Saturday, December 11, 2010

Remembering... Bettie Page

For some reason I've always associated Bettie Page with Vancouver - probably because I'd never heard of her until I'd moved here, and upon moving here found her name and style ubiquitous amongst the hipsters whom I've always admired from afar...

PhotobucketA n y w a y... As sad as it was to receive the news that she had died - on this day in 2008 - my grief was somewhat ameliorated by the realization that the Pop Culture Institute now had the ideal justification to post a picture of boobies! Imagine my thrill at finding such an image of her that also incorporated Christmas; thank you for that Hugh Hefner and Playboy! Then (if you'll be so indulgent) imagine my chagrin when, several months later, I discovered that photo had been ordered removed by Photobucket. With any luck this nipple-free shot will pass muster, and survive until this time next year*.

Although Page's later life was marked by a prolonged battle with mental illness which I'm sure was entirely unrelated to her born-again spirituality** the free and easy (not to mention downright kinky) style of her youth not only ensured her notoriety then but meant that even the most mainstream media - meaning Canada AM, which makes The Today Show look edgy - noted the passing of this once-controversial and no-longer obscure pop culture icon.

Bettie Page was most famously portrayed by Gretchen Mol in the 2005 film The Notorious Bettie Page. Might I suggest renting it tonight in her honour? If you don't (or even if you do) there may be a spanking in it for you...

*It did.  Yay!
**The Truth in Blogging Commission requires me to point out that this is sarcasm.
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