Sandra Bernhard is usually the star and commander of the room, exhibit A being her many powerful appearances on Letterman. But in this video- we see her taking a backseat- where she is in awe of the interviewee. Who wouldn’t be when it is Mamie Van Doren? Back in the day, if you were into american films, an introduction wouldn’t be required. But nowadays the millennial audience only learns of yester year’s stars through reality show appearances of “has beens”. Mamie Van Doren however ain’t the type to sell out like that. Some might say that being famous for her looks over talent mirrors today’s Kardashian fetish, but she seems to have been smart about presenting her best foot (and curves forward), in tasteful yet commercial fashion.
In this interview, we get to see a strong, forward thinking, feminist icon with a strong sense of self. Feminist icons are stereotypically expected to look different from the voluptuous, sexy image and instead be angry, bitchy birds who stubbornly grow armpit hair to prove a point and be heard. Mamie however gives a glimpse of how she held her own and was in control of her career, portrayal and love life.
She maintains a blog at https://mamievandoreninsideout.wordpress.com/ and also has a book about her life called “Playing The Field”. Gotta love her.