Rosie O'Donnell Slanders Leif Garrett

The other night I watched (and recommend) the new Brooke Shields documentary, Pretty Baby. I have really enjoyed so many documentaries the past couple years, telling the stories of muscians and the occasional actor. Maybe I'll do a post on ones I recommend.  I was interested in Brooke's, as I always liked her, there is that life-long familiarity as she became popular during my teenage years as well as hers.

I had opened YouTube that night after watching the documentary, as I looked to view a few of Brooke's interviews promoting the documentary.  The tab was still open last night, so I scrolled the "related" videos that populate below the one you're watching, one random led to another and then this one popped up.

The title, "Rosie O'Donnell And Why Leif Garrett Was Banned From Her Show", of course piqued my interest.  The interview is with Andy Cohen and can be viewed here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WsZWpccK1m8

I watched and was like, Wow!  Why would she go there?  Rosie alleged that Leif came out onstage with a burn mark down the side of his face, from a crack pipe he used in her green-room before his appearance.  

There are so many things wrong with this.  I immediately short off a comment on the video.   I stand by these first thoughts.

Not only because I watched that appearance on her show, but it was Leif's first tv appeareance in a very long time, I would have been paying close attention.  Also, I am not someone who wears rose-colored glasses, and considering Leif's history at the time, I would have been sensitive to noticing something like that.  That said, I re-watched it, just to see.

There is no visual of what Rosie describes.  Therefore it is my opinion that her tale seems surmised possibly by other random influences, maybe by her staff or even in the twenty+ years since that show.   Her words at this time are not only unnecessary, but unfounded (she was not in the green-room or present anywhere else this alleged burn mark happened), and are then most likely slanderous.  

Since I'm still editing my book, and thinking about how to promote it, I haven't really gave any teasers about my stories.  I will say this now, Leif Garrett plays huge in my book.  Many adventures spanning thirty years. My connection to him during those years was unique and special to me.

Like with anything else I've been passionate about in my life, which mostly involves Animals, I am very vocal.  My words are honest and blunt.  At nearing sixty years old, I'm so fed-up with bullshit, and I call it out when it enters my space.  So, those who expanded the photo, will have gotten a taste of my reaction and opinion vocabulary.  While that style of expression is who I am, those who might be offended, please know that my book writing for the most part does not reflect the same.

Adventure Chapters!

My recent effort to get this book in publishing shape, I reorganized my stories for flow and into dedicated chapters.  I think I'm pretty set on this line-up.  What Chapter are you most interested in reading?

The Streets Of San Francisco - The Perfect Re-Start!

I'm still trying to make serious moves forward on finishing the editing and adds to the book I wrote, now almost sixteen years ago, Adventures In Fanland.  My goal dates keep getting pushed, the new target is May, since it was May 2007 I started it.  I really feel, it's this year or never. 

I was alerted yesterday that the 70s TV show The Streets of San Francisco will marathon on Decades Channel this weekend, starting this morning at 9a.  As a City native of that era, I can't fully express how much I love this show.  My hometown has seen too many changes over the last twenty plus years, and most not for the better.  The character this town was built on, what I was lucky to experience, is mostly gone.  It saddens me, and those aren't just words.  As I screen-capped the guide page to include here, the wave of melancholy came over me and I shed some tears.  

I realized many years ago that my book is not only a memoir to my adventures, but a love letter to My City.  For those who grew up here, or have been here since before tech moved in, you know what I mean.  For those who don't, tune into to the show sometime over the weekend and get a glimpse of the place and time that feels most like home to me.

I have a Streets adventure in my book, here's the excerpt.

> As we walked through the backstage area, hay covering the floor, I recognized actor Karl Malden who starred on The Streets of San Francisco.  He was sitting down on what looked like a tree stump casually signing autographs, smiling and chatting with folks.

We walked past him a few feet to the outside area that bordered the parking lot.  There was a motor-home parked among the circus gear.  Through the windows I saw actor Michael Douglas (Malden’s co-star on Streets) inside talking to someone.  We had all walked past the motor home door when I heard knocking and stopped.  I turned to see my dad's friend yelling towards the motor home door, something about fans, appreciating them and about making an appearance.  I assumed she instigated the action and for some reason she was trying to lure him out.  I was near the door when she knocked again, so embarrassed a bit I stood on the side of the door which if opened would have been the backside.  I thought it was a good place to hide, til all of a sudden the door flung open and Michael Douglas was standing in the doorway screaming like a madman.  My dad's friend yelled something at him and walked off.  The door was very close to me, if I had not jumped back it would have hit me!  I instinctively reacted and yelled back at him, "Why don't you just shut up and go back inside" and pushed the door toward closing position, while he stood there face forward.  Even at twelve, I was appalled and irate by his actions. Today I may enjoy some of his movies, but as a person that behavior still disgusts me. Yes, that was bad behavior on her part (and a great example of why it's a bad idea to sell beer at the Circus!), but once he was out the door where he could see the majority of people standing around were kids (the youngest being about five years old), his anger should have mellowed. It's pretty poor behavior to be yelling at children, which says a lot about the kind of person he is, or was. <