WITH HER huge eyelashes, huge hair and huge lips thickly coated with shockingly red lipstick, Tammy Faye Messner looked like a child’s doll made up to look like a Las Vegas showgirl. In her attempts to be glamorous, she became a figure of fun.
Eventually, she learned to laugh at herself. It was not easy.
She had a lot to cry about in her life. Her first husband, the televangelist Jim Bakker, was caught up in sexual and financial scandal and their small religious empire vanished in the aftermath. Her second husband, Roe Messner, went to jail for several years for financial misdeeds. Her attempt to make a new career on talk television foundered.
Then she was diagnosed with cancer.
All of her failures, her embarrassments and pain were played out in public. The sight of her weeping before cameras became a common sight. Her mascara left rivers of black running down her tortured face, her lips — still trying to smile — twisted into a gash of pain.
It did not take long for the people who had once laughed at her to begin to pity her — and then to admire her.
No matter how life often knocked her down, she never gave up. Her response to adversity was a quick grief, followed by a reassertion of her natural, sunny optimism. God, she said, would never give her more than she could handle.
Perhaps because of that, she showed that she could handle anything — embarrassment, pain or cancer.
Shortly before she died late last week at her home in Kansas City, she appeared on “Larry King Live.” She was weak, emaciated and obviously terribly sick. She said she was relying on her faith in God to see her safely to the end.
She was wearing the eyelashes and the lipstick.
This time they did not look like a silly affectation; they were badges of defiance and honor.
treetrunk (anonymous) says...
You got this one right. My wife agrees with your every comment. Thanks
July 24, 2007 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Weltha (anonymous) says...
I may not be quite as religous (for lack of better words) as she but I enjoyed her out look on life and she had a wonderful voice. I still have 3 of her vinyl albums she/they put out for the kids many moons ago. Well not quite sooo many moons LOL but I don't want to date my self. She made it. She stayed tuff and firm in her faith no matter what right to the end. Kudos Tammy Faye.
July 24, 2007 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )