Here’s the conversation Crankenstein and I had about The American Look earlier this week, along with a discussion guide for anyone who wants to skip around:
- 0 – 10 minutes: Introductory talk about Bootsie Gumdrop(s), Charlie’s Angels, and delighting in feminine things like lace. I gave this additional thought afterward and outside of lingerie can’t remember a single time I’ve worn or otherwise interacted with lace over the past 20 years.
- 10 – 15 minutes: Evaluating oneself in the mirror; eating disorder talk (part one).
- 15 – 23 minutes: Hair, makeup, and discussion of “Gentle Hands and Perfect Feet,” one of the book’s funniest chapters.
- 23 – 28 minutes: Eating disorder talk (part two) as we cover “Eating Well is the Best Revenge,” the diet and nutrition chapter.
- 28 – 35 minutes: Glamour Shots, Tupperware parties, and whether we’ll follow in Smith’s delicate footsteps — she’s partial to ballet flats at home — and start wearing driving gloves or conditioning our eyelashes. In the spirit of Papa, I briefly raise the Kupferschmidt question of whether ancestry might play a role in one’s desire to embody the American look.
Unfortunately, I had to delete about 60 seconds of additional Angels talk that Muriel disrupted. In it we referenced Police Woman’s rampant sexism (which Crankenstein wants me to write an episode guide about) and I mentioned feeling bad for the Angels cast that their big breaks came from a show that wasn’t particularly interested in utilizing their talents. Crankenstein also gave Kate Jackson’s Black Death performance a nod of approval.
Finally, a correction: When discussing school superlatives I meant to say it was a practice that continued into the ’80s and at least part of the ’90s. And here’s the Bootsie Gumdrop link for the morbidly curious. I’m uncertain whether to pluralize Gumdrop since Smith has written it both ways.