Can Judy Dean give our “thing culture” an extreme makeover?
Salon: Arianna Huffington: ‘Ever since her surprisingly ready-for-Prime-Time appearance, I’ve lost count of the number of men who have told me that they have fallen for Mrs. Dean.’ [→ READ ]
This Salon article about Judy Dean’s appearance with Howard on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer (transcript and video links) is one of the loveliest things I’ve read this month.
Let Wesley Clark have the endorsement of the Material Girl; Howard Dean has the support of the Unacquisitive Girl.
One of the reasons I was so moved by Judy Dean’s heartfelt declaration of independence from our Thing Culture is that it reminded me so much of my mother — who was the ultimate nonthing person.
When she died, she left behind no prized possessions — not surprising considering her habit of giving such things away. …
People like my mother and Judy Dean stand in stark contrast to our national obsession with consumption. Our “Supersize Me!” society has so elevated the manufactured over the meaningful that when somebody dares question the value of our collective covetousness we react like they’ve impugned the legitimacy of the scriptures.
I’m fascinated to read Arianna reporting that many men have told her they have a crush — based on her authenticity — on Judy. I came away from the interview thinking, man, she’s the kind of person I would fall for, too.
(Good news is, in all the important ways, I did fall for someone like Judy!)
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