It seems hard to believe that just over a month from the date friends and I saw Roseanne Barr perform live at PAC in downtown St. Catharines, she would implode after posting a racist tweet.Since that time, 'Roseanne' was immediately cancelled by ABC, repeats of the 9 reboot episodes were pulled from streaming services and the original 'Roseanne' series from over 20 years ago was bumped from numerous TV networks lineups and removed from Netflix, Hulu, etc. Plus the agency representing Barr dropped her.
Roseanne blamed everything from her medication to being overly tired, as the reason she posted her appalling tweet, which she then removed, before apologizing and begging forgiveness.
Personally, although I totally get why trying to move forward with a second season of the reboot would be pretty much impossible now, I don't agree with the removal of the original series from TV networks and streaming services.
For me, it has always been the perfect grouping of actors that became the Conners and their friends, that made the Roseanne series believable, identifiable and funny. Without them, the series would not have been the hit that it was and continues to be...well, up until Tuesday, it appears.
The Laff network is a US sub channel. They air 6 episodes of Roseanne, 7 days a week. It's arguably the best series on their limited lineup of sitcoms. Roseanne posts her horrible tweet in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and a crushing snowball begins to grow. By late Tuesday afternoon, Laff decides to stop airing the original series "for the time being".
While some applaud this decision, since Barr gets residuals every time the show airs, I don't see why the other stars (who also get royalties), the viewers, and the sponsors should also be punished for her actions.
As for Barr. Any good she ever did on her original series and the popular reboot is forever tarnished by a series of tweets, with one being particularly cruel and the straw that broke the camel's back.
There's some, including Jimmy Kimmel and myself, who feel Barr is having a breakdown. It would not be the star's first struggle with mental illness.
Having had my own emotional battles throughout much of my adult life, at times being institutionalized, I would hope that if ever I made a blunder the magnitude of Barr's, at least a few of my friends would see this as a sign that I need help and support, instead of trying to remove any and all signs of my existence.
-Jun. 2, 2018
REVIEW: Roseanne Barr at Performimg Arts Centre in AprilIt was late May 2017 when the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre hosted their annual reveal gala. That’s when the downtown St. Catharines venue announces what acts are lined up for their next season.
When they announced Roseanne Barr was
coming on April 23, 2018, my friend Shelly
and I quickly purchased tickets.
A few months later I found out that Barr was an avid
supporter of Donald Trump [insert gagging sound here.] Suddenly the thought of seeing her in person
lost much of its appeal.
Later in 2017 it was announced that the Roseanne TV series was returning. It was
also revealed that art would imitate life, with Roseanne‘s TV character also
being a Trump supporter. This really irked
me because the Roseanne Conner in the original series would never have
supported someone like him.
When the Roseanne reboot aired its first episode in March, there
were actually very few political jabs featured. Would Roseanne show the same
restraint in her live show? I would soon find out.
In her stand-up routine, Barr made reference to the new president only one time.
She did not say she was in favour or opposed to him. She simply asked how many
people in the crowd liked Trump (sadly there were quite a few who cheered.) Then she asked how many people did not like
him, at which time the audience went wild. She joked "So it's pretty even then", but the crowd's reaction clearly indicated otherwise. Perhaps this was Roseanne’s way of taking the pulse
of those at the sold out venue, as she then moved on to other topics.
Roseanne covered everything from being a senior citizen,
her fame and smoking pot, to how the
definition of a good spouse at age 65 was much different than when you’re 25.
"At 65, a spouse that's good in bed is someone who farts and snores less than you do" she chuckled.
She lovingly joked about gays and lesbians, she joked about being fat and her spoiled adult
children. Even Canada’s cold temperatures made the hit list.
"My coordinator said to me, Roseanne you'll be there in spring" she said, "Ya, right" she added (Barr resides in Hawaii these days.)
Nothing was off-limits
when it came to her routine, nor did I expect anything would be.
When I entered the Performing Arts Centre the night
Roseanne Barr was appearing, I was less than enthusiastic. I told Shelley months earlier that I didn't want to go. But Shelley was quick to point out that we had already paid for the tickets and asked me what I would otherwise be doing on a Monday night...a valid point.
I feared we’d be exposed to a non-stop Trump
storm and I had even visualized myself walking out of the venue in a dramatic
huff.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and found myself laughing out loud many
times at Roseanne’s amusing takes on life.
Barr's live act was nothing like I thought it was going to be. And that was a very
good thing.
