Dutchbaby: 12/28/08

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Implied fireworks

My favorite Katharine Hepburn movie of all time is "Summertime", where she played an American spinster who travels to Venice and falls in love with (sigh) Rossano Brazzi:

In honor of New Year's Eve, I present you with a scene with old Hollywood's way of getting around the sensors by the use of, shall we say, implied fireworks:

Wishing you lots of fireworks this New Year's Eve!

Not long ago, tangobaby posted a delightful quiz to determine which female movie icon you most resemble. This remarkable quiz, The Are-You-a-Jackie-or-a-Marilyn-or-Someone-Else-Mad-menra-Female-Icon Quiz is based on only two questions, yet it is surprisingly accurate. Tangobaby learned she was Marilyn Monroe.

I was very happy to learn that I am a Katharine Hepburn. I would have been thrilled if I was Audrey Hepburn, but I'm not sure that was even an option in this test. Even if it was, it would have been inaccurate. Audrey was too sweet and graceful to resemble me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy enough to be Kate. I love her no-nonsense, confident spirit of independence, her integrity, quick wit and honesty. I respect that she was so accomplished and productive. She was a hundred percent comfortable in her own skin. She was one of the first big stars in Hollywood to take control of her career during the era of the studio system. I also truly respect that she was impervious to public opinion and lived an authentic life. She survived the harsh press coverage about her and the love of her life, Spencer Tracy. She lived with the fact that his wife never granted him a divorce yet she accorded her enough respect by not showing up at Spencer's funeral.

But there was dark side to Kate, which unfortunately I would have also have to own. She was honest to a fault, little candy-coating might have served her well, and she liked to control things:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neduJ38MiDQ

As painful as that was to watch, I have to remember that this is the same person who delivered top notch performances every time she appeared on the silver screen.

Though I think I would have preferred Audrey's ethereal gracefulness, it will just have to remain an unattainable goal because if my personality was like hers, I would have wished that I had Kate Hepburn's moxy.

Here are the results to my quiz:

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute
to the world.

How to Get Along with Me
* Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.
* Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.
* Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.
* Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.
* Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.
* Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine
* being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down
* being spontaneous and free-spirited
* being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.
* being generous and trying to make the world a better place
* having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures
* having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine
* not having enough time to do all the things I want
* not completing things I start
* not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career
* having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies
* feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often
* are action oriented and adventuresome
* drum up excitement
* prefer being with other children to being alone
* finesse their way around adults
* dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents
* are often enthusiastic and generous
* want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life
* may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive