For those unfamiliar with Zsa Zsa Gabor - except as a comedic characterture of an aging Hollywood actress, she was the Kim Kardashian of her day (She and her two sisters originated the Kardashian act). That means she was a characterture of a Hollywood sex symbol. That's kind of like being a female impersonator except you're a woman - anyone remember Victor/Victoria? To that end Zsa Zsa made a bunch of B movies that no one remembers, married and divorced alot of husbands - she was kind of in the alimony business, and guest starred on The Beverly Hillbillies a few times. So you can say that she's a sort of pop cultural icon. Like Susan Somer's Thigh Master commercials! About the only thing she didn't get around to was getting shot in the gob by Phil Spector!Bed room farce antics aside, Zsa Zsa did live a rich and interesting life. She married Anna Nicole Smith's lover, and almost became Smith's adoptive mother. That was when Anna Nic tried to convince her lover, who is Zsa Zsa's husband - Prince von Arnolt, to legally adopt her. That way she could officially become a princess! Sounds flaky buts that how Arnolt inherited his princely title, and probably how the woman he screwed out of the title got it herself!
Even though this is a very European arrangement - in this case "European" differentiates from American in that there is no pretense to any kind of morality or decorum. It's a "we're consenting adults and know how the world works *wink wink*" deal - Zsa Zsa wasn't having any part of it. So she out the kibosh on the deal and Anna Nicole had to settle for a Texas oil billionaire, whom she quickly married and promptly buried.
Did I say bed room farce antics aside? Zsa Zsa did do something genuinely interesting. She slapped a LA traffic cop. The guy pulled Gabor over after he saw her car slowly serving all over the road. Seeing an elderly actress behind the wheel he must've assumed that she was having a botox induced stroke, or perhaps was buzzed out on a cocktail of powerful sedatives legally obtained from her many physicians. So he asked her if she needed assistance.
Zsa Zsa, who was allegedly drunk at the time, staggered forth from the vehicle and informed the good officer in a heavily slurred accent that she was a famous actress who's husband is a Prince, and that she has many powerful friends who could break the fellow like a match stick, so 'jump back Jack' Then she landed him a smack across the chops to make sure he got the point. When I say smack I mean that she hit him, not kissed him. A kiss from that grizzled old beak would've been so traumatic that the fellow would've had grounds for a law suit.
Now when your main claims to fame are based on a clownish B movie image and a bunch of ridiculous incidents, then you might have a real burning need to be taken more seriously. God knows Zsa Zsa will never be Helen Mirren, not now at her age; but I'm sure that she hasn't given up hope - God bless her soul. After all Helen Mirren wasn't really Helen Mirren until she got up in years. In her prime she did the roles Joan Collins turned down - & Joansie didn't turn down much of anything! The point is that a little respect would be nice, even if completely undeserved.
The recent passing of Jayne Russell and Elizabeth Taylor seem to have brought this point home to ailing Zsa Zsa. It seems that she's got it in her mind that celebs always go in 3's (they do: one dies naturally and the other 2 follow along for the attention!). Further more she's convinced that if she can make number three, then that will prove to the world that she just wasn't come over stuffed clown with an accent, but an actress of the highest caliber! With that in mind she has insisted on being rushed to the hospital!
Now the official story is that Zsa Zsa was at home fidgeting restlessly in front of the TV when she got the sad news about Taylor. Then, according to her publicist - who may have been standing near by with pen and pad in hand to record Gabor's words for posterity - Zsa yelps out "Oh, Jane Russell and Liz Taylor — I'm next." The publicist - John Blanchette doesn't go on to say whether or not anyone burst out in laughter.
Zsa Zsa took the whole deal very seriously though. She insisted on having her blood pressure taken. According to Blanchette it was "soaring". Not that you can make anything out of that since Gabor is high pressure at the best of times. Anyway it was enough to get her carted off to the hospital and put on unofficial death watch. As for the prognosis, Blanchette goes on to say that Gabor is a fighter, as one LAPD officer can attest to. Now I'm not sure how to take that remark. With Gabor that just might mean this is one casting call she's determined to make, even though it's only for the final curtain. That's fame for you - eventually it's being the stiff at your own funeral, and looking as life like as you ever did! Good luck Zsa Zsa!
By the way Zsa Zsa isn't the only one trying to horn in on the action. Westboro Baptist Church has announced plans to protest at Taylor's funeral. They take issue with Taylor's long time AIDS activism, which they call "enabling gays". So that makes them almost as flaky as Victoria Jackson! Plus they're looking to score some major publicity! No official word on the rumors that they're currently shopping around a reality TV premise based on their colorful "ministry".
