Comedian Brendan Scannell recently announced a "New Diva Alert!"—in response to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas' new 2025 calendar, which, I have to agree, is simply marvelous. The calendar features 12 glamour-shot style images of Pappas dressed to the nines and striking some fabulous poses.
When she's not slaying as a calendar diva, 75-year old Maria Pappas is the Treasurer of Cook County, Illinois. In a recent interview with Pappas on NPR, host Scott Simon describes the calendar:
The calendar is also an opportunity to display the treasurer's wide range of bedazzled jackets and T-shirts. One features the diet Coke logo. Another, the slogan, back off. She even has one with Maria Pappas in all caps.
Pappas explains what motivated her to make the calendar: "This is a miserable world that we're living in. People are unhappy. So here comes Pappas and says, you know, let me make you happy with this calendar." Simon responds, "Imagine someone who collects property taxes, making people happy. The Cook County, Illinois treasurer's just signed to start doing senior modeling. And Pappas replies:
And you know what, why not? I'm enjoying every day, you know? A lot of my friends are dead. A lot of them are sick. And I'm like, you know what, I'm going to live today to the fullest. Life goes on, you know? You wake up in the morning and you say what am I going to do today that I've never done before?
Pappas began creating calendars in 2021, as gifts for her friends and family and for small local distribution. The calendar went viral this year, however, and she needed to print 8,000 more copies to satisfy local demand. Unfortunately, they are only available in the Chicago area (at two Akira stores—where you can also buy seven of the "fabulous jackets" featured in the calendar—and at Fresh Farm International Market) and there's no way yet to buy them online.
Lots of folks on social media are begging Pappas to make them widely available, though, so maybe next year that dream will come true. In the meantime, those of us unable to get to Chicago and buy one will have to make do with this up-close look at the calendar via Brendan Scannell's hilarious review.
