I’m so so thrilled to be hosting one of my favorite authors–Laura Lee Guhrke–on the blog today! Laura’s Girl-Bachelors series is just incredible…if you haven’t read The Wicked Ways of a Duke, stop reading this blog post and go read it. Now. I’ll wait.
Anyway… I’m so excited about Laura’s newest series–Abandoned at the Altar! The second book in the series, Scandal of the Year, is out this month, and I cannot WAIT to read it! You know how I feel about scandals…and so when Laura suggested she come over to blog about real-life scandals…I was all for it.
Welcome Laura!
Because my latest book, Scandal of the Year, is in stores now, and because I love gossip, I thought I’d share with you my top 10 shocking scandals. These are the things that shocked me when they came out, but after thinking it over, I realized I wasn’t all that surprised by them.
10. Tiger Woods. My first thought on this was, OMG, she bashed in his car with a golf club? And then I found out why. Ok, no longer surprised.
9. Mike Tyson. I was shocked when the news about Desiree Washington came out. Although going up to a man’s hotel room might give him the wrong impression, too bad. Rape is never allowed, and it’s always shocking to find out not all men understand that. But then I remembered Mike Tyson was just that kind of guy. He bit off Holyfield’s EAR. Is the idea that he raped a girl very surprising? No, sadly. It’s not.
8. Steve Tyler. Here, I’m not thinking of how the lyrics to Walk This Way shocked me the first time I heard that song. And I’m not thinking about a while back when Steve fell off the stage TWICE. I’m not even thinking about how he’s a judge now on American Idol. No, the most shocking thing Steve Tyler has done is get old. I saw a picture of him recently for the first time in years, and I was shocked because I thought, “Oh, crap, Steve was hot back when I was in high school, and if he’s getting old, that means…I am, too?” Gulp. I had to book a facial appointment just to make myself feel better about that unthinkable realization. And if I could give Steve just one little bit of advice, woman to man, it would be this: Steve, Men Of A Certain Age should not wear leopard leggings. Pass that advice on to Mick Jagger, too, next time you see him.
7. OJ Simpson. Having lived in LA before the murder, and having worked with quite a few people in the Hollywood movie crowd, I’d heard gossip about the abuse already, so although the news of Nicole’s death and O.J.’s arrest was shocking to many people, it did not surprise me a bit. I wasn’t surprised by the car chase either because he seemed the sort of guy who would run away. And I never thought for one second that he DIDN’T do it. Because of all that, I found the verdict shocking beyond belief. But in hindsight, when I think about the fumbling and bumbling of the prosecution, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised.
6. Anna Nicole Smith. Marrying old man? Nah, not shocking. Trying to claim a share of his money after his death? Not shocking. That she proved she couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag? That she died of a drug overdose? That…never mind. There’s nothing shocking about Anna Nicole Smith. Let’s move on.
5. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Shocking enough that a low-budget musical with weird people and an incomprehensible storyline should become a cult classic that makes people go to the movie theater as if it’s a costume party/picnic combo. But when I watched that movie on tv not long ago and I saw Tim Curry strut around in that black corset and fishnet tights once again, I realized I’m no longer surprised by the movie’s success. Even in that getup, Tim Curry was hot. No wonder I saw that movie dozens of times back in high school.
4. Brad and Angelina. When this romance came out, I wasn’t shocked by Angelina. Who could be after Billy Bob Thornton? No, it was Brad that pole-axed me on this. I liked Jennifer Aniston, and I thought, “How could you, Brad?” I haven’t been much of a Brad Pitt fan since. I think he’s a great actor, but he’s not hot. Not anymore.
3. Lorena Bobbit. Cutting off her husband’s most important appendage was shocking, but given the info about abuse that came out later, it was not surprising. In hindsight, I’m just surprised that after she cut it off she threw it out the window. I would have put it through the garbage disposal. Not that I’m vindictive, or anything…
2. Project Runway. Ok, I hate Reality TV. Except for Top Gear and the Iron Chef, I think most of it’s garbage. But I LOVE Project Runway, mainly because every year the winner shocks me. It’s NEVER who I think it should be (except Jeffry, who made that yellow plaid dress that rocked the runway—he won, and should have won, and all was right with the world that year). But what doesn’t surprise me now is that they are not rushing out to make Season 9. After the mind-numbing Gretchen debacle of Season 8, who could blame them? Any fashion sense the judges had has obviously disappeared, and they should move on. Tim Gunn, however, can have his own show. He rocks.
1. Princess Diana. I was shocked by her death, but in a strange way, it seemed so iconic. Like JFK. Like Marilyn. Like Jimmy Dean. She died at the height of her beauty, and just when she’d really come into her own. Looking back, I think it was what I’d probably write in a book (if I didn’t write romance, of course!). Her death seemed strangely suited to the ironies of history.
(Editor’s note: I love. This. Post!)
Contest time!
What scandalous things have shocked you and why? Thinking back on them, do they still surprise you? Leave your answer in comments, and we’ll choose one lucky winner on Friday to receive signed copies of Laura’s Girl-Bachelor series!! **Don’t forget to leave your email address, so we can connect with you if you win!
