Roseanne Barr Reacts To Fergie’s National Anthem Performance
Roseanne Barr has been redeemed. Nearly 30 years after her version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” made headlines, the Roseanne star is weighing in on Fergie’s controversial performance of the nation’s song.
Fergie is being slammed for her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the NBA All-Star game at the Staples Center. According to the Hollywood Reporter, several professional basketball players and audience members, including late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, snickered at the former Black-Eyed Peas singer’s performance, while Twitter has been having a field day over it. Some have compared Fergie’s sultry national anthem to Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday” song for President John F. Kennedy back in 1962.
Many viewers weighed in on Fergie’s performance on social media. But one of the best reactions to Fergie’s ill-fated “Star-Spangled Banner” rendition came from Roseanne Barr.
In 1990, Roseanne Barr made headlines for her controversial performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a San Diego Padres baseball game. At the time, Roseanne was slammed for spitting and grabbing her crotch at the end of her performance. President George Bush later called Barr out for her “disgraceful” display.
Roseanne took to Twitter to comment on Fergie’s performance, saying that she thinks her own performance of the song nearly 30 years ago was better.
“Who saw Fergie’s national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey,” Roseanne tweeted.
Who saw Fergie's national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) February 19, 2018
In case you erased it from your mind, here is Roseanne Barr’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Fergie has not yet commented on the outcry over her national anthem performance, but in 1990, Roseanne Barr was forced to do major damage control. The actress, whose ABC sitcom Roseanne was a top-rated show at the time, later revealed that she meant no disrespect by her performance.
“I was singing in my act at the time – and I am a good singer – I was flattered and fully intended to sing a good version of the song,” Barr revealed, according to the Washington Post.
“I started too high. I knew about six notes in that I couldn’t hit the big note. So I just tried to get through it, but I couldn’t hear anything with 50,000 drunk a—— booing, screaming ‘you fat [expletive],’ giving me the finger and throwing bottles at me during the song they ‘respect’ so much.”
Roseanne Barr eventually issued a public apology for the incident, but the damage was done. Barr told the Post it took her two years to get past the controversy. Roseanne’s cartoon series, Little Rosey, was canceled amid the fallout, and she even received death threats.
While Roseanne Barr’s national anthem controversy was front page news, it occurred before the internet age, so she bypassed the social media fallout that occurs today. Fergie quickly began trending after video of her “Star Spangled-Banner” began to surface.
Roseanne wasn’t the only celebrity to react to Fergie’s performance. Comedian Bob Saget, who was riding high on his Full House fame at the same time Roseanne was a top-rated show on ABC, posted several tweets about Fergie’s national anthem.
Fergie’s rendition of the National Anthem was originally written by Francis Scott Out of Key.
— bob saget (@bobsaget) February 19, 2018
Others referenced Roseanne Barr’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” when talking about Fergie’s performance.
Stop tweeting me about Carl Lewis and Roseanne. You’d watch those again in a heartbeat. You will never want to rewatch Fergie’s ridiculous rendition.
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) February 19, 2018
You can see Fergie’s performance of the national anthem below.
