Now is the time to fully embrace Princess Luciana Pignatelli, who stunned the British press in 1969 when she said :

[bold]"Many of my best friends are homosexual. Every woman over thirty needs a homosexual in her life. Every woman over 30 should have at least one homosexual in her life. They are very refined and have marvelous taste..."[/bold]

[quote]she was the author of The Beautiful People's Beauty Book (©1970), which was described as[bold] "a straightforward approach to narcissism"[/bold]

What's not to love?

But sadly

[quote]In October 2008, Pignatelli Avedon committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping tablets, after learning her investments were worthless. She reportedly had said, "I can’t face being old and poor.

STILL beautiful in later life.

Princess Luciana Pignatelli chatting with Countess Consuelo Crespi at Truman Capote's “Black & White Ball” in 1966

& Mia was there - which adds to the DL caché

I wonder if they spoke.

Raquel Welch said similar things in her memoir. She loves her gay male friends and says that they are much better company at certain events than straight men. And she stated that gays should be accepted into society as equals and not accepted/tolerated but separate.

R5 Raquel Welch, an unexpected ally of gay men.

Nearly every American actress's autobiography I've ever read features gay male friends.

& I've read tons of them.

(& yes, Mia's too)

Gay men are fascinated by big bazooms.

Because men in general love big protuberant globular things to grab, r9.

I had no idea that Mia was so short. I see her next to Steve McQueen who was about 5'9 1/2 and she is much shorter than he.

Who's the little guy in front of Mia?

My eldest sister actually had that book. I think I read it 50X.

Damn Raquel was hot in R7. I’d smash.

Looks like she spent A LOT of time with her hairdresser, that's for sure.

you'll need to click on this >

[quote][R5] Raquel Welch, an unexpected ally of gay men.

It's more unusual when they're not.

Please, who else will suck up to has-beens no matter how fabulous?

[quote] Every woman over 30 should have at least one homosexual in her life. They are very refined and have marvelous taste

She sounds like those annoying women from "Sex and the City": "Every aging woman need a flamboyant little 'pet gay' / 'pocket gay' - to gossip and shop with!".

God forbid the homosexual is not "refined" and prefers the NFL over fashion.

[quote]They are very refined and have marvelous taste...

Gurl, maybe the ones you know...

Dunno OP

I know Eldergays get off on that and for many of you it's your thing, being refined and tasteful and all that.

But to me it sounds like "everyone should have a Negro in their lives. They're such good dancers and so happy all the time"

Or "everyone should have a Jew in their lives. They're so good with money and no one ever takes advantage of them"

We are not all the Dowager Countess nor do we want to be some rich lady's token homo friend.

Gay men are not accessories.

When did she say it though?

I think the point was, back in 1969 - no one spoke about gays like this, so it was a new thing.

Pignatelli did those hilarious "I was an ugly child" Camay commercials. She was known to pluck every hair off her legs with tweezers.

She did r27!

My favorite was "I have a friend who goes to bed with her makeup on. I think that's terrible!"

Is this her? (don't recognize her with small hair) - love the music!

[quote]She was known to pluck every hair off her legs with tweezers.

Maybe she got one of her "Homosexual friends" to do it.

"Camay, d'byoo-dee clain-zuh."

I don't think that's la Pignatelli. I seem to remember on her commercial, she was introduced by name.

[quote]I don't think that's la Pignatelli. I seem to remember on her commercial, she was introduced by name.

Bit like Rula Lenska.

Don't you hate that stereotype of the gay man being a final arbiter of taste and fashion and culture? A lot of us can be quite tacky and vulgar!!!

[quote]Don't you hate that stereotype of the gay man being a final arbiter of taste and fashion and culture?

No, I don't HATE it. It's a compliment, after all.

I agree the quote reads like a backhanded compliment in 2018 - and now all different types of guys are out - but 50 years ago the only guys who the general public realized were gay were the “refined” stereotypes and they were mostly ridiculed by straights - so I’m it’s day the quote was very “broadminded” - to use an expression of the era

I treasure my ancient copy of "The Beautiful People's Beauty Book." It's wonderful and a fun read, full of anecdotes about her jet-set friends, and she was fabulous in the classic Euro jetsetter way. They took every aspect of their beauty regimens and lifestyle seriously, as frivolous as it all is.

In the context of the book, her comment about homosexuals was about gay men she knew in the beauty and fashion business--true artists who could do wonders to make a woman look chic and beautiful. It wasn't really about having pocket gays.

[quote]In October 2008, Pignatelli Avedon committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping tablets, after learning her investments were worthless. She reportedly had said, "I can’t face being old and poor."

She was fucked over by Bernie Madoff.

Is that something you know to be true, R38?

Madoff's arrest and her suicide were both in 1980, so there may be a connection. But other than a related DL thread, I can't find a direct link.

^ I meant 2008, not 1980.

[quote] Don't you hate that stereotype of the gay man being a final arbiter of taste and fashion and culture? A lot of us can be quite tacky and vulgar!!!

Back before the Plague, gay men actually were the final arbiters of taste, fashion, art, music, dance and culture of all kinds - and then they died.

None of her classic Camay commercials are on YouTube (or anywhere else on the web).

[quote]Back before the Plague, gay men actually were the final arbiters of taste, fashion, art, music, dance and culture of all kinds - and then they died.

There's some sad truth to that.'

Fran Lebowitz has talked about how all the charismatic talents were the first to fall, and how they would have scoffed at the ones who were survivors. It may be cruel, but it made a lot of sense. (Have you ever tried to read Felice Picano compared to the rest of the Violet Quill group?)

[quote]Don't you hate that stereotype of the gay man being a final arbiter of taste and fashion and culture? A lot of us can be quite tacky and vulgar!!!

One has only to read social media and DL to know that!