Brigitte Bardot

I missed Brigitte Bardot's birthday last Monday (September 28), so happy birthday, Bebe. She was born in 1934, made 48 films and retired to become a full time animal rights activist (give dogs the vote, I say....). She may very well have been the most photogenic woman in history. She also made dozens of records, including some with Serge Gainsborough. She has survived three suicide attempts. In recent years she's become something of a national embarrassment for the French (when I was in Paris in 2008 I didn't see one photo of her on sale anywhere) and has been convicted of "race hatred" and castrating a neighbors donkey. Most likely her beauty drove her crazy. Imagine, if everywhere you went everyone stared at you, all the time. It would not be much fun after a few hours, never mind decades. Here is a small sampling from my collection of Bebe photos.