Herstory

Tura Satana, ass kicking goddess and star of Russ Meyer's classic film "Faster Pussycat, Kill!Kill!" answers a few of Libby's questions.

Americans in the early Cold War period were not having good sex, apparently.

The existence of courtesans is a glaring refutation of neofeminist dogma about objectification, the eternal victimhood of whores, etc; the fact that the most celebrated, successful and highly-paid harlots of all time were often those who were educated and could match or surpass men in intellectual pursuits throws a huge spanner into the catechism that prostitution is a manifestation of male dominance over women, that our clients hate us, and so on.  Whenever possible, neofeminist historians deny that courtesans were prostitutes, pretend that accomplished women were not really courtesans, or describe them with circumlocutions like, “she chose to cohabit with several men who supported her financially.”  And when all else fails, they simply ignore them.  Fortunately neither male historians nor female ones with less parochial views feel the need to dissemble about such women, and among them Tullia d’Aragona is rightfully viewed as worthy of respect and study.

Having a bratty girl-child mouth-off to her master may be cute, but underneath it all lies -- as sure as those ruffled panties -- the idea that she will eventually heel and heed her master. Or, if she does not, then he is less-than-a-man and plays cuckhold to her charms. Sure, all this can only make it funnier; but did they get it?

In the history of glamour photography, few women possessedthe combination of beauty, grace and wholesomeness that Diane Webber did. It was more than just her ample bosom (which featured incredibly perfect nipples) and dream-like hourglass figure. She was truly beautiful, with fetching, blue eyes and an overwhelming smile. She was hypnotic, even if she weren't naked! Though only 5' 2", and very curvaceous (listed by Playboy, Feb. 1956 at 39D-23-37, though she was four months pregnant at the time), she always appeared svelte and statuesque, thanks to her ballet dancer's agility and toned figure. She was photographed by some of the most famous names in glamour and nude photography, including Bunny Yeager, Peter Gowland and Russ Meyer, and was Playboy Magazine's Playmate of the Month in May 1955 and February 1956. According to several sources, she is not only the first model to show her pubic hair in Playboy, but also the first to be shown in a full-frontal nude pose.

"For too long these burlesque girls have been held down on the low rung of the entertainment ladder . . . but no more" declared Dixie Evans, the former Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque.

You mentioned having a feminist girlfriend which made porn a no-no. Most of us know the history of feminism and pornography — which most people prefer to describe in terms of “feminists say porn bad”. There were actually various distinctions (between porn and erotica, and between feminist thinkers as well), but in your case, you had a feminist girlfriend who actually said porn was a no-no?

A brutal bondage billboard on Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip for the Rolling Stones’ 1976 album, Black and Blue, was taken down after fierce feminist protests.

This photo and headline accompanied an article from the October 15, 1970 issue of Jet magazine.

...However, decades prior to this bold public display of queer affection, African American female couples in New York strategized alternative ways to obtain marriage licenses in the 1920s and 30s:

A Man Wouldn't Be Safe On The Street...And If You Don't Like That, You're A Square!

From Eyeful, April 1955.

Rita Moreno’s memoir has been released, and it might just be the dirtiest Hollywood biography yet. I’m not saying it’s full of erotic passages — but it’s so honest, dishing the dirt about the misogyny of the place and times, it sure doesn’t spare anyone’s feelings.

Masturbation is often thought to be more harmful to boys than to girls, because of the direct drain upon the resources of the body in the case of the male through the loss of the seminal fluid. But when one considers the havoc wrought upon the more delicate nervous systems of young women it is not always so certain that they suffer less seriously from the practice than do young men.

Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold (Penguin, 1993) is an ethnography of the Buffalo lesbian community/-ies, by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline D. Davis. If you haven't heard of this book and are interested in understanding more of ...

I believe in the empowerment of aesthetic response. I believe it’s just as important — perhaps even more so –to do with porn and erotic materials than it is with Art.

Understanding your reactions, positive and negative, makes you a more self-aware human being. A wiser human being. To me, this is the intellectual version of an opposable thumb because it separates us from the simple wankers. And when it comes to our relationships, it is just as important to be able to articulate our reactions so that we can share them with our partners. Having struggled to do this for ourselves, we become aware just how difficult the process is and therefore we have greater understanding when our partners share their struggled-to-arrive-at reactions. Simply put, talking about turn-ons, turn-offs, and why we have them means not only increased intimacy, becoming better lovers, but we can then select erotica materials for mutual enjoyment.

In the case of this photo, and those like them, my negative feelings are deeper than the words “tacky” and “silly”. Deeper and more painful.

"The battle for equality was won years ago," some say ~ usually with a dismissive air, like we should just get over it because it's ancient history.

It's not over, and even the things we 'won' are like those 40 acres and mules ~ not here yet.

We may have come a long way, baby; but we're not there yet. In my lifetime I've seen, heard, and read plenty. Sometimes it's laughable ~ until you realize that real people lived this way, causing your heart to ache, your stomach to churn, and your ire to rise.