Cass Elliot–Vintage Size Discrimination!
Last week’s performance of “Dream a Little Dream” on Glee reminded me that it’s been 40 years since Cass Elliott sang that song. She had one of the most beautiful voices of the mid-1900’s, right up there with Streisand and Karen Carpenter, but she almost never makes the lists of amazing influential female singers. I’m jaded but I have to believe it’s yet another example of fatism that Cass had to deal with regularly in her short lifetime.
We’ve already discussed the ham sandwich thing but did you know that Cass repeatedly tried to get into the Mamas and the Papas but John Phillips told her that she was too fat? Eventually, he caved, inventing a story that Elliot could sing higher after being hit in the head by a magical pipe, which everyone (including Cass) went along with because the real reason was uncomfortable. We’ve all heard that bands become dysfunctional families, so I assume that the other members were skirting around Phillips’ creepy personality issues. (Remember, this is also the guy who thought it was perfectly acceptable to rape and then have “consensual” sex with his daughter for a decade)
John wanted to have a Peter, Paul and Mary-style rock-and-roll group and had no compunction of saying “Sorry, Cass, but you’re too fat” right to her face. But not in a mean way. He’d just say “Cass, I’m sorry–you’re too fat.” (From Dream a Little Dream of Me via Snopes)
Ok, as long as he wasn’t MEAN about it, even though apparently Phillips has been quoted making sizist remarks in numerous sources and apparently As it turns out, the joke was on Phillips, as their popularity rose with the inclusion of her amazing voice.
What Streisand did for Jewish girls in Brooklyn, Cass Elliot was doing for fat girls everywhere. The diet food people must have hated her the way nose surgeons are said to hate Streisand. While the Mamas and Papas were defining a lifestyle for their fans to emulate, Cass was redefining the concept of beauty among the young. (Esquire, 1969)
There’s no doubt that vocally she was the strongest member of the group, and while Cass may or may not have internalized all of the comments about her weight, she just might have been a seminal influence for the Fat Acceptance movement.
Posted by Weetabix
Filed under: Celebrities, Fatism, Old Timey, Video, Weetabix
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I freaking love Cass Elliot! My mother is a huge fan of her music and, yeah, I totally was in love with her as a fat kid who wanted to see a beautiful fat lady kicking ass and taking names. Her voice is gorgeous and, from all accounts, she was such an exceptional person.
I remember watching one of those band documentaries about the Mamas and the Papas back then, and aching for all the shit you could see she took from the other band members.
That was lovely. Thanks fo4 reminding us.
Thanks for posting this. I remember, growing up, hearing the “she choked” story stated as fact.
And I remember seeing photos of all of them, but never really looking at them much beyond noting the weird clothing and hair.
But looking again at all those photos of her in the video, I was struck by how conventionally pretty she was. Also, some of the clothing (like the sailor dress with the large pointed collar) also kind of appeals to me now *g*.
If you’re interested in fat women singers, check out:
The Dirty Little Heaters
http://www.myspace.com/thedirtylittleheaters
The lead singer’s got a voice that’s reminiscent of Janis Joplin.
Whaddaya mean “weird clothing”, youngster??? We ALL dressed that way; it was the ’60s, dig?
For those who remember, one of the most thrilling sights of the time was Cass’ naked-among-the-daisies billboard on Sunset Strip. Wow! I think it was to promote her first solo album. What an amazing talent, a truly unique sound. Were it not for her voice, there would not have been a Mamas & Papas. The strength & clarity of her sound was what gave the group its highly original vocal quality & pretty much assured its success.
Thanks for putting Cass out there again.
The Mamas and the Papas would have been NOTHING without Cass Elliott. Michelle Phillips couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. I’m glad she refused to take no for an answer, though it must have been hard on her to keep asking.
That Dream a Little Dream book (author’s name is Eddi Fiegel) is a must, if you love Cass. It’s one of the few things I’ve read that actually takes her seriously as a musician, and makes a good case that it was drug abuse and crash dieting that were responsible for her tragically early exit, not being fat as such (and certainly not a ham sandwich; there was evidently a ham sandwich on a tray that her housemate had brought to her, but it was untouched).
That poor woman, though. She hated herself for her size, and desperately wanted to be Michelle Phillips (and thus snag Denny Doherty), but as M. Phillips herself admits in the book, Cass got far more fan mail than she (or anyone else in the group — including Denny, the group’s lead singer on most of their biggest hits). John Phillips treated her like garbage, too (not surprising since he treated everyone like garbage, pretty much), and I kept waiting for her to say, “You know what, dude? If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be passing a tip basket at the Cafe Wha, so put a sock in it.”
Cass Elliot indeed had — and still has, as there is nothing else like it in the world — a most remarkable voice, full of clarity and beauty, strength and awe. It’s so great that more people are recognizing this fact and giving her her due. But let’s not chastise Michelle Phillips in the process. Hers was one of the most beautiful, natural, clear sopranos, and she could indeed do much more than “carry a tune in a bucket.” The girl could sing! She really could — and did. Just as Cass was under-appreciated for reasons that were and are totally unfair, so Michelle was under-appreciated — even by her own self-deprecating self — because she had a one-of-a-kind powerhouse of a partner in Cass. In truth, the two of them together brought out each other’s strengths. The blending was magic. They were magic.
I remember watching a special on the group and Michelle Phillips recalls how many men in the audience at their concerts gravitated towards Cass and one even asked for her hotel room number.
When you listen to their music, her voice clearly stands out. It’s clear and powerful without resorting to holding notes for two minutes and doing all that woo-woo-woah-woah.
Thank you for this; I absolutely adore Cass Elliot. Her voice is such a beautiful, powerful instrument.
Wow, I didn’t know that pipe story was fake. Mostly because I read it in the liner notes of my Mamas & Papas greatest hits CD. Which I bought only about 5 years ago? Anyway, I love Cass Elliott and her voice so thanks for the video.
I was born in 1989 so I didn’t listen to the Mamas and the Papas. However, while shopping I saw a handbag made out of an old record and it’s cover, on it it said “The Mamas and the Papas” and had Cass Elliot on the cover front and center. My mind was blown and I said, allowed to my mother “Who is this amazing fat woman?!” I was in love with her at that moment and still am.
I was born in 1969, so I knew about The mamas & the Papas growing up, heard their music quite a bit. But it wasn’t until I heard this song (sometime in the late 80’s, I think) that I realized what an amazing talent Cass Elliot was, and what a loss for music when she died.
Looking at those photos it’s amazing to see how young they all were, lol! And with Cass, there’s such a vulnerability in her that is kinda heartbreaking. She was such a beautiful, talented woman, you have to wonder what she could have done if she’d lived and was able to beat her demons.
What a beautiful video! She left us way too soon!
I just did a post about her on my fatshion blog today and have been researching her on the web. I ran across this today. It’s a great article! I am trying to find out where her clothing came from.
Just saw the title and had to comment. Ella Fitzgerald does “Dream a Little Dream of Me” best, in my opinion. (In general, Streisand gets tiring, you can just feel her trying to be perfect when she sings as opposed to Nina Simone who just lets go and sounds haunting without belting a single note.) I heard Cass and she’s not bad, but “Dream a Little Dream of Me” will in my heart always belong to Ella.