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B ETTIE PAGE SPARKED MY TRANSFORMATION from Heather Sweet into Dita Von Teese in more ways than meet the eye. Bettie was her own woman. She was athletic. She had imperfect teeth and a slightly droopy eye. She was deemed short and too hippy to be a fashion model, by no less than Eileen Ford herself, who rejected Bettie for her agency. But despite not fitting within mainstream beauty standards, and despite the hard knocks of her childhood, Bettie Page lived on her own terms.
I first spotted her in a fetish magazine around 1990. I was captivated. Here was a woman genuinely smiling her way through pretty intense bondage scenes, and doing so with a mischief wrapped in warmth and humor. She was unabashed about her sexuality. For her shoots, she did her own makeup and hair and made her own bikinis and other costumes. That Bettie could do all of this while pushing the boundaries and having fun, and a lifetime later, have such a celebrated legacy, motivated me to at least give my own pipe dreams a try.
Launching my career as a modern-day incarnation of Bettie Page led to a radio show call with the actual woman herself. It remains among the great thrills of my life. Years later, Bettie invited me to go to church with her. Even during her modeling days, she attended church, as she didnt believe a God who put Adam and Eve here as naked as jaybirds would disapprove of nudity. I was living abroad, so I never did get to meet my muse, my hero.
Long before her kind invitation, I had let go of the literal homages to her. Id realized, to truly honor Bettie Page meant going my own way. Bettie stood apart then and continues to do so now because she wasnt trying to be anyone but herself. If I was going to emulate anything about her, it would be how she lived: by her own convictions, exuding a strong will, coupled with a playful sensuality and generosity of spirit.
Some five years after Bettie died, I got a call about a suitcase under security in a Vegas warehouse that was part of the Irving Klaw Studios/Movie Stars News archives. It was filled with shoes from those infamous bondage shoots. It was also apparently headed for auction. I handwrote a letter to the owner explaining what it would mean for me to be the caretaker of a pair of her shoes. Faster than the crack of a whip, I was on a flight to look through the suitcase. Among the scruffy gems, they were there: those signature bump-toe black pumps with a distinct solid, sky-high heel that curved just so. They are unlike anything Id ever seen then or have seen since. Shoe size: six and a half. I wear size six and a half. These were the very same ones in those first snapshots of her I fell in love with. They came home with me that day. Did I try them on? Of course! But I dont wear them. They are a talisman, a lucky charm, the embodiment of how central Bettie Page remains in my life. (And no doubt in yours, since youre holding this book in your hands.) I occasionally share this treasure with guests at book signings or other appearances. After all, Im not the only one who found myself because of Bettie Page.
DECEMBER, 2017
A FTER A WILD-CHILD ADOLESCENCE , I must have decided at some point that I had better go ahead and hide that inner troublemaker away so I could have some semblance of a normal life, whatever that is. Along the path of college, grad school, marriage, divorce, motherhood, and career pursuits, that part of myself got further and further buried until I no longer felt connected to my inner spark. That light reignited instantly when I discovered Bettie Page several years ago. That may seem dramatic, but such bold statements are not uncommon among women who have embraced Bettie as a muse. Though her original fan base was mostly men, the community of female Bettie lovers has grown rapidly over the years to the point where we likely outnumber the guys now.
Because Im a psychotherapist and a journalist, people frequently expressed surpriseId say some even scoffedat the idea that I have a serious interest in the likes of Bettie Page. Taking a cue from her bravery, I ignored their judgments and pursued my growing interest in the Queen of Pinups. I published articles about her in various online and print magazines, wrote and recorded a song about her, and after connecting with CMG Worldwide, the company that licenses the use of her image, I began managing Betties official social media pages, as well as the blog on bettiepage.com.
Not long after, I got a license through CMG and started a Bettie-inspired fitness company. Through Bettie Page Fitness, I produced the first-ever body-positive workout videos, each of which is based on multiple Bettie poses and helps viewers cultivate her sense of confidence, strength, and joy. (Youll get a taste of these later in the book.) Ultimately, all of this led me here, getting to pay tribute to my main muse and write a book for my fellow Bettie Babes, both current and to-be. So, my scoffers were wrong, and so were Betties.
We are sold a lie that we must choose sides: professional or passionate; sensual or serious; promiscuous or chaste. It turns out that none of that is true, and the reason I know that is because Bettie walked this earth in her full glory, despite enduring numerous, truly hellish experiences. No matter what people told her she couldnt or shouldnt do in an era when many womenand men, for that matternever questioned those prescriptions, she forged ahead with her heart as her trusty guide, and accidentally made history as a pioneer of empowerment, sexuality, and body positivity.