In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the colorful and tumultuous life of Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker). Known for her "eccentric and glamorous persona," Tammy Faye was far more than just a televangelist with heavy makeup. From co-founding The PTL Club and the massive Christian theme park Heritage USA to becoming an unlikely gay icon, we explore how she carved out a unique space in American pop culture,,.
Join us as we discuss:
• The Rise and Fall of PTL: How Tammy Faye and her first husband, Jim Bakker, built a multimillion-dollar religious empire that collapsed under the weight of fraud convictions and the Jessica Hahn scandal,.
• Breaking the Mold: Unlike many of her evangelical peers, Tammy Faye refused to denounce the LGBT community. We look back at her groundbreaking interview with a pastor suffering from AIDS at the height of the epidemic, where she urged Christians to show compassion.
• Survival and Pop Culture: Life after the scandal, including her marriage to Roe Messner, her stint on VH1’s The Surreal Life with Vanilla Ice, and her status as "the ultimate drag queen",,.
• Her Final Years: Her highly publicized, 11-year battle with cancer and her enduring legacy in film and musical theater, including the Oscar-winning movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye,.
Tune in for a look at the woman who wrote, "I Will Survive... and You Will Too!".
