niece a new stroller.  True
story.  My sister bought this expensive stroller for her daughter, my
niece.  It was a stroller endorsed by Rosie O'Donnell.  The stroller broke
due to a factory defect.  The warranty had expired and neither the store
nor the stroller company would fix or replace it.  Well Rosie O'Donnell
endorsed it, so my sister wrote Rosie at her tv show address to complain
that Rosie should no longer endorse those strollers.  A few weeks pass by,
and my sister gets a special delivery, a brand new top of the line
stroller made by the same company.  The sender was Rosie O'Donnell, who
included a note saying she personally paid for the replacement stroller
because the company didn't and should have, and that she wouldn't tolerate
kids using defective equipment that carried her name or endorsement.  I
thought it was a pretty nice thing for her to do.  :)


#2 of 63 by happyboy on Fri Nov 7 02:22:38 2003:

thanks for sharing that richard.  *sniffles*

i guess she's not a total twat after all!


#3 of 63 by mynxcat on Fri Nov 7 02:54:26 2003:

Why did she send a stroller from the same company she endorsed, which had the
defective stroller in the first place? Looks like she was just trying t ocover
her ass, like


#4 of 63 by jep on Fri Nov 7 03:15:18 2003:

It's hard for me to see what she could have done better.  I see no 
reason to believe the company makes junk.  They made one bad stroller 
and then didn't go above and beyond their warranty to support it.  
Rosie O'Donnell didn't have to do what she did.  I'm willing to give 
her credit.


#5 of 63 by happyboy on Fri Nov 7 08:29:08 2003:

bullshit, it was a CYA move.


#6 of 63 by tsty on Fri Nov 7 09:54:41 2003:

oh .... mymy .. such a tempest in a teabag .... .. who's al atwitter?


#7 of 63 by tsty on Fri Nov 7 09:56:46 2003:

... the above wa sin relation to the overall conflilct .. in teh instant
case as reated by richard ... i give the prize to rosie, hersolf.
  
she is tons better than that nasty rag.


#8 of 63 by mary on Fri Nov 7 11:11:29 2003:

I'm still trying to figure out what's so weird about linking
the lying and cancer.  Either the person on the receiving 
end of that comment is really stupid and believes it or
really religious and believes it.  Or both.  But either
way, if you let comments like that irk you then you've got
bigger issues than Rosie.


#9 of 63 by md on Fri Nov 7 11:51:10 2003:

Re #8: Susan Sontag used to call the Vietnam conflict "the cancer of 
America."  Then Susan Sontag got cancer, and proceeded to write a book 
called _Cancer as Metaphor_ in which she attacked people who callously 
use a life-threatening disease as a metaphor without considering the 
feelings of the victims of that disease, and more or less apologized 
for doing so herself.  I guess if you actually have cancer you might 
find it offensive when people say stuff like that.  You might not even 
have to be something contemptible, like "stupid or really religious." 


#10 of 63 by willcome on Fri Nov 7 12:28:40 2003:

HEY> M_NET SURVIVED CANCER TOO!  


#11 of 63 by aruba on Fri Nov 7 14:43:36 2003:

I would think it would be worse if someone close to you had cancer.


#12 of 63 by albaugh on Fri Nov 7 18:52:16 2003:

You can certainly debate the appropriateness and inconsiderateness of making
a "people who lie get cancer" comment.  But it's really just an extreme
example of something you might tell a gullible kid, such as "little boys who
don't eat their peas grow tails".  (Of course, someone like Calvin would think
that would be cool and try it... ;-)


#13 of 63 by happyboy on Fri Nov 7 19:03:54 2003:

re6: i'm really worried about your drinking.


#14 of 63 by keesan on Fri Nov 7 19:20:53 2003:

There is actually a bit of statistical support to the statement.  Stress
(causing by lying) decreases immunity.  So does depression.  Depression can
also be caused by stress.  


#15 of 63 by happyboy on Fri Nov 7 19:26:13 2003:

*rolls eyes*  yeah, sindi, i'm sure she said it
to be *helpful*.


#16 of 63 by gull on Fri Nov 7 19:35:37 2003:

I think it was a stupid thing to say.  I don't know if I'd say it was
hateful.  Just stupid.  Sort of like the comment that got Rush Limbaugh
fired from ESPN.


#17 of 63 by mary on Fri Nov 7 19:42:53 2003:

This response has been erased.



#18 of 63 by tod on Fri Nov 7 20:21:01 2003:

This response has been erased.



#19 of 63 by aruba on Fri Nov 7 20:51:18 2003:

Rush Limbaugh was on ESPN?


#20 of 63 by happyboy on Fri Nov 7 21:03:18 2003:

for a minute


#21 of 63 by mcnally on Fri Nov 7 21:41:47 2003:

  You blinked, you missed it..


#22 of 63 by remmers on Fri Nov 7 21:52:07 2003:

(http://msn.espn.go.com/gen/news/2003/1001/1628537.html has the story.)


#23 of 63 by mary on Fri Nov 7 23:57:38 2003:

Re: #9  Rosie's comment was probably intended as provocative
sarcasm in the extreme.  How truly silly to get bent over it.
And to believe it... well... I guess I'd not really find such
gullibility detestable as pitiable.

Has Ms. Sontag also sworn off using phrases such as "death of
a friendship", or "rape of the land", or "divorce from reality"?

Or maybe that sensitivity will arrive only after she herself
has been raped or divorced.  Sounds like a pity party to me.


#24 of 63 by tod on Sat Nov 8 00:56:48 2003:

This response has been erased.



#25 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 13:54:00 2003:

Re #23 'Has Ms. Sontag also sworn off using phrases such as "death of a 
friendship", or "rape of the land", or "divorce from reality"?'

I doubt it, but if a rape victim was upset because someone said to 
her "Sluts get raped" would you tell her to get over it?



#26 of 63 by slynne on Sat Nov 8 14:15:44 2003:

I am always amazed at how so many people *love* to hate women like 
Rosie O'Donnell, Roseanne Barr, etc. I always wondered if it is because 
they are kind of masculine or if it is for other reasons. 


#27 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 14:19:26 2003:

This response has been erased.



#28 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 14:21:59 2003:

Yeah, that's it, people are afraid of strong women.  I mean, if Rush 
Limbaugh had told a cancer victim "Liars get cancer" nobody would've 
minded, right?  [snort]


#29 of 63 by slynne on Sat Nov 8 14:47:20 2003:

Heh. to be fair, people love to hate Rush Limbaugh too but for 
different reasons. I dont wonder why people love to hate him. Just like 
I dont wonder why people love to hate Martha Stewart. I have an idea 
why. But what is it about Rosie O'Donnell and Roseanne Barr? Is it 
their positions on issues? Is it because of other insensitive comments? 

Has any of us lived a life where we have never said something 
insensitive to another person? O'Donnell says she apoligized later so 
it seems like she realizes why making a comment like that to a cancer 
surviver is in bad taste. 


#30 of 63 by tod on Sat Nov 8 16:11:21 2003:

This response has been erased.



#31 of 63 by polygon on Sat Nov 8 19:00:32 2003:

Rosie O'Donnell got famous in the first place for saying outrageous things.
No surprise that she says outrageous things even in private.


#32 of 63 by mary on Sat Nov 8 22:27:58 2003:

Re: 25's: I doubt it, but if a rape victim was upset because someone said
          to her "Sluts get raped" would you tell her to get over it?

Well, not quite.  If I said anything it would probably be that
sometimes sluts do get raped but what does that have to do with you?

I'm always amazed at the power people willingly extend to assholes when
they take to heart rude and inaccurate comments. 



#33 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 22:33:35 2003:

32: Change "power" to "sympathy" and maybe you won't be so amazed.  (I 
hope.)

slynne: "Has any of us lived a life where we have never said something 
insensitive to another person?"  I'm not saying that.  That isn't the 
point.  The point is that calling the cancer victim hypersensitive 
or "pity-party-prone" is silly, to put it kindly.  And letting yourself 
be forced into that position because you're afraid people are 
criticizing Rosie because she's a "strong woman" is beyond silly.  In 
the first place, Rosie is not a "strong woman," she's a vulgar bully, 
like Rush.  In the second place, even if she was Abby Wambach (look her 
up) and even if some people really *were* on her case because she's a 
strong independent woman, that's still no reason to sneer at the cancer 
victim, fer chrissake. 

"O'Donnell says she apoligized later so it seems like she realizes why 
making a comment like that to a cancer surviver is in bad taste."  
Precisely.  Even Rosie knows better.


#34 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 22:41:51 2003:

32 again: What if she answered, "I'm a slut"?  I hope you'd agree she 
didn't deserve to get raped, despite that fact.  I hope you'd 
sympathize with her being upset that somebody said that to her.  And I 
certainly hope you wouldn't say, "Oh, well, in *that* case, you're just 
being hypersensitive."


#35 of 63 by mary on Sat Nov 8 23:01:52 2003:

Yes, I'd agree sluts don't deserve to be raped.  Sheesh.
Although this conversation is highly unlikely anywhere 
but during a Grex discussion. ;-)

I don't think we're really seeing this all that differently,
Michael.  Rosie's comment was pushing the limits of 
courtesy and she probably regretted saying it the moment
she saw the shock register on the faces of those hearing
it.  But people have to accept some responsibility for
how much worth they put on rude and inaccurate comments.
Even if the comment hits home.  Especially if the comment
hits home.


#36 of 63 by md on Sat Nov 8 23:14:35 2003:

"Either the person on the receiving end of that comment is really 
stupid and believes it or really religious and believes it.  Or both."  

You said it, not me.


#37 of 63 by mcnally on Sun Nov 9 02:51:35 2003:

  re #35:  
  > Rosie's comment was pushing the limits of courtesy

  Whether or not you believe it was tactless enough to be unforgivable,
  I think you'd find it really hard to find any reasonable person who
  would consider a remark like that to be anything other than WELL beyond
  the limits of courtesy.


#38 of 63 by jaklumen on Sun Nov 9 09:01:44 2003:

resp:29 I liked Rosie-- the more I hear I hear about Rosanne 
Barr/Arnold whatever, the more I think she is a neurotic stuck-up 
bitch.

Martha Stewart is a control freak.  And maybe America doesn't 
understand the fallacy of the supermom-- have financial success *and* 
be a homemaker... I dunno.  She said something about if she was a man, 
her disliked personality traits would be admired.  No.  I think she 
set herself up to be perfect, and something maybe she wasn't.  No 
doubt I think she is a shrewd businesswoman.  Perfect homemaker?  
Probably not.  I wouldn't doubt her husband left her because she was 
too controlling.  No, the facade is crumbling.


#39 of 63 by mary on Sun Nov 9 11:33:53 2003:

But it's true, cross my heart.  If someone believes they
can get cancer by lying then they are stupid.  Or they believe
in a pretty angry god.  Or both.

That statement isn't controversial.


#40 of 63 by md on Sun Nov 9 12:39:10 2003:

#39: No, it's condescending and insulting to the cancer victim.  It 
pretends to assume that the reason she was shocked and offended by 
Rosie's callous remark is that she actually believed she could get 
cancer by lying, because she is either stupid or religious.  (I 
say "pretends" because I doubt you really believe that.)


#41 of 63 by md on Sun Nov 9 12:41:01 2003:

Let me fix that: 

No, it's condescending and insulting to the cancer victim.  It pretends 
to assume that the reason she was shocked and offended by Rosie's 
callous remark is that she actually believed she could get cancer by 
lying, period.  It doesn't matter what flavor of idiot you're 
pretending to think she is.


#42 of 63 by mary on Sun Nov 9 13:07:03 2003:

But if the cancer patient didn't believe it why let Rosie jerk
her around?

I don't think we're going to agree afterall. ;-)


#43 of 63 by russ on Sun Nov 9 14:48:34 2003:

Mary's blase attitude would be appropriate if humans lived as lone
animals and neither needed nor cared about anyone else's thoughts.

But humans aren't, verbal cruelty does hurt, and Rosie deserves
the bad press (and then some).


#44 of 63 by happyboy on Sun Nov 9 18:54:22 2003:

hold me.


#45 of 63 by md on Sun Nov 9 21:15:54 2003:

Needy people get cancer!

#42: I know you don't seriously think the only reason anyone would take 
offense at Rosie's callous remark is that they believed it was 
literally true.  You're pretending to think that, for whatever reason.


#46 of 63 by other on Sun Nov 9 22:31:08 2003:

<applies a pair of tongs to happyboy, at arm's length>

Happy now?


#47 of 63 by slynne on Sun Nov 9 22:36:19 2003:

#0 leaves a lot of information out. Was she speaking metaphorically and 
just forgot that this woman was a cancer surviver. Was this something 
said in anger with the intention of being hurtful? 

I have not met Rosie O'Donnell but, unlike tod, her physical appearance 
or her sexual orientation dont bother me as I have nothing 
against "ugly dykes". I will say that I enjoy her public persona. She 
*seems* like a nice person as far as I can tell. Of course, that doesnt 
mean anything. I have heard that lots of famous people are *terrible* 
to work with. I even read an interesting psych article once 
about "situational acquired narcissism" 

Obviously there are people who dont like her. But, there are people who 
dont like me and I certainly dont think that makes *me* a bad person. 
(although obviously there are those who would disagree) 


#48 of 63 by jaklumen on Mon Nov 10 02:43:44 2003:

"ugly dykes"?  Umm, unless I misunderstood, I wouldn't say Rosie was 
ugly, unless people consider big and roundish ugly.


#49 of 63 by fitz on Mon Nov 10 14:04:36 2003:

There is yet another wayRosie might have intended to offend with that
comment:
It is fallacious, but she might have been trying to imply that the
employee was a liar (since it was known that she has cancer) without
actually saying as much.


With other interpretations, the employee seems to be overwrought because
of a petty, cruel comment.  She seems a bit off-balanced to bother with a
civil suit.  We would turn down alternative hallways to avoid her.

With my interpretaion, she was slandered, her professional reputation
trashed.  None is overly sensitive to such a charge.  Those who must
continue to work, will go on with the job, but that doesn't mean that it
doesn't hurt.


#50 of 63 by tod on Mon Nov 10 18:19:29 2003:

This response has been erased.



#51 of 63 by gull on Mon Nov 10 20:34:57 2003:

Re #38: Yeah, pepole love to see anyone who seems like the image of
perfection fall.  Look at all the glee when Martha Stewart's insider trading
came to light.


#52 of 63 by mynxcat on Mon Nov 10 21:14:07 2003:

Apart from being callous and mean, Rosie's comment was more childish 
than anything else. It's the kind of thing you hear kids say to each 
other on the playground. Instead of the callousness of the comment, 
the fact that a business woman would say something so stupidly petty 
is what shocked me more than anything else. If this story is true, 
Rosie has lost a lot of my respect, and it has nothing to do with 
being mean-spirited


#53 of 63 by jaklumen on Tue Nov 11 04:05:00 2003:

resp:51 Exactly.


#54 of 63 by richard on Tue Nov 11 19:43:26 2003:

The trial isn't about whether Rosie is mean or callous or anything.  It is
about whether the company that published her magazine was deceiving her.
And it sounds like they were.  From today's wire reports:

"Rosie scores one at trial 
 
Publishing firm's CFO admits it managed financials to avoid losing
magazine.
November 11, 2003: 10:13 AM EST 

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Attorneys for Rosie O'Donnell got the CFO of Gruner
& Jahr to admit that the former publisher of Rosie magazine managed
financial statements to avoid losses that would have allowed O'Donnell to
leave the venture, CNNfn reported. 
 
Gruner & Jahr Chief Financial Officer Larry Diamond took the witness stand
Monday in the breach-of-contract trial and answered questions about a
clause that would have allowed either party to quit the magazine venture
without penalty if it lost more than $4.2 million by the end of June 2002. 

O'Donnell's attorneys contended that Gruner & Jahr knew that a loss of
that size was looming, but that the publisher played with the numbers to
keep O'Donnell at the magazine. 

The lawyers focused on an e-mail Diamond wrote to his bosses saying the
"management team of G&J USA is recommending to you we manage the
financials such that we do not fall below the required threshold point so
that we can continue to publish 'Rosie'. We are asking for your approval
to this strategy." 

"Your management team decided that you didn't want the actual losses, if
you want to use that term, to exceed $4.2 million. Correct?" Diamond was
asked, according to the New York Times. "Yes, that's correct," Diamond
answered, the paper reported. 

An accounting specialist brought in by the O'Donnell team for $450,000
said Gruner & Jahr managed the financials by not setting aside money to
pay back advertisers when circulation fell, according to the Times. 

The specialist said the company should have set aside $374,000 and that,
as well as the deferral of other expenses, allowed the venture to report a
loss less than $4.2 million, the paper reported. 

Those watching the trial had expected that Monday would be its last day.
But when O'Donnell asked the judge if she should return Wednesday, the
judge told her she should, as he "might have something interesting to
say," according to the Times. 

O'Donnell left Rosie magazine 13 months ago, following a dispute over
editorial control, and the publisher shut the publication shortly
afterward. 

Gruner & Jahr, owned by the German publisher Bertelsmann AG, sued
O'Donnell for $100 million, alleging she acted unprofessionally and
breached her contract when she pulled out of the venture in September
2002. 

O'Donnell countersued for $125 million, saying Gruner & Jahr took away her
editorial control"
 



#55 of 63 by mynxcat on Tue Nov 11 20:32:26 2003:

Discussing Rosie's meanness and stupidity was more fun :P


#56 of 63 by tod on Tue Nov 11 21:35:09 2003:

This response has been erased.



#57 of 63 by slynne on Tue Nov 11 22:37:38 2003:

While I still think Rosie is totally cool, I have to agree with mynxcat 
and tod. This item was never about her *court case* ;)


#58 of 63 by tod on Wed Nov 12 17:55:03 2003:

This response has been erased.



#59 of 63 by mynxcat on Wed Nov 12 18:34:29 2003:

How childish, more-like.


#60 of 63 by albaugh on Thu Nov 13 18:09:44 2003:

Someone cooked the books?  Shocking!


#61 of 63 by tsty on Fri Nov 14 08:03:59 2003:

 whoever was teh judge inteh rosie-vs-rosie case has earned
my respect .. neither side wins ... 
  


#62 of 63 by tsty on Sun Nov 16 08:02:47 2003:

.. however , thaer are attourey fees to consioder ... trial lawyers
alwayx profit ..............................


#63 of 63 by willcome on Thu Nov 27 09:31:12 2003:




..................................whore


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