Roseanne Barr embraces controversy and offense as very few people do. The actress, renowned for her eponymous television series “Roseanne,” started her comedy career in the 80s despite being a full-time housewife and mom. Her experience led her to coin the phrase “domestic goddess,” which referred to and appealed to homemakers. Barr was bold and opinionated, but she was very funny. In 1985, she was invited to “The Tonight Show” to do a stand-up comedy routine, and her performance enthralled the audience.
Subsequently, Barr landed an HBO special called “The Roseanne Barr Show,” which won her an American Comedy Award for Best Female Performer. This led to greater success as TV producers started to pay attention to her. She was offered her own self-titled ABC series. The sitcom was so popular that it’s been ranked 35 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Meanwhile, Barr’s opinions often resonated with many people, but they sometimes offended others, and a controversy in 2018 caused a great setback in her career. A reboot of “Roseanne” was set to air around the time, but it was canceled, and the name was changed to allow Sara Gilbert’s character to take the lead.
Meanwhile, Barr smarted from the fallout and accused the executives of trying to stifle her. She was also angry that she wasn’t allowed to apologize. She told The Guardian:
“They dull your rage. People don’t like angry women, so they say, ‘We’re going to have to drug that bi*** to get her to shut up. We will humiliate her and disenfranchise her, but first, she has to shut up.’”
Barr has often been criticized over the years, with some trolls calling her “ugly” on Twitter. However, she pays the trolls no attention. Continue reading for details.
While the media outrage lasted, Barr kept busy in her Hawaii mansion with her grandchildren. The comedian has five kids and seven grandkids. She also posted lots of content on her YouTube page. Meanwhile, the actress became more vocal on social media about her political leanings with the loss of her career.
In an interview with Reuters, Barr previously revealed that comedy allowed her to share her opinions about issues.
“I think comedy is very much a fight against a lot of things that are not that great, the hypocrisy. It’s kind of a mission for a lot of stand-up comedians and it’s great,” she opined. “It is like you are having a relationship with people in the audience.”
Barr bounced back in February 2023 with a new stand-up special called “Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!” and a documentary examining her tumultuous career called “Who Is Roseanne Barr?”
In an interview with Fox News, Barr talked more about her return to stand-up as a way for her to have her say.
“My jokes are so great,” she explained. “They’re the most offensive,” and added, “We’re going to be even more offensive than we’ve ever been before.”
Thankfully, Barr is with someone who loves her for who she is. She and her partner, Johnny Argent, have been together for over two decades. She told The Guardian:
“My boyfriend and I are kindred spirits. He is feminine in a way. When he used to write for me he lived in the desert.”
The couple didn’t meet for a year, and Argent refused to send his photos. However, Barr fell in love with his voice and didn’t care what he looked like. Still, she was pleasantly surprised when they first met.
“He was the most handsome man I’ve ever seen,” she recalled.
Barr and Argent have found a nice rhythm to their lives. The comedian regularly posts photos of her beau on social media, and sometimes, she shares videos of them having deep and witty conversations.
Another side of her life that the “Roseanne” star frequently shows to followers is her dress sense. Most notable among them is a post of Barr slaying in a form-fitting leopard print dress.
Barr’s photos also include proudly showing off her gray locks and sometimes appearing without makeup. She began sporting the au naturel look on the red carpet at the TV Land Awards in 2008.
Meanwhile, the veteran’s decision to go gray and show off her natural face did not go well with some critics online, who called her “ugly.”
On November 7, 2020, a troll tweeted, “This is ugly. Like Roseanne Barr in the shower ugly.”
Other naysayers tweeted similarly to the first person.
One user responded to a tweet about the sorcerer’s hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and wrote:
“This was the Roseanne Barr of park icons. Ugly, offensive, intrusive and it stuck around for far too long. Just like Roseanne it has a devoted legion of fans.”
A third user also commented on a tweet about “Roseanne” and tweeted:
“John Goodman = a self aware, ironic act. Roseanne Barr = an ugly sledgehammer.”
Meanwhile, Barr is content with her looks despite the criticisms. She told People:
“I’m gonna stop dying my hair and go all the way gray … ’cause I want to look old because I am old and I think it’s damn good to be old, too.”
She posted a photo of herself on Instagram on July 4, 2021, smiling and rocking her makeup-free face and gray locks. Her navy blue t-shirt read, “Legalize Comedy.” No matter what the trolls say, it is obvious Barr is paying them no attention.
What do you think of Roseanne Barr’s statement about growing old? Do you agree with her? Pass this on to friends, family, and fans of the comedian.
