After Kirstie Alley, Which Problematic Female Comedy Stars Should The Middle Cast Next?

Since its creation, The Middle has been a safe space for female TV comedy stars whose offscreen behaviour and/or beliefs might make them unemployable anywhere else: its star, one Patricia Heaton, is a certified conservative crackpot specializing in anti-choice activism. This week, the show opened its doors to another controversial female comedy performer: Kirstie Alley, known for anti-psychiatry protests motivated by her Scientologist beliefs.

To Alley's credit, she demonstrates a refreshing sense of humour about herself, playing a character who's not that far from what we actually know about her real life: a brassy, rich, erratic kook who's just gotten through an acrimonious divorce and who wears dresses in the wrong size. And now that she's done so, maybe other female stars who've also made headlines (and not the good kind, like you want) since making their names in TV comedy could follow suit. Here's how!

Jenny McCarthy

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: A recurring role on Two And A Half Men.

Courted Controversy By: Coming out against childhood vaccinations (a stance, incidentally, that she shares with past The Middle guest star Kristin Cavallari).

Potential The Middle Role: A gold-digging opportunist Frankie's boss Ted meets on ORDateMatch, Orson's homegrown answer to OKCupid.

Victoria Jackson

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: Six years as a cast member on SNL.

Courted Controversy By: Being a conservative whack job.

Potential The Middle Role: An Orson resident who runs afoul of Brick with a campaign to ban certain books from the public library.

Janeane Garofalo

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: The Ben Stiller Show (though I guess she's probably better known for her brief stint on SNL).

Courted Controversy By: Being a 9/11 truther, making herself a lightning rod for conservatives generally.

Potential The Middle Role: The owner of Orson's one and only coffee house, who briefly causes Sue to question whether she actually needs to go to college.

Amanda Bynes

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: All That.

Courted Controversy By: Let's just say "doing all the things she did in 2013."

Potential The Middle Role: Devin Levin's weird roommate, who makes herself a wedge between Devin Levin and Axl.

Stacey Dash

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: The TV adaptation of Clueless.

Courted Controversy By: Publicly taking contrarian positions on racially charged news events.

Potential The Middle Role: A local newspaper columnist who calls for the closure of Mike's quarry over Affirmative Action hiring practices.

Roseanne

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: Her eponymous sitcom.

Courted Controversy By: God, name it. Most recently, there was this.

Potential The Middle Role: An abrasive new girlfriend for Mike's brother Rusty.

Phylicia Rashad

Most Significant TV Comedy Credit: The Cosby Show.

Courted Controversy By: Oh, PHYLICIA. She has subsequently walked back her defense of Dr. Cosby, but still.)

Potential The Middle Role: The perennially disapproving mother to the Hecks' minister, Reverend Deveaux, whose temporary place in his congregation throws him way off his sermon game.