On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 17:33:20 +1200, Kim >
wrote:

>I often wonder, as do my friends, why Americans look to someone like
>Martha Stewart to instruct them about lifestyle fashions and interior
>decorating.
>
>Has it ever dawned on this woman's devotees that she is purely and
>simply an entrepreneural businesswoman who has marketed herself very
>well?

What?? No, none of us knew that!!!! Glory be, it takes someone from
afar to point out that she has pulled the (crocheted) wool over our
collective eyes. I feel so... betrayed.

> Now, I have no quarrel with this method of making money, but
>surely one would have to be very gullible to hang on her every word
>about what cushions are de rigeur, what dinner napkins to use when
>entertaining the Top Brass, and so on .....

Oh please don't tell us that. You will ruin our carefully constructed
capitalistic and materialistic American lifestyle fantasy to which we
all aspire. Of course, you are right that we don't need anyone to
tell us how to entertain Top Brass. We learn it in grammar school and
high school. We all have TB over to dinner every week, just like they
do in 1940s movies. After dinner we retire to the drawing room. I do
have a difficult time, though, finding TB in my neck of the woods, but
if I am determined I can usually find some wandering the streets.

>That M.S. committed fraud and is now really having one big bitch about
>how petty people are about her conviction and sentence is very very
>funny. Now that her bubble has well and truly burst, how many people
>will return to kneel at the altar of her somewhat flimsy and overtly
>commercial propaganda about how you all should decorate your homes,
>select the towels, choose the dinner service, etc. etc.

We are all devastated here in the US. The streets are lined with
citizens holding candles in tribute to a fallen icon. Where shall we
look next? B. Smith is waiting in the wings. Chris Madden? Help
us!

>Ah well, as they say, it takes all sorts .....
>
>Cheers

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!