Friday, December 12, 2008

Farewell, Bettie Page

The world's most famous and controversial pin-up model, Bettie Page, passed away yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 85.

click here for her obituary from Associated Press

There will never be another model like Bettie, because she personified naughty in an era of nice, and helped to usher in the sexual revolution of the 60s.

"There was a passion play unfolding in her mind. What some see as a bad-girl image was in fact a certain sensual freedom and play-acting - it was part of the fun of being a woman."
-- Olivia De Berardinis, American painter

"The origins of what captures the imagination and creates a particular celebrity are sometimes difficult to define. Bettie Page was one of Playboy magazine's early Playmates, and she became an iconic figure, influencing notions of beauty and fashion."
-- Hugh Hefner, Playboy Magazine

"I want to be remembered as I was when I was young and in my golden times... I want to be remembered as the woman who changed people's perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form."
-- Bettie Page

Most of Bettie's images are NSFW, but I'm posting some here anyways and I'm sorry if anyone catches hell, but seriously, you should know better than to read Rocketradio at work. Nudity happens.

click images to enlarge

14 comments:

Dr Zibbs said...

One cool chick.

Gwen said...

I just recently watched something about her. I wish I could remember what because I'd leave a link. Sadly, I must have killed that brain cell.

I love the beach picture on the upper left. Makes me want to party with her. Well, not now because I'm not into the dead and stuff.

i am playing outside said...

very sad :(

oddly though, probably the only person who can ever have pics of her boobs tastefully attached to her death notice. hehe

Some Guy said...

She seemed to be having such a good time. That's what it's all about, right?

Bluzlover said...

She was real! No Photoshop work on this lady. That's what I love about the risque models of the 40's and 50's. On a musical note, Etta James and Patsy Cline broke many barriers as well.

SouthernBelle said...

Wow, she was a real icon.

I love her hair, her style... We should all go out and buy garter stockings as a tribute!

Vegetable Assassin said...

:( I was reading this yesterday on the news. That's sad indeed.

She's absolutely beautiful and as Bluzlover already pointed out, these were the days before Photoshop and photos bearing no resemblance to the actual person became the norm.

I also blame her for my fascination with 50s era swimwear.

Dolce said...

I love Bettie Page. I wrote a post about her a long time ago...whatever happened to classic beauty like this?

Great post!

SkylersDad said...

Nice to see the old pics of her, back before big fake boobs and anorexia became the fashion.

pistols at dawn said...

She was still alive? I just assumed she'd passed on decades ago. Still, as a fan of females, nudity, and most especially female nudity, I know I've dated many a girl who's aped Bettie's style, because it's still a great effing look.

She happened to be beautiful, but more importantly, she taught legions of women that it's really less about being pretty than thinking/knowing you're pretty, because being comfortable in your own skin is more attractive than just about anything else.

pop stuff said...

Page starred in a few mainstream movies too, didn't she?

Chris said...

I was in a band with a drummer for a couple years that had Bettie Page airbrushed on his kick drum.

Pistols nailed it though. (Not the kick drum, though I wouldn't put it past him, I'm talking about the idea of Bettie Page making it "okay" for simply be beautiful.)

Leonesse said...

Just a classic. I, too, love the beach pic the best. Just something about it, though they are all beautiful.

Ditto, Pistols and Chris.

mike said...

Wow. I didn't even think hot chicks were invented until the 1980s.