The Life & Death of Bettie Page
by Jennifer Wotzke
On December 11th 2008 the world suffered the loss of an extraordinary and irreplaceable symbol of underground eroticism and pop-culture alike. Only the enigmatic and exotic Bettie Page could have such a paradoxical personae. Bettie Page is by far the most luminescent and influential pin-up girl ever to grace the lens of a camera. She exuded sexuality by her very existence. Bettie Page is one of the most prolifically photographed women as well as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th Century. Her influence on artists, fashion designers, photographers and filmmakers has been apparent since her heydays in the 1950’s to the present.
Born on April 22, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee, from humble beginnings arose a star that shone with unrelenting vivacity that can only be described as photogenic perfection. Anyone with a proclivity for fetish or bondage should thoroughly enjoy the images of Bettie tied-up, with whips or in her stilt-like stiletto heels.
She was discovered in 1950, walking on the beach at Coney Island, by part-time photographer and policeman Jerry Tibbs who suggested her signature bangs and introduced her to several photography clubs. Over 20,000 photos were taken of Bettie between 1950 and 1957. She was also featured in some short films not of the high caliber she had hoped for when she moved to Los Angeles. She had a few auditions, but never made it in Hollywood legitimately.
Bettie portrayed the very image of innocence, but with a mischievous mystique that suggested much more naughtiness than her surface allure. Whether fully clothed, naked, or engaged in bondage fetish, Bettie could pull off any facade or playful parody, never projecting the vulgar or obscene. Even when posing in compromising sadomasochistic bondage scenarios, it’s as though she were incapable of translating discomfort and hence her addictive allure. Many are transfixed by the ease of dignity she manages to convey. Her contribution to sexual liberation was brought about by her ethereal sensuality, radiant smile and beguiling playfulness. Bettie flaunted a very welcome guiltless and open attitude towards sex in a time when it was still very taboo.
Her mass appeal fueled her becoming a Pin-Up sensation known around the World for her mesmerizing aura and her unabashed sexual frivolity that no one has possessed or been able to translate since.
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