Access Blogs
Access Video Blogs
Musings on Michael Richards, Rosie And Ripa
by Billy Bush
LOS ANGELES (November 22, 2006) -- I start getting an anxious feeling when my industry starts projecting an extraordinary amount of grossness onto the American landscape. It's happening right now.
Michael Richards, who, until this horrible incident of racial ranting, stood to go down in history as one of the all-time beloved television comedic actors, struck first. His use of the 'n' word towards some black audience members wasn't even the worst of it, but that tirade, incites hatred and conflict: Jamie Foxx told us if he were there, he'd beat Richards down.
The two "victims," Doss and McBride, then not coincidentally at all ran into legal opportunist extraordinaire, Gloria Allred, who is "all-green" when it comes to these sensitive matters. The men want to be compensated for their pain. If they asked for a face-to-face apology, I'd be sick if Richards didn't comply. But the idea that money might heal the heart is ill-conceived.
It is my feeling that the two men on the receiving end of Michael Richards' venom have lost their credibility and thus my empathy.
Rosie O'Donnell taking a swipe at Kelly Ripa, calling her remark to Clay Aiken homophobic, may be opportunism of a different kind. The hunt for ratings in TV does strange things to people. For example, our competition stops hustling and starts writing checks to the morally shy amongst us for their interviews: Anna Nicole, Mary Kay LeTourneau, Heather Mills, Amy Fisher, the Long Island Lolita... you get the point.
But Rosie took a conflict between Clay Aiken and Kelly Ripa, one that arose organically, and hijacked it onto her airwaves. If you missed it, with a look of repulsion on her face, Kelly rebuked Clay for putting his hand over her mouth by saying, "...I just don't know where that hand's have been, honey."
Rosie called her remark homophobic and that if Clay were "a straight man" or "cute" (ouch), Kelly would not have done that.
The ruckus caused quite a stir and probably pulled some eyeballs Rosie's way. It felt to me like an easy but unfortunate route to ratings.
Kelly Ripa may sometimes be challenged to cede ground to her fellow interviewer, but a homophobe... no way.
So, it's Thanksgiving weekend. Let's come back and let this junk be behind us.
Bill, I just heard a snip of your new single. It made me cry. Please put this up for sale to the public and donate the prophits to the orphans in America, as you know everyone is helping the children of Africa well what about the millions of orphans in America!