Missing Icons

As a friend said to me this morning, "What are the chances of the #1 pop icon from the 70s and the #1 pop icon from the 80s both dying on the same day?"

I agree with his assessment of Michael in the 80s--no one was bigger, and Thriller was the biggest thing to come along, from the standpoint of taking over the whole nation and a big part of the world, in a loooong time. Has anything replicated it since?

As for Farrah, I can't say if she was #1 in the 70s. Mostly due to my poor memory of whatever else was going on. In terms of Charlie's Angels, I was more attracted to Kate Jackson's husky voice and Jaclyn Smith's syrupy sultriness than to Farrah--maybe because she was just so perfect and thus, unattainable.

I do remember, quite vividly, her famous poster. In fact, I had cut out a small picture of it from a magazine and was using it as a bookmark for a spell. One day it fell out right in front of my mother. Words cannot adequately capture her tirade. From that moment on, I never spoke to either parent about any girl again until I had to tell them I was getting married.

RIP, Farrah (and Michael). Whenever I look at my wife's picture from 7th grade with the side flipbacks, I will think of you.