"I was not trying to be shocking, or to be a pioneer. I wasn't trying to change society, or to be ahead of my time. I didn't think of myself as liberated, and I don't believe that I did anything important. I was just myself, I didn't know any other way to be, or any other way to live."
-Bettie Page
I first saw Bettie Page about ten years ago. I was looking at a website about Marilyn Monroe, another favorite, and saw this gorgeous brunette with the most intriguing look I had ever seen. She had a see-through negligee on, and a come-hither glance that spoke innocence and naughtiness at the same time. Her photos seemed to leave much more to the imagination than many of her contemporaries. She was the classic girl-next-door, with a bite.
It may come as a surprise to you, but I really like vintage Playboy magazines. The articles are good, and reveal a lot more about the time than the candy-coated women's magazines. They are excellent social commentary. Plus, the nudes are tasteful, not raunchy. And they are full of kitsch and charm. I guess that's why I like Bettie. Some of her pictures are goofy, some are sultry. She wasn't ashamed of her body. I like that, and you got the sense that she was really enjoying what she was doing, not being exploited. Also, Bunny Yeager, the photographer that took the iconic "Christmas Ornament" photo for Playboy in 1955 had great sensitivity as a female photographer. I can imagine them having lots of fun at those shoots. She was the second centerfold for Playboy. Marilyn Monroe, with her strawberry-blonde curls, was the first.
Her beauty was accessible. In a time when plastic surgery and PhotoShop reign supreme, the image of a little tummy and boobs that have a "just-so" droop are wonderful to see. This is how women are supposed to look. Obviously men still like women to look this way - otherwise she wouldn't still be so popular, and neither would Marilyn.
She really was such an innocent Southern girl. In interviews I have heard, she recounts how puzzled she was by people viewing her as a sex object. And she also was confused why people had such a problem with her nudity. The way she saw it, God created us nude, we came into this world nude. To her, it wasn't a sexualized thing, but a natural thing. Naive, maybe. But I've never felt "dirty" looking at her pictures.
I love all the pin-up girls, they all have their appeal. Betty Grable was always my dad's favorite, and she really was a true blonde bombshell. Burlesque and pin-up are seeing a resurgence and I love it! It validates things for me - I always wanted to look that way, ever since I was a young girl. I cut the Bettie bangs for the first time 5 years ago, because I have a humongo forehead and I thought - "Eh, what the heck, hair grows." It has since become my go-to look. My fiance thinks I look like Bettie Page as a redhead, but he's biased.
But even with all the tributes and look-alikes, there was only one Bettie. In the end, she was a minister of the Gospel, working for Billy Graham. She never recanted her photos, never was ashamed of what she did. The sweet girl from Tennessee became immortal, but she never really cared about that. She just wanted to smile.
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