Thursday, November 24, 2011

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HAAAAAAPY ANNIVERSARY - NOT

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This month is one for big anniversaries both good and bad.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
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 It's the 50th anniversary of the classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's".  It's the 30th anniversary of the sudden and tragic death of Natalie Wood (Wagner).  We just passed the 48th anniversary of JFK's assassination (not a milestone year, but his death always seems relevant).  25 years ago this month, the incomparable Cary Grant died as well as another unforgettable person, Freddie Mercury and George Harrison of the Beatles and Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Why do we mark these anniversaries?  Different reasons when you look at the list.  The sweet Audrey Hepburn was one of a kind and her performance in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" will always be a favourite.  Her persona seems to transcend time.  A timeless beauty both on the inside and out.

As for other anniversaries, we think of them as they seem unresolved in actuality or just in our own psyches.  People are still pointing fingers at each other over the killing of JFK.  It seems that most of us don't believe that the man they accused is necessarily the one who did it.  There are so many conspiracy theories with this one that references to this incredibly tragic event are still being built into many movie and television scripts.

Lately, a potentially opportunistic captain of a boat is making bold statements about the death of Natalie Wood.  Her accident at sea seemed very strange and so tragic, but are there grounds for bringing her husband to investigation or trial?  Fodder for the media, that is the only thing for certain at this point.

The killing of John Lennon sent shock waves all around the world.  But this month 25 years ago his co-band member George Harrison died.  We could all agree that he wasn't the mouth piece for the Beatles, but still a member of the fab four's passing is certainly worth marking year after year.

Another gentle soul died the same year as Harrison.  Cary Grant is still considered the quintessential man of men, suave, funny, charming.  He's still the model who many men try to emulate, the model who many women use as a yardstick to measure up their husbands or boyfriends..  I'll always remember him in "House Boat" and "Arsenic and Old Lace". 

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Freddie Mercury was an incredible and complicated man, who's sounds are imitated but never successfully duplicated.  His voice and look were one of a kind.  "We Will Rock You" was a musical homage to the great man, which has entertained audiences around the world.

When I think of the colour pink, how can I think of anyone but Mary Kay Ash, the brainchild of the famous cosmetics empire?  It's hard to believe that her pink Cadillacs are still around.  Ash empowered women in the way that works best for us.  It's wonderful that her legacy lives on.  She was definitely a strong symbol of "girl power"!

One of the most solemn segments of the Academy Awards is when they do a musical slide show "In Memoriam".  I find it so sad that so many greats have already died.  I'm such a vintage girl  at heart that I miss them more than  I am enamoured with current day icons.  It's definitely true that in order to understand our present and our future, we need to look at the past.

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