Dec 12, 2008

bettie page

Famous model Bettie Page has died in Los Angeles at 85.

She had experienced a resurgence in popularity in the past ten years or so. While do I think that sexism and the objectification of women have been a bit stronger in our culture in this decade than in the previous one, I also admit that one of the good things to come out of the 2000′s has been the idea that there are many different types of female beauty.

Women might have more pressure on them to be sexy than they did in the 1990′s, but there seem to be more different “models” of attractiveness to choose from. A mixed blessing, to be sure.

But it is good, in my opinion, that it isn’t just supermodel gorgeousness or heroin-chic anymore—now we have beautiful athletic women, sexy geek girls, attractive older professional women, and pretty indie ladies.

Women of color, Asian women, and Latinas all get more acknowledgment as potentially drop-dead gorgeous than they did in the past, too. But one of the best beauty trends, in my opinion, is the dawning realization that you don’t have to be stick-thin to be beautiful and sexy.

I am not a large woman. Compared to some of the voluptuous women that model their style after Bettie Page and the other pin-up queens, I feel distinctly like a boy. But I love seeing how many bigger and curvier women are claiming the confidence that comes from feeling attractive, and I give props to one of the icons that helped make that possible.

I might not agree with the path her spirituality took, later in her life. I hope that our society moves away from pressuring its members to regret their innocent sensuality. When I look at old photos of Page, what I take away is a feeling of the beautiful reality of human sexuality—how it has humor, and normality, but also undeniable power.

Sex isn’t the earth-shattering boogeyman it’s made out to be, but it also isn’t at all humdrum. It straddles the line between being the most normal thing in the world, and being the most transformational. I feel that Bettie Page had the rare gift of capturing that tension in her poses. She was one of the immortals, and she will be missed.

Happy birthday, Oscar Wilde!
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