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Why am I not surprised you are part of BADD, BG? All kidding aside, thank you so much for participating.


A sense of humor is essential don't you think? I can think of many comedians who had mental illnesses, addictions and pretty pathetic personal lives, used racial issues, gender issues etc to be irreverent. It's funny if they think it is I guess. Interesting point you are making!


I'm all in favour of finding stuff funny, laughing at the absurd, even when it's about something unpleasant. It's part gallows humour, part black comedy.

If the person making the joke is not making the disabled / ethnic / gay the butt of the joke, but rather laughing with them, then I really don't see a problem.

But then I don't have a disability, am part of an ethnic majority, am male, and hetero, so maybe I shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion...

And I'm always wary of those lists of "famous people with X" as it seems to me that in many cases after their death they are said to have had it because they have shared one or more symptoms, because someone is looking for people to put on their list, rather than them being genuine diagnoses.

But then again, I'm just a cynical, sarcastic so-and-so.


Nothing wrong with you finding the humor in Frances Farmer's situations, especially 60+ years after the fact. The "crazy people" (just quoting ;) laugh about it as much as anyone . Keeps 'em from going insane. I've had some good yuks in the psychiatric ward (visiting ;) , discussing such things . Relax, BG. You're fine. :)

Michael Bains

Qualified to write 'bout disabledilities? You? Let me put it this way:

I prolly wouldn't have offed me back in '06, when we first "met" online, but as miserable as I've often been through the times since, you've always been there. Almostly exclusively online, to be completely correct, but none the less and mightily funnily and understandingly so. You, my dear internetian amiga, are eminently qualified to discuss the most undiscussible of topics, by simple virtue of your being You. Whatevs the many wonderfully Human things it weres and ares that makes you So.

I must confess, more than once I've thought how pathetic my mind, I was being and was astonished to find myself to ask myself, "would BG care that you're pathetic? Wouldn't she say 'you're just being human, MB!'" And, vois la! I'd find myself not needing to reach some sort of bottom before snappin' out of it.

(Shhhh. Little secret, here: You're one of those few folks for whom, when I write "lol" it means not only "lots o' laughs" but "lots o' love" as well. lol!)

Thank you, "BG". Sincerely and with enthusiasm!


Wow, Frances Farmer dropped a c-bomb back when that word was really worth something.

zombie rotten mcdonald

"Frances Farmer will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" takes on a new light....

Brett Barenleute

Speaking as a person with both physical disabilities (paraplegia, chronic pain, & others) learning disabilities (dyslexia) and psychiatric differences (dissociative identity disorder, depression, anxiety disorders) I think your BADD blog was marvelous! You show great sensitivity and a willingness to try and see things from the other people's viewpoint. Bravo! What better qualifications could you ask for?

zombie rotten mcdonald

All joking and weirdness aside, BG, I agree with BB.

Having been involved with accessiblity in the built environment for pretty much my entire professional life, such as it is (this includes design of a public fair facility for the NSCIA) I gotta say that in experience, all you really need is to treat anybody with disabilities as a person, first.

Which I have seen that you do at all times, even to Red Republicans or Zombies.

Ronzoni Rigatoni

"Cocksucker?" That alone ranks her among the greatest women that ever lived. I absolutely believe she was as "normal" as anybody, including the alcoholism, which may have been her only affliction. It can happen to anyone, and was/is certainly treatable.

Poor gal. Seems everybody over reacted. I wonder what Brittany's bio is gonna look like in a coupla years.


I had read about Frances' faith and how a lot of the lesser and more known movie stars at that time were abused financially and exploited sexually by men, whose names we still read when we read the names of the great studios and production companies...
I think you are right to question whether laughing at Frances' life is adequate.

BTW, I like your blog

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