My Mother Was a Stuntman
June 22, 2013
Courtesy of the Daily Mail
KARL D. writes:
A divorced mother of two, who was a stuntwoman and wing walker, died along with the pilot when their stunt went wrong, killing them both in a ball of fire. She leaves behind two teenaged sons. When any parent dies it is extremely tragic for the children. If my father had died because he was a stunt pilot, it would have been tragic and I would have even questioned his choice of career given that he had a family. But in the end I would have seen his dying as a man doing something dangerous yet masculine. And I would respect that. However, if my mother had died in this way, I would have seen it as a completely foolish waste. I know. That makes me a total sexist, doesn’t it?
— Comments —
Katey writes:
The woman isn’t even in the ground and you posted this? While I don’t agree with her career choice I am just disgusted by this post. How about a prayer for her soul and consolation for her family?
Laura writes:
There is no better way for me to recognize the value of this woman’s life, given the cultural context in which she died and the fact that many others will eulogize her, than to point out the role of feminism in her unnecessary death and the void she leaves in her sons’ lives.
Thordaddy writes:
Today, my two eldest children bear witness to an event that their thirty-nine year old father could not even claimed to have witnessed in all his life. Two days into what has now become their annual vacation at their grandparents’ in Ohio, my children (14 and 12) sat basically front row and witnessed what was to be the instant deaths of a “stuntman” and her pilot. In normal times, Katey’s sentiments would certainly ring true. But these are not normal times and “accidents” like these have an increasingly symbolic meaning for a society bent on self-annihilation. Your original post had me think back to a radio interview with a grandmother who’s “single mother” daughter was killed by an IED in Iraq thus leaving a nine-year-old daughter without any parents. The striking thing was the fact that neither the mother nor her daughter seemed to have ever thought what might happen to the grandchild/child if the “soldier” daughter were killed doing an obviously dangerous thing.
I think the sentiment expressed in this post was to ask this question for these types of “stuntmothers.”
Laura writes:
How awful for your children to see that!
Thordaddy responds:
Both seemed very shaken when I talked to them over the phone. Apparently, they had just finished up a conversation concerning how one goes about being a “wing walker” and then “bam.”
Forta Leza writes:
Here’s a thought: Nobody, male or female, should be taking risks simply to entertain others with their risk-taking. I totally agree that risky jobs like mining coal and soldiering should generally be done by men. But the job of crawling out on the wing of a plane basically in order to scare people into being entertained? That’s a job nobody needs to do.
Laura writes:
You’re right. It’s like watching gladiators in the ring.
