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Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?

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miss_msry
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
The Edies seemed happy to me, and unlike my crazy family didn't try to destroy anyone else.
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miss_msry
12/29/08

@miss_msry:

Plus, I have a lot of inherited vintage furs I need to figure out how to wear to Whole Foods without getting stoned. Knee pads seem about right.
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SharonTaint
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
Awwww, the marble faun! So touching!
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Gumbina80
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
Little Edie was once engaged to Joe Kennedy, Jr. So Jackie Kennedy's cousin was engaged to John Kennedy's older brother. Aristocrats fascinate me.
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brendastarlet is on it
12/29/08

@Gumbina80: She had a proposal from him, and also one from J. Paul Getty, but apparently was not allowed to accept them.
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IamKateness
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
I met Albert Maysles on a bench in Central Park. I thought he was a crazy old guy with a nice camera until I looked up pictures of him and matched them with the picture I took! He's super nice and very friendly.
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SweetIo
12/29/08

@IamKateness: Isn't he the best? He is one of the nicest people and you can tell why he is such a great documentarian - you just want to open up and tell him everything about yourself.
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Seeräuber Jenny
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
NYT FTW. An incredibly exploitative film.
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theminutepast
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
I don't get the fascination with these people.
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brendastarlet is on it
12/29/08

@theminutepast: it grows on you. I saw the Broadway musical first, and found it to be much kinder than the film, and I'm sure by the time the movie comes out they will be made into Auntie and Great-Auntie Mames.
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PilgrimSoul
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
Not that I'm picking a fight - but the movie is, uh, exploitative. And I like the Maysles brothers!
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Emily Brilliant
12/29/08

@PilgrimSoul: You should check out the book My Life At Grey Gardens. Edie LOVED all the attention she got from the movie, but the Maysles really screwed them out of a lot of money. I think I read somewhere that it was the highest grossing documentary of all time. The Maysles would only ever give the Edies little donations of $50 or $100 over the shooting period.
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Mkp-hearts-NYC
12/29/08

@PilgrimSoul: Not to pick a fight back, but I feel like exploitative is a subjective thing here. The filmmakers had unquestionable affection for their subjects, and vice-versa. The fact that the Maysles saw them as fascinating people, and the fact that the Edies saw themselves as fascinating people, makes me feel like it was a mutually beneficial project. Edie finally got to be famous and the Maysles made a name for themselves.
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PilgrimSoul
12/29/08

@Emily Brilliant: @Mkp-hearts-NYC: Well, because in general my view is that exploitation is an exercise of power that is independent of the "feelings" either the exploiters or the exploited, but rather has to do with how the film plays into overall tropes about crazy, unmarried women. Do I think anyone needs to go to jail? Not particularly. But to paraphrase Joan Didion, artists are always selling someone out. It's how you do art.
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bluebears
12/29/08

@PilgrimSoul: I have to say, I agree. It makes me uncomfortable to watch.
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Mkp-hearts-NYC
12/29/08

@PilgrimSoul: I never thought about the film playing into larger stereotypes etc because both of these women are so..uniquely odd. Way above and beyond your average "crazy cat lady" because of who they were in society versus who they became later in life.
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brendastarlet is on it
12/29/08

@Mkp-hearts-NYC: it's uncomfortable to watch, but I don't find it exploitive. They knew what the Mayles were doing, and played along. Now, you can argue that they were at the least eccentric, and at the most mentally unstable, but they were capable of deciding whether to let a camera crew in their house.
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Sukie in the Graveyard
12/29/08

@Mkp-hearts-NYC: I have to agree.

I saw the documentary and never saw the exploitation. It never occurred to me until it was discussed here.

These two women are just plain (haha, plain) fascinating to me. They are of their own lives. They do what is expected of themselves and of no one else.

When I watched, I couldn't help but ask myself "how much of what I do is for other people"

I do not feel that they were exploited but rather illuminating.

It would have been nice if the brothers gave them more money but for some reason, Star Trek's Prime Directive comes into my mind...and I don't know why...
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Mkp-hearts-NYC
12/29/08

@Sukie in the Graveyard: Haha..it would definitely have changed the course of history...

Also, the Maysles weren't rolling in it during the making of the documentary, as I recall, so they wouldn't have had a whole lot of money to give to their subjects - who could at any point have gotten it together, sold their Hamptons mansion and lived comfortably anywhere else.
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harperpitt
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
Best. Movie. Ever. Oh, the Marble Faun.

I try to live my life by Little Edie's philosophy: "Are you absolutely crazy? There isn't anything I can't do."
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lambandlynx
12/29/08

@harperpitt: And I try to dress according to her philosophy! "Is this the best costume for today?" I always think to myself. "Would a tea-towel turban make this leotard I am wearing complete?"
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brendastarlet is on it
12/29/08

@lambandlynx: I often wear a piano shawl over a swimsuit, don't you?
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AtomicBellyButton
12/29/08

In reply to Grey Gardens: Where Are They Now?
Well shit. Why do I never know about these things ahead of time?
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Carol Gardens
12/29/08

@AtomicBellyButton: Repeating at 4 AM on Friday so you can Tivo or something.
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AtomicBellyButton
12/29/08

@Carol Gardens: Wow, thanks!
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