29 Dec What Makes A Diva?
IsabellaGucci.com asks the question, what makes a diva?
According to Wikipedia
“A diva is a great female opera singer, a prima donna, such as Renata Tebaldi, Joan Sutherland, Leontyne Price, Maria Callas or Kiri te Kanawa.However the term now is also used to refer an outstanding popular female performer of non-operatic works such as Whitney Houston, Madonna,Patti Labelle, Cher, Mariah Carey,Beyonce,Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin who are often referred to as Divas due to their success and talent.DIVA is also the term used for the new Digital Interactive Video Arcade, which is a digital arcade system hitting the world in 2008.
Also, some prominent women adored in gay men pop culture are referred to as divas, such as Kathy Griffin, Joy Behar and Joan Rivers.
The term was originally used to describe a woman of rare, outstanding talent. It derives from the Italian word ‘divina’, meaning “divine” (feminine form), which, in turn derives from the feminine form of a Latin word divus/diva, meaning “divine one.” TIME magazine observed in its October 21, 2002 issue: “By definition, a diva was originally used for great female opera singers, almost always sopranos.” In mythology, the divas are the lowest forms of divinity, such as the wood nymphs[citation needed].
In ballet the equivalent of a diva is known as a prima ballerina assoluta.”
Let’s fast forward to modern day terminology, we agree a diva is all of the above; she’s also difficult, usually (but not always) beautiful in appearance and dress, commands the attention of all when she walks in the room, never settles for less than the best no matter what the cost or who suffers in the process, she speaks her mind and is madly in love with herself.
Sometimes when I think of some of my all time favorite movie and tv divas, I look towards the smaller more unnoticed divas potrayed in movies and televison. Like, Shirley Mclaine, Kathy Bates, Bea Arthur, Ja’net Du Bois (Wilona Woods from Good Times), and remember that oversexed MILF neighbor to Jack Tripper on Three’s Company Lana Shields? Loved them! What about that intense quote from one of my favorite movies Dolores Claiborne, the spoiled rich Vera Donovan who employed Dolores has some of the most killer divacentric quotes ever about her cheating, ungrateful husband.
“Vera Donovan: “Sometimes, Dolores, an accident can be an unhappy woman’s best friend.”
or
Vera Donovan: “Sometimes you have to be a high-riding bitch to survive. Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hang onto.”
or what about when she said….
Vera Donovan: ” husbands have accidents every day Dolores…Why, one is probably dying right now…he’s on his way home from his mistress’ apartment and his brakes are failing….THEY DIE AND LEAVE THEIR WIVES THEIR MONEY…Sometimes Dolores, an accident can be an unhappy woman’s best friend…“