Oh I didn't take anything as a challenge to me, although some of your thoughts are challenging for me to figure out how you come to your conclusions.
If I'm helping you learn anything, that's great! Your questions and comments also allow me to ponder my opinions and even change them at points. Case in point: me saying Diana wasn't mature in the mid 70s. I'm going to have to revise that. She was indeed a mother and very hands on. Clearly she wasn't the selfish 20 something she had once been. Even attempting to help Flo, that's definitely maturity at work, considering that the two of them haven't always had the best relationship. Sure, she smacked the shit out of Gordy, but as I said in my previous post, it's my opinion that a person can make immature decisions every now and again and still be a mature person.
Except we know that nobody saw Florence as fat. Mary has consistently said that Flo gained weight at a point in the group, yet there is no photographic evidence or video footage that supports the idea that Flo was ever fat. Both Diana and Mary wished they were built like Florence Ballard. That was a sexy ass woman. Gordy was great at mind games and he knew how to get to each girl. Gordy zeroed in on Mary's lack of confidence in her vocals to keep her in line. He knew he couldn't get anywhere with that with Flo. That girl knew above all else that she could sing and you weren't going to convince her otherwise. But trying to make her think that visually she had a problem...well it's the one thing we men know is a sure fire way to hit the confidence of a woman: with her looks. Add in the fact that Flo's mother was morbidly obese and it's possible Gordy was also attempting to play on any fears she had of turning into her mother, as some girls do. That's just mean. Had Gordy been a different kind of man I think he would have known how to run the ship more smoothly and still get the end results he worked toward: making Diana Ross a solo sensation. And he could have done that and kept Flo and Mary happy at the same time.
My point was that Flo is lauded around here for all the times she let Gordy and Diana have it. She's given a pass for missing recording sessions, rehearsals, even a performance. She was just exercising her right to free speech and to respond to suddenly not be happy in the Supremes. But in what other job is this a good idea? What job can any of us cuss our boss out and expect to come in the next day? What job can we skip work we don't want to do and expect to continue employment? It doesn't happen. And while I empathize with and understand Flo's feelings, the way she went about expressing her displeasure ultimately got her booted out of the group she helped make famous. Was Gordy a dick about it? You bet. But I suspect that if Flo had approached her problems in the group with a level head and a calm demeanor, she may never have been fired at all. Of course that would have been the mature [[there's that word again!
) thing to do, and in her early 20s it's no surprise she didn't take that route.
Flo told one of the biographers [[can't remember if it was J.Randy T or Benjaminson) about the Supremes filming a commercial in 1967 in the Brewster Projects. According to Flo each girl had speaking lines when they arrived. Halfway through filming Diana suddenly stopped and told Gordy that she wanted to do all the lines herself. Even Gordy wasn't pleased with Diana's timing but ultimately agreed with her, to which Flo went off and she and Diana exchanged words, all the while everybody in the projects were watching. When the commercial aired Diana did all the talking. I'm surprised Flo and Mary didn't jump her ass right then and there. How much more of the spotlight did the girl need? LOL
Like I said before, Diana was a selfish 20 something year old girl. Flo was an impetuous 20 something year old girl. And truth be told you could switch either girl for selfish and impetuous. They were acting like normal girls, it's just that there was so much at stake for them than the average young lady their age. Diana has hinted at times of understanding Flo and Mary's positions when Diana was given more attention, but I always want her to just be real.
Interviewer: Mary Wilson wrote a book in which she accused you of being a spotlight hog. Florence Ballard's various anecdotes about you as a singing partner have also been well documented, as have several anecdotes, supposedly, regarding your antics as a member of the Supremes by other authors. Are these things true? Were you really that bad?
Diana: Sometimes I was that bad. It was a million years ago. I'm a grandmother now and it's amazing to me that some folks are still talking about something I may or may not have done when I was a teenager or in my 20s. We all have a past. Mine isn't squeaky clean. Did I hog the spotlight at times? Yes I did. I was one third of the greatest female group ever and neither of my singing partners were slouches in beauty, voice or personality. I did what I felt I needed to do at the time to shine. Some of my actions hurt Florence and Mary, and for that I'm sorry. Some of my actions rocked the boat more than necessary and caused more trouble than there would have otherwise have been. Of course I know that now because I'm grown, I'm wiser, and hindsight is 20/20. Flo and I made amends before her passing and I took care to keep up with her girls when they were growing up. Mary and I have had difficulties which I will not rehash, but I wish her the best. But all those other people that's constantly talking about what I did when I was 17 or 23 can choke on a thousand dicks. I'm in my 70s. Get over it.
Yes, that's what I would like to see my Ross finally admit.
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