I’m a huge fan of Japanese pop-music icon Alyssa Milano as well as her work on the TV shows Who’s The Boss, Melrose Place, Charmed (one of the best shows ever created, in my gay opinion), and Insatiable. Back on March 30th, 2009 I went to Borders in New York City for a book signing of her “Safe At Home: Confessions Of A Baseball Fanatic.” I barely know anything about baseball, I can’t name ten teams or five players living or dead. I do know about pitchers, catchers, and they slap each other on the ass at intermission, which in those pants, I can’t blame them. However, for the opportunity to meet Alyssa Milano, I made the trip, got my autograph and read the book (I still don’t know what a touchdown is). I left disappointed that I couldn’t get a picture with her but she was socially distancing before it was fashionable and cameras weren’t allowed passed a certain point. This is the only blurry memory captured from the event.
My camera is just like me, always focusing on the wrong things!
When I heard that Alyssa had a new book coming out, “Sorry Not Sorry,” I ordered an autographed copy online knowing that a live book signing wasn’t likely to happen. “Sorry Not Sorry” is a book of essays revolving mostly around politics and activism which are probably the only things I know less about than baseball. There’s an essay about tending roses and another about birthing babies leaving me thirsty for an “Insatiable” story or two. Half way through she finally mentions her TV career in a three-page essay to her “fan-ily” about why there won’t be any dirt or further mention of her shows. I then knew, if she wouldn’t talk about that, there was NO WAY she’d ever talk about her music career from the late 80’s and early 90’s. I guess changing the world with pop-positivity jams like “I Had A Dream” doesn’t compare to getting outshined by a goat mascot when campaigning to get Rob Quist (Politician? Baseball player? I don’t know) elected.
Could a goat do those dance moves and sing such lyrics as “Sometimes you find your dream can really come true / If you believe it just might happen to you”? I think Naayyyy!
“Sorry Not Sorry” is all about trying to make the world a better place through activism and giving those who are being silenced by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and all those other phobias a voice. Lately she’s been giving her time and energy to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo but she’s been making a change since the 80’s when she was just a teenager. She went on The Phil Donahue Show and kissed Ryan White (for those who don’t know, he was a teenager who contacted HIV through a blood treatment and became an early spokesperson for HIV/AIDS) to show that HIV couldn’t be contracted by close contact and people shouldn’t be so fearful. Now that’s my kind of activism, kissing cute boys to prove a point, even I could do that.
“Sorry Not Sorry” was my bedtime reading this past week. I had moments of laughter, especially knowing that “stupid” and “dumb” are two words not allowed in her home but all bets are off for every other expletive as was evidenced in this book, but the majority of the essays are heavy and caused me a few sleepless nights. Although “Sorry Not Sorry” isn’t exactly what I hoped, I get the point. Alyssa shares examples from her own life of things that can be done, great and small, to try and make a difference in the world for all people. I give her props for that but would it have killed her to just give one story from behind the walls of Halliwell Manor?
