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Welcome back to Doris Dear’s Gurl Talk. Today in the Rumpus Room we are yet again with Miss Helen Gurley Brown and her 1962 album “Lessons in Love”. This album was an addendum to her best seller “Sex and the Single Girl” and it’s Full of advice. Today Helen really shows us her philosophy in which women are the rulers, not only in the bedroom, but on the job. Take a listen to this track entitled “ The Love Life of a Boss and Secretary”. Sharpen those pencils and get ready… Helen puts the woman in charge. Now let's talk about a very important man in your life. If you're a secretary. If this is to be that most satisfactory of all man woman relationships, the first thing to do is hire the right boss. See how Helen turns the tables and instead of the woman tirelessly trying to find a job she puts the woman in charge. The WOMAN is doing the hiring here! Nows listen to this… If you're efficient and discriminating, you certainly can hire A rich, successful, beautiful kind. Wonderful, lovable employer. If, in spite of careful sifting of prospects, however, it becomes obvious that you've managed to hire A loser. The kindest thing to do is to fire him, give him a couple of weeks notice and tell him you'll give him his references for a new secretary if he wants them.> ok I adore this. Remember we are in 1962! This was revolutionary! OK Helen, hit us with some more… But suppose you've managed to hire A jewel. Well, I can think of dozens of reasons why you shouldn't become this man's mistress, especially if he's a wonder boy. You need him as a stabilizing, mature Plymouth Rock kind of influence. Besides, your job should give you solace when love affairs are turning wormy. If your boss is the love affair and the office is your daily trysting place. Where you're going? Do be efficient. I know it seems unnecessary, but you'll have such a nice warm feeling about it. I know one chap who actually gets tears in his eyes when he finds long freshly sharpened pencils in his desk drawer and the sight of a new address book chokes him up all morning. Be the bearer of lovely tidings every day. You are sharazad amusing the king if you have to make them up well, just make them good. If you can imply that the prettiest girl in the filing room has the hots for your boss, you may still be there when your profit sharing is really amounted to something. Your boss and you can have a lifelong flame, the kind that never ends. If you choose him wisely and love him well I love how Helen is always talking about “profit sharing”. Did all those girls in the “pool” get profit sharing. Now remember this is the early 60’s. Women couldn’t open checking accounts or buy houses without a man cosigning for them. Helen was bringing the “Sex and the City” lifestyle to women long before Amanda ever even thought about it. Taffy worked in a bank when I was in the 8th grade. She demanded women could wear pants, the bosses said no but she fought against them and won. The rules for that certain international bank changed the rules so women could wear pants to work! Mom was a leader in her own right. A beautiful, strong mother, wife and caretaker. At the door we get a surprise visit from Sandy Duncan!!! Sandy is an acclaimed TV, film, and Broadway star, with unforgettable performances in "The Hogan Family," "The Sandy Duncan Show" and the Broadway productions of "Peter Pan" and "The Boyfriend." I can't wait for you to hear her share her stories and insights with me on this special episode.
I also mixed up a fab cocktail for Sandy... The Dorothy Parker! A wonderful concoction that fits this dynamo performer! It's a yummy cocktail full of Gin, St Germain and Basil! MMMMM good!
Welcome to the Bar Cart, the place where we make the cocktails, we serve in the Rumpus room. Today we enjoyed the Dorothy Parker, named after the infamous “Algonquin Round Table” leader The infamous Algonquin Hotel on 99 West Forty-fourth Street, had a storied reputation for attracting actors, poets and literary characters. The very first guests checked in on November 22, 1902 when a room and bath cost two dollars a day, while a three-bedroom, three-bath suite with private hall, sitting room, dining room, and library ran ten dollars, that’s about $350 today! Dorothy Parker's career took off in 1918 while she was writing theater criticism for Vanity Fair. Ms Parker and her literary friends began lunching at the Algonquin Hotel on a near-daily basis and became founding members of what became known as the Algonquin Round Table. The Algonquin’s Blue Bar created a cocktail named after the infamous Dorothy Parker and rightfully so. Her verses were usually concerned with love, loss and Champaign! The Blue Bar at the hotel takes its name from its blue lighting, a recommendation by actor John Barrymore. He told the owner that blue gels are placed over stage lights because they make people look good. With that advice, Case installed blue lighting in the bar. Hmmmm Guess I need more Blue Lighting! Once while Ms Parker was in her room, (she lived at the Hotel), the front desk asked if she “had a gentleman in her room”. It was the 1920’s when men we not allowed in a ladys room. She answered “hold on, I’ll ask him!”. Wow, I would have loved to have met her! In the 1920’s alone. Ms Parker published over 300 poems and verses in publications like Vanity Fair, Vogue, The New Yorker and more. Her first volume of poetry entitled “Enough Rope” in 1926 sold over 47,000 copies… Imagine that! WOWZA! The Algonquin Round Table eventually wrote a musical revue entitled “ No Siree!” with many of its members writing skits and starring in it. Ms Parker wrote a musical number entitled The Everlastin’ Ingenue Blues” which featured chorus girls Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes and other luminaries of the stage. It ran for one night only and was a huge success. Groucho Marx said "The price of admission is a serpent's tongue and a half-concealed stiletto." Dorothy Parker herself apparently said “The Round Table was just a lot of people telling jokes and telling each other how good they were.” LOL Sounds like a love hate relationship between artists. AHHHH the good ol days! Her legacy lives on today. In fact , Television creator Amy Sherman-Palladino of the Mrs Mazel fame, named her production company 'Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions' in tribute to Parker. And of course there is the cocktail, created for the Blue Bar by Allen Katz, general manager of the New York Distilling Company. To quote Dorothy herself… “I love a martini, but 2 at the most, 3 I’m under the table, 4 I’m under the host. And now… The Dorothy Parker INGREDIENTS 2 to 3 ounces gin ½ ounce St. Germain ½ ounce fresh lemon juice Honey to taste Basil leaves DIRECTIONS Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir or shake. Pour into chilled glass. Garnish with basil. Well I hope you enjoyed your stay in the Rumpus Room today.. I love when friends drop by and we share some fun ideas and bring some joy to the world around us. Don’t forget… head over to www.dorisdear.com/gurl-talk for all the recipes and hints from today’s show I hope you’ll drop by the Rumpus Room again for more Doris Dear’s Gurl Talk. Stay safe and hugs and love from Doris Dear … and remember… A Dress doesn’t get you anywhere, it’s the life you live in the dress that matters! Thank you for your continued support of Doris Dear. |
