[Continued from Part 1]
In addition, Carmen has provided inspiration for many artists.
In addition, Carmen has provided inspiration for many artists.
Even animals and cartoon characters cannot resist the pull of Carmen's personality.
Those who are interested can find a trove of Carmen Miranda memorabilia on EBay at http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=carmen%20miranda%20outfits&clk_rvr_id=704535907640&adpos=1t1&MT_ID=69&crlp=26493566197_2416792&device=c&geo_id=10232&keyword=carmen+miranda+outfits&crdt=0
You can also buy ready-made Carmen Miranda head-pieces on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=fruit+headpiece&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=51849660768&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=10274018288783672318&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9paziks5m0_b
What remains of her legacy? Jewelry that Carmen Miranda inspired has become sought-after collector's items; see, e.g., https://www.etsy.com/search?q=carmen+miranda+jewelry&ex=adwords&utm_source=google&utm_medium=sem&utm_geo=US&utm_term=carmen+miranda+jewelry_Exact&utm_campaign=adobe_supplies&utm_ag=bead-glass. Also, her act is often imitated by drag queen performers.
Here are some miscellaneous Carmen Miranda pictures.
- Her block at Grauman's Chinese Theater.
- Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Her museum in Rio.
- Paper dolls modeled after her.
- A Carmen Miranda coloring book.
- A Carmen Miranda hot air balloon.
- A Carmen Miranda Forever postage stamp issued by the United States Government in 2011.
- What purports to be her tombstone but isn't since she was born in 1909 and died in 1955.
- Her memorial plaque.
Here's your party tip. Provide each guest with a bowl of fruit, a plain hat, a scarf. and an invitation to create a Carmen Miranda hat. Hold a cakewalk so that each guest can parade through the room in his or her hat, and award a fruit cake to the winner. Invite TMZ to cover this event. This will make your guests into celebrities. Be careful to only invite guests who can handle celebrity-hood.
This just in. A testimony to the continuing power of fruit can be found at http://veronicabarron.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/carmen-miranda-loves-bikes-hates-food-waste/, which chronicles the Ride for Food held in Cambridge on 21 September 2014. At first I thought that everyone who rode their bikes to fight hunger was dressed as Carmen Miranda. I pictured a stream of Carmen Mirandas pouring down Mass Ave. I was kicking myself for not organizing my local readers to join in. Careful reading, however, revealed that it was only the leader of the ride who was decked out with fruit. It turns out that the leader had promised to dress as Carmen if the donations exceeded some amount. Of all the stunts that I have seen people perform for charity, this is my favorite.
Rick
