I should disclose up front that I am a melanoma survivor, so my thoughts on this topic are personally skewed. Rosie O’Donnell is under fire today after an interview with Rachel Ray in which she defended tanning by saying that exposure to the sun isn’t dangerous. Her remarks prompted the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation to issue a statement that Rosie is both “ill-informed” and “irresponsible.” Ouch! That hurts almost as much as a sunburn.

We would expect this from the likes of a younger, ditsier bikini babe, but Rosie O’Donnell?!

The pot-stirring talker told Rachael Ray earlier this month that she “lives to tan” and declared “exposure to the sun isn’t dangerous.”

While we’re all about getting a little vitamin D every once in awhile, most children younger than hers can explain the flaws in this outlook.

Of course, skin cancer groups are outraged, especially the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation, which told the New York Post that Rosie’s comments are “ill-informed” and “irresponsible.” Duh! The group is hoping she’ll use her powers for good and do a public service announcement clearing the air.

We always knew she was a hothead, but who knew the great ball of fire in the sky was the cause?

[From E!Online]

Hmm. When did Rosie find time to go to medical school? That Rosie – such a fountain of wisdom! However, I hope she won’t be offended if I listen instead to my dermatologist and the very knowledgeable group of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital who saved my life. They told me that repeated, prolonged sun exposure was indeed the cause of the melanoma I had. These days, I don’t leave the house without sunscreen and my “sun worshiping” days have been over for about 15 years. Oh, and Rosie, I hope you don’t mind that I’d rather believe the National Cancer Society’s research, which reveals that melanoma is the most aggressive and widespread form of cancer, topping breast cancer and lung cancer, and that there were more than 68,000 new cases in the U.S. this year and more than 8,600 deaths from the disease. I’m sure you’re an expert in many other things, Rosie, but I’m going to have to call B.S. on this one. I’ve got the scars to prove you wrong. And one more thing: you can get all the Vitamin D your body needs from these really cool things called vitamins.