by jcg » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:36 am
Just got done watching this show and, like all the others in this series, it was a serious, unsensational look at what took our beloved chanteuse so early. And while unsensational, it did not wince from controversial scenarios. Several things stick out:
1. I always suspected that the death scene and death reports were whitewashed to protect her reputation. From the morning of her last performance at the Palladium to the moment she went to bed at Curzon Place, much more than 30 hours straight had lapsed. At 32, it would have been virtually impossible to stay awake that long without some form of stimulant and, due to the fact that she went to Mick Jaggar's birthday party and knowing what the Stones and Co were into at that time (not to mention that it was just beginning to rear its ugly head in the Rock-n-Roll community), it seems very probable that cocaine was the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of her heart. Of course, the Sleep Apnea theory is also compelling.
2. Cass' great generosity as well as her loneliness come across like no other medium could convey. The sadness and unfairness of what she went through as an overweight woman at a time when Twiggy ruled the world was uncomfortable to contemplate and, unfortunately, still prevalent in our culture. I wish I had a dime for every time I've heard "that Melissa McCarthy has such a beautiful face. If only she'd lose the weight...."
3. George Caldwell. There is an untold story there. What did he do with her personal items? What happened to him after she passed? Something about this guy stinks to high heaven.
4. The effing ham sandwich story was confronted and debunked through a medium more likely to reach a large audience. I pray it disappears from our culture.
All-in-all, I'm pleased with the show. It was respectful of Cass and her family without sugarcoating the facts. I thought I couldn't possibly love this woman any more than I already do; this show proved me wrong. My love and appreciation for what she went through has increased in spades.