Since I had the good taste to use the tragic and unexpected death of 80s icon Michael Jackson for a cheap political point, I felt I should take a moment to discuss the true tragic news of the day.
Farrah Fawcett has passed away. She has a long and painful bout with rectal cancer and her story, while presented in a recent made-for-cable movie, has really not been highlighted.
Let me tell you why she is worthy of the time to write about. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, the mega-mutant Rock Star, will be feted for weeks to come and his passing will have humbly reminded Obama that we need a better and more comprehensive health care plan. Much will be made of his legacy and his wonderousness.... but still he'll feel a vague sadness for Michael Jackson.... oh wait...
But Farrah likely will not be given great accolades. She will have a few small testimonials, and soon, very soon life will go on and she will be kind of remembered.
But she deserves far better from us than that. Farrah had two choices when she made the somewhat questionable decision to leave Charlie's Angels at the height of her popularity: Continue with the cheesecake and fluff or go for the serious stuff.
Well okay, we know she didn't film her own version of "The Razor's Edge", so she went into features and made some tepid movies. Honestly, I recall seeing "Sunburn" but apart from her in an orange jumpsuit and I think Charles Grodin wandering around, I don't really recall much more than that. She went on to a few other films, including the dizzily idiotic, yet still compelling "Saturn Three" with Kirk Douglas as her boyfriend, and Harvey Keitel's toy robot as her stalker.
These films proved to her that she would never be taken seriously as an actress.
THAT's when she became worthy of our praise.
No more bra-less roles, no more giggly, jiggly parts in silly frothy films... she made a conscious choice to go the harder, less travelled route and made films like "The Burning Bed" and "Extremities" for which she practiced on Broadway for a very long time.
She WORKED very hard and soon she destroyed the poster image and re-invented herself as a fully formed person. She took a conservative value to EARN what she gained through hard work, perseverance and determination, and it paid off.
There were times, particularly in the last ten years or so, where she came across as ditsy or weird, slathering her nude body with paint and rolling around on canvas for her kids... or going a little nutty on a late-night talk show to the point where nobody knew what she was saying or doing...
She has not always been the paragon of virtue. But she earned respect for being capable of doing the one thing she will always be remembered to do... which was to act.
Some people will tell you that acting is just playing and it's easy. That's not true. Anyone who has tried understands it's a real discipline, and it requires much more than just good looks, it requires a skill-set that most people simply do not possess. A skill-set you do not get in school.
While the rest of the world grinds their teeth over Michael Jackson, I will raise a can of energy drink to Ms. Fawcett, remember all the fun times and the scary times, and thank her for being Farrah.
There was no other like her and it seems this world will not see her like again.
I'm Dr. Calamity and I approve this message.
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