I admit it, I thought that t-shirt smeared with makeup that read “I ran into Tammy Faye at the mall” was hilarious. Who knew that after worshiping with Tammy Faye Bakker in person I’d be the one feeling like a joke?
Shortly after Jim Bakker went to the big house, devoted-but-disgraced Tammy Faye began her own ministry in a warehouse out by the airport in Orlando, Fla., where I lived at the time. When my girlfriend Mary Lou came to visit and said she planned to attend Tammy Faye’s church service, I was flabbergasted. Mary Lou liked Tammy Faye? Seriously? Apparently so.
Well, Mary Lou was my guest so away to church we went, me feeling guilty from the get-go because I knew I’d be making fun of Tammy Faye the whole time — maybe not out loud, but certainly onstage in my inner comedy club.
We sat in the second row of folding chairs in the wide expanse of the cement-floored warehouse. All that was needed to complete the tacky look was maybe a forklift-altar combo. Tammy Faye came in and began singing. She zeroed in on me like she knew I was the one unbeliever in the crowd.
And she won me over. As astonished as I still am that it happened, it happened. I thought she was genuine. I thought she was good-hearted. And I still feel guilty I went there to mock her.
Have you had a similar situation? Have you prejudged someone and found yourself completely turned around after meeting her?
Responses to “Tammy Faye, the real deal”
July 24th, 2007 at 11:31 am
I saw Tammy Faye when she came to Memphis and signed her book at Holy Trinity Church. I went with a gay friend of mine–apparantly, she sort of became a revered figure in the gay community. I heard her speak, and then had my picture taken with her. I gotta say–I have a lot of respect for her. She kept on going. I don’t think she was a hypocrite. I think she was entirely sincere. And sweet. And she liked big makeup and big shoulder pads and big jewelry and little dogs. You know–she was always true to what she was drawn to.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
diva’s…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Wow … Tammy Faye, for real? Though I have to say that the few times in my life I’ve been up close and personal with someone whose faith is so genuine that it makes me see past their (previously off-putting) exterior, I’ve had a similar experience. One of my best friends grew up in a much more fundamentalist tradition than I did, and though she’s never pushed it on me, watching her live her faith has almost changed my mind about some of the more troublesome parts of it. Almost. Though I certainly would never make fun of it the way I might have before.
Still, I have to say that I’m glad I wasn’t in the second row in front of Tammy Faye.