“Angelyne has everything it takes to become a star, but she has one fatal flaw: she has no sense of humour about herself. Every time she is queried about her past, she claims a “lapse of memory” and says her only heroine is “herself.” When I asked if she identifies with the great Jayne Mansfield, she blasphemed, “Jayne went into the fourth dimension and copied me, and she did a lousy job.” When she said, “I pride myself that I have more sex appeal with my clothes on than most girls have off,” I wondered who would be attracted to this female female-impersonator. “I’ve got no competition” and “I’m very intelligent” were a few more of her other humble remarks. Yes, Angelyne is a budding star and a vital part of the Hollywood community, but she desperately needs a new writer.”
John Waters dissing pop culture oddity and cult figure Angelyne in his 1983 volume of essays Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters. The eternal starlet, kitsch icon and enthusiast of the colour pink (real name: Ronia Tamar Goldberg, born 2 October 1950) turns 70 today. (The billboard diva’s identity was always shrouded in mystery until that explosive Hollywood Reporter exposé in 2017).
