Will Roseanne Replace Rosie on ABC's The View?

When Rosie O'Donnell joined ABC's "The View," a year ago, ratings came up roses. Now with Rosie's departure, the front-runner to keep those roses coming might be none other than Roseanne Barr.

Many feel that replacing Rosie with Roseanne would be cosmically "in synch" with the current flow of "The View." Although Ms. Barr as of yet has not warranted an invitation to co-host the fancy goings-on at "The View," her appearance the other night on CNN's Larry King Live was a sharp reminder to "viewers," that Roseanne Barr, much like Rosie O'Donnell, is a force in her own right.

Could Roseanne, for example, do a Popeil slice-and-dice on an allegedly pompous impostor like Donald Trump? Oh, yes, to be sure, she has the wit and quickness at her fingertips to go head to head with anyone. But would she be drawn into such skirmish? Would she step over the line as Rosie did? She might or she might not.

Judging by her appearance and tone on Larry King, it seems Roseanne has mellowed a tad since her days of high controversy. One recalls, of course, an infamous televised event, on July 25, 1990, when she blithely butchered the "Star Spangled Banner," before a San Diego baseball game. Following her rendition of the anthem, Barr added a bit of earthy humor by spitting on the ground and grabbing her crotch.

To Roseanne's audacious credit, President George H.W. Bush upon hearing a tape of the performance deemed it"disgusting" and "a disgrace." She had created an event that was just the ticket to wag tongues and wiggle the ears of a seemingly lethargic press.

Might such candor surface again on "The View" with Roseanne Barr as co-host? Could such audacity be a flower in Barr's cap as ABC scours for an O'Donnell replacement? One can only hope.

An article in the New York Post quotes an ABC source as saying, "They're missing strong personalities on that show, and that's what they're going to need if they want to keep it going."

"She's a piece of work, she's a character, she says what's on her mind and she's funny."

Barr, while stating clearly on Larry King that she had not been offered the job, added, "I'm not looking for the job." Then she quipped, "Well, I want $10 million, like Rosie." Barr went on to moderately discuss some of the controversy concerning on-air language, a la Don Imus.

Picking up on the Larry King appearance and Post article, the Monday (April 30, 2007) morning show at Fox Cable News also brought up the idea of Roseanne, 54, replacing the 45-year-old O'Donnell. One assumes Ms. Barr is gaining steam as well as clout towards a high dollar $10 million Rosie-like payday.

Salary negotiations aside, Roseanne, much like Rosie, is well heeled in her own right. With a career that sprang to national attention in 1983 following an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the stand-up comic headlined her own successful sitcom from 1988 - 1997. As Roseanne Conner in "Roseanne," she is credited as a creative consultant as well as creator of the title character. At the time, Barr was often heralded as the "Lucy" of her generation.

Recipient of an Emmy award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1992 - 93, 2 Golden Globes and 5 People Choice awards, Barr has most recently returned to her roots in stand-up comedy with the 2006 HBO Special, "Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin."

Rosie O'Donnell will continue her hosting duties with "The View" into June of this year. ABC will assuredly be looking at other strong female personalities such as Joann Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg and even Kathy Griffin.

As with all rumors, time will tell. The odds on favorite of the public, however, appears to be Roseanne Barr who based her caustic comedy on the blunt lamentations of the much-harried housewife.