Cancer has claimed Farah Fawcett at age 62 unfortunately. She was a 1970’s icon, plain and simple: An entire generation was influenced by her particular look, style and demeanour.
If you don’t believe me, troll some blogs, classmates.com or facebook and look for that peculiar hairstyle of the 70’s. Women either had a parasol perm or a FFM feather cut. It was required as a test of citizenship on Planet Earth.
Now, this is not to say that the 70’s were the ne plus ultra of style, far from it, but Charlie’s Angels, which launched Farah Fawcett, was very much a groundbreaking show in six ways. FFM’s left and right one, Jaclyn Smith’s left and right one and Kate Jackson’s left and right one. Not eyes either. Charlie’s Angels helped coin the term “Jiggle Show”, quite possibly the first.
This isn’t to diminish the acting chops of Fawcett, Smith or Jackson, but still, you didn’t watch Charlie’s Angels for the deep philosophical challenges. You didn’t watch for the bracing characterizations or the remarkable plot twists. You watched for the swimsuit shots, the nipple shots or the glamour shots. And you hoped, nay prayed that something would fall out or be overexposed. It never happened, but you hoped.
Fawcett did other work and her documentary on her cancer is almost too moving to watch without having to hit pause several times. And her passing puts a close on the documentary.
Is her passing a end of an era? Not really, but it is the end of an icon. The same as the passing of Ed McMahon was the passing of a 60’s icon, the passing of Farah Fawcett is the passing of a 70’s icon.
And if you are to believe the news reports right this minute, perhaps an 80’s icon is about to pass too.
RoadDave 