ATTITUDE
Attitude begins first and foremost with John Stuart Mill, whom I call the
King of Attitude. Check out this page
of quotes I have selected from On Liberty. I believe that the
people I've chosen below in some way (perhaps not in many ways, but at
least in some) haven't bowed themselves to the yoke of society or the
tyranny of the majority.
Kathie Lee Gifford, Richard Simmons, Tom Jones, the
Spice Girls. These
characters are peppy, effervescent, and widely criticized. But to
celebrate them is to celebrate the silly! They are virtual wellsprings of
tackiness, and I love it. Society has not gotten the better of their
individuality yet. These celebrities know that they are often scorned, but
they keep on performing and maintaining their integrity.
Kathie Lee Gifford is a gifted poet and writer,
unbeknownst to many of her detractors.
She's not afraid to put her life
out there in print, even though some college kids may buy her book and
laugh at it. Check out my Kathie Lee link to read her poem about her son
Cody. It shows insight and some tentative inner strength, the kind that
helped her pull through when Frank Gifford and the tabloids put her
through some tough times.
Richard Simmons has helped so
many people through his weight loss programs and his humor on the Tonight
Show and Late Night with David Letterman. In fact, I wrote him a fan
letter consoling him about the way Leno and Letterman rib him on their
shows. He sent back a wonderful signed photo of himself chained to a fork,
and it's personalized to me! He really reaches out to people, albeit in
his own unique way. This
site
tells
the touching story of how he saved one woman's life. Many people claim to
hate Richard Simmons, but why do they criticize his irrepressible spirit
and style?
Tom Jones. Wow.
This man is a talented performer that electrifies audiences. Is it any
wonder that he is one of Marge Simpson's fave musicians? And people cringe
when the first bars of "It's Not Unusual" are played on the radio, but its
sheer tackiness has been captured by director Tim Burton in several of his
films, including Edward Scissorhands, one of my favorites.
The Spice Girls. Girl Power!
They're really not that annoying. In fact, their movie is kinda
funny! It's worth watching whether you hate or love the Spice Girls. The
Spice Girls definitely have the right attitude, encouraging young girls to
stand up for themselves.
Molly Ivins, my favorite journalist, is also a fan of pop culture and
tackiness. She, too, has a whole heap of attitude. In her newest book,
You've Got to Dance with Them What Brung You, she writes, "I have
come to love Las Vegas on the grounds that it is so tacky it is an art
form in itself -- haute tacky. ... In its
johns-are-sanitized-for-your-protection way, the Mall of America is also
an art form. It is haute nice."
So basically, go nuts. Celebrate the usual, the ordinary, and especially,
the tacky. Face it, gaudy is cool. No one likes to admit it, but everyone
loves the Backstreet Boys secretly, right? Show off that mediocrity! By
doing so, your attitude will put you high above the rest.
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