I Am Sick And Tired Of All These "New York Is Dead" Bitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                       How many times, have  I mentioned the pivotal  moment from  the first part of "Gone With The  Wind," where a defeated  Scarlett/Vivien Leigh sobs in the dirt, only to pull herself  up,  raise her fist  to the sky, and deliver that speech beginning  with those immortal words, "As God  is my witness.....?"

                                       It bears mentioning again,  because of all these  idiots who  insist on fleeing  New York--and where to, I ask?   Is anywhere else better?  Worse, in most cases.--who must have their heads up their asses.

                                         Darlings,  it  is  hard  for me, too.  No hair appointments, no fashionable dining, no culture of any kind.  All what I came to this city for, and have partaken of for over 30 years, is  gone, but,  like Scarlett, is that  going to stop me?  Listen, like her,  I am willing  to slap White Trash, and  I will not have  pretentious political loudmouths tell me  what to do!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn  right!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        It is going to come back, and when it does,  this city will undergo a Renaissance  unseen since the days of Edith Wharton.  New York  will be  bigger and better than ever.  And, who know, maybe even  more affordable.

                                         Scarlett survived,  the South rose,  and so can, and will,  New York City!

                                          As to all the deadbeats and miscreants who insist on fleeing--

                                          Get outta here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Who wants ya,  anyhow??????????????????

                                           Shut  the hell up, already,  and leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Have  a lovely time  in Nowheresville, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy All Saints Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     A day to honor all my favorites--Bernadette, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia, and all those chosen by God to serve as exemplars and inspiration to us mortals on earth.  Tomorrow,  All Souls Day, is for everyone,  the living and departed, especially loved ones we have lost, but I would also like to point out there are saints walking among  us,  some whom we know,  some whom we don't.

                                                     I would like  to point out two, and wish them both a Happy All Saints, and  All  Souls Day.  Those two are Sister Camille D'Arenziio, and  Dr. Anthony Fauci.  Where would we be without them,  and  others like them  out there, unsung.

                                                       I am no saint, but I try and do my best.  I wish you blessings  on both these days, and be especially kind  to loved ones around you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                        Because, for now,  darlings, the nightclub scene is gone!!!!!!!!!!!

At Last, November!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                   First, let me say I am so grateful to have gotten through October.  I have a follow-up visit, at the Heart Rhythm Center, and  I pray it is just routine.

                                                     That said, this should be an interesting month.  My birthday, Thanksgiving, Musical Theater Week--it all goes down this month.

                                                        That key word, "unexpected," in the definition, is so key to me, darlings!!!!!!!!  Because on my birthday I was two months premature.  I spent the first two weeks of my life, in an incubator.  Maybe that is what gave me my taste for publicity!  Who knows?

                                                          In any case, I welcome you all to  this month.  The year is winding down.

                                                          Not to mention there is something on Tuesday called an election!

                                                          Like Dickens said, the best and worst of times!

                                                           Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

       

What A Month October Was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Forget the Covid, birthdays, and Halloween.  They are all givens.  October 2020 will,  from now on,  be remembered as when I had, and got through, my heart ablation procedure.

                                           I am grateful to be here, and thanks to all the support I received, both on and off line.  All of you made this most  difficult of times easier to manage.

                                          That is all.  Now, we have November coming  up, which brings Election Day--Oh, my God!!!!!!!!, Thanksgiving,  Musical Theater Week,  and  my birthday.   How to celebrate it as a diabetic is a problem.  But  I have some ideas!

                                            Hope your October was more fun than mine, except I had my precious David, all the way,  and may your November be joyful and  merry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               See you next month, dears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have A Shock Monster Halloween, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        When I was a child,  my favorite candies were these chocolate monster lollipops.  I don't know if they make them anymore.  The front was white chocolate, onto which was embossed, in brown chocolate, a picture of the Shock Monster, seen above.  I think there was one of the Girl Vampire, but my favorite was always the Shock Monster.  How I would love one of his lollipops!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Alas, Halloween is no holiday for diabetics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         But there is still fun to be had.  Curling up with a horror classic is one way.

                                         And  viewing  a film classic is  another.  But which one?

                                        I had toyed with  the idea of "Earth  Vs.  The Spider," an AIP classic from 1958.  Just love when the museum ensconced spider digs the crazy rock beat!!!!!!!!!!!  Here it  is,  for you to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              

                                     It's your choice, darlings!  But I am going with John Carpenter's 1978 classic, "Halloween."  Fun, traditional, with that haunting music score and brilliant mixture of horror and humor!  Not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Whatever my ghosties and ghoulies do, I wish you all the happiest, safest and most enjoyable of Halloweens.  Liven  up these dreary times!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Trick or treat?  I'll take whatever I can get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Typical Marilynne Robinson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                   No matter what she writes, I always read Marilynne Robinson, because I can always count on penetrating insights, character examination, and gorgeous language.  "Jack," part of her cycle that began with my favorite, "Gilead," details the relationship of Jack Boughton, the prodigal son of that Gilead, Iowa family, whose father is a Presbyterian minister, and his relationship with a woman of  color named Della Miles.  It reminded me of an interracial take on Lanford Wilson's play, "Talley's Folly," only Robinson layers it with so much detail--both present and past--that the reader is spellbound by the tale being told.  Both characters are sympathetic and tragic, yet the ending is almost hopeful,  kind of like a non-comic version of "The Graduate."

                                                      For anyone who has read her, Robinson's latest is a must.  

                                                      For those who have not, "Gilead" is where one should start.

                                                      This novel was so good.  And, yet,  I wish it had been better.

                                                       It left this reader wanting....I don't know what!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, The Whole Thing Is Stolen By Amanda Plummer, And A Monkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Forget Ken Kesey and Louise Fletcher, darlings.  If one is going to enjoy "Ratched," one has to suspend a lot of disbelief.  Because, I am telling you, there is no way the character Sarah Paulson projects here could eventually morph into that of Louise Fletcher.  They are from two different universes.

                                        As for Sarah Paulson, much as we love her, aside from her stunning ensembles, and some superb color photography, she delivers what is actually a one note performance.  Alas, she is only doing what she has been directed to do.  The same cannot be said of anyone  else.  Everyone  else just seems to hit their marks, and then camp it up, while Ryan Murphy shoots the footage.

                                         Poor Sharon Stone.  She is stuck having to be upstaged by a monkey named Petunia--I LOVE Petunia!!!!!!!!!--while channeling Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, while her intonation and blonde wig make it pathetically apparent that Jessica Lange was the first choice for this character.  She was wise to turn it down.  And she would never allow a monkey to upstage her!  She went through that, already, in 1976's "King Kong!"  And look how that set her back!!!!!!!!!

                                             But poor Sharon needs the work.  She never recovered from spreading her legs in 1992's "Basic Instinct," while Wayne Knight, who would go on to play loser Newman  on "Seinfeld," drools lasciviously,  which I am certain was real, because he could never get a delicious morsel like Sharon.  Alas, that time has passed.

                                             

                                                     But, thank God, darlings, for Amanda Plummer, as Louise, the jazziest Jazz Baby since Carol Channing in 1967's "Thoroughly Modern Millie."  If  there is a second season--as is reported,  wouldn't it be great to have Amanda sing that song??????????  Again, it cannot be determined if she is acting,  or playing Amanda.  But what does it matter?  She is brilliant  Hons,  I cannot wait for more of Amanda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            

                                              Louise owns the Sea Light Inn, which is a real locale, so all us queens want to flock to it.  Those cliffside views are gorgeous, perfect for romance or suicide.  And, if I show up, Amanda had  better  be there to hand me my room key.  Imagine taking a shower here!  Janet Leigh, as Marion  Crane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Still, we get to see a lot of Finn Wittrock's body, especially his nice buttocks, as well as watching that tramp, Dolly, played by Alice Englert, masturbate Finn through jail bars, and who deserves what she gets.  Ryan Murphy has no shame, even copying Arthur Penn. 

 

                                            Then, there is Judy Davis as Nurse Betsy Buckett.  The irony is that in the early scenes, one could see her morphing  into Louise Fletcher, but it is obvious she took one look at the script, and decided to do what she pleased, even to the point of channeling Judy Garland.  Still, she is even better now than Rene Zellweger.  She livens things up, whenever she appears; even when she takes a 180 degree turn!

                                             Cynthia Nixon as a lesbian?  Big leap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

               

                                              But, really, darlings, the true star of this camp fest is Petunia,  the monkey.  When  Sharon Stone enters the room, with Petunia on her shoulder, who is even looking at Sharon?  With an eye for the camera that I wish some of the actors had, and a haute couture that makes me envious, Petunia is in total command of this show whenever she appears.  And her final triumph is delightful.

                                               I can see ANNA putting her on a "VOGUE" cover!

                                               Now,  if a way could be found to team her, Amanda, and Judy!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              This is camp of the highest order, and if one goes in knowing that, one can enjoy "Ratched."

                                               But anyone expecting a full exploration of she, or any of Kesey's other characters, is  bound to be disappointed.

                                                  I will say the puppet theater scene I found the most disturbing part.  It goes Jamesian,  asking the viewer are we seeing this through the eyes of Ratched, or the children?  And you get two answers, one that explores the sadistic side of children.   Mister Bill proved that decades ago on "Saturday Night Live!"

                                               Better to explore Petunia's back story.  What a past that woman should have!