A line from the "Constructing Normalcy" reading by Davis reminded me of an episode of the TV sitcom "The Golden Girls," "in order to select in each her ideal feature or body part and combine these into the ideal figure of Aphrodite, herself an ideal of beauty. One young woman provides a face and another her breasts."
In this episode, Blanche meets a Hungarian artist at the museum where she works, and agrees to pose nude for his sculpture. However, once he meets her room mates Rose and Dorothy, he decides there are other qualities he wants to capture. Consequently, all three women pose for him, and he creates a woman with strength, character, sensuality, vitality, softness, and sweetness - features that come from all three women. I think it is interesting how you can take characteristics of different people and put them together to create an interpretation of the "ideal of beauty."
The mention about the Ringling Brothers in the "Search of Freaks" reading reminded me of another episode where Rose is volunteering at the hospital and meets a celibate monk named Martin. It turns out he is her biological father, and when he asks Rose what she knows about her father she responds, "There was a rumor he was a clown with Ringling Brothers, but it seemed like too much to hope for." Interesting how that possibility excited Rose, and Blanche has called her a freak at least once, but if you are familiar with her character you know she is simple minded, unique, and smart - sometimes.
- Josh Steffen
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