"Living Famously - Karen Carpenter" BBC Documentary (Pt 4)

[TheFashionbugs]

Shut that old slag up!!

[jposh707]

I understand why at the time it made them seem "square," but today it's like...who really cares if Richard Nixon liked them? It's not their fault. They weren't trying to kiss his butt. And it's not like he was gonna come out and endorse Led Zeppelin and dropping acid. And yes, the therapist is annoying.

[tidbittoo]

@jposh707 Coincidence...the Carpenters and Nixon were both from Downey.

[Madmogs1]

The Therepist is a fucking idiot, where the hell did they get her from???

[honeybflyy21282]

I'm not saying that Agnes didn't love her daughter, but it's evident in the book that Karen's very existence was spent being second best to Richard. In Agnes' eyes, Richard was the one with the talent, and everyone ad to help him achieve his goals. This is why her mother made such a stink about Karen doing a solo album.

[honeybflyy21282]

An anorexic feels that they have no control over any aspect of their lives EXCEPT for what they put, or in this case, don't put into their mouths. When Karen was in treatment in NY, Agnes couldn't even tell her daughter she loved her. When Karen found out that her soon to be husband lied about being able to have children, she called her mom to tell her she was cancelling the wedding, and her mother, being the control freak she was, wouldn't allow it.

[honeybflyy21282]

Anna Raeburn is absolutely correct in what she's saying about the Carpenter family. Read the book "Little Girl Blue". Her mother was the source of her anorexia. Anorexia is about control. No matter what she did, she could never get her mother to love her on the same level that she openly loved Richard. I'm not saying that she didn't love Karen, the mother. But, all the sacrifices that were made in the family, including moving to CA, was for the benefit of Richard's budding music career.

[RLviddy]

The therapist is quite...um, vehement. But nothing she's saying is technically incorrect.

[honeybflyy21282]

@RLviddy Exactly.

[marly100]

I really don't see the appeal of women having absolutely FLAT asses. Despite having a full backside, Karen wasn't even remotely "chubby" to begin with.

[greatbydesign33]

Her voice is Heavenly.

[AnotherCompartment]

get that "therapist" some clozapine.

[mrshinyshoes]

Can't stand Ann Raeburn! There's nothing wrong about having strong family values, and she crucifies family values at every turn, making them the evil. She must have had a bad upbringing herself and hated her own family.

[tmc359]

get rid of this psychoanalyst, shes as annoying as heck

[MariaAntoinetteF]

but i just heard some improvisation because the dotted eighth followed by the sixteenth in close to you was changed during performance to two quarter notes

[louisa1832]

Too bad they wern't communist, unwholesome purveyors of an ugly sound. Would these jerks have so much to say about them?

[mjcamck71]

What's wrong with "clean?" What's wrong with "good?" Look at what does and did happen to all the pop stars who aren't. Just my 2 cents.

[ritter89]

@mjcamck71 "Good" and "clean" pop star drop dead from things like anorexia, prescription drug addiction, alcoholism, depression, suicides, etc. Anorexia is almost exclusively a disorder of upper middle class white families (the so called wholesome ones) who harbor unhealthy feelings towards sexuality, independence, anger, etc. Wholesome christian pop stars can be just as shallow as hedonistic rock stars. Just because a poison is deemed socially acceptable doesn't mean it's any less lethal

[mjcamck71]

@ritter89 - Hello. I agree that "legal" drugs, when abused, often cause as much damage and pre-mature death as illicit ones. Since the results are the same, it's a curse to modern society that people feel driven to imbibe. I knew plenty of people even back in the drugged up 60's whose lives were fulfilling without "thrill drugs." When feeling down, we talked it over with caring friends instead of diving into substances. Wishing you good health and Peace.

[beyou5]

Good god, Anna Raeburn is spectacularly annoying. Imagine living with her?

Great documentary though.

[tonto48pronto]

@beyou5 Think of the 'faked orgasm' scene in the diner in "When Harry Met Sally", but instead of Meg Ryan it's Anna Raeburn. The woman at the next table's comment then becomes - "I'll have anything apart from what she's having."

There; doesn't that make you feel better?!

[beyou5]

@tonto48pronto Well, that's one way of looking at it I guess. Thanks for that!

[mloaks]

butter queen and Karen?!?!?

[uncoverbrother]

an "ike and tina" scenario within the carpenters?! wowsa.

[infinera06]

No improvisation?! Hardly true since Karen does it often.

[rematpac]

@infinera06 So true,Karen was a master improviser.That's what made her live performances better than her studio performances.Wonder why they just flat out deny it?

[GlenmarksTV]

rarrr rarr rarr rarr CAN'T CONTROL

hahaha :D

[MrSteveUtah]

That pych has a controling personality and she has the nerve to say that others have ,The arrogance of this woman

[greenwich1754]

The Psychologist - what a twit! Too much assumption. Whatever the family dynamics, Karen is/was ultimately responsible for her situation.

[fkoff99]

I understand the therapist's point of view...and I love her attitude, it's like she want to shred Karen's family...I'd help her!!!! LOL.

[fkoff99]

Karen's mother was PURE EVIL. Emotionally abusive and unconsidered with her daughter.

[Ronin27x]

As the son of a drummer, Karen definitely had skills. I would have loved to have her do maybe a drumming album.

[shinznay]

bloody hell..she soundslike a good therapist but shes really though this through hasnt she! lol

[TashaRichardsonFan]

Stupid retard therapist.

[poshmum]

She might be a bitch but a lot of what she is saying is quite true and in Karen's case would come true no one close to her was able to see what was going on or no one wanted to... The world lost a lot with Karen's death we have the music what a voice jeze wow!!

[Starlifter88]

Going to the White House is an honor, period. Did this goof ball ever get to the White House? Or even to the out house?

[Janvierireland]

Richard was on quaaludes and thats why he didn,t notice,thats what i think.

[no1zgrl4eva]

She is so terribly thin in that long white gown and that LEAD SISTER shirt. Literally skin and bones. It must have been so hard for everyone around her to watch her disappearing in front of their eyes.

[feherfoto]

richard is also pretty bloody thin...

[patrickbad]

How utterly sad this woman never needed to lose any weight. What a wonderful singer and how sad she took her own life slowly and painfully.

[BESTKACFAN4EVER]

I hate reading about everyone's opinion about you. I just miss you Karen. I am honored to have called you my friend. Time soon....Robbi

[noland628]

There wasn't nothing wrong with the way they were! They were decent, their lyrics was understandable, and their dress code, differentiates them for the pot smoking music of the times!

Far from what the music of today as well!

[reneecalling]

The therapist seems like she needs some therapy herself. Why is she even in the documentary? I think we all knew about the family dynamics of the Carpenters. I just wanted some info on their successful career; not some Freudian mumbo jumbo.

[Janvierireland]

actually although she sounds cross,she has some insight from counselling clients with eating disorders.

[ahoystella]

The therapist really seems to hate the family - not just the Carpenters' family, but the family in general - as the source of all evil and illness. Bitter.

[steveatl40]

There are folks in Downey who won't talk about the "secrets" of that family even today. You do realize that many anorexics are victims of sexual abuse, right? The mother seemed like a controlling monster to me, from what I've viewed and read.

[Janvierireland]

to be honest i think the mother was just fussy and overprotective and that maybe something happened to karen as a child which is why she was overprotected.Also the family seemed to be perfectionist similar to what the therepist says.

[norag1]

I don't get it either, she doesn't sound like she has ever met all of them. How you can really make an assessment is beyond me. Stupid of them to have a psychologist on here.

[jeffw1267]

I've never seen a therapist like her. Isn't the idea to soothe your patients, not irritate them? I imagine myself having a session with her: "Tell me what you're feeling." "I'm feeling that I want to punch you in the fuckin' teeth." "Could you expand on that a little?" "Yes, I'd like to strangle you with one hand, while beating you over the head with a claw hammer."

I don't think my sessions with her would be very productive.

[rlee1976]

@jeffw1267

I saw one for 2 years like that.. She was a complete cunt. Thank God I switched!

[lesterclaypool1]

@rlee1976

Yes, the professionals that you can bullshit like you bullshit yourself are always much easier to deal with but it's usually the cunts who will actually help you get better.

[sunlitstormclouds]

Not sure if she does this in session. Maybe she's just mad. A lot of people get mad when they think about this needless death.

[sunlitstormclouds]

I know I want to go back in time and put a metal bucket over some people's heads and bang them with a spoon and yell "Wake up!" Ease up on your touring. Take a break. Enjoy life. Let Karen enjoy life. With a voice like that, the world will let you pick up where you left off in a few weeks. They will wait for you. Tell her you love her. The whole world loves her, but she needs to hear it from family.

[mathproof]

This lady is crazy.

[chijeii]

@jeffw1267 SHE'S HORRIBLE.

[lesterclaypool1]

@jeffw1267

"Isn't the idea to soothe your patients, not irritate them?"

No, the idea is to help your patients heal and sometimes, often times, the process isn't pretty...or soothing.

[uncoverbrother]

@ahoystella yea, makes me wonder if she wrote a book about them or something.

[mka800]

Yeah, if Nixon had invited Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin, you can just imagine what might happen. Would have been fun to watch, though. Karen lives forever.

[RxTechRN2b]

Squeaky clean -- those words mark the bane of the Carpenter's existence. It's such a shame that no one had the foresight to help them shape their image. And why in the world did reviewers feel they had to rip apart the Carpenter's like that? Karen had the voice of an angel, while her brother was the musical force behind it all.

[moonshark21]

I think the reviewers likely only wanted music that matched their cynicism and seriousness in the Vietnam era. With music they couldn't relate to, they attacked it instead of accepting it on its own terms. But it doesn't matter. The music will always hold up.