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Thursday, March 24, 2011

QOTD #5 - On Liz Taylor

I'm not one to worship at the cult of celebrity. Not much and not at all. But sometimes, Hollywood seeps into my life in ways I can't even begin to explain. I present Elizabeth Taylor, who as everyone on and off the planet now knows passed away yesterday at the age of 79, as a prime example.

She was a huge star in an era when being an icon meant something. Her star had faded by the time I came along, but my parents, who also tended to view all things celeb-like with suspicion, always spoke about Ms. Taylor in reverent tones, as if she was somehow different from the other stars who came and went.

Indeed, she was different, as her later-in-life charitable work in many ways eclipsed anything she may have ever done onscreen. She led a purposeful life, and left the world better than she found it. So when I heard the news, I thought it would be strangely appropriate to share this quote of hers. It shows she wasn't simply a creation of celebrity. She understood what really mattered well beyond Lalaland:
"I hope with all of my heart that I have made a difference in the lives of people with AIDS. I want that to be my legacy."
Elizabeth Taylor
Your turn: I think she got her wish. What about you?

3 comments:

  1. i definitely think she has gotten her wish, tho i bet she wished it came much earlier... there is a certain cross section of the public that look down on celebrities who are like ms. taylor... i've heard people put down celebrities because they are too much of a bleeding heart/liberal.. some of them are people i know who are of a different political party.. funny how u never hear of that other political party doing altrustic things... celebrities are of a different breed, actors, singers, dancers are by nature more sensitive and i guess elizabeth taylor proves it...

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  2. she did do well raising awareness and hope for people with AIDS, and bless her for that.

    I also admire her for her courage as an actress. I am specifically thinking of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" - which is a pretty risky role for a glamorous movie star to take on - and it's pretty amazing.

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