A Hard Day's Night poster (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I don’t know how anyone could even begin to discuss the Beatles without discussing the movies A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965). In my opinion those movies and albums are what really began to set them apart from everyone else. Prior to A Hard Day’s Night (1964), my personal favorite, pop and rock bands did not make movies or videos. It paved the way for The Monkees TV show and so much more. The movies hold up even today and are just a whole lot of fun. A Hard Day’s Night (1964) in particular, meant to offer a true look into a day in the life of the band. Can you imagine a world without music videos?
Believe it or not, there are a couple of instances in the past few years in which Turner Syndrome was portrayed, fairly correctly, in pop culture. Personally I am glad to see it. Let’s start with the book.
The protagonist of Jennifer Haigh’s 2008 novel The Condition, Gwen, has Turner Syndrome. While the “condition” of the novel supposedly refers to Turners, it really, at the end of the novel, represents the human condition. I won’t go into detail about Gwen’s family, all of whom are much more screwed up than she is, other than to say the entire novel is about family dysfunction and the million little ways in which we hurt each other.
For a time, I felt conflicted about the book. For every woman with Turners who felt the book accurate, there were just as many who saw it as inaccurate. From my perspective, it is fairly accurate; it just uses the physical and social characteristics associated with Turners to full effect. After reading the book a second time, I still find it hard to fairly review the book. I suppose in some ways it describes various aspects of Turners a little too well.
There are a few scenes in the book that I could directly relate to as a woman with Turners. The scene in which Gwen is compared to a female cousin approximately the same age breaks my heart, as did the scene in which Gwen begs her Mother for a new bathing suit. I could relate. I have a slightly older female cousin who happened to wear women’s sizes long before I could. I distinctly remember feeling left out, never able to catch up, and plain envious. Jennifer Haigh captured the situation well, but I wish she would’ve included more from Gwen’s perspective, even if she was a child at the time.
One of the most perplexing and complicated relationships in the novel happens to be between Gwen and her Mother. Again, I found I could relate to their relationship, unfortunately. Gwen seemed to have the need to become her own woman, in spite of what her Mother thought best. While I have a better relationship with my Mom than Gwen had with hers, I do feel she doesn’t even begin to understand where I am coming from at times. While that may be true for many mothers and daughters, I do think a diagnosis of Turner Syndrome strains that particular relationship. How can mothers help their daughters deal with almost certain infertility, especially at a young age? I was diagnosed at age three and knew about infertility by age ten. I don’t think there is an answer and I don’t think most moms know how to even begin to address it.
Most of the action in the novel pertaining to Gwen revolves around her finally finding love and happiness. The details pertaining to the reactions of her family members, some of which are just plain awful, seem a bit far-fetched. Then again, many people just do not know what to make of women with Turner Syndrome at times, especially when it comes to romantic relationships and sex. While the book ended on very positive notes, the ending seemed forced. I must say that I highly approve of the life Gwen created for herself in the end. What more can anyone ask for?
Below is a video of Jennifer Haigh discussing The Condition. I suppose I’m left wondering if she understands the role hormone replacement therapy plays in helping women with Turners Syndrome develop secondary sex characteristics, but I digress.
It is now time to move on to TV. Several years ago I was pleasantly surprised to learn that one of my favorite TV shows, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, dealt with Turner Syndrome. In the episode Clock, teenager Janey Speer, who has Turners, disappears with a classmate while on a field trip. While Benson and Stabler first believe Janey to be the victim in the case, it isn’t so clear cut in the end.
I won’t give away the plot – and Turners is central to the plot in this case – but there are a couple of things I found quite amusing about this episode. First and foremost, this episode portrays Turners girls and women as extremely stubborn. I certainly fit that stereotype, as does most of my family. The amusing part is that most Turners girls and women I’ve met over the years also fit the stereotype. We are a feisty bunch. My theory is that we had to be stubborn even to survive in the womb. As 98 to 99% of fetuses with Turner Syndrome are miscarried, we can truly say we are the 1%.
The episode focuses on just how young Janey looks at 17. In many ways I take exception to the portrayal of Turners girls and woman as always looking much younger than their true age. That certainly isn’t always the case, although it would come in handy say at age 40. What got me is the reaction from the cops to Janey’s relationship with her boyfriend. He really did get treated shabbily. One detective even tried to get him as pedophile. While it would be easy to find that offensive, there was enough humor and humanity in the characters throughout the episode to put things in perspective. Maybe I’m just partial to Turners girls and women being portrayed as stubborn. Of course we are!
I can’t believe I’m actually linking to Rolling Stone, but, uh, yeah. I am. The article, in its entirety, was great. If there is anyone out there who will continue to tour, play, innovate, write, etc. until they are 100 years old, it will be Paul McCartney. I’m so glad to hear that his recent jazz/standards album is a one-off. I heard it is great. The Single “My Valentine” is beautiful, even if not exactly what I normally listen to at all. Considering it comes off an album of standards, I had no idea Paul McCartney wrote it. Supposedly he wrote it for his new wife, Nancy Shevell.
I just wanted to take a minute to mention a few things going on behind the scenes. I’m still in the midst of designing the static pages here at Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde. The pages listed below are updated at this point, although I reserve the right to change them at any time, without notice. Please take a moment to look around.
I plan on updating My Political Views page tonight. Hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to update my Resources pages this weekend. Tomorrow I finally plan to publish my long promised baseball post. It seems fitting as Detroit Tigers must all report for Spring Training 2012 in Lakeland, Florida tomorrow. I haven’t looked forward to baseball season this much since I was a child, and I am not alone.
There are not many musicians I love as much as I love Toby Keith. It is that simple. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I’ve had a crush on the man for a while now. These are but a few of his songs that I love. There was no way I was going to write a post about the Dixie Chicks tonight without writing one about Toby Keith as well. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.
Below are a couple of very good tributes to the Edmund Fitzgerald. I came across them while I was writing from JamsBio. I included the lyrics as well. They tell the story so well. You can read more about the Edmund Fitzgerald here. You will be seeing more videos here as I didn’t realize how easy it is to include them.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore – 26,000 tons more Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side Coming back from some mill in Wisconson As the big freighters go it was bigger than most With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms When they left fully loaded for Cleveland And later that night when the ships bell rang Could it be the North Wind they’d been feeling.
The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound And a wave broke over the railing And every man knew, as the Captain did, too, T’was the witch of November come stealing.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait When the gales of November came slashing When afternoon came it was freezing rain In the face of a hurricane West Wind
When supper time came the old cook came on deck Saying fellows it’s too rough to feed ya At 7PM a main hatchway caved in He said fellas it’s been good to know ya.
The Captain wired in he had water coming in And the good ship and crew was in peril And later that night when his lights went out of sight Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Does anyone know where the love of God goes When the words turn the minutes to hours The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay If they’d fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized They may have broke deep and took water And all that remains is the faces and the names Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings In the ruins of her ice water mansion Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams, The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario Takes in what Lake Erie can send her And the iron boats go as the mariners all know With the gales of November remembered.
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral The church bell chimed, ’til it rang 29 times For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee Superior, they say, never gives up her dead When the gales of November come early.
