Marlo Thomas

lifeSTYLE |PROFILE THE STORY OF FUNNY BY THAT GIRL By Dorri Olds From pg 241 Ò On the set of That Girl, with a clean-cut, buttoned-up, relatively unknown George CarlinÓ Ò One thing that keeps me vital is I al- ThomasÕ s face lit up when asked about ways have a dream, a new plan,Ó said the website. Ò IÕ ve always had the feeling I Marlo Thomas. Ò When George Burns was lived behind a one-way mirror. This is my about 98 and asked why he was still work- chance to have a conversation with women. ing, George said, Ô No time to die, IÕ ve got Women make lists, we plan our whole week. too many plans.Õ Ó So I’m doing Mondays With Marlo live. Your Thomas, who looks 20 years younger Turn on Tuesdays I tell a story then say, Ô Your than her 72 years, just published her first turn.Õ WednesdaysÕ The Hero Next Door is memoir, Growing Up Laughing: My Story and about inspiring everyday people. Thurs- the Story of Funny. With AOL CEO Tim daysÕ Girls Night Out women and I dish. Fri- Armstrong she launched a new website, days for I Have to Ask I go to the streets and MarloThomas.com, and just wrapped ask people questions like, Ô What is the most filming LOL with Demi Moore and Miley useless advice your mother ever gave you?Õ Cyrus. Daily thereÕ s a new laugh, quote, and tip.Ó Thomas became famous on the TV sit- Ò My father was a real listener. If some- com “That Girl” which ran from 1966 to thing was bothering you, he could see it 1971 and broke ground for women. Star- from across the room. When I was thirteen ring a single career woman, it predated and completely ﬂ at-chested, I’d gone shop- Mary Tyler Moore. Thomas was Executive ping with my mother for a dress to wear to Producer. Lucille Ball owned the studio. a dance. I hated the one sheÕ d picked. The Ò I found out later whenever someone was day of the party my father came home to looking for me, the joke was, ‘She’s having my moaning about a stomachache. I started a meeting in the menÕ s room with Lucy.Õ Ó to cry, Ô I donÕ t want to go, I donÕ t look good Without setting out to she became in my dress and all the other girls have big an activist for women. Ò I was just an ac- bazooms and I donÕ t have anything.Õ Ó tress from a comedy show but female fans “He said, ‘C’mon.’ We drove to the turned to me for help. It politicized me. store, and he helped me pick out a dress When pregnant teen girls and battered with poofy, curly things made out of tulle. women wrote to ask what they should do, it You couldnÕ t tell what I had! ItÕ s one of my made me want to help.Ó fondest memories of my father listening.Ó In 1972 she joined the team at Ms. Mag- “Losing him was traumatic. He wasn’t azine—Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine sick. When somebodyÕ s sick you can pre- and Letty Cottin PogrebinÑ to create the pare yourself. My father was on a book tour Ms. Foundation for Women. Free To BeÉ and dropped dead the night he got home. You and Me became a phenomenon. Many It was such a shock. It tore our hearts out.Ó of us remember every word to that album A happier topic is her husband of 30 and itÕ s still making money for the Ms. years, Phil Donahue. Foundation. Ò We really love, like and respect each Ò IÕ d been asked to do a memoir several other. We have fun and take a trip every times,Ó Thomas said, Ò but I wasnÕ t inter- year for our anniversary. He’s very support- ested in sharing my angst and who I slept ive. Here I have this new book and website, with. I realized what makes my life unusual my time is focused on that and heÕ s saying, is the comedy and laughter.Ó Ô Go Girl! Go for it.Õ Ó She grew up with comedians—her Ò WeÕ ve been in the tabloids. TheyÕ ve father, Danny Thomas, friends George had us divorced a hundred times. But you Burns, Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, and more. just don’t pay attention to it. The ﬁ rst ten Her new book includes 20 interviews by years of our marriage it was a nightmare. I Thomas including Billy Crystal, Whoopi used to cry about it. My father said, Ô Look Goldberg, Robin Williams and Tina Fey. on the opposite page. ThereÕ s a story of Ò I chose people who make me laugh. a woman giving birth to a whale. People Nobody is funnier than Chris Rock. I asked won’t believe it.’ Liz Smith, the famous col- him why he paces back and forth. He said, umnist said, ‘Honey your biggest revenge Ô If you stay in the same place an audience will be youÕ ll have a long happy marriage.Õ Ó can look away but if youÕ re moving they have to follow you. I go back and forth then Dorri Olds (DorriOlds.com) is a writer, social BAM! Punchline. Then I move again.Õ Ó media consultant and web designer. Resident November 2010 • 29.

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