Not-so-bad girls

Of all the pleasures my friendship with Howard has given me, perhaps the most unexpected is a growing appreciation of vintage girlie art and photography. I like looking at the models' saucy, "you know you want me" expressions; I admire the ease with which they display their sexiness. It's not that I find such art a turn-on. Rather, it's the notion of power and confidence behind the art that I find thrilling: I wish I had the self-assurance to present myself in such a manner. Not that I ever would, probably -- I just wish I felt brave enough to do so.

There's a sort of innocence, too, in vintage girlie art that is lacking in most modern pin-ups and advertising. Contemporary stuff uses models who are heroin-thin and surgically enhanced and look hardened, as if they've seen (and done) it all in their decade-and-a-half on earth; their come-hither stares seem more threatening than alluring. But even the most daring period pieces I've seen, such as the fetishistic photos Bettie Page shot in the 1950s, have a sort of "What fun!" spirit to them that looks inviting, even as a warning bell goes off. Howard perfectly described the appeal of this sort of "naughty" entertainment: It's both squeaky clean and mildly dirty, and it's that combination of wholesomeness with the threat of a precipitous fall that he finds so enjoyable. I like it, too; I guess at heart I'm a good girl with a few bad girl aspirations.

All of which brings us to The Notorious Bettie Page, the next movie on my must-see list. There are whips and lingerie involved, and I'm sure it has earned an R rating -- yet I have the impression (or perhaps it's merely hope) that the film is also, in a way, old-fashioned and optimistic. Check out Howard's take on Gretchen Mol as Bettie (and an appreciation of other "fearless" actresses), and see some great vintage shots of Bettie herself here. (I find it endearing that as fabulous and sexy as Bettie looks, she is clearly sucking in her stomach in almost every shot.)