Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Feb 12, 2015 11:06:38 GMT -6
variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/tv-review-rosie-odonnell-a-heartfelt-stand-up-1201430153/
Rosie O’Donnell is such a polarizing figure that it’s sometimes difficult to strip away the larger persona from her work, intertwined as they are. So while her heart is in the right place in producing an HBO standup special for the purpose of educating women about the dangers of heart disease, the resulting hour — filled with personal anecdotes, some unfortunately timed — is often about as funny as a, well, you know. Frankly, a more produced program would have yielded a stronger link to the subject, which, as is, should possess limited appeal beyond those who count themselves among her loyal fans.
Of course, O’Donnell can promote a show like nobody’s business, having stayed in the headlines since rejoining and now re-leaving “The View,” a decision for which HBO, at least, should be grateful, given its proximity to this telecast.
Part of the problem with “Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up” has to do with focus, or a lack thereof. For the first two thirds, O’Donnell simply riffs about being a mother and her romance with second wife Michelle Rounds, whom she married in 2012 and is now divorcing — the failed part of that relationship not reflected in the material here. The routine includes the usual slightly uncomfortable discussions regarding her children, from a reference to her 14-year-old son masturbating (gee, thanks for nothing, mom) to 18-year-old Parker having sex with his girlfriend to O’Donnell’s confusion about having him circumcised. (“It didn’t look like the ones in my nightstand drawer,” she says.)
All that amounts to the appetizer, though, for the final 20 minutes, in which O’Donnell details having a massive heart attack, and despite her discomfort still waiting more than two days before seeing a doctor. Her message is clear — that women aren’t nearly as responsive to or vigilant about such symptoms as they should be — while theorizing she survived the ordeal, in part, to use her celebrity to get the word out.
The audience, not surprisingly, is extremely appreciative of the lessons and the messenger, and O’Donnell jokes about bargaining with and making promises to God — including a pledge not to badmouth Republicans.
For the most part, however, she hasn’t shaped the comedy well enough to prevent a lot of this from feeling more like a public-service announcement than a stand-up performance. In that regard, there’s more than a little mutual exploitation involved — HBO cashing in on the host’s profile, and O’Donnell trading off that to command a premium soapbox, down to the somewhat-too-cute Valentine’s Day scheduling.
The star’s stated intention is to raise awareness about the issue, and she has surely accomplished that admirable goal by publicly sharing her story. It’s the oversharing elsewhere, alas, where “A Heartfelt Stand Up” blunts its impact, feeling like more of the same from a comedienne who has done quite well, admittedly, by consistently wearing her heart on her sleeve.
TV Review: 'Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up'
(Special; HBO, Sat. Feb. 14, 10 p.m.)
Crew
Executive producers, Rosie O’Donnell, Sheila Nevins; supervising producer, Jacqueline Glover; producers, Dan Chaykin, Larissa Bills; director, Chaykin; writer, O’Donnell; camera, Sam Painter; editor, Geof Bartz. 59 MIN.
Rosie O’Donnell is such a polarizing figure that it’s sometimes difficult to strip away the larger persona from her work, intertwined as they are. So while her heart is in the right place in producing an HBO standup special for the purpose of educating women about the dangers of heart disease, the resulting hour — filled with personal anecdotes, some unfortunately timed — is often about as funny as a, well, you know. Frankly, a more produced program would have yielded a stronger link to the subject, which, as is, should possess limited appeal beyond those who count themselves among her loyal fans.
Of course, O’Donnell can promote a show like nobody’s business, having stayed in the headlines since rejoining and now re-leaving “The View,” a decision for which HBO, at least, should be grateful, given its proximity to this telecast.
Part of the problem with “Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up” has to do with focus, or a lack thereof. For the first two thirds, O’Donnell simply riffs about being a mother and her romance with second wife Michelle Rounds, whom she married in 2012 and is now divorcing — the failed part of that relationship not reflected in the material here. The routine includes the usual slightly uncomfortable discussions regarding her children, from a reference to her 14-year-old son masturbating (gee, thanks for nothing, mom) to 18-year-old Parker having sex with his girlfriend to O’Donnell’s confusion about having him circumcised. (“It didn’t look like the ones in my nightstand drawer,” she says.)
All that amounts to the appetizer, though, for the final 20 minutes, in which O’Donnell details having a massive heart attack, and despite her discomfort still waiting more than two days before seeing a doctor. Her message is clear — that women aren’t nearly as responsive to or vigilant about such symptoms as they should be — while theorizing she survived the ordeal, in part, to use her celebrity to get the word out.
The audience, not surprisingly, is extremely appreciative of the lessons and the messenger, and O’Donnell jokes about bargaining with and making promises to God — including a pledge not to badmouth Republicans.
For the most part, however, she hasn’t shaped the comedy well enough to prevent a lot of this from feeling more like a public-service announcement than a stand-up performance. In that regard, there’s more than a little mutual exploitation involved — HBO cashing in on the host’s profile, and O’Donnell trading off that to command a premium soapbox, down to the somewhat-too-cute Valentine’s Day scheduling.
The star’s stated intention is to raise awareness about the issue, and she has surely accomplished that admirable goal by publicly sharing her story. It’s the oversharing elsewhere, alas, where “A Heartfelt Stand Up” blunts its impact, feeling like more of the same from a comedienne who has done quite well, admittedly, by consistently wearing her heart on her sleeve.
TV Review: 'Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up'
(Special; HBO, Sat. Feb. 14, 10 p.m.)
Crew
Executive producers, Rosie O’Donnell, Sheila Nevins; supervising producer, Jacqueline Glover; producers, Dan Chaykin, Larissa Bills; director, Chaykin; writer, O’Donnell; camera, Sam Painter; editor, Geof Bartz. 59 MIN.