Liza Minelli Reveals The Biggest Misconception About Her Mother

Your mother, Judy Garland, remains one of most fascinating stars in Hollywood history. Even though there's been a tremendous amount of research into her work and analysis of her life, what do you think is the biggest misconception audiences still have about her? The biggest misconception people have about my mother is that she was so unhappy. I think people enjoy thinking that -- some of them, anyway. They see the tragedy as opposed to the fact that she understood how to play tragedy. I remember somebody at school once said something really mean about her: "Oh, Judy does too much of this or that, she drinks too much." And I came home from school crying; my mother asked me what was wrong and I told her. And then she said, "You know what? You let everybody say what they're gonna say, and we'll go get a hamburger."

http%3A//www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/liza-minnelli-njpac-performance-hot-in-cleveland_n_1248412.html


Mia
• Shock horror. Liza recognises her mother and stops pretending she is the daughter of Kay Thompschon!

• Liza has always said that her mother had the greatest sense of humor. She tends to gloss over the bad stuff. That may be her way of protecting her mother's legacy and also herself. Never really understood why author and 'Judy historian' John Fricke hates Liza so much. I would think that both of them tend to gloss over the bad and that they would get along. Not true. Fricke is close to Lorna but not Liza.

• She ushed shilver shertificatesh ash tamponsh when she was jusht a shmall girl. Joey! Shtop shashaying acrossh the room wearing the window drapesh. You're making my head shpin.

• I am a recovering addict and alcoholic and I believe Liza. My life was a complete and total wreck when I was drinking and snorting, but let me tel you something, I had an absolute ball on the road to ruin. It's not the booze and the drugs that spoil the fun. It's having to cope with real life duties and responsibilities while trying to maintain the permanent state of drug-induced bliss that causes all the conflict.

• That drunk Liza crap got old a very, very long time ago.

  Helen L.

• Liza Minelli looks like a rat that has Down's Syndrome.

• Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Yes, Joey. I like blue, too. Now let's go get a hamburger, shall we? LIZA!!!

  Judy%20Garland%20displaying%20her%20fun%20and%20patient%20parenting%20skills.

• It seems to me both non-credible and kind of rude for Liza to say Charles Aznavour "really taught me everything I know about singing". Liza grew up with a mother who was one of the most acclaimed and respected singers of all time, yet she didn't learn ANYTHING about singing from her mother?

• we should do a food Judy likes thread. We know about the hamburger. And the Chinese after she finished "Over the Rainbow". And the truck driver's breakfast. The cream of wheat that Liza sings about. The bag of popcorn she'd take on the rollercoaster, per the Barbara Walters interview. Blue Nun over ice, while she was doing the series. The best shepherd's pie, according to little Joe. What else?

• "... and we'll go get a hamburger... then we'll charge it to room service, leave in the middle of the night and stiff the hotel for the bill" Those girls definitely have a love/hate relationship with Baby Gumm. Lorna seems to have suffered the most. We'll never hear the total story because they were brainwashed to preserve The Legend.

• Oh I think Liza wants to put a positive spin on her mother. It's not secret that someone who's career is studded with addiction related breakdowns is very likely a troubled and unhappy person much of the time. Lord knows, Liza should know and does know. But then Judy was not miserable all the time, and she was very funny- and of course she was one of the most gifted entertainers and singers who ever lived. Nothing new here- Liza's spin. Her battles with her Mom are pretty well documented. But she loves her and she want people to remember the good things about her mother. That's Liza.

  charlie

• Judy and the kids stayed at an old motel in Santa Monica for a bit until they were asked to leave/fled for non-payment. They was po'!

  Judy was from Lancaster, Ca

• and now, r10, there isn't even a legend to speak off. In find, Liza has eclipsed her more talented mother with the masses.

• I do like blue, Mamma, I do like blue!

  Joey%20Luft

• Not sure I appreciate the autism barbs.

• R15, I as well understand that Joey could have some autism, and you know, he may have wonderful talents to offer that we don't have. Have worked with these fine folk.

  Judy from Lancaster

• Um... It's MINNELLI. Judy couldn't have been miserable all that much - she was one of the most productive stars of the era. She was too busy to be very introspective.

• Uh, r17....

  http://youtu.be/W3WAlz7-axU

  Whoeeever%20wants%20to%20LOVE%20US%20is%20welcome%20-%20whoever%20is%20against%2

• Not sure it's that big a misconception, Liza:

  http://youtu.be/9KT4pVII900

• "We should do a food Judy likes thread." One biography I read of Garland mentioned that she loved potatoes. And chocolate cake. While she was pining for Artie Shaw, David Rose knocked on her dressing room door with a chocolate cake in his hand; the way to Judy's heart was though her stomach, because the incident brought about their romance and eventual marriage. Another biography said she also was fond of stewed tomatoes. If I can remember any more foods Garland supposedly adored I'll post them. Judy didn't seem to have refined taste when it came to food. As for Liza's claim that it was untrue that her mother was unhappy...well, maybe that's what she tells herself. But being a manic-depressive, Judy had incredible highs and lows. The lows must have been frequent and terrible.

• "You let everybody say what they're gonna say" Ha, ha, ha! I'll say!

• Liza is a pro. She is gracious and engaging. She never speaks badly about anyone. Despite any family problems, she was obviously raised right. She puts her best foot forward and doesn't air dirty laundry about herself, her mother--or about anyone else. Liza is old-Hollywood. She doesn't subscribe to the dirt that goes on nowadays.

• Sure, Judy Garland had her low points, but the main thing is that she had a wonderful life, all things considered.

• Judy loved mashed potatoes with lots and lots of butter too.

  read that somewhere

• too bad Melissa Gilbert didn't have the same upbringing that Liza did. Melissa said some awful things about Liza in Melissa's book.

• ???

• Rona Barrett did a TV special way back around 1973 and her four guests were Liza, Cher, Ann-Margret and Raquel Welch. It was before the Barbara Walters celebrity interviews and it was really good. Rona did a series of interviews about the special and when asked about Liza, she said coyly, "Liza is a carbon copy of her mother. Everything she says, she relates it somehow to her mother."

• R24 Lorna also mentions that on the LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME AND MY SHADOWS commentary, in the scene after Judy quits the pills cold turkey and goes through major withdrawals. Sid asks her what she wants and Judy goes, "A rare steak and mashed potatoes with lots and lots of butter." It was at this point that Lorna chuckles and explains that her mom had a weakness for mashed potatoes with lots of butter.

• Liza has spent a lifetime answering questions about her mother and living in the shadow of her legend. It's a big part of the reason she herself later had addiction problems as well. Life with Judy was no day in the park, but it's hard to move on with your life when people keep asking you about your famous mother who died over forty years ago.

• LIZA HAS BEEN A SHINING STAR. STOP TRASHING LISA WICKED, UNGRATEFUL, INELEGANT PEOPLE! LISA IS UNIQUE, UNIQUE!

• Liza has had so many years to create, re-tell and burnish her authentically fake version of her mother's life, I'm not sure even Judy would recognize it!

• [quote]And then she said, "You know what? You let everybody say what they're gonna say, and we'll go get a hamburger." And it wassh particularly delicioussh polished off with a handful of Benniessh, an' a fifth of vodka to wash it all down!

  Liza%20M.

• HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

  R31%2C%20The%20Hissing%20Eldergay

• I get my dreams from my father but my drive from my mother!

• Oh, come on, ya'll. I don't think Liza is trying to say that Judy was never unhappy or never addicted or alcoholic. IMHO she's just saying that the often-sold image of Judy as a tragic, constantly-weeping, drugged out incoherent mess should be counter-balanced with the images of normalcy, humor, persistence etc that were more salient to Liza growing up, but which the public, tabloids, biographers etc couldn't or didn't really report on in the same way they did the scandals, depression, drunkenness etc. Many people who've grown up with someone suffering from addiction parse things in a similar way, separating someone's humor/ good traits from their addiction/depression, whatever. I can easily imagine that it's the same for someone, whether they're famous or not. Would you be happier if she answered every reporter with, "I remember pumping momma's stomach when I was 12." (Those stories have already been told btw). I also agree with r22.

  The%20%22Leave%20Liza%20Alone%22%20Troll

• Some jerk deleted the post Liza Minnelli. In it there were more than 210 responses and now it doesn't exist, strange eh? There is a post in DL which is called Liza Minnelli but it's not the one i'm talking about. I guess there are some jerks in DL, that don't like people to praise and support Liza. Some behaviors are really sad in here.

  LizaWeLikeYou

• "I got my addiction to gay cock from my father and my love of vodka and pillsh from my mother."

• Sorry, i found it... I was wrong. However i still believe that some people are really jerks in here

  LizaWeLoveYou

• Liza has rewritten nearly everything about her life. Just Google Nancy Barr.

• [quote]My life was a complete and total wreck when I was drinking and snorting, but let me tell you something, I had an absolute ball on the road to ruin. It's not the booze and the drugs that spoil the fun. It's having to cope with real life duties and responsibilities while trying to maintain the permanent state of drug-induced bliss that causes all the conflict. R4. That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. I just sent your little quote to a close friend of mine who was a big drinker for years and then crashed and burned. He's fine now, and I knew he would get a big kick out of it because he has often said the same thing.

• Liza actually had a great deal of anger and bitterness towards her mother, who was not a mother in any sense of the word. She loved her children dearly, but was completely incapable of caring for them due to her addictions and total preoccupation with her stardom.

• What kind of relationship did she have with her father, who was famous in his own right?

• Liza and her father Vincente were close. He was apparently a good father to her.

• [quote]but was completely incapable of caring for them due to her addictions and total preoccupation with her stardom. Ladies and Gentlemen, Deanna Durbin is here tonite. Wave to everyone DD.

• You know, I've always wondered where she got her drive, and where she got her dreams. That's something you never hear from her.

• Judy was amazing. Jack Paar London live interview 1964.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_detailpage%26v%3DPxcw1tPwht0%23t%3D193s

• The Dietrich story continues on part two.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DnBTsRO2g0Sk