Love her or not, it is undeniable that she caught - and held - the public's imagination for more than three decades.
Was her allure simply in her calculated elevation of overarching sentimentality to an art form? Or perhaps, was she more the perpetual "victim," faithfully surviving one "unbearable" adversity after another - always, of course, in full public view?
Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner had a unique ability to engender sympathy and action - long before the PTL scandals, it was her chronic tears that drew attention to her trademark mascara, running down her cheeks, as she cried plaintively for help - and at times, money.
As an icon of 1970's and 80's, she carved a lasting place for herself in the world of celebrity camp, and to her very end, maintained that slightly outrageous, ever-enduring public persona.
True to form, her final appearance on Larry King last week will leave us with another unforgettable, if garish, image of an icon staying "in role" while facing her end with remarkable grace.
She was an original.
- Garry J. Wise, Toronto
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