Goodbye Anna Nicole

She is a certain personification of the American Dream. The one that Marilyn Monroe left behind decades ago when she passed away in that lonely little bedroom with the mattress and box spring on the floor. And it's the dream so many little girls fantasize about only, most little girls never truly understand just how tough it is to reach the level of an MM.

Anna Nicole Smith, for a very brief moment, almost got somewhere close to that level.

But though she never did reach the heights of Marilyn or Mamie or Jayne, she was something of a sensation, the kind of creature that only pulp fiction and Jacqueline Susann discuss with both sleazy relish and an odd sense of truth. And I loved her for that. She was beautiful, she was a gold digger, she was fat, she was thin, she was insane, she was sweet, she was exploited, she was dumb and smart, she was fake and obnoxiously real, she was drug addled, she was grief stricken, she was an absolute fucking train wreck...she was The Valley of the Dolls. An old fashioned dime-store version of the American Dream that has now, sadly, become a dime-store American tragedy.

You can laugh, or make fun, or say all you want about her, but I will always be on Anna Nicole's side.

R.I.P. Vickie Lynn Hogan.

Comments

[theron]

As a Houstonian, I'm gonna miss Anna Nicole. She was a mess, but she was our mess.

I remember the first time I saw her. It was a Guess jeans ad. I remember thinking, "Who is THAT? She's amazing!" A beautiful girl that lost her way...oldest story in the book - but that doesn't make it any less sad.

[Kim]

Thank you for that. I was almost shocked by how sad her death made me.

But then I remembered when I was younger, how I felt when I first saw her. I was such a fan (as I continue to be) of old movie stars and those Guess ads evoked that old glamour chiefly because of Anna. And of course there was her rags to riches story that mirrored the likes of Harlow and Joan and and Ava and Marilyn. Obviously she never got to their level, but she still fascinated. And she was indeed stunningly beautiful. I can't help it, stunningly beautiful plus drug addled mess plus possible sleaze-bag exploitation via Howard K. Stern makes me feel tragedy. I know there are worse things going on in the world, but, well whatever. Anna Nicole makes me sad.

[Stacie]

I'm glad you wrote this eloquent little tribute. I've been trying to avoid web news about it as much as possible because for every ONE post like this, there's TEN that are simply callous and cruel. Yes, isn't it funny when someone loses their way, leads a troubled life, and dies far too young?

I painted this a long time ago:

http://www.stahss.com/ptgs/images/annanicole.jpg

Maybe I'll finally hang it up.

[Antonia]

I am saddened by her death, I have always wished her dreamS could come true. She has always wanted the dreams that every women wants in life. To be respected, loved, and beleived in. I know she is happy now, she will be better because Daniel is with her to comfort and hold her as she misses Danielynn.

Anna, I will miss you. May you rest in peace, remember God will never judge you the way the way you were judged down here. He will love you because you are you.

REST IN PEACE, YOU DESERVE IT.

[Tee]

she was a beautiful wild and free women much like marilyn monroe, her death was tragic and broke the hearts of many as did miss Monroe's, but at least shes in a better place- R.I.P. ANNA nicole SMITH