Biggie Smalls, Evelyn Hugo, and Sports-and-Beer

November 19, 2022

Read Time: 10 minutes

Recently, someone came to me with a book we could read together.  It’s called The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.  The book cover is of a woman in a green dress.  She has a cool look to her, even though you cannot see her face.  I looked at the cover, started reading the book, and it starts like this…and no, I strongly disagree that any of these spoilers will actually spoil anyone’s experience reading the book…

-        There’s an article about Evelyn Hugo donating her famous clothing for millions of dollars for breast cancer research.

-        We learn Evelyn Hugo is an immensely famous Hollywood actress.  She started her career in the 1950s.

-        The book takes place during the present day.

-        There’s a meeting between magazine employees, Frankie and Monique, about doing an article about Evelyn Hugo. 

-        There is another article from a rival magazine that pokes fun at Monique.

-        And we learn that Monique’s husband left her in the last year.  It’s been a tough year for Monique.

***

All the fellas whose main interests are sports and beer probably have a few thoughts about the plot of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. 

I think it’s good.  I’m around 70 pages in.  I plan to keep going.

Frankly, if I were walking in a book store, I would not select The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my own.  So, when the book was brought to my attention and I was asked if I wanted to read it, I started thinking.

A little voice in my head that only likes sports and beer said, “No.”

But I like trying new things.  I ignored the sports and beer voice in my head and said, “Yes.”

***

So, why has The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo caught my interest? 

Dude, the layers of power and the power struggles that happen between each of the characters is gripping.  The power struggle between Monique and Frankie.  The power struggle between Monique and Evelyn Hugo.  The power struggle between Monique and herself.  Monique finds that being a young person figuring herself out while working in New York City is a challenge.  Plus, her husband just left her.  

The money and the fame that Monique gets exposed to hits her like a shotgun blast.  The situation this book puts her in leaves her so anxious, she cannot sleep for three days.

Evelyn Hugo is the center of power in the plot.  In the first 70 pages, Evelyn’s power is clear and obvious.  Without her and her decades of Hollywood fame, there is no story.

Evelyn Hugo’s power reminds me of Biggie Smalls.  I recently watched Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell.  It’s a documentary about Biggie Smalls.  The opening scenes of the film are powerful.  Home video footage puts Biggie’s power on display.  Biggie’s power is similar to Evelyn’s.  But his power is different. 

Evelyn displays her power in small rooms with only a few people.  In Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell, the opening scenes show the home video footage of Biggie Smalls and his friends as they get ready for a concert in Detroit.  They walk through what looks like a mall. 

Biggie is a magnet.  Attention from strangers is automatic.  Yes, Evelyn does attract attention from strangers…but Biggie’s attention from strangers is vastly different than Evelyn’s. 

The opening scenes in Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell are cut with other home video footage of all the Biggie Smalls hoopla.  People mob Biggie for autographs.  People honk their horns at him while he’s walking on the street.  Biggie is winning awards.  Biggie Smalls was one of the greatest rap sensations of the 20th Century. 

The home video footage cuts again.  Biggie Smalls is on stage.  Thousands of people are in their seats.  Biggie and his friends are hyping up the crowd.  Then, the music comes on…

“I LOVE IT WHEN YOU CALL ME BIG POPPA!”  

And the crowd goes wild.  

It is clear, Evelyn Hugo is not Big Poppa. 

***

Biggie and Evelyn, their power goes further than how they affect others.  They’re also self-aware of their power.  Biggie knows his power the same way Evelyn Hugo knows her power.  Or at least for Evelyn Hugo, that is how the story has gone so far. 

Yes, I understand, there are some horrible-horrible things that happen to Evelyn.  Being a superstar actress from the 1950s, the horrible-horrible things that happened to the same actresses in real life (e.g., Marilyn Monroe and others)…those same things happened to Evelyn Hugo in the fictional 1950s.    

Even then, Evelyn uses people to gain power.  She uses people to get to Hollywood, to get her fame, and to get her money.  That is a fact.  It’s a fact that’s admitted by Evelyn.  She does say she feels badly about hurting people, but her story goes on.

With Biggie, he was a legit drug dealing dude from Brooklyn and needed to pay bills.  His unstoppable flow, his physical presence, and his strong moral code is on display throughout Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell.  These traits helped him get out of Brooklyn and onto private jets.  These traits allowed him to not have to drug deal in order to pay bills.

Biggie’s moral code is on display in old interviews from the 90s where he talks candidly.  There is even an interview where he’s talking honestly with his mother about life.  It’s not mentioned, but Biggie clearly knows his answer to the moral question: would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family?  Biggie’s answer is another question…how desperate are you?  According to Biggie’s moral code, the keyword in the question is not “steal,” the keyword is “you.” 

I’m paraphrasing here, but when Biggie’s mother asked Biggie in the 90s, “Is it true that your music has swear words?”

Biggie responded, “You’re not supposed to be listening to my music, mom.”  A lot of Biggie’s work has a Parental Advisory sticker.

Biggie also understands his keyword in “moral code” is not “moral.”  His keyword is “code.”  To Biggie, it’s not about whether you have good morals…it’s about whether you stick with your code to them.

Evelyn Hugo understands the bread-related moral question too.  Evelyn was a legit poor minority person from Hell’s Kitchen who had a dream to become a Hollywood star.  And she did it.  I only have 300 more pages to go to find out just how wild Evelyn becomes in order to grow and maintain her power.

***

I’m not sure that I will finish The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.  I am putting in the work.  But not finishing…I think that’s just okay with me.  We’ll see.  I live a busy life and my interests vary.  Myself, I know not finishing the book won’t bother me.  I know my friend will understand too.  Our conversation over the first 70 pages was quite intriguing.  We have other things to talk about too, like sports and beer.

I think about not finishing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the same way I think about not having listened to every song by Biggie Smalls.  Not listening to every Biggie Smalls song doesn’t bother me at all. 

It’s a power thing…I just don’t care to give up the power in my life like that.  I get too bored with one piece of popular culture and move on to another one too easily.    

I think it’s time for sports and beer…there’s a football game that’s coming on television. 

Time for a joke:

What did the diaper say to the politician?

"You're full of crap!"