Lessons from Diana Rigg
Pay Women! And Find a Way for Death with Dignity
This morning, an article on Diana Rigg caught my eye. I loved her in “The Avengers,” which I watched in reruns in the 1970s. She was sexy, smart, vivacious, and tough, and I saw where Vanessa Redgrave said that Rigg was ahead of her time, that she was sexy and smart when women as actors were supposed to be either/or, not both.
This snippet caught my eye: “I spoke out when I was doing the Avengers and learned I was earning less than the cameraman. I was called ‘money grabbing.’”
Rigg was an absolute star of that show, yet she earned less than a crew member. While the cameraman probably deserved a raise, Rigg deserved to be paid what her male costar, Patrick Macnee, earned. She was as good as gold and better.
The article on Rigg references her painful battle with cancer and how she wished to die with dignity. Death with dignity is something I fully support. I see no reason why people should suffer and die in agony when drugs are available to prevent this. But of course the idea of assisted suicide raises all kinds of ethical and legal questions. And our inhibitions about talking about death and dying contribute to a status quo in which people are expected to “rage against the dying of the light,” no matter how much pain they’re in and no matter how fruitless the raging.
Diana Rigg was a fighter. She wasn’t afraid to speak out for what she believed in. I hope her example inspires others to fight for equity and for dignity in all aspects of life, even death.
I loved Diana Rigg in "The Avengers," too. And yes, I admired how intelligent her character was.
She was a brilliant actress to the end, winning a BAFTA late in life, as well as a Tony. Her brief role in "All Creatures Great and Small," as a quirky, imperious British noblewoman was a delight, but as Olenna Tyrell in "Game of Thrones," she was truly masterful. She > almost< checkmated the evil Lannisters, and yes, chose to die with dignity when offered the chance.
Some years ago, my dog reached the end. He was at the point where all he could do, barely, was simply stand up and look mournfully at me, this from a creature (a Boston terrier) that I would race with on my bicycle, he in the lead straining on the leash as I pedaled fast to keep up. He could not wait to do this every day. It took him through 15 years.
I knew the time had come. I took him in my arms to the vet where the process was simple, first cause loss of consciousness and then stop the heart. Two injections, less than five minutes and it was over. I said to the vet, that was fantastic, why can't we do it to ourselves? He agreed.
There was a drug made in the 1950's called Nembutal that if overdosed caused both loss of consciousness and then heart failure. It was sold as a pain reliever. I believe Marilyn Monroe used it to kill herself. It was removed from the market.
I wish I had bought some! While I am nowhere near wishing to end my life I certainly do want the ability to do so at some point in the future when I am no longer able to function autonomously. As I watch friends suffer through the deterioration of their parents, sighing that it is a relief when the end finally comes after years of bedsitting and payment of the estate to the medical profession and nursing homes, I have told my son that I will not have him in that position and will do what I need to do when the time comes.
Both of my parents died instantly of heart attacks, my father when I was 21 and my mother when I was 30. I have always considered that they did me a favor even though not consciously. I have not known the agony my friends are going through. I want to do the same, only consciously, for my children. And, hey, maybe I will see my dog again! Not!