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Bettie Page Dies, aged 85

Bettie Page Dies, aged 85

A saucy vivacious beauty who always seemed more comfortable in outdoors shots than interiors, Bettie Page was photographed in all manner of compromising (literally) positions, yet with such a verve and humor that it never seemed she was being taken advantage of. They're campy photos. Fun. She's fearless. You don't look at those photos and worry about her. I like her best when she's rolling in the grass in a leopard skin bathing suit, or cavorting on the beach, digging her toes into the sand.

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She walked away from her career as an S&M pinup girl after a brou-haha involving censorship, and she also found God but like to say there was nothing un-Godly about nudity "When God created Adam and Eve, they were stark naked. And in the Garden of Eden, God was probably naked as a jaybird too!". But she never downtalked or denigrated her former self. She also wasn't afraid to say that she had no idea what people found so erotic in photos of her tied up, it didn't appeal to her at all, but, as always, she did so in a way that didn't alienate her main fan base. Page apparently was a devoted correspondent to her many fans, sending them thank you letters for remembering her so fondly. She did not trash her fans for liking the dirty photos she had taken. She knew that, in general, her fans "got it". So they were turned on by her photos. Isn't sexual desire a natural part of life? It seemed to me that her general attitude towards all of that was, "Well, I'm happy to help out in any way I can!"

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Page said once, in a recent interview, that if she could do it all over again, she would probably join a nudist colony. She flat out just felt more comfortable nude than clothed. There was nothing dirty about it for her. Ever.

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I have a book of her photographs, edited by pioneer photographer Bunny Yaeger, and I just looked through them this morning, in tribute to Ms. Page. The black bangs, the arched back, the naughty grin ... These are dirty photos, make no mistake about it, but as anyone who enjoys sex knows - there's something innocent about sex as well. It's like playing. It's like being free, going into the dreamworld where you can be anyone you want to be. She captures that.

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She did not have a happy life. She was institutionalized for a time, she had multiple mental problems, and ended up poverty-struck, living off of Social Security checks until she hired the same law firm that represents the estates of Elvis Prestley and Marilyn Monroe and spend her final years living quietly and comfortably in California. She had a loyal group of fans who still loved her, keeping the flame alive, and she lived long enough to see the Bettie Page Renaissance we are living in right now. Amazingly enough, even when the film The Notorious Bettie Page came out, with the wonderful Gretchen Mol in the lead role, Page refused to be photographed at any of the events surrounding the film. She loved the film, she supported its making ... but she had her mind on her fans, and what it would do to them to see her as an 80-something year old woman. She wanted the fantasy to remain intact for them.

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

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With two States waiting weeks for election results, the political culture of Australia seems decidedly messy and confused.

In Tasmania, a large vocal minority of Greens will have the balance of power in a hung parliament, there will be infighting and bickering until the Liberal Opposition claims a minor majority and thrusts forward its impotent Premier into the melee.

In South Australia, Rann will win, but his bravado and virility will be curbed as his ability to nonchalantly wave around his policy penis becomes hampered.

What all this seems to show is that Labor is slipping, the Greens and the environment movement are gaining a lot of traction and Australia is divided.

Hopefully not to the point where Red and Blue States form which look at each other with systemic suspicion, but it does seem that these divides are becoming increasingly irreconcilable.  

Bet Labor wishes they could turn back the clock two years when they controlled every government at State and Federal level and do things a bit differently.

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4 mar

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Why has homepage started running so many nameless 100 word eds? Names are good for intellectual continuity, honesty and non-hypocrisy. - Terry McGee

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Re: Bale de Rua

We thought the Bale de Rua was aweful. Choreography was terrible - set design, music and costumes were lacklustre. The dancers however were very athletic and graceful. - Jules

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Re: In Praise of Mediocrity

I just wonder who decides if what ever you chose to do in life, is mediocre or not. Sounds like with standards like yours, this article with its poor structure and soap box appeal may also be considered by many as, in-fact, mediocre. - Khedra

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Re: The Assassins of Langley

Yes, Mr. Neville. Odious, heinous assassins sold body and soul to Luciferian entities who pull the strings (the last of them, I want to believe) from the shadows. Philip Aggeee and John Stockwell portrayed them quite well. They are NOT heroes, nor are the gangbangers of East Los Angeles who spray grafitti in Iraq, where they most certainly train for urban warfare on our streets. Good riddance to them all!

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Re: Hairy Legs: A Study of Female Art, Feminism and Femininity

 Looking forward to more of her articles. Hope she does plenty of Art Theory at SCA. Barbara Kruger and Judy Chicago are certainly powerful artists and it would be interesting to see what they are doing now.

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A hero's welcome for the famous Iraqi shoe thrower

Terrorist! Please do your research first before writing such dangerous things, we was insulting Bush by throwing the shoe as he was disgraced with him, not trying to topple the largest super power in the world by throwing a shoe. I cant believe you have put those words up. Ashamed

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Re: How to Report the News

Having worked as a TV news reporter I found Charlie's piece very amusing - some of us have long believed reporting like this is a rubbish way to do things! But even if a journalist wants to tell stories in a more authentic and engaging way, the constraints of the so-called "house style" in many news organisations make it difficult to achieve. What's needed is a massive culture shift and a complete re-think of what we understand quality broadcast news reporting is. And guess what? That's exactly what's happening, though you'd never believe it from what we're still mostly seeing on TV. Anyway, the new digital technologies, and shake up of "old school/old mainstream" journalism means new platforms and styles of "news" storytelling can now emerge. Let's hope fresh and appropriate ways of funding appear too, so we can kill off this dreadful formulaic reporting and delivery, and clear the way for more natural and interesting ways to treat stories and content.

Much love, Ian Aspin.
www.twitter.com/ianaspin

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Re: Pushing 60 With Pot

You're pushing 60, well I'm pushing 70 and still having to scrounge around for my pot. It's tragic that when I first came to Australia it was $30 an ounce, and now I have to pay nearly $350 - Peter

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Re: Textbook publishers dream of the tablet

Why can't this just be a program for PC and Windows? Why do they have to make us buy more hardware that's just going to disappoint? - Tyler J. Wilson

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Re: Killing Indian Students: Australia's Favourite New Sport!- by Sean Maguire

How about the indian guy who slashed his wife's throat, is still australia to blame for?..may be , for accenpting them to move over!I am an immigrant myself but I love this country, there is no perfect place on Earth but australia is one of the best! - Michael

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This entire fiasco is an incredible over reaction. Australia is an easy target. Why? because we are honest, transperant and we talk about our failings. Is there aggression and iolence in Australia? Sure, like any country. But we face it head on and we work to eliminate it. What about the stories of the 100’s of thousands of Indian workers who are treated as slaves in the middle east and nobody says anything? What about the fact that India still has entrenched pedophilia in terms of child brides? What about the crushing poverty embraced by more than 60% of the Indian people while this nation runs around building nuclear warheads? A storm in a teacup, an over reaction, and a diversion from some the really bad issues facing India. What is really happening here is that students are being unnecessarily frightened. meaning they will miss out on what could be the opportunity of their lifetime. - Daryl
 
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I couldn't agree with Sean Maguire's article more on the recent Indian attacks. For all those who like the pretend the attacks are merely based on coincidence, try to imagine how we would react if the boot were on the other foot and an uncharacteristic number of Australia's had been murdered in India. Would you push for a travel ban? Would you be scared for your children in a seemingly hostile environment so many miles away?  - Kara Jensen-Mackinnon

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