It’s a showdown only daytime television could create and one that has been fanned by the very thing that ensures its popularity—trash talk. If you are just “tuning in” to this daytime drama allow me to get you up to speed.
Last Friday, Clay Aiken guest hosted “Live with Regis and Kelly.” During an interview with “Dancing with the Stars” winners Cheryl Burke and Emmitt Smith, Aiken put his hand over host Kelly Ripa’s mouth so he could interject a question.
“Oh, that’s a no-no,” Ripa said, and added, “I don’t know where that hand’s been, honey!”
It turned out to be the “hand cover” heard the world over. Not only was it talked about when Regis returned to his regular spot on Monday, but on Tuesday, Rosie O’Donnell decided to chime in on the incident during her gig on ABC’s “The View.” O’Donnell called Ripa’s comments “homophobic” and “a little odd.”
Let me put her remarks in exact content. What O’Donnell told her co-hosts was:
“To me that’s a homophobic remark. If that was a straight man, if that was a cute man, if that was a guy that she didn’t question his sexuality, she would have said a different thing.”
Within minutes Ripa retorted live by phone to address O’Donnell’s accusations:
“He reached across and covered my mouth with his hand,” Ripa said. “I have three kids (and) he’s shaking hands with everybody in the audience. It’s cold and flu season. That’s what I meant, and to imply that it’s homophobic is outrageous, Rosie. And you know better. You should be more responsible.”
O’Donnell was steadfast and remarked that “from where I sit” as a gay woman, the remark seemed homophobic. Ripa insisted, “I respect all people, regardless.”
Mind you all this went down while “The View’s” creator and co-host Barbara Walter’s was away. When she returned to the show today she added her own two cents in an effort to close the door on the Ripa/O’Donnell “feud.”
“I love this show to be lively, and yesterday it certainly was lively,” said Walters. “This is what I want to say. Rosie O’Donnell is one of the kindest, most sensitive people I know. And so is our friend Kelly Ripa. And Rosie and Kelly talked yesterday after the show. Rosie and Clay Aiken have talked. And all is well with the world, and all is well with them. So let’s move on.”
For his part, Aiken has remained silent about the incident. However, he did participate in a parody about it during last night’s American Music Awards show. As Aiken and Tori Spelling were introducing John Mayer, Spelling put her hand over Aiken’s mouth and said, “I’ll tell you where that hand’s been later.”
What’s your take on the Aiken/Ripa/O’Donnell brouhaha?