Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Lily Tomlin

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Lily Tomlin

In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to the Ladies Of Comedy. Theses are the gals who made us laugh and, on occasion, brought a tear to our eyes. They are visionaries, capturing aspects of the human condition while holding up a mirror to the world. Their characters, style, and phrases have helped form our daily vernacular in ways we are not even always aware of - but that is the power of comedy and the magic these ladies all possess. Towering among them?

Lily Tomlin

It's hard to come out if you've never been in.

Lily Tomlin has simply always been, and the world is all the better for it.

And for most of that journey, she's had Jane Wagner by her side. I'd have a hard time saying which was luckier.

As for Lily, I think it's her endless curiosity and genuine interest in others which keeps her relevant and vibrant. It's all there, in her writing. She's been able to divine great truths and meaningful insights in the form of laughs. Her empathetic, common sense approach to her material has drawn countless fans, marveling at her intellect while finding hope, humor and wisdom in her conclusions. 

She's navigated the worlds of television, stage, sound booths, and the big screen with skill and ease, at home equally in each. And it's that communicated comfort and boundless enthusiasm which has kept us all coming back for more, time and time again. 

Her light has never dimmed. She remains one person who is in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time.

And if the universe is to make any sense at all, or if there is such a thing a justice, she'll remain a part of this world for a long, long time to come.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topics? Reality, Succeeding, and Life

"Reality is nothing but a collective hunch."

"Sometimes I feel like a figment of my own imagination."

"I can handle reality in small doses, but as a lifestyle, it’s much too confining."

"Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it."
 
"Reality is a crutch for people who can't cope with drugs.” 

“The best mind altering drug is the truth.”

“If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in the library?”

"Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pocket."

“If trying harder doesn’t work, try softer.”

"Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed."

"The road to success is always under construction."

"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific."

"Wouldn’t it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen, and ballerinas."

"Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world."

"If I had known what it would be like to have it all - I might have been willing to settle for less."

"No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up."

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain."

"Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse."

“Maybe if people started to listen, history would stop repeating itself.”

“If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?”

"If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?"

"Well, if I can be of any help at all, you are in worse trouble than I thought."

“In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone” 

"We are all in this together, by ourselves."

"Remember we're all in this alone."

Ernestine The Telephone Operator - Lily Tomlin

Grrr Commercial: Mrs. Judy Beasly - Lily Tomlin

National Tantrum: Agnus Angst - Lily Tomlin

And one last parting shot...

“We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.”

“If evolution was worth its salt, it should’ve evolved something better than ‘survival of the fittest.’ I think a better idea would be ‘survival of the wittiest.’ At least, that way, creatures that didn’t survive could’ve died laughing.”