Three eclectic entertainment icons all died within a couple of days this week
You know what they say, death happens in threes and that’s exactly what occurred the past few days with the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. But what a really oddball week of news headlines this was! I was off last week for my weekly “Fun-Filled Friday” segment to attend my 20-year high school reunion in Florida. So I’ve got plenty of material to work with this week to keep me busy. Hold on for a bumpy ride today!
First, let’s talk about these famous people who have passed on from us. Who could forget Ed McMahon and his famous “Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny!” to introduce the great Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show for so many years. For those of you too young to remember who hosted the popular late-night NBC show prior to Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno, here’s a little flashback classic moment for you can laugh about when McMahon was wasted out of his mind during the show:
Too funny! Although for all of his shenanigans as Johnny’s sidekick, he might just as well be long remembered as the spokesman for the Publisher’s Clearinghouse sweepstakes:
Here’s a nice two-minute segment about Ed McMahon who died Wednesday at the age of 86:
Just hours after news of McMahon’s death, we heard about the tragic passing of 1970s sex symbol Farrah Fawcett succumbing to the rare anal cancer at the age of 62. Long heralded for her stunning looks and that trademark hair, her infamous 1976 poster is still one of the biggest sellers of all-time that most men over the age of 40 probably owned at some point:
And advertisers knew they had a winning combination when they teamed up their products with this charming, beautiful, and larger-than-life character–like this classic Noxema television commercial with football great Joe Namath from the early 1970s:
But for all the hoopla and hype that surrounded Farrah Fawcett, she’ll be remembered for her short stint in the TV show Charlie’s Angels with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. These were the original Angels before Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu revived the characters on the silver screen in recent years. Here’s the original opening scene of the pilot episode in 1976:
She did have her weird moments later in life like this interview she did on Late Night with David Letterman after posing nude in Playboy magazine at the age of 50. What was she on?
There’ll never be another Farrah Fawcett, that’s for sure! Finally, hours after hearing about her death, the news came out late yesterday that the “King of Pop” himself Michael Jackson died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 50. This was probably the most shocking of the three deaths this week because Jackson was about to embark on a 50-city European comeback tour. His lasting impact on the history of music cannot be overstated.
Regardless of what you thought about his personal life and antics, Michael Jackson was a pure genius musically, artistically, and talent that could only come from God. I HIGHLY encourage you to visit the official Michael Jackson YouTube channel to see why he is so revered for his life’s work. Of all his performances, the one he did in 2001 at his “30th Anniversary Celebration” with Britney Spears singing “The Way You Make Me Feel” is my favorite:
I grew up as a child of the 1980s and Michael Jackson’s music was an experience. Just hearing songs like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Don’t Stop Til’ You Get Enough,” “Thriller” and “Bad” are like a timeline through my childhood bringing back memories of my life that I’ll never forget. Music has a way of moving you when it comes from someone who sings with such passion, emotion, and depth as Michael Jackson possessed. Not surprisingly, I checked iTunes this afternoon and 7 of the top ten songs as well as 9 of the top ten albums sold today are by Michael Jackson. He will be missed by the tens of millions of fans who beloved his music…and will for many generations to come.
Rest in peace Ed, Farrah, and Michael! THANK YOU for gracing us with your presence here on Earth and sharing pieces of yourself with us all.
Okay, now what about the rest of these really whacked out headlines this week?
My own governor right here in South Carolina admitted to an affair with an unknown woman from Argentina:
I remember when then former U.S. House member Mark Sanford was in a six-way race for the Republican nomination for governor in 2002 and he was such a long shot to win with two other candidates with greater name recognition statewide. But he pulled out the victory in the GOP primary and the went on to defeat incumbent Democrat Gov. Jim Hodges despite concerns by religious conservatives over Sanford’s apparent lack of convictions on such social issues as abortion.
Here I am with Jenny Sanford in May 2006 at the governor’s mansion
Even still he’s been a fantastic governor who has riled up plenty of people in his own party which might explain why so many have been piling on him this week. I’m not defending his actions by any means and he definitely needs to take time to do what he can to reconcile his relationship with his wife Jenny. Incidentally, I had the chance to meet Gov. Sanford and Jenny at their Columbia, SC mansion three years ago where I was honored for my work sharing about healthy living following my low-carb weight loss success. My prayers go out to them through this difficult period in their lives.
Then there was the ABC Primetime special about President Barrack Obama’s healthcare plan which utterly bombed with television viewers. But there was one interesting exchange during the broadcast that is worth noting if you missed this broadcast like most of the country did. It features a comment from the CEO of Aetna Ron Williams who made an interesting analogy about President Obama’s plan making the playing field uneven. Pay attention to how these concerns are responded to by President Obama:
Speaking of President Obama, the guys at JibJab just released their latest video:
Hilarious stuff! See, I told you this was one of the strangest weeks in a long time. I had so much other stuff to share, but it’ll have to wait until the NEXT “Fun-Filled Friday” to be shared. Have a FANTASTIC weekend everyone and THANK YOU for your readership here at the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog. SEE YA!
