Tori: Spelling B Star

[suomi]

I've been reading Dominick Dunne's Fatal Charms: And Other Tales of Today, another collection of his essays on those who matter. And like all of his essays, they are delicious. Honestly, the man knew everyone, and if he happened not to know someone, he knew who they were or knew someone who knows them. His essay on Candy Spelling is particularly revealing and so I have revised my opinion of Tori's difficulties with her mother: I think Tori is jealous of her mother, jealous to her marrow and with every fiber of her being.

 

 

Candy was a chatelaine, the definition being "wife of the lord of a castle" and "mistress of a large, fashionable household." She was comfortable with and practiced at using her very own jeweler's loupe, and had the ability to correctly gauge the carats of a stone even by looking at it without benefit of the loupe. Not to mention the research she did in matters of architecture and construction and interior design. She did indeed pay experts to assist her, but the final decisions were hers. Nolan Miller, who gained much prominence as a designer for, among others of the haut monde, the stars of Aaron Spelling's TV show Dynasty? Candy was a 50/50 partner in Miller's business. So when Aaron was paying NM the Big Bucks for his designs he was also paying Candy. Candy knows jewels, she knows art, she knows design, she was capable of maintaining a demanding pace in a world of large accomplishments however frivolous parts of that world may have been. She was very much an active and participating partner in Aaron's television empire, and I had forgotten how extensive that was. Candy's party planning business was Great Big back in the day, and her own guests received fully-loaded swag bags which matched the tablecloths at the event. She was also quite the mover-and-shaker on the charity/benefit scene. While not particularly grounded in everyday life, like thousands of women in her income bracket she provided employment for large numbers of people and income for large numbers of merchants.

 

 

Tori does not have the slightest bit of class or distinction even tho she was raised in that atmosphere. She could never achieve anything close to any of those accomplishments even if she got her hands on every cent of Candy's money. And she knows it. So yah, IMO she is way, way jealous of her mother and that is the true background of their story. Many (all?) of Tori's well-publicized interests and directions have been poor imitations of her mother's interests and directions, and Tori's attempts at building a brand remind me of the comment in the RHOBH forum describing the Richards sisters as trash bag hicks.

[Crs97]

That sounds like a really interesting book, suomi.  Thanks for sharing that!

[RealityCowgirl]

I was sick of what I've been reading, so I succumbed to suomi's temptation :) and downloaded Dunne's book.

My take matches suomi's completely. I'd add one little 'aha' moment: the description of how the downturn of her father's business gave Candy a different perspective on the value of a dollar as a girl. it appears it was a lesson that she took with her into adulthood - which probably came in handy as she helped to keep tabs on the financials of the Spelling empire, one of her roles.

That added a piece of the puzzle for me re the 'paltry' GIFT that Tori seems to love to dredge up as evidence of her parents' heartlessness. I'm admittedly filling in more dots than I have, since I don't know these people. But it suggests mama and daddy knew their daughter all too well - $800,000 or $8 billion, it'd be blown in an instant on stupid things that need to be warehoused.

What I took away from this account - written by a friendly pen, to be sure - was that Candy Spelling is smart, a partner in what her husband built, and someone who successfully managed a diverse array of business interests while maintaining an active social and philanthropic life.

Her daughter is a pale, no-talent imitation who may or may not be trying to outdo mom - and failing miserably if that is her goal. Tori is showing us her head explodes whenever she's forced to live up to her maternal responsibilities (that millions of women manage daily, usually without nannies and often without spouses) or face any of the myriad messes SHE'S created in her life.

Candy Spelling may not have been mother of the year, but she's not her adult daughter's big problem today. Neither is Dean, for that matter. Tori's problem is Tori. She's given the world all the proof it needs.

Edited December 26, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[pasdetrois]

I used to read Dunne's gossip and tell-alls avidly.

 

 

Candy Spelling may not have been mother of the year,

 

Nor, at the end of Aaron's life, wife-of-the-year. She sneaked around with a guy while Aaron was on his deathbed. It was reported in multiple gossip sites.

[CodenameV]

http://radaronline.com/photos/tori-spelling-daughter-stella-wears-tube-top-lipstick/photo/840883/

 

I have to agree with one of the commenters. Tori is grooming Stella to be a model/child star or something. There is no reason that she went from dressing her daughter in her cute and age appropriate Little Maven clothes to the wedges/tube top/lipstick combo Stella's been sporting lately. Love how Tori is trying to hide Stella's top during the outside shots. 

 

Dean looks frustrated after that trip, and I can't blame him. Tori looks manic and in search of more stuff to buy. She's so animated in the store and dead outside of it. 

[Crs97]

Nor, at the end of Aaron's life, wife-of-the-year. She sneaked around with a guy while Aaron was on his deathbed. It was reported in multiple gossip sites.

The source was Tori so not sure how much truth there is to the rumor

[Emme]

http://radaronline.com/photos/tori-spelling-daughter-stella-wears-tube-top-lipstick/photo/840883/

 

I have to agree with one of the commenters. Tori is grooming Stella to be a model/child star or something. There is no reason that she went from dressing her daughter in her cute and age appropriate Little Maven clothes to the wedges/tube top/lipstick combo Stella's been sporting lately. Love how Tori is trying to hide Stella's top during the outside shots. 

 

Dean looks frustrated after that trip, and I can't blame him. Tori looks manic and in search of more stuff to buy. She's so animated in the store and dead outside of it.

OMG. Tori does look manic. I wonder if she takes all that crap home after buying it, or drops it off directly at one of her storage warehouses.

[GaT]

http://radaronline.com/photos/tori-spelling-daughter-stella-wears-tube-top-lipstick/photo/840883/

 

I have to agree with one of the commenters. Tori is grooming Stella to be a model/child star or something. There is no reason that she went from dressing her daughter in her cute and age appropriate Little Maven clothes to the wedges/tube top/lipstick combo Stella's been sporting lately. Love how Tori is trying to hide Stella's top during the outside shots. 

 

 

 

She's trying to turn her into Kristina Pimenova

[long beach lisa]

I had breast cancer 12 yrs. ago. Long story short....the dr. removed fat from my stomach area to reconstruct my new breasts. I have a huge hip to hip scar. Like Tori my incision opened and I, too, have a "little bump." The point of my story.....I don't give a shit about my little bump. I'm just glad to be alive just as Tori should be grateful she is alive and baby Finn and the other kids are healthy. In other words.....STFU!

So true! A friend told me that I should say that a shark bit me to explain the huge scar on my side from having my lung removed -- I still laugh over that and thank the Lord every day for being alive. I think Tori's parents did her no favors by spoiling her so.

[Maharincess]

She must be going crazy. She hasn't been on TV in a couple of months. I don't read tabloids so I'm not sure if she's been in those or not.