Rodney Dangerfield: How Birth Order Affected His Life

 

                                                       Rodney Dangerfield

 

Who doesn’t remember Rodney the comedian that got “no respect” and his rapid-fire-one-liners.  A look at his life will give you a little insight as to how birth order affects our lives. The power of attraction between people is an often studied and misunderstood phenomenon. How we find our friends is another mystery that birth order can answer. Looking at his life you will see how birth order affected all parts of it, as it does for everyone.

Early Years

 Rodney’s early years were not the easiest.  His family was a dysfunctional one as his father was a vaudevillian performer, Phillip Cohen, using the stage name Phil Roy; he would come home twice a year. His mother was from Austria/Hungary and showed Rodney little affection.  She may have transferred her negative feelings for his father, who abandoned the family, to him. She had to support both Rodney and his older sister Marion three years older. Rodney was the second born. His early feelings of rejection may have given him the idea to use “no respect” in his standup act. At age 15, he began to write for stand-up comedians and performed at a resort. He changed his name to Jack Roy at age 19.

First Marriage

He began his career as a comedian preforming at resorts in upstate New York.  He was also doing odd jobs, driving a delivery truck and working as a singing waiter.  In 1951, he met Joyce Indig, a singer they married and raised two children.  Joyce had almost the same birth order as his older sister.  This is one type of “love at first sight” when you meet someone with the same birth order as one of your siblings. Although Joyce was a firstborn like Rodney’s sister, she was nine years older than her younger sister was.  This gave her a Double birth order with characteristics of both an Only and Firstborn. Close but not perfect. They divorced after ten years of marriage.

Second Marriage

The strength of the birth order connection cannot be denied, after one year apart they married again. This marriage lasted seven years until it permanently ended. It was during the time he was married to Joyce that he dropped out of preforming and worked as an aluminum siding salesman.

Return to the Stage

March 1968 he got his big break, The Ed Sullivan Show, he was 47 years old. He performed on this show 17 times. This led to the Dean Martin Show 28 times and Johnny Carson over 70 times.  It is interesting to note that both Dean and Johnny were both second borns. When you meet someone with your same birth order, you have an instant friendship, it showed.  It helps to get a hand up in show business. His success led to 21 movies. Who can forget Caddyshack, Easy Money and Back to School, some of his movies were all Rodney. One of his last movies released after his death, was Angels with Angles in which he played GOD.

Third Marriage

Birth Order works in predicable ways and it has no age barriers. This was true for Rodney and Joan Child. Joan was 30 years younger but it did not seem to matter. She said it was “Love at first sight”; both of them were second borns. This is the second type of “Love at first Sight”; when you meet someone with your same birth order, its magic. It is like looking into a mirror. They had eleven years together before Rodney’s death.

One Liners

This blog cannot be complete without a few of Rodney’s one-liners.  “I have good looking kids. Thank goodness my wife cheats on me.” “I haven’t spoken to my wife in years. I didn’t want to interrupt her.” “I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me.  He said I was being ridiculous.  Everyone hasn’t met me yet.”  “ I told my wife the truth; I told her I was seeing a psychiatrist.  Then she told me the truth; that she was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers, and a bartender.” “It’s tough to stay married.  My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won’t drink from my glass.”  “My uncle’s dying wish; He wanted me on his lap.  He was in the electric chair.” “When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.” ”My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion.  He said okay, you’re ugly too.”

His Parting Words

Rodney’s self-deprecating humor tells us we should not take ourselves too seriously. Before his last operation when asked how long he would be in the hospital, he said, “If all goes well, about a week. If not, about an hour and a half.”  He would die six weeks later. When hearing of his death both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, another second born, referred to Dangerfield as the best stand-up-comedian who ever lived. On the day of his death, the randomly generated Joke of the Day on his website happened to be “I tell ya I get no respect from anyone.  I bought a cemetery plot.  The guy said, “There goes the neighborhood!” This led his wife, Joan, to put this on his headstone, “There goes the neighborhood.”

 

For more information about birth order, you can find it in my book. Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life, by Dr. Robert V. V. Hurst or our website www.lifesfingerprint.com or www.mybirthorder.com

 

 

 

Michael Avenatti His Double Birth Order

                             

 

Often we get to see the characteristics of someones birth order fully revealed in the media. This was true with the rise and fall of Michael Avenatti. He first appeared in the public eye while representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Trump. Michael’s Double Birth order tells his story.

Siblings and Double Birth Order

Michael was born February 16, 1971 in Sacramento, California. When he was born, he had two older siblings Francene, born in 1957 and Vincent, born in 1960. These two siblings are 14 and 11 years older.  This gave Michael a double birth order. He gained the Only birth order as he was nurtured like an only child as the older siblings were out of the house. When the space between siblings is four  years, you gain a double birth order and show 50% of each birth order’s  characteristics. In his case, the separation is 14 and 11 years; Michael shows more Only characteristics that that of a third born. He has an Only/Three Double Birth order.

Positive and Negative Characteristics

All birth orders express their traits in both positive and negative ways. They can use their powers for the good of others or for selfish reasons. You have freedom to choose.

Only Characteristics

The Only child is given a lot of self-confidence by the parents and with that, very little fear of authority figures. Only’s can be very self-centered and many are spoiled, as they do not have to share and get most anything they want as children. Being good students comes naturally to them and books are their first friends.

Third Born Characteristics

The Third born is a very intuitive and sensitive child and is a master at reading people.  They have to understand at least 17 interrelationships between their parents and siblings soon after they are born. They see the world very differently than the other birth orders. They see the bigger picture of man and his relationship to nature, religion and the world.

Combining the Only and Three

When we combine the characteristic of both of these birth orders, we find a person that is very good at reading other people and the world around them. He is also unafraid to challenge other people and societies’ rules. If the Only side is stronger than he may use these skills for his own selfish reasons and not for the good of society.

Education:  Interest in Politics

 Michael graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a political science degree. While in school, he worked for a consulting syndicate for Rahm Emanuel. Law school was George Washington University where he worked for Professor Jonathan Turley on issues about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He graduated first in his class.

Career Choices

In 1989, he worked part-time for Democratic Senator Dick Gephardt. Next, he worked with the research group managed by Rahm Emanuel, then the O’Melveny and Myers law firm in Los Angeles. This firm represented the Ron Goldman Family against Mr. O.J. Simpson. While employed by the firm he represented Christina Aguilera, and Don Henley of the singing group “The Eagles”. In 2018, he reached out to “The Rachael Maddow Show” with footage of a young child in the custody of immigration officials.

Positive Activities

His law career began with favorable verdicts against large corporations, Kimberley Clark, Halyard Health, Service Corporation International, and against the accounting firm KPMG.  He also received the Alumni Recognition award from his law school in 2010.

Fall from Grace

Arrested in March 2019, and charged with 36 counts of perjury, embezzlement, and tax evasion. Cases included 2 million dollars embezzled from NBA player Hassan Whiteside, 4 million dollar settlement from paraplegic client Geoffrey Johnson, $300,000 from Stormy Daniels and extorting Nike for 22.5 million. This put an end to his political career and a run against President Donald Trump.

Jail Time & Rehabilitation

Just before his sentencing, the crying Avenatti said, “Fighting for the little guy against the Goliaths. For years I did just that, but then I lost my way, I betrayed my own values, my friends, my family, and myself.  I betrayed my profession. I’ve learned all the fame, notoriety, and money in the world is meaningless…..” Was this a true statement or just an attempt to manipulate his image, only time will tell?

 

For more information about birth order, especially Double Birth orders visit our website at www.mybirthorder.com or buy my book. Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life,   by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

 

The Double Birth Oder of L. Lin Wood Jr.

                           

 

 Lucian Lincoln Wood Jr. a high profile attorney has been making headlines for quite some time.  The latest after the 2020 election where he has taken issue with the irregularities reported in this election.  His specialty is defamation lawsuits. By examining his birth order we will reveal  the real Lin Wood.

Siblings

The oldest in the family is his half-sister Linda Martin born in 1946, next his sister Diane born in 1951, then Lin born in 1952. There is a five year space between the first two girls, Linda the oldest, became a One/Only Double birth order. Her sister Diane starts the second family as a One/Two double birth order, the oldest in the second family and the second birth. Lin became a Two/Three double birth order, the second in the second family and the third birth.

Early Years

It is the early years, that tend to mold a person’s personality and Lin had a turbulent one.   His alcoholic parents were no strangers to domestic fights.  When Lin was just 16 years old he came home to find his mother dead at the hands of his father. His father pleaded guilty and served a little over two years in prison.  Lin lived with friends but felt this incident lead to his career in law.

The Two/Three Double Birth Order

 When you have this type of Double Ordinal Birth Order, you share the characteristics of both the Two and Three birth orders. Being the only boy in the family, he may also have been called on to take the number one position as the leader, a position that would have been difficult for him.  His number Two birth order shows a stubborn side to his personality and his ability to relate to his clients that have been pushed around by others or the system.  His Three birth order gives him intuitive powers, to read others and size up the situation quickly. He has said, “I have a good eye for determining clients who are worthy. In large part it’s instinctual. I concede that it’s an inexact science.” As a Three, religion is important and he attempts to right the wrongs of the world with a religious fever. 

 

Legal Career  

After graduation from law school in 1977, he spent the next 19 years litigating personal injury  and medical malpractice cases. In 1996, he represented Richard Jewell, the security guard falsely accused in the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. That is when Dan Rather called him the “attorney for the damned” and it fit. That is when his practice transformed and he became a defamation lawyer. His cases include Jon Benet Ramsey’s father, Herman Cain, DaVita Inc. Medicare and Medicaid fraud, and Nicholas Sandmann’s suit against the Washington Post.

Married Life

When married to someone with a Double birth order it is never easy, as they express more than one personality. It makes things interesting but in Lin’s case, he has been divorced three times. He has been with his fourth wife Debbie for the past 18 years. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right.

Future

We have not heard the last from L. Lin Wood Jr. Look for him in the news trying to right a wrong or stand up for the little guy against an institution. He will approach the problem with the passion of a preacher and the stubbornness of the number Two.

 

If you would like more information about Double Birth Orders, see our website www.mybirthorder.com or buy my book, Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life, by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

 

 

 

 

T