Nostalgically naughty: 'Monica was no Mandy: The mother of all scandals - The Profumo Affair'
The news being what is these days, I find myself longing for something completely insipid, like a nice 'n sleazy sex scandal. Woefully underqualified Supreme Court nominees, wars, and never-ending natural disasters have taken their toll us, and goddamn it, we need to start feeling good about ourselves again. So in honor of that nostalgic innocence, that lost joie de vivre, let's revisit those fabled Profumo years, back when the days when the girls were girls and the men were delighted to make their acquaintance.
I wrote this particular bit back in 1998, right around the time the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal broke, before the cigar jokes and stained blue dresses and berets for Halloween became trendy. Damn, I sure miss those days. And God bless Bill Clinton. I still love him dearly and would totally let him knock me up, but several of the women he chose to dally with were a bit eeky and something of a drag, to be honest. Republicans just have enough money to pay their call girls and mistresses off, that's all. It's not fair.
Anyway, I should be whining about the fact that I never finished this page. For one thing, there are several new books to be added to my suggested readings list - including the ultra-rare Mandy Report, which was an Xmas prezzie from Danny last year; also, a new memoir from Christine Keeler and a couple of other finds.
So if you're in the mood, the above headline links you to my original Profumo page. Feel free to click on it for the lovely photos of the principals. For those not in the mood, I've included my text below, for your bemusement. Enjoy!
MONICA WAS NO MANDY !!!
The Mother of All Scandals - The Profumo Affair
Let's face it, President Clinton has lousy taste in women, with the exception of Hillary. I like Hillary, thank you very much! Shit, if it were scientifically feasible, I'd have her children! But aside from Kathleen Willey and maybe Gennifer Flowers, I'd have to say that the man is in need of some serious tutorials in how to separate the poon from the tang, if you know what I mean. If only Christine and Mandy could be on hand, to give poor Paula and Monica a few pointers.
That's right, Christine Keeler and Mandy-Rice Davies!
The stars of the Profumo Affair, darling!!!
This historic event rocked ever-so-austere England in the early-early 60's, in the height of scorching Cold War Paranoia, less than a year before the Kennedy assassination. As a matter of fact...wouldn't you just know it, there's supposedly a Kennedy connection to another woman connected to the Profumo Scandal, a woman by the name of Mariella Novotny. Mariella Novotny threw the kinds of parties the likes of the London toffee-nose set had never experienced before! But more on dear Mariella in a few...
Christine and Mandy had the world by the balls in early 60's London. Their friend Stephen Ward, a high-society osteopath, introduced them to some of the most influential men in London, some with lordly connections and other such claims. Christine Keeler just happened to find herself sandwiched between the British Minister of War and the Russian Naval Attache. Later on when the world discovered that all this had been going on, War Minister John Profumo resigned in disgrace and the attention then shifted to the "prostitution" trial of Stephen Ward. Ward committed suicide before the trial came to an end. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigned a few months later.
Now, don't get all highbrow on me now, Sweetie.
These girls were a breath of fresh air compared to the staleness and blandness of today's scandal queens. And to think that they didn't even need plastic surgery in those days!
Some of the fabulous people you'll hear about:
Christine Keeler - The dark-haired siren who almost single-handedly brought down the Conservative party!
Mandy Rice-Davies - Christine's bubbly, blonde sidekick, who also pulled a number of well-meaning influential men!
Stephen Ward - The man who sprang the aforementioned pair onto the demi-monde of London. Later put on trial for a number of trumped-up charges, and victim of Conservative witch-hunt.
John Profumo - The British War Minister, who dabbled with Christine and denied "any impropriety with Miss Keeler."
Eugene Ivanov - The Russian Naval Attache who also had a hankering for Miss Christine.
Peter Rachman - Mandy's lover, benefactor, and notorious Notting Hill slum lord.
Harold Macmillan - British Prime Minister who resigned after the scandal broke.
Lucky Gordon - Christine's psychotic Jamaican lover.
Johnny Edgecombe - Christine's other Jamaican guy, known for taking potshots at the Wimpole Mews flat where Christine and Mandy were hiding out.
Mariella Novotny - Famous hostess of fabulous parties, including the "Man In The Mask" gala. Married to antiques dealer Hod Dibben, known to have had liaisons with Malcolm X, Brian Jones, and John F. Kennedy.
Ronna Ricardo - The prostitute who was forced to testify against Stephen Ward. She later retracted her statement and took to sporting "A-C-A-B" (All Coppers Are Bastards) on her knuckles.
And many more!
Suggested readings:
An Affair Of State : The Profumo Case And The Framing Of Stephen Ward - Phillip Knightley and Caroline Kennedy, Atheneum, New York, 1987.
The Trial Of Stephen Ward - Ludovic Kennedy, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1965
Mandy - Mandy Rice-Davies with Shirley Flack, Michael Joseph, London, 1980
Honeytrap - The Scandal--Anthony Summers and Stephen Dorril, Coronet Books, London, 1987
Scandal - Christine Keeler, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1987
I wrote this particular bit back in 1998, right around the time the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal broke, before the cigar jokes and stained blue dresses and berets for Halloween became trendy. Damn, I sure miss those days. And God bless Bill Clinton. I still love him dearly and would totally let him knock me up, but several of the women he chose to dally with were a bit eeky and something of a drag, to be honest. Republicans just have enough money to pay their call girls and mistresses off, that's all. It's not fair.
Anyway, I should be whining about the fact that I never finished this page. For one thing, there are several new books to be added to my suggested readings list - including the ultra-rare Mandy Report, which was an Xmas prezzie from Danny last year; also, a new memoir from Christine Keeler and a couple of other finds.
So if you're in the mood, the above headline links you to my original Profumo page. Feel free to click on it for the lovely photos of the principals. For those not in the mood, I've included my text below, for your bemusement. Enjoy!
MONICA WAS NO MANDY !!!
The Mother of All Scandals - The Profumo Affair
Let's face it, President Clinton has lousy taste in women, with the exception of Hillary. I like Hillary, thank you very much! Shit, if it were scientifically feasible, I'd have her children! But aside from Kathleen Willey and maybe Gennifer Flowers, I'd have to say that the man is in need of some serious tutorials in how to separate the poon from the tang, if you know what I mean. If only Christine and Mandy could be on hand, to give poor Paula and Monica a few pointers.
That's right, Christine Keeler and Mandy-Rice Davies!
The stars of the Profumo Affair, darling!!!
This historic event rocked ever-so-austere England in the early-early 60's, in the height of scorching Cold War Paranoia, less than a year before the Kennedy assassination. As a matter of fact...wouldn't you just know it, there's supposedly a Kennedy connection to another woman connected to the Profumo Scandal, a woman by the name of Mariella Novotny. Mariella Novotny threw the kinds of parties the likes of the London toffee-nose set had never experienced before! But more on dear Mariella in a few...
Christine and Mandy had the world by the balls in early 60's London. Their friend Stephen Ward, a high-society osteopath, introduced them to some of the most influential men in London, some with lordly connections and other such claims. Christine Keeler just happened to find herself sandwiched between the British Minister of War and the Russian Naval Attache. Later on when the world discovered that all this had been going on, War Minister John Profumo resigned in disgrace and the attention then shifted to the "prostitution" trial of Stephen Ward. Ward committed suicide before the trial came to an end. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigned a few months later.
Now, don't get all highbrow on me now, Sweetie.
These girls were a breath of fresh air compared to the staleness and blandness of today's scandal queens. And to think that they didn't even need plastic surgery in those days!
Some of the fabulous people you'll hear about:
Christine Keeler - The dark-haired siren who almost single-handedly brought down the Conservative party!
Mandy Rice-Davies - Christine's bubbly, blonde sidekick, who also pulled a number of well-meaning influential men!
Stephen Ward - The man who sprang the aforementioned pair onto the demi-monde of London. Later put on trial for a number of trumped-up charges, and victim of Conservative witch-hunt.
John Profumo - The British War Minister, who dabbled with Christine and denied "any impropriety with Miss Keeler."
Eugene Ivanov - The Russian Naval Attache who also had a hankering for Miss Christine.
Peter Rachman - Mandy's lover, benefactor, and notorious Notting Hill slum lord.
Harold Macmillan - British Prime Minister who resigned after the scandal broke.
Lucky Gordon - Christine's psychotic Jamaican lover.
Johnny Edgecombe - Christine's other Jamaican guy, known for taking potshots at the Wimpole Mews flat where Christine and Mandy were hiding out.
Mariella Novotny - Famous hostess of fabulous parties, including the "Man In The Mask" gala. Married to antiques dealer Hod Dibben, known to have had liaisons with Malcolm X, Brian Jones, and John F. Kennedy.
Ronna Ricardo - The prostitute who was forced to testify against Stephen Ward. She later retracted her statement and took to sporting "A-C-A-B" (All Coppers Are Bastards) on her knuckles.
And many more!
Suggested readings:
An Affair Of State : The Profumo Case And The Framing Of Stephen Ward - Phillip Knightley and Caroline Kennedy, Atheneum, New York, 1987.
The Trial Of Stephen Ward - Ludovic Kennedy, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1965
Mandy - Mandy Rice-Davies with Shirley Flack, Michael Joseph, London, 1980
Honeytrap - The Scandal--Anthony Summers and Stephen Dorril, Coronet Books, London, 1987
Scandal - Christine Keeler, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1987
posted by No, You Can't Watch at 12:12 AM
1 Comments:
interesting!
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