six of one, half dozen of the other

Need any more evidence that it’s all infotainment?

Ignorant, crass, and entertaining Rosie O’Donnell—who not only dared show her face on television after Donald Trump called her a fat slob but continued their feud without pausing to take a breath, may get a cable show (unless this is all a lot of PR bullshit, which is a possibility you should never discount. After all, I wouldn’t hire Rosie O’Donnell for anything in the world, but them I’m not a TV executive dying for ratings).

What I find quite curious, however, is that this Daily News article, with the help of go-to media-culture guy (when Neal Gabler isn’t available) Robert Thompson (who is a professor and should know better) conflates cable news with cable talk.

Cable news insiders yesterday suggested she could talk to the Fox News Channel. An actual deal with Fox News might be a long shot, though, because that would put O’Donnell on the same channel as her nemesis Bill O’Reilly.

However, giving O’Donnell a prime-time talk show on a news channel isn’t such a wacky idea, says Syracuse University popular culture Prof. Robert Thompson.

“If I were MSNBC, I would really be courting her to go up against O’Reilly,” Thompson said. “For so long, they’ve been looking for a different perspective.”

Thompson also noted that prime-time shows on cable news channels are usually hosted by someone with strong opinions and a desire to talk, which O’Donnell has displayed along the way.

Cable talk may be just one option of many O’Donnell faces as she decides what to do after leaving “The View” next month.

She has done morning TV, Thompson said. “Her next step should be the cable opinion show.”

More about this another time. Meanwhile, remember: most of the time we want to escape from reality rather than have our noses rubbed in it…so infotainment rules. Still: cable “news” and cable “talk” are two different things.