Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Things That Annoyed Me Today

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In my profile on the right, I say that in addition to other topics, I write about things that annoy me. Here are the things that annoyed me today:

  • People who are shocked — shocked! — by Farrah Fawcett’s death. What? She was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and was clearly terminal in recent months. It seems to me that she suffered too long. I think it’s appalling that people with terminal illnesses like hers and Jade Goody‘s can’t opt for assisted suicide when all hope is gone.
  • Alessandra Stanley’s essay on Farrah in the New York Times. Who do I have to sleep with to make sure no one writes such a depressing story about me upon my death? Sure, Farrah had her career low points, but nothing compared to, say, those of Michael Jackson. Speaking of which…
  • People who are shocked — shocked! — by Michael Jackson’s death. Did anyone envision this deeply troubled soul living to a ripe old age? See also: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley.  This is not the assassination of John Lennon, people. That was shocking. This is just tragic.
  • Music producer Quincy Jones for saying of Jackson, “I lost my little brother today…“ Dude! Are you being vain about your age in someone’s obit? You’re 26 years older than Michael was. When there’s an age difference like that, you’re more parental than brotherly. (Or you might be husbandly, in my world. Still. You’re not the big brother.)

Something annoyed me last week, too, and that something was a 20-year-old cosmetology student named Kristin Lopez who wandered onto the pages of the New York Times just to antagonize me. Speaking of $13 to $25 clothes at Kmart, Ms. Lopez told the Times, “A lot of the clothes look cheap.” Fair enough. Cheap stuff often looks cheap. But then she said, “I don’t like the way they fit, and, for the quality, the prices are too high.” Those prices are too high? Those prices that include material, manufacturing, shipping, and everything else? What kind of child slave labor would you like to employ, Ms. Lopez, to ensure that your $13 piece of crap looks like a million bucks? Jebus! Stick to your cosmetology books and stay out of my paper.

To end on a positive note, my designing friend Zang Toi worked with Farrah and, in an email to me, described her as “the kindest.” Isn’t that nice to know?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. My Anti-spam word is way. Which I shall now use in another way, popularized at some point in the recent past. My sieve-mind cannot remember how recent, and to tell you the truth, I hope I use it correctly. As in, I say, “WendyB’s my outspoken, truth-telling, creative, fearless blog idol!” And Mama says, “Way!”

  6. I didn’t see MJ living to a ripe old age either, but I’m still a bit shocked about his death. It’s not like in Farrah’s case where you knew it was coming. I’m surprised he died of a heart attack.

  7. You know what, miss B? I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with all of that. And may I say, I sort of dig Farrah’s ’70s hairdo. I sort of dig the ’70s! (I said “dig” twice, shoot me)

    As for the cheap clothes thing, I’m not sure what someone is expecting for $13 except something you can wear for a summer and then discard. You’re not buying quality just adequacy. As a financially challenged individual currently myself, I buy my share of “cheap” and get what I can for the money but never do I expect my $25 dress to be made of the finest fabrics and workmanship – I just expect it to look good for a while with my accessories and get me through the day without falling apart! Pah.

  8. Hi Wendy-yeah I am thinking along the same lines as you. With both Farrah and Michael I too didn’t really think Farrah would make it as long as she did, considering where she was at in her illness, and with MJ, it just seemed like lately there were those strange rumors about his health that made his death less shocking. It still is a little surprising, but not like, as you said John Lennon’s murder.
    I don’t know about the clothes thing, although it sounds snotty. I am not a high fashion kind of guy-I shop for clothes at Target or (used to)Mervyns!

  9. I wasn’t really shocked in either case. I actually found Jackson less shocking than Farrah just because he’s been a train wreck for so long. Both passings were tragic in that these people died young. I am personally not looking forward to the zoo that will surround Jackson’s funeral.

  12. Death is never pleasant and I think it has been a very trying day for everyone, especially the close friends and families of both who have passed away. I am a firm believer in leaving the dead to peace, so I wouldn’t see the point in writing snarky postmortem articles. Celebrate the good that they’ve done in life and leave the demons to death.

  13. QOH, I’m not annoyed with the deceased. I’m annoyed with the foolish comments I’ve read. Farrah was terminally ill and going to die, so people writing “I can’t believe it” hundreds of times on Twitter is ridiculous. As for Jackson, he was a talented man who was clearly in TERRIBLE physical condition for years; recent photos showed him to be completely emaciated right before he was supposed to start a big tour. As far as the good they did in life, while Jackson knew how to entertain people, I fear he — psychologically at least — scarred quite a few children, including his own. I don’t see why I have to deify him. Often artists who produce great art are lousy people. That was the case with Lennon too. I can accept that reality.

  14. Michael and Farrah both having passed away is very sad, yet I solely agree with you. I think many are shocked because Michael was going on tour within weeks and suddenly he dies, it is tragic as you say!

  17. Opening Facebook this morning it looked to me like all the people I know got crazy and lost contact with reality…It was relieving to read your post and find someone who actually thought what I thought!

    Of course I’m sorry for him as I would be for ANY other human being suffering and dying, but I’ve never heard any of these people mentioning MJ in the past decade – why are they all acting like fans in shock now..?!

  19. I think both things are tragic but you’re right, not all that shocking (especially Farrah) I didn’t expect MJ to live forever, but I did expect him to finish his comeback tour!!

  24. You’re right again, Wendy! Although I was surprised to hear about MJ’s death, I AM annoyed by all of the glorification of him today. Not long ago he was downright ridiculed and called a child molester.

    As for Ms. Lopez, she’s obviously been sleeping under a rock for the last two decades of her life. ANyone who complains about $13 clothes is downright retarded.

  25. I was surprised by the two deaths simply because I wasn’t paying attention, and BOOM. They happened. Of course, I had envisioned Fawcett’s death coming much sooner, because I knew she had an illness and was reaching the end. In Jackson’s case, I’d just stopped paying attention, because he’d moved out of the country, and wasn’t in the news anymore.

    I knew people who had terminal cancer that wanted it to just be over—theydidn’t want to just wait for death.

    As for Jackson, knows what the real state of his health was? He had a lot of wacky stuff going on in his life.

  27. I love reading lists of annoying things! By the way, those things annoy me too. My husband predicted at the time of Michael Jackson’s trial, “He will be dead within ten years.”

  28. How is it that you always perfectly articulate EXACTLY what I am thinking? Thank you for this post. My irritation is slightly abated.

  30. So far it seems only you and John Landis have kept your heads re: Michael Jackson. He is a tragic figure. And every time I see one of those old Jackson Five performances, I mourn for the nine-year old MJ.

    And come on, Ms. Stanley, Farrah was such an icon she inspired high school girls to set each others hair on fire. Give her a fabulous send off!

  32. Well said. While I can easily see how both of these deaths are big news (Jackson especially), and I’m rather sad about Farrah Fawcett, neither of them are particularly shocking, and I think I’m going to have to stay away from the TV this weekend, as the 24 hour coverage will shred my last remaining nerves. As for the Kmart clothes, I think that we’d all be far better off if fewer cheap consumer goods were available.

  34. Well said! It’s a blessing that Farah has finally passed away. I had to watch both my parents die slowly and painfully from cancer and the fact she survived as long as she did was in itself a miracle. At least she’s not suffering anymore.
    MJ was so mentally and physically fucked up I am not in the least bit surprised he died. He must have been battling his personal demons every single day of life.

  36. I am already sick to death of the MJ mourning extravaganza that is going on everywhere. I am not shocked he died, to be honest, I am not really shocked about anyone’s death. Saddened often, but not shocked.
    In MJ’s case, he had so many issues, including some terrible ones (hello, possible kiddie fiddler?), I don’t understand how these can all be forgotten suddenly.

    And while everyone is crying about MJ, nobody says a word about the wonderful Farrah Fawcett who spent years battling with a terrible disease.

    X

  37. You know who pissed me off? Al Sharpton saying that MJ “broke down the color curtain” so that Obama could become president.

    ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

  39. I hear you, babe.

    Poor Farrah. Michael Jackson just had to be an attention whore to the very end. His death knocked Farrah off the cover of People Magazine next week.

  40. All good points.

    And on the subject of people being shocked, I was shocked today to find out that the Empire Beauty School near me offers $5 haircuts.

    Not that I’m going to risk it on my beautiful locks but I was still shocked.

  41. Perhaps what you rail against is the misuse of the English language. LOL. People are not literally shocked by their deaths, but reach for that description because it’s the most comforting one. I know they weren’t family friends or anything, but I think they are pop icons synonymous with certain eras. A giant LOL goes out to your commentary about child labor. Not that child labor is funny, but you’re right. We often don’t think about the source of high fashion buys. It’s going to fall apart, people.

  43. We should remember Michael today! We enjoyed his music, grew up on that shit! Everybody, everybody was into him in the 80’s, y’all know it…he gave so much to modern music and we returned the favor by tearing him apart and breaking him down. I don’t envy his life…we reaped the benefits of his pain. There was a sad human life there.

  44. Farrah’s death is sad but not unexpected as you pointed out. She’s been so ill for so long. As for MJ, I think “shocked” is too strong of a word but I’m certainly surprised. I mean, if someone was alive one day and dropped dead of cardiac arrest the next, I think surprise is warranted.

  45. RIP Farrah. And may MJ find the peace he’s been searching for.

    WendyB, you use shock tactics to zap us out of the blues, and it works LOL!

  46. well said, ms b! i happen to agree w/u 100% on every point. both FF & MJ’s deaths are certainly sad, no doubt about it. but it was inevitable that FF would leave this world sooner than later. and MJ was just playing russian roulette w/his life. but it doesn’t make both their deaths any less sad.

  47. Wendy,

    Very well pointed here…I think like you…and about MJ, for me, he became a freak a long time ago…I am not sad because he is dead…He did a lot of wrong things with his life..however he was a true genius…

  48. What I meant to say was high street buys. See above. Oops.

    And after writing my little rant about blatant misuse of the English language, I went back and read my own blog entry about MJ’s death and realized that I did use the word “shocking” in my description.

    Probably not shocking to most of you, I know. LOL.

  49. Dreamsequins, LOL. I will let you off the hook for that. I do think it’s always a shock when you first hear bad news. Sometimes even when you’re expecting it, because maybe you’re hoping for a miracle. I was more annoyed by people who were whining, “I just can’t belieeeeeeeeeve it” and reading cosmic significance into it and whatever. Because, after the initial impact of hearing the news, you have to think, “Well, God, this guy was been in sad decline for a long time. The surprise was that he lasted this long.”

  50. That reminds me that I was wondering, if high street companies used the sort of labor people say they want would American Apparel prices become the standard for cheap clothing, as opposed to H&M?