Y&R Casting Scandal?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Did Jack Smith worry about Bergman, Stafford, and half his cast when he rehired Rowell in earlier in the decade? No, he did what was best for the show.

And the tension between Rowell and her castmates started LONG BEFORE Rowel's last return.

Maria Arena Bell gets no sympathy from me. Her inexperience and ego have been systematically been destroying this show for the past 6 months. I'm sick of excuses that give her the benefit of the doubt.

Bergman and Stafford recently signed new contracts, and Stafford is becoming a mother soon, so surely they both need their jobs and are legally obligated to work there. MAB could hire Rowell and tell the rest of the cast, "just deal with it!" Like what Jack Smith did.

The inexperience of Y&R's management team is just sickening.

In times like this, YOU DO WHAT'S BEST for the SHOW, not what's best for one or two actors.

And please with this bull of Stafford leaving causing a ratings erosion. Did people leave in droves in 1997 when she first left? I don't think so. Did people leave in droves when Brenda Dickson was recast? No. Did people leave in droves when Terry Lester was recast? No.

[ian]

I'm actually wondering how much of this is Rauch. If any actor tried to block him$ on something like this, he'd promptly notify them that their leaving would free up salary with which he could pay to get VR back. I don't think he likes stars speaking out or even having the semblance of a brain. I think the thought of VR as a loose cannon would have him shitting bricks.

CK is smoking the same crack as the writers if she thinks she has the clout to shut out Rowell, and if Bergman and Stafford are crying over it they are stupid and small and self serving.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that VR is just running her mouth to get attention and get people morked up because it wouldn't be the first time.

Sent from my Blackberry

[SnCCorinthos4ever]

I don't like the character of Lily.

I think that she is very two faced.

She was all up in arms over what Daniel, Amber & Chloe have done, but she does the same sort of things and it is ok for her to do it.

[Toups]

Exactly. She's running her mouth for absolutely no reason. Victoria should deal with this internally. That's what real people do during negotiations. They don't run their mouth to the public. What was the point of tweeting this? To show that you're even more unhinged? How does this situation make your potential boss say, "Okay, let's hire her now." Do you see the alleged 3 tweeting or talking to the public about this situation? No.

[Ann_SS]

Wait, this tweet is from VR? She has some seriously bad judgment. Doesn't she have an agent to give her guidance? VR must be desperate for work. Her finances must be a mess.

I don't keep track of names, but I am referring to the posters who constantly argue that Sheffer and Hamner (in turn) to blame for every decision or bad thing and that they must be running roughshod over helpless MAB.

[marceline]

I completely understand what you're saying. Really I do. But at the same time I feel like soaps are still run a little too much like the old movie studio system of the 50s and I welcome any and everything that tears it apart. Too many people have played good soldier/team player only to end up screwed over in the end. Yes, from a business standpoint this is very bad but from a "revolution" standpoint, I say "Tweet away!"

[JimTolkien]

What negotiations!!! Someone should just call Steve Mosko directly, u know the guy who just visited the set recently about the whopping cut in CBS licensing fees, budget cuts and told the cast to suck it up when it comes to cost reductions. Sony, who actually does pay the salaries. I just get the feeling that the show is about to do a number on the Winters family.

I don't even mind VR being outspoken,she can talk all she wants to..it's a free country. Just stop cowering like a "coward" and come out and trash the person/s you are trashing. I hate cowards and whiners!! Same goes for the rest of the cast too. Can we get a rebuttal from the other side here!!

[DeeeDee]

Especially the vets.

[rhinohide]

It's not that different than any other job. Badmouthing your employers and colleagues is usually a CLM (career limiting move). Ask Patricia Mauceri.

I actually get a kick out of VR and her unrelenting ambition and refusal to let anybody off the hook. I LIKE it. But if I were in the position of hiring someone with that bulldog tenacity (and I have been) I might feel differently about it. And most importantly, depending on what her objective is, her tactics may not be the most effective.

[alphanguy74]

I think her objective is MONEY. I think she bought that new, beautiful house in the hollywood hills right before the real estate collapse, and I think her investments proabably took a MAJOR hit, and she's desperate to keep her high faluttin lifestyle afloat. If she'd have saved her money from the years on Y&R and paid CASH for her home, she'd be able to breathe and not worry, and not have to kiss somebody's ass for a job. Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but NOBODY is THIS desperate to go back to a role in DAYTIME, she's appearing more desperate than DICKSON for work.

[Ann_SS]

This is why she should not have quit in a fit pique. She let her pride get in the way of rational thinking. She gave up a nice steady income and now she is desperate and Y&R won't rehire her.

[MarkH]

You're right, but as a viewer I don't care.

I miss the actress and the character.

[bellcurve]

Um excuse me, since when do you know anything about Ria's "investments" and "savings?"

How do you know how much money she has? How do you know she didn't pay for her home in cash? Were you there? Do you work for her banking center?

And better yet, how do you know she's desperate for work? She's simply REPLYING to her fans and what THEY want. I think she's being melodramatic about it, but replying to your fans about the cockblockers at Y&R is not a desperate chant for work.

For all you know, she could have been offered roles that she turned down because she didn't feel like she was right for the role or because she feels like movie/TV roles for black actresses are either minstrel shows(i.e. Tyler Perry) or Glorified Under 5's.

If it IS true that Rowell held up taping on numerous occassions with diva-like antics, then I can see why they wouldn't want her back and I fully support that. And that will probably be the way Maria spins it to Nelson in their next "Come to Jesus Juice" meeting.

[crc]

Thanks for posting this MarkH.

It's so pitiful to hear what's going on with the Winters on this show. One of the top three or four most important families on the show and the most significant Black family in daytime PERIOD and this is how the show treats them?

And I'm pissed with all this behind the scenes ish going on with blocking VR's return.

Screw Y&R!

[Vee]

Is Christel Khalil's cooter made of platinum, antimatter and pure uncut cocaine? Exactly why do they think this young woman is so valuable and irreplaceable? "She's just white enough! If we squint it looks like she's just got a tan!" All they got is her and uh, Neil, and Devon, who just fucked Eva Marcille and has that thing on his head that makes him look like RoboCop without the helmet. This is supposed to be a black canvas? When OLTL has Y&R, Y&R beat on black representation, you know it's a bad, bad scene. Y&R's black setup was, IMO, one of its major strengths in the ratings game.

I'm not saying Victoria Rowell isn't coming off a little, um, crazy. And I'm not saying I think Y&R would do fine without Bergman and Stafford, because I don't, I think losing Jack and Phyllis would hurt the show bad right now. But I think the bottom line is [!@#$%^&*] has to be locked down, people have to be told what's what and learn to work together as professionals again - all three veterans. Because they have proven they cannot uphold a black canvas of their previous standard without Rowell, who is a force unto herself. It's starting to look like Paul Rauch's Llanview up in there, like Devon and Neil are Troy and Kerry Nichols or something, ready to do the Gulf War rap. They're just lucky OLTL has not used good sense enough to hire her ass, because any soap that took Victoria Rowell away from Y&R would gain something very serious, if they knew how to promote it. Unfortunately, daytime still seems afraid to properly promote black stars. Occasionally over the years AMC and Y&R have known what to do. Not so anymore. Maybe we've regressed a little as a country. I know Y&R has regressed as a show.