Roseanne Barr on new comedy series, 'Hell' and celebrity philanthropy

Actress, comic and outspoken critic of what is wrong in America, Rosanne Barr recently completed a press junket in New York promoting her new television reality series - Nick at Nite's third season of "Funniest Mom in America" premiering Tuesday, April 10, at 9 p.m. - the six-episode, stand-up comedy competition show in which 13 moms compete to be named "Funniest Mom" and win a cash prize of $50,000.

Barr recently purchased a "nut farm" in Hawaii that "grows macadamias." Barr tells Reuters Life: "It's a nut farm. I always knew I would end up on a nut farm, and I'm going to . . . I will find new uses for macadamia nuts. I really like to cook, but it's only about every sixth time something comes out good. I burn it at the end." Roseanne, 54, is hosting the Nick at Nite comedy contest the first time.The Los Angeles Times interviewed Barr at the junket, and asked her about her current feelings on living in America, and the state of the union. Regarding living in the continental USA: "There's nowhere safe. The whole world is America. You've gotta just stay and fight. My son's 11, and he said last week, 'Where can I go where I won't be drafted?' What's more upsetting, if they don't bring the draft back, it'll be working-class and poor and drug-addicted people just out of prison. It has to be all kids. I'm pro-draft. Rich people have to pay too. That's democracy."The LAT reporter Choire Sicha queried Barr about Hollywood altruism and hypocrisy that seems pervasive and opportunistic. Barr is a prodigious giver of money and time for many charitable causes. The LAT asked her about the issue: "...I hesitate to say, I've given more money away than any other person in my position. When you ask people in Hollywood to give you money, they say, 'I'll show up for that benefit.' All these stars are so corrupt and sickening. You think showing up for a picture is doing something? … They have these huge benefit luncheons where they get six billionaires, and they raise $200,000. It's vile. I was happy to have it and happy to give it, and I still am. I don't want to go to hell."Barr explained her idea of Hell was an intangible blend of personal choices and that it "dwelled" within your mind, "Hell is being wrapped up in yourself while everything around you is on fire," she said to the LAT.Barr had opinions too regarding Oprah and her style of philanthropy. Barr expressed she had a problem with the idea that African American children in American inner cities were not worthy of Oprah's support.Barr also criticized Oprah's promotion of the controversial self-help fad sweeping the nation, "The Secret." "I'm not down with trying to attract more material wealth to yourself. That's sickening. Why don't you give some of your money away? Five-thousand square feet should be the limit to how big a house you can live in when people are starving. There should be a maximum wage too. Like Jello Biafra said, no one should have more than $100 million. It's making a slave class," said Barr to the LAT.