The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Hollow Celebrity?

And I do mean hollow, literally.  Nowadays, the expression "famous for being famous" is common, but today's examples are amateurs compared to one celebrity in the late 1930's who was not even human, or even alive.  According to Life Magazine, as noted by Boing Boing, a soap carver living in New York began creating mannequins for upscale clothing stores.  One of his models, "Cynthia," took on a life of her own.  To promote his work, he began escorting her around town to all the hot nightclubs and parties.  She eventually ended up with a radio show, a movie part, and an invitation to the wedding of Wallace Simpson and the former King of England, Edward VIII.

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