Victoria Rowell Goes Nuclear on Y&R

[DeeeDee]

Wasn't Jeanne bashed cause of her "Emmy Obsession"?

[DaytimeFan]

Just to be clear, you aren't associating my comments with those of Lynn Westmoreland are you? I will never tolerate being accused of racism, ever. I would really appreciate some clarification on what you meant.

The issues Ms Rowell experienced are absolutely valid, but the way she has gone about highlighting them is destructive and only hurts her cause. The fact is the entertainment industry is an awful business. It's sexist, ageist and racist. That being said, Ms Rowell must have known all these things when she got into the business, she'd been a model previously and must have experienced a few horrible casting experiences.

The fact is, she isn't the first one to experience a racial issue in the entertainment industry and she certainly isn't the last. But it's ridiculous to think that every problem she's had at Y&R has been due to race. Rather, it appears that much of the hostility Ms Rowell has experienced has been personality driven. Nobody gets along with everyone, but it seems Ms Rowell didn't get along with nearly anyone and so she decided to leave. She wasn't fired, she left, it was her choice.

[DeeeDee]

No one is calling you racist.

However like Westmoreland's attempt at ignorance of use & origin of an offensive term the issues VR's discussed exist but everyone who isn't affected by them acts like they don't.

How does stating facts "destructive" & "hurt her cause"

Yep.

And VR isn't the only actor who's voiced concern about those very issues.

Where did she say that?

What she HAS said is that the minority presence in ALL Of Daytime, especially Y&R has dwindled rapidly, been horribly watered down & offensively marginalized.

And that makes it ok?

Other than Bergman's personal attacks most of her co-stars have only said they felt she was too serious about the Emmys.

[marla0518]

I don't understand her reference to never forgiving MS for a so called "spitting" incident back in 2003....why if she says she would NEVER forgive Michelle, would she invite her to her HIGH TEA in May 2004

http://www.dailyceleb.com/production/index...chelle+stafford

like I said, PB was right on ... she is not playing with a full deck...and it has NOTHING to do with race...

[miajere]

This isn't the first interview in which VR has spoken similar words---She did a radio interview the summer she split from Y&R in the same tone with some of the same comments...

I'm not a fan of VR's politics, but I totally understand where she's coming from....

In her past interview she talked alot about the behind the scenes race issues concerning story line and wardrobe, and said she would never return to the show after what she went through. I was surprised to hear her claim to happy to return a few months ago....She does seem a bit manic.

[DaytimeFan]

That's a good thing that nobody is calling me a racist, it's just offensive. And what makes you think that some of us haven't experienced the same issues Ms Rowell has? You don't know me so please don't make that assumption.

Here are the 'facts' that are destructive to her cause:

-"The show became number one after I joined"

-"Peter Bergman needs to get evaluated for schizophrenia"

-"I gave my ideas away freely, I was never compensated for them"

-A new contract that would allow her to act, write and direct. Talk about a conflict of interest. Directing isn't an issue, but writing, come on.

The very tone of Ms Rowell's interview doesn't help her. She's acting like Jesus H Christ himself, sorry Victoria but you've had a better career than most anyone in daytime (aside from Lucci and Judith Light): a long running primetime show, a popular daytime run, a bestselling book and legions of fans. The industry, for all it's horrible qualities, has been good to Ms Rowell, she's made a brilliant success of herself. And of course it isn't OK that anyone experience any sort of discrimination, it's ludicrous to think otherwise, but Ms Rowell acts as if she's the great martyr when the fact is others came before and others came after, she is not the be all end all of activism.

And everyone knows that the cast threw a party for Ms Rowell's exit. A party she wasn't invited to.

[rhinohide]

I think she openly acknowledged that. She admitted she didn't "court" people with baked goods. She admitted that she was willing to fight "passionately" for stories she believed in. I think she realizes she earned some enemies/adversaries through her own behavior. And she said she doesn't regret it. It's a choice she made and she thinks it was worth it.

[rhythmchyc]

yeah, she was saying what's on her mind, which is what no one else in daytime (very few exceptions) would do. but considering the current landscape on y&r and how there are no strong female characters on the landscape anymore, i feel her brutal candor was her final exclamation that she would never return to daytime anyway. they'd do to Dru what they did to Victoria and Jill. can you imagine Dru cooing to Neil after Adam fired him last week? i sure as hell can't. i feel as a black woman, her paranoia isn't completely unfounded, especially on daytime where less than 1% of the writers are Black and the casts are becoming whiter and whiter every year.

as for the "valley girl" comment, it isn't as if she were offending Christel. imo, she complained about casting her in the first place. i did think it odd that she stated how they recast Davetta as if she originated the role and never mentioned Christel by name. as if she didn't exist. now that was low, considering how this character was the fault of casting not Christel.

and her friendship with eric should say a lot about what kind of person she is. but i want everyone to just think for a second. if she were a white male legacy actor who wanted to do as much as Victoria wanted, they would nothave treated her this way. and i say male because they let go of martha byrne like a hot potato on atwt and she was much more of a core character than Dru was on y&r.

a lot of americans are racist. why is that such a terrible thing for people to believe? people make decisions on race. it is a possibility. and because victoria chose to give it her 110% in everything she did rather than follow the new order of things when Bell left, they had a problem with it and she had a problem that they had a problem with it and they didn't like that she had a problem with it. so they proceeded to write her absolutely nuts until Phyllis shoved her off the cliff. can anyone see Victor shoving Jack off the cliff? don't think so!!!!

just like people won't vote for Barack Obama because he's black. seriously.

[marla0518]

but Phyllis DID NOT shove her off a cliff....Sharon did

and people won't vote for John McCain because he is white and over 70 years old........

I thought this was a soap opera board...can we leave politics to CNN and MSNBC???

[miajere]

I think being humble goes a long way....I think these kinds of things happen more often than not, and VR wished to be honest and clear- but I also don't think she has a "cause"- so to speak. Which is why she doesn't care about being honest in her experience....Her desire to return to the show is probably more motivated by the fans and not money, and she is stating that she is a professional in the work place and is more than talented enough to do the job- if asked. I think she is proud of her accomplishments and feels they weren't handed to her.

The talks of Peter Bergman seemed to be more in response to the rumor of the core of his comments, and at the same time- Peter Bergman as was the actress playing Catherine Chancellor were out of line to state any opinion about the actress, and should have been held to the same standards in conduct.

[DeeeDee]

Which is convenient when one wants to make strawman arguements.

Which she said long after HE blasted her in an unprovoked attack.

She did.

She had contributed to the cultural context of the show for years & if the writers are not going to enhance it and/or eliminate it altogether I don't blame her for how she feels.

She had a much more neutral "tone" in her initial interview & she was still blasted & labeled as bitter.

But only those who aren't victims of discrimination are allowed to control the tone & context of said discrimination, right?

Where has she said that?

She has NEVER forgotten where she came from & the desperate attempts to move focus from the various issues she's discussed as a way of conveniently ignoring them.

Palin Politics at its best.

Who is everyone?

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

She's certainly not perfect & the interview didn't do her many favors but it is what it is.

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

Y&R's cast has ALWAYS had their issues but they all respected Bill Bell.

Unfortunately now that he's gone all hell has broken loose. lol

[DaytimeFan]

I get it. My view isn't valid. You know all, you know Ms Rowell. You're the only one who has experienced discrimination. There, I get it. I surrender.

And to invoke Palin, good lord.

[DeeeDee]

Says who?

LMAO

It is what it is.