"A different side of her definitely emerged once she left “The Rosie O'Donnell Show” where she was known for gushing about Tom Cruise or some other Hollywood celebrity," says crisis PR expert Glenn Selig.
Rosie O’Donnell’s new show begins today on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. In the weeks leading up to it, she did what she should’ve done: try to soften her image; try to remind people what she used to be like on her former syndicated talk show when they really liked her–when she was not the angry woman that some have come to know her as in recent years, says a leading public relations expert and image consultant.
Take a look at the Rosie O’Donnell promotional video on the OWN webpage for ‘The Rosie Show.’
“A different side of her definitely emerged once she left ‘The Rosie O’Donnell Show’ where she was known for gushing about Tom Cruise or some other Hollywood celebrity,” says Glenn Selig, founder of the PR firm The Publicity Agency.
She then joined ABC’s ‘The View’ where she vehemently opined and sparred with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Overnight she went from queen of nice to queen of mean.
“You know, I think I had a lot more rage than I was aware of,” O’Donnell says in this month’s issue of ‘O, The Oprah Magazine.’ “But I’ve gotten back access to my other feelings. I’m not cut off from my emotions anymore … The rage has gone away … There’s been a healing.”
“In order for her show to succeed, and for her to be fully embraced by the culture that is Oprah and her fans, she can’t come off as, well, mean,” says Selig.
She can’t deny that she was mean, because she sought the spotlight and projected meanness.
“So now she’s doing the next best thing. She’s taking OWNership of her missteps, recognizing her failings and saying that this is not who she is now. She is suggesting that she has evolved as a person,” says Selig.
Rosie O’Donnell’s image makeover
“Honestly, I believe that’s a good message for her. I think many people goes through various stages in their lives. Of course most of us don’t go through it as a celebrity with the whole world watching.
“When she walked away from her show, she left on top. Her show was doing well and the public adored her. I think people want to see her succeed and want to see her the way they like her,” says Selig.
So as the Rosie O’Donnell show begins on OWN, the public, says Selig, is there in her corner.
“Good for her for taking the time to concentrate on public relations. She needed to,” says Selig.
“Quite frankly, I believe Rosie O’Donnell is capable of being nice… and mean. And that makes her human. Which is like the rest of us. And for Rosie that works; she’s always tried to come across as an ordinary woman in extraordinary situations.
“Bottom line: She’s real. Sometimes mean, sometimes nice. Just like most of the world.”
SOURCE: The Publicity Agency
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