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| The Little Extras - The Society Divas | |
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| The Little Extras - The Society Divas | |
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In discussing Divas and Divadom, one naturally tends to think of the Goddesses of Song and Film, as well as those of Politics. In doing so, however, an entire category of Diva is overlooked: that of the Society Diva. Though casually dismissed as vacuous trophy wives of rich and famous men, or spoiled women whose inherited riches buffered them from their pain, their contribution to the culture of their various countries is enormous, and is worth a closer look. Not only did these Social Divas influence the way generations of women dress, their presence in the arts has shaped the way finer culture has evolved throughout the 20th century. Their choice of paintings and designers; their encouragement of authors and composers; their elaborate balls on behalf of the unfortunate of the world: the way of life of these women establishes a cultural baseline for society, and that inevitably trickles down to the population at large. So it is important that we pause to examine their lives. But it not just good deeds and good example that make the women on these pages candidates for Divadom - for if those were the criteria, this website would be a tribute to Mother Theresa, and not the fascinating women that it is. So we have chosen to spotlight some of the most intriguing women of High Society in the last 150 years; women not only interesting because they were born to riches, but because they had that je ne sais quoi necessary to stand out in a sparkling crowd. Any one of them may proudly bear the mantle of Diva. Because many of these histories are very well known, it was decided that a bare recitation of the facts would not be sufficient; so we have chosen to present these Women's stories as a series of fables - Fractured Fairy Tales Of The Very, Very Rich. It is hoped that the reader will be enriched by the information in these pages, and leave sharing the good-humored respect and admiration we have for these great Divas of Society. Viva La Diva! (Introduction by Jeff Woloson)
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