Mae West: Slow Sex, No Texting

A quote from MAE WEST often turns up in a newspaper column — — tempting the eye towards content that may be humorous (or not).
• • In the service of resurrecting his four-year-old nonfiction book "In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed" [a HarperOne release way back in September 2005], Canadian journalist Carl Honore reminded Huff-Post readers that the Empress of Sex once said: "Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly."
• • Then swerving carefully away from sounding too sultry, this former speedaholic adds: All of this is part of a broader Slow revolution. Everywhere, people are discovering that doing things more slowly often means doing them better and enjoying them more. It means living life instead of rushing through it. You can apply this to everything from food to parenting to work. But sex is a nice place to start. Even when we stop watching and start doing, we struggle to give sex our full attention. Surveys suggest that a fifth of us now interrupt lovemaking to read an email, take a call or fire off a tweet. Even Paris Hilton, that great cultural icon du jour, reached for the cell in her notorious sex video. ...
• • Like a vampire locked in a confessional, this Catholic paterfamilias feels the twitch of ambivalence, wishing to make it seem he's the type of red-blooded adventurer with enough hot bedroom boosting pointers in his book that would seduce you to buy it — — when, in fact, his chapters have more in common with Thoreau than Masters & Johnson. Nothing wrong with dapple-dawn-drawn prose but it ain't like picking up Lolita, is it?
• • Hey, nice try, Honore.
• • Since the Huff-Post does not pay writers, this blog does not knowingly furnish links to reading material organized by Internet cheapskates or other slave drivers.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Imitated

She's 77, still unsinkable, and she's doing an imitation of MAE WEST in a cabaret show in Manhattan not far from where the Empress of Sex once lived with sister Beverly.
• • Born in El Paso, Texas on 1 April 1932, Debbie Reynolds is an actress — — and currently describing herself as a vaudevillian.
• • Included in her little bit of this, little bit of that act are celebrity impersonations of Mae West, Katharine Hepburn, Zsa Zsa Gabor (advising Paris Hilton), Barbra Streisand, and others she knew.
• • Before launching into a Judy Garland [10 June 1922 — 22 June 1969] medley, Debbie confided that she and the troubled vocalist were neighbors who used to bend an elbow together. It's left unsaid which woman could outperform the other at the bar but — — at a microphone — — let's just say that Garland's reputation is still safe.
• • Debbie Reynolds will entertain her fans through 27 June 2009 at Café Carlyle [Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street, New York, NY; (212) 744-1600]. If you go, tell us what you think of her impersonations.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Pack of "Prosti-tots"

Never the underdog, MAE WEST is front and center is a discussion down under about the sexualization of young girls through advertising and fashion.
• • Australian Mark Bahnisch, addressing himself to "The religious politics of puritan purity," takes issue with David Jones’ law suit against the Australia Institute. According to Bahnisch: One irony of such discussions is the fact that articles about the pernicious influence of pop culture on adolescent and tween sexuality often end up playing to the same celebrity hype and hyperbole that they purport to critique or dissect. A case in point is Newsweek’s piece on “Girls Gone Bad.”
• • At this point, Mark Bahnisch refers to an article published in Salon by Tracy Clark-Fory, who wrote: This time around it’s a meandering, confused [Newsweek] cover story on how the publicised exploits of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan affect tweens and teens, and it addresses the burning question of whether we’re “raising a generation of ‘prosti-tots’.”
• • Back to Bahnisch for this: Reading the [Newsweek] article proves just as painful as handing over a fistful of dollars in exchange for the issue, with its cover image of high-as-a-kite Britney and Paris paired with the headline “The Girls Gone Wild Effect.” Luckily, you become kind of numb after seeing Nancy Pelosi’s ascendancy in the House mentioned paragraphs away from a reference to Lindsay’s “fire crotch.” There’s a hasty rundown of the history of “bad girls” — — complemented by a photo gallery, of course — — which starts with Mae West and ends with the Brit Pack (or whatever they’re calling them these days). Ultimately — — about 3,000 some odd words in — — it concludes that our girls will be just fine because we adults “hold the purse strings” and, unless Paris releases a series of educational videos for toddlers, parents have a significant head start on imparting morals to our children.
• • Are you wondering why didn't Newsweek's splashy cover feature explore the more subtle ways that the highly publicized Britney Spears/ Brit Pack scandals affect the way girls feel about themselves?
• • Bahnisch has a saucy answer; he writes: Instead, the piece latches on with a vampiric thirst to parents’ worst fears and, as was probably the genesis of the piece, finds an excuse to talk about Britney’s vagina once more. ...
• • Though Mae West does not pop up again, the issues of free speech, censorship, and pop culture crawl all over his essay like fire ants at a picnic. Bahnisch grinds away at Newsweek's effaced strength, the once proud publication looking like nothing resembling a moral compass.
• • To continue reading this debate at On Line Opinion, a not-for-profit publication, see below.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "The religious politics of puritan purity"
• • Byline: Mark Bahnisch
• • Publication: On Line Opinion — — onlineopinion.com.au/
• • Published on: Thursday — 17 January 2008
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Debbie Does

Debbie Reynolds, who once collected costumes and apparel worn by MAE WEST, will now be stepping into her shoes.
• • The youthful 74-year-old performer will star in a string of concerts this winter, including a show in Las Vegas for New Year's Eve. "They call it a concert show. I still call it a vaudeville show," the perky actress told a reporter recently. Reynolds adds, "I do my impressions" — — and these include MAE WEST, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, along with Zsa Zsa Gabor advising Paris Hilton.
• • Born Mary Frances Reynolds on 1 April 1932 in El Paso, Texas, the performer is now "more uninhibited than ever," opines The Advocate.
• • A career-making role was her portrayal of Titanic survivor Molly Brown in the buoyant blockbuster "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" [1964], which was nominated for six Oscars, and scooped up several accolades.
• • Asked, "Why do you think gay men in particular adore you?" Debbie Reynolds was on message. Listen to her canny [canned?] response: Well, because I adore them, I understand their lifestyle and the situations that life has presented to them. I admire how well they handle it. I am for them. I am their "mother at large," let's say. I appreciate all the hardship they have had to go through just to convince somebody that they were wonderful ... and not to be put down because of a lifestyle. It's not like you picked it out of a hat, but it's all yours. It would be much better if people in the world understand and accept and love you for you. ...
— — information was extracted and modified from this source: — —
• • The Advocate — — Advocate.com
• • Posted on Advocate.com || Q & A || 5 December 2007
• • Article: The Unsinkable Debbie Reynolds
• • The legend gabs with Greg Archer about her upcoming return to the stage, her loyal gay fans, and how Hollywood has changed since her heyday.
• • Byline: Greg Archer
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Reputations Lost

Gossip columnist Liz Smith grabbed her jaded readers' attention by quoting MAE WEST when she opened a recent installment with this headline: "Lost reputations? Some stars are trying to recover theirs."
• • Before turning the topic to pooped pop-tart Britney Spears, former porn queen Traci Lords, Bronx native Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Paris Hilton, and others, la Liz led off on her left foot with a sour note.
• • Liz Smith wrote: I LOST my reputation young, but never missed it," said Mae West, the only star who never mourned lost youth, faded career, or lack of public interest.
• • Why? Because Mae didn't believe those things happened to her! (Mae was Billy Wilder's first choice for Sunset Boulevard.) She was by far the most self-assured, ego-driven actress ever to set foot on a soundstage, usually referring to herself in the third person.
• • Speaking of reputations, there is still talk going around Hollywood . . .
— — excerpt — —
• • Syndicated to newspapers by: Tribune Media Services
• • Columnist: Liz Smith
• • Published on: 10 October 2007
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Just Feel It

L.A. Times reporter Steve Harvey, who pens the amusing "Only in L.A." column, was dipping into newspaper archives, recalling MAE WEST, and contemplating jail-wear.
• • Steve Harvey writes: I couldn't help but think of Paris Hilton's recent stay in the pokey when I read in a collection of articles from the old New York World newspaper about the similar experience of actress Mae West. West, sentenced to 10 days in custody [at the Women's Workhouse] in April 1927 for an allegedly obscene stage production, was shocked by the clothing she was issued.
• • "Warden, I can't wear this cotton underwear," Mae West protested. "I never wore anything like it in my life. It scratches. Just feel it."
• • "Wait a minute," responded the warden. "I'll take a chance on almost anything — — but I'll not feel your underwear."
• • Source: L.A. Times — — (800) LATIMES
• • Byline: Steve Harvey
• • Published: 12 August 2007
• • Book some time with Mae West on Friday evening 17 August 2007, when a guided tour will explore Manhattan's WEST-side during the "Mae West Side Story" walking tour. The event — — open to the public — — is timed to salute Brooklyn's own sexpot on her birthdate. [See the Annual Mae West Gala posting below.]
• • Only 5 more days until Mae's birthday!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Coverage

Then as now, magazines use celebrities to sell copies, for example, Motion Picture [July 1933 issue] ran with this cover story about MAE WEST by Jay Brian Chapman: "Is Mae West Garbo's Greatest Rival?" (pages 28-29).
• • Did anybody believe that Mae West and Garbo, two very different types of actresses, were rivals? In 1933, Motion Picture did have an excuse for such silliness, though. During the Depression, publications had to try harder to get Americans to spend their nickels.
• • This drivel comes to mind today due to the "Internet sensation" caused by the TV footage of a female reporter setting fire to her producer's "news" story. Reason: because she refused to start the program with a "Paris Hilton leaves jail" tale. Yes! Drivel in, drivel out.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Paris

MAE WEST turned up in a bit on – – of all places – – The Huffington Post.
• • Recently writer Rachel Shteir, by way of scolding heir-head air-head Paris Hilton, compared the bleached blonde (who is en route to jail in June for driving while drunk again) with the iconic Brooklyn bombshell, who prized sobriety.
• • According to blogger Shteir, Full confession: whenever I give anyone who wants to be an icon advice, I always think of Bad Girl Extraordinaire, Mae West. I ask myself: "What would Mae do?"
• • It's not worth cluttering up this space with any more nonsense about Paris Hilton but it is nice to see that some people are still asking themselves: Well now, what would MAE do?
• • Indeed!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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