It seems to be the little things that bring down giants.
A well-placed stone from David's sling killed Goliath. A large chunk of frozen water sunk the unsinkable Titanic. A little technicality called tax evasion sent gangster Al Capone to prison. It was the ensuing coverup rather than the Watergate break-in that forced Richard Nixon from the White House.
With home decorating maven Martha Stewart, it was the insider dumping of M-Clone stock – a transaction involving a paltry-to-her $40,000 or so – that has put her multi-million-dollar empire in jeopardy and unseated her has Domestic Queen. She is a public figure so many people love to hate, and it's easy to see why. See strived for perfectionism in her products, from her staff and in her life. But that's only what we see or have been told. Nobody is perfect, and so those who strive for perfection and falter are often ridiculed into oblivion. She has built her successful business through hard work, hers and others. She is rich and that also makes her a target. Is that fair?
I don't think so. Here are 10 reasons why Martha Stewart is cool:
1. One time I accidentally watched one of her TV shows, and she went mountain biking. She even got a little dirty. Sure, she spent way too much money on the bike, but it was neat to see her try something new.
2. Her goal may be to make money, but it is also to share a love of beautiful stuff. Her "Good things" mantra aims to make life better for others. She had some neat ideas, and she willingly shared those with the world.
3. Now that her life is a punchline, it should be easier to feel sorry for her. But too many people are too busy laughing at the late-night talk shows and cartoons to care. Hey, she's a person, too. Lighten up on the poor lady!
4. I say this carefully, but I still believe it: For an uptight, 63-year-old woman, Martha Stewart is pretty smokin'. Her daughter is also pretty fine. I bet if they got in a fight with Joan and Melissa Rivers, the Stewart girls would win. And there would be some blood shed in the process.
5. She may seem like a snob at times, but hey – a line of home products with her name on it is (was?) available at K-Mart. Do you know what K-Mart is in most places? It's like a Trailer Park Mall. It's a couple of notches in class below Wal-Mart. She is sharing her good things with the unwashed masses, people. That's pretty cool. Or maybe it's just business savvy.
6. Remarkable that she built a business on simple projects, such as turning Kleenex into doilies or making candles with ear wax. That's pretty innovative.
7. Martha Stewart, because of all this and more, has become a household name. Can you imagine? Say your name and imagine millions of people worldwide knowing it, and associating it with a lifestyle or set of products. Do you even know where to start the process? I sure don't. Of the three or four people who read my blog regularly, most of them don't go around mumbling "T-Bone" all day. (If you do, see a doctor. Right now).
8. Of all the rich, famous people in the world, I think Martha Stewart has positively impacted a large number of people's lives. I'm not sure the same can be said about Michael Jackson, Donald Trump or Jennifer Lopez.
9. Prison time, from what I understand, is mandatory in securities fraud. The event of her downfall has shown her human side. I hope she overcomes this and, instead of merely picking up where she left off afterward, admits what she did was wrong. She has lost some of her integrity, but it's a renewable resource. She just needs to 'fess up and share the message of honesty.
10. Sure, she's a convicted criminal. But she has class. How many people can you say that about nowadays – whether in the spotlight or in the shadows? A precious few.
This isn't an Enron-esque scandal. Rather than screwing the public out of millions for her own gain, she used illegal information to save some of her own bacon. She broke the law, she has to pay. She doesn't deserve a reward, but maybe she does deserve some slack. Can't we all just get along?
Handmade oat and cranberry muffin, anyone?
i tend to agree. we have brought her down a few notches now, so it's time to slack up a little. *mumble*t-bone....t-bone....t-bone....
I agree with you. She'd be a lot better off if she just would've admitted she was wrong up front. Sometimes it's easy to get a little cynical about our justice system when you know she's going to do jail time while O.J. Simpson is off playing golf and stealing cable...
btw - my favorite "Martha" moment was several years ago. She grew her Thanksgiving turkey. She incubated the turkey's egg, watched it hatch, fed it extra special turkey food to make it a nice, fat bird, and had the thing butchered and dressed. I couldn't begin to make this sort of stuff up if I tried.
I've always liked her because I enjoy domestic stuff like cooking and gardening. I don't think she believed people would do everything she gave instructions for, but I got a few good ideas and tips along the way that I still find myself using.
Good for you T! I agree.
i completely agree. and i'll add this: it's the "meanness" of our culture that saddens me most. this is a human being that people are kicking around!
As I type this, I am eating a tuna fish sandwich made from a Martha recipe. And yes, it is a Good Thing.
But K-Mart being a couple of notches below Wal-Mart. Now that's being harsh.
I shall call my doctor immediately.
There are so many jerks in the business world that have done much more evil things than Martha and that have hurt so many more people....I don't know why they have to focus on her just because people dislike her.
And I like her stuff too. I appreciate her bringing back more domestic stuff into fashion again. Our culture has become so disposable. I really like her sense of craft and that she values things made by hand.
Yeah, I like her because her recipes always contain really fattening and un-PC stuff like bacon, and lard, and raw oysters and veal, and heavy cream. No skim milk for Martha!
And I for one DO wander around muttering 'T-bone' to myself all day..should I see a doctor about my problem?
It's funny, I've heard all kinds of horror stories about her behaviour in becoming that which she is.
The fact of that matter is, to achieve the degree of success she has; you have to become a Tyrant.
That's just the st8 of things in this current day and age.
Mom loves her show. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me.
The most bitter lashouts: Un-public people who are unhappy with the way their lives are. Someone else has more toys than them, so it's wrong.
High profile wealthy people get threats of harm on a regular basis. They can't talk about it because it'd encourage more.
It's a shame really. Charitable organizations know that many contribute anonymously and ask others to 'take the credit.' Yet they can't ever be thanked or acknowledged - like a ten year old who collected a jarful of pennies & made the newspapers would. Seen front page news of someone req'ing an immediate trip elsewhere for medical attention? And by next day's news report, an unknown source stepped forward with more than basic needs met...
Identifying would remind the bitter that someone else has more toys than them. The cycle of hate and harm would increase. Their children are rarely if ever photographed. (ie: Bill Gates) I would never want to end up living that life. There's already enough hate in this world.
I have a love-hate thing for Martha... I agree with you, I feel bad that she's being made an example for other corporate no-nos, but I think they should really take Ken Lay down too. His actions were much more heinous than hers. However, she is quite ruthless. You should read her unauthorized biography Just Desserts. Granted, it is unauthorized (and therefore rather skewed), but it does not paint a pretty picture of her. Again, on the other hand, she is one hard working woman who is self-made. And, she actually was responsible for upgrading K-mart (or, as I like to call it, Kame-apart) from the trailer trash outlet to a place that has some pretty ok stuff. It's not as nice as Anichini linens or anything, but it's also not $1300 for a set of sheets (like Anichini).
Bottom line - she screwed up, she should pay. And so should the rest of the corporate criminals.
And, I would totally pay big bucks to see the Rivers women versus the Stewart women. My $ is on Stewart. They don't have fragile plastic surgery faces.
i'm with ya!