After you read this, you might be asking, and rightly so, why I took the time out of my day to type a passage verbatim from a fairly esoteric book no one I know has read. Well, I was bored, and also today is/would be Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. I understand that the following passage is fairly…
I think the behind the scenes people and the lesser known names are amazing and they are the ones who keep things moving (actually, I’m mostly behind the scenes or play the tiny roles as it were, so I don’t think I have to defend my love of the people who do the work), but ultimately, it was Lucille Ball’s face, expressions, and timing that opened others up to seeing a woman be funny. She was funny and people liked her.
Listen to this podcast to hear an example of what I mean. Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on the original Star Trek, was an icon to many and shares some INCREDIBLE stories of people telling her how effected they were by her playing that role. Later in her life, she really embraces that and it’s amazing, but we shouldn’t downplay her in favor of Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry was the genius behind Star Trek, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was Nichols herself who was the face inspiring the (many amazing) people who told her how she helped them over the years.
Lucille Ball may have leaned on others, but who cares? As long as she wasn’t actively trying to stop other women from excelling, then that is her choice. Ultimately, everyone plays their part. And it is near impossible to quantify how each part affected the larger movement. Personally, I always feel like it diminishes both sides to act like one is more important than the other.
Plus, Lucy may have been vacuuming (she was also sleeping in separate bed from Desi; given the time it doesn’t seem crazy to me that they would do that or vacuum) but while Ricky is the one in charge, I don’t think it ever feels like he is in charge, ever. He may scold her and she may go “waaaaah,” but it never felt like she was actually in trouble so much as her plans had gone off the rails and caused a bigger problem than initially intended, in which case, I can understand a “waaaaah.”
Seriously though, listen to that podcast. There are two episodes with Nichelle Nichols. Start with “On the Bridge to Equality,” because that is the first part of the interview and get ready to cry. Seriously, it is AMAZING.
Thank you, Daisy. Agreed.
