Trying Too Hard


If you saw the Spice Girls reunion photocall, you’ll know what I mean by ‘trying too hard’ – Victoria Beckham is now the dictionary definition of that phrase. She doesn’t even look entirely real anymore, given that she’s dieted away any semblance of curves yet strangely reinflated her lost bosom with silicone … and what was that 'Batgirl meets bondage' outfit about anyway? It distresses me to see her out and about without some form of supervision – who knows what she’ll do to herself next?

I must say I was vastly amused by comments on the www.popbitch.com forum about the reunion, where some wag noted that Geri’s maxi dress looked like she’d had an accident in a Laura Ashley factory. Scary looked, well, just scary, and the other two seemed quite normal (for Spice Girls). If you ever want to find downright hilarious commentary after any major media event, take a look at the Popbitch boards. Among the dross, there are some seriously dry commentators making some very witty – although not particularly PC – asides. When they found the second suspicious car on Friday after the first London bomb attempt, one wit reassured everyone that they shouldn’t be concerned about terrorists, as it was probably just George Michael drunk and stoned at the wheel again. Salacious and silly – it’s a perfect combo, really!

This week I’m recommending a week off from trying too hard or in fact trying at all. Let’s make this rainy summer’s week a holiday from effort or any form of self-improvement – if the summer won’t come to us, we must make our own. Skive off when you can, slap on the fake tan, gather together some good holiday bonkbuster reading and indulge way too much on cocktails. That should get you in the ‘holiday from effort’ spirit.

Let me recommend a lovely book for you that oddly enough was an Eve magazine cover mount from ages ago that I finally got around to reading in Ibiza. The heroine, Sophie Stanton, makes absolutely no effort at all when she’s suddenly widowed – guzzling down cartons of ice-cream for breakfast, breaking down in the frozen food aisle of her local supermarket and showing up to work in her bathrobe and bunny slippers. Sophie’s Bakery For The Broken Hearted by Lolly Winston is a charmingly-written story of love and loss, that’s achingly real in the telling, but always entertaining. As the New York Times said of this first novel, “It’s hard not to like a character who, when asked to supply a ‘Person To Contact In Case Of Emergency’ on a questionnaire, just writes down ‘George Clooney’”.

That’s my kind of girl!

Click through to the Coach Fabulous advice column by using the link in the Favourite Sites section on the right or by going to http://coachfabulous.blogspot.com. For alert emails on new postings, email subscribe@iamfabulous.co.uk. To contact me, email coachfabulous@iamfabulous.co.uk. All material © 2007 Alison Porter. No article may be reproduced in full or in part without the express permission of the author. (Originally posted 2 Jul 07)