Hi,
Mark Perlman wrote: Make sure that something goes into the newsletter about the death of Annette Funicello.
Barnet Kellman wrote: Annette Funicello. Sooo sad.
No one wrote: Make sure that something goes into the newsletter about the death of Margaret Thatcher. Sooo sad.
[Rich -- And I was going to say something about both separate but perhaps equal deaths. No one can argue the importance of Margaret Thatcher for the world, no matter how that importance might be argued. Just as no one can argue the importance of Annette Funicello for a particular demographic of men, no matter how her talents might be argued. But Annette haunted a lot of little boys' dreams, even before they quite understood why, and I'm not sure there was a male equivalent in the Mickey Mouse Club for little girls to dream about.]
Part of Annette Funicello's obituary from The New York Times, written by Douglas Martin:
Annette Funicello, who won America’s heart as a 12-year-old in Mickey Mouse ears, captivated adolescent baby boomers in slightly spicy beach movies, and later championed people with multiple sclerosis, died on Monday. She was 70.
As an adult Ms. Funicello described herself as “the queen of teen,” and millions around her age agreed. Young audiences appreciated her sweet, forthright appeal, and parents saw her as the perfect daughter. She was the last of the 24 original Mouseketeers chosen for “The Mickey Mouse Club,” which began in 1955, when fewer than two-thirds of households had television sets. Walt Disney personally discovered her at a ballet performance. Before long, she was getting more than 6,000 fan letters a week, and was known by just her first name.
Sometimes called “America’s girl next door,” she nonetheless managed to be at the center of the action during rock ’n’ roll’s exuberant emergence. She was the youngest member of Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour, which included LaVern Baker, the Drifters, Bobby Rydell, the Coasters and Paul Anka. Mr. Anka, her boyfriend, wrote “Puppy Love” for her. As a Mouseketeer, she received a steady stream of wristwatches, school rings and even engagement rings from young men, all of which she returned. Irate mothers often wrote back to say “How hard Johnny or Tommy had worked to save the money for the gift and how dare she return it?” She said that if she had charm -- she undeniably had modesty -- it was partly a result of her shyness. Mr. Disney begged her to call him Uncle Walt, but she could manage only “Mr. Disney.”
At the height of her stardom, she said her ambition was to quit show business and have nine children. With minor exceptions, like her commercials for Skippy peanut butter, Ms. Funicello did become a homemaker after marrying at 22. One reason, she said, was her reluctance to take parts at odds with her squeaky-clean image. She had three children, four stepchildren, twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Sometimes called “America’s girl next door,” she nonetheless managed to be at the center of the action during rock ’n’ roll’s exuberant emergence. She was the youngest member of Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour, which included LaVern Baker, the Drifters, Bobby Rydell, the Coasters and Paul Anka. Mr. Anka, her boyfriend, wrote “Puppy Love” for her. As a Mouseketeer, she received a steady stream of wristwatches, school rings and even engagement rings from young men, all of which she returned. Irate mothers often wrote back to say “How hard Johnny or Tommy had worked to save the money for the gift and how dare she return it?” She said that if she had charm -- she undeniably had modesty -- it was partly a result of her shyness. Mr. Disney begged her to call him Uncle Walt, but she could manage only “Mr. Disney.”
At the height of her stardom, she said her ambition was to quit show business and have nine children. With minor exceptions, like her commercials for Skippy peanut butter, Ms. Funicello did become a homemaker after marrying at 22. One reason, she said, was her reluctance to take parts at odds with her squeaky-clean image. She had three children, four stepchildren, twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
To be fair, part of Margaret Thatcher's obituary, also from the Times but written by Joseph Gregory:
Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to become prime minister of Britain and the first to lead a major Western power in modern times. Hard-driving and hardheaded, she led her Conservative Party to three straight election wins and held office for 11 years -- May 1979 to November 1990 -- longer than any other British politician in the 20th century.
The strong economic medicine she administered to a country sickened by inflation, budget deficits and industrial unrest brought her wide swings in popularity, culminating with a revolt among her own cabinet ministers in her final year and her shout of “No! No! No!” in the House of Commons to any further integration with Europe.
But by the time she left office, the principles known as Thatcherism -- the belief that economic freedom and individual liberty are interdependent, that personal responsibility and hard work are the only ways to national prosperity, and that the free-market democracies must stand firm against aggression — had won many disciples. Even some of her strongest critics accorded her a grudging respect.
In other notes, Barnet also wrote: In response to the news of that Troop 267 reunion adventure, I was
about to write that I'd go if Steve Gootzeit and Ira Mitzner would. But then I realized I'll be in Israel meeting up with my daughters at the end of their birthright trip. Maybe next year.
about to write that I'd go if Steve Gootzeit and Ira Mitzner would. But then I realized I'll be in Israel meeting up with my daughters at the end of their birthright trip. Maybe next year.
[Rich -- Actually, I'd almost ask Steve Cahn if he'd stretch that as far as Webelos. I think I made it that far before I got sick of sticking cloves into oranges.]
From Joanne Shapiro Polner: Gloria Vincello was 86. She was one of my gym teachers and a very nice person. She was also one of many teachers who actually lived in the town where they taught -- Valley Stream. My third grade teacher lived two blocks away from me, and our art teacher lived about a dozen blocks away. I thought that was so good. The fact of living in the town one teaches in makes a big difference in a teacher's attitudes toward putting in effort and spending school tax dollars with accountability. More people who teach should live in the towns they teach in. My gym teacher whom I admired most was Marjorie Weideman, who departed life in 1996 at age 75.
Jay Berliner wrote: Just as an FYI -- I got delivery of my new Tesla, model S, two weeks ago. It seems to be an amazing car. The only problem is that when I drive, as always, I notice the price of gas at different stations. Then I realize, "Who cares? This is an all electric car. I don't need gas anymore."
And if you think the class would have interest in the Tesla, I have no problem with you passing on this news.
[Rich -- Yeah, I think that's really cool.]
Two repeats: There's an Alumni Association meeting at South this Thursday, the 11th, at 7:15.
And if you have contact information for members of the class of '63, please pass it on to Amy Miller Cohen at: ymarellim @ aol . com (remove the spaces).
Finally, Ed Albrecht wrote: Thanks for passing on my Facebook entry about the mammoths.
[Rich -- You're welcome. You seem to have some really interesting adventures. At the same time, someone else wrote asking that I not take their postings from Facebook, which is absolutely fine. Please just let me know. Otherwise, I use South information wherever it turns up.]
The South '65 e-mail addresses: reunionclass65 . blogspot . com
The South '65 photo site: picasaweb . google . com / SouthHS65
Rich
No comments:
Post a Comment