Goodbye Bettie Page

she was so great, never did see that movie a few years ago?

Macaulay Culkin's sister also has passed from a car accident:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b72826_macaulay_culkins_sister_dakota_dies.html

Thanks for the article, Andi. There's something that's so sad about her life, her troubled childhood, her failed marriages, her emotional struggles. And yet people hold her up on a pedestal, and strive to be like her. Tragic. I hope she has finally found the peace she was longing for in her life.

RIP Bettie Page,
hrg

Hot Rod Girl wrote:

Thanks for the article, Andi. There's something that's so sad about her life, her troubled childhood, her failed marriages, her emotional struggles. And yet people hold her up on a pedestal, and strive to be like her. Tragic. I hope she has finally found the peace she was longing for in her life.

RIP Bettie Page,
hrg

She was a beautiful creature, and for some reason, she like many others of either celebrity or notoriety in the art world who stood head and shoulders above the din of mediocrity seem to have lived tortured lives

tvthewiredturtle wrote:

Hot Rod Girl wrote:

Thanks for the article, Andi. There's something that's so sad about her life, her troubled childhood, her failed marriages, her emotional struggles. And yet people hold her up on a pedestal, and strive to be like her. Tragic. I hope she has finally found the peace she was longing for in her life.

RIP Bettie Page,
hrg

She was a beautiful creature, and for some reason, she like many others of either celebrity or notoriety in the art world who stood head and shoulders above the din of mediocrity seem to have lived tortured lives

Perhaps it was the tortured lives that gave her and others the inspiration to stand head and shoulders above the din of mediocrity?

Or, was it the ability to stand above the din of mediocrity that leads to the tortured lives?


Anyhoo...I do agree that she was a beautiful creature who made many men happy, and gave many women "permission" to express themselves.

And it's inspiring that she was able to draw on her experiences to counsel other folks (later in her life) to help them find peace in their own personal struggles. But, is this worthy of pedestal status? That's up to each person to develop their own opinion...


hrg

Bettie Page was definitely an iconic figure from an era embraced by some really great music we all celebrate here. I don't have strong feelings for Bettie Page one way or another, but I have friends who follow her career very closely, who, at times went all out pursuing the "Bettie" look, and I found their passion and commitment to it all rather endearing. So at this time, I feel bad for them, and for fans of Bettie everywhere.

One of my "Bettie" buddies worked part time for me and part time at the local record store. Needless to say, we were fast friends. She completely rocked the Bettie look, and when she found out I was a Stray Cats fan, she had her eyes and ears open for any news about the Cats 'round the store. Unfortunately, it was 1993, so not only was there no internet (at least not in my life), there was to be no new news regarding Stray Cats.

Until...

One day, I'm sittin' at a vintage soda fountain in the diner where I worked, deep in thought on the staff schedule, when a CD plops down between my pencil and the clipboard. I look up, and there's "Bettie" with a huge smile. She has just delivered to me the latest Stray Cats Japan-only release, "Original Cool." She had known about it for months, and had her store special order it, so she could surprise me with it. It wasn't my birthday, there was no special occasion, she just seized an opportunity to do something extraordinarily nice. So when I think of Bettie Page or hear "there goes another Bettie Page," I think of my sweet über-Bettie-fan friend, and her act of kindness.

I should probably apologize for my irreverence over on the "Betty" thread, but one huge pet peeve of my "Bettie buddy" was when people misspelled her name. It was kinda amusing how much it bugged her. And there were no chat rooms, blogs, message boards, etc, so she must have encountered the error in print elsewhere. So I probably carry a bit of a torch for her cause when people who supposedly adore her can't take the time to spell her name properly. In a memorial thread, no less. We used to joke, there's Betty Crocker, Betty White, Betty Rubble, Betty Boop, and even Bette Davis Eyes, but there was only one "Bettie."

Indeed.

Rest in Peace, Bettie Page.

Bettie-billy

Rickabilly wrote:

Bettie Page was definitely an iconic figure from an era embraced by some really great music we all celebrate here. I don't have strong feelings for Bettie Page one way or another, but I have friends who follow her career very closely, who, at times went all out pursuing the "Bettie" look, and I found their passion and commitment to it all rather endearing. So at this time, I feel bad for them, and for fans of Bettie everywhere.

One of my "Bettie" buddies worked part time for me and part time at the local record store. Needless to say, we were fast friends. She completely rocked the Bettie look, and when she found out I was a Stray Cats fan, she had her eyes and ears open for any news about the Cats 'round the store. Unfortunately, it was 1993, so not only was there no internet (at least not in my life), there was to be no new news regarding Stray Cats.

Until...

One day, I'm sittin' at a vintage soda fountain in the diner where I worked, deep in thought on the staff schedule, when a CD plops down between my pencil and the clipboard. I look up, and there's "Bettie" with a huge smile. She has just delivered to me the latest Stray Cats Japan-only release, "Original Cool." She had known about it for months, and had her store special order it, so she could surprise me with it. It wasn't my birthday, there was no special occasion, she just seized an opportunity to do something extraordinarily nice. So when I think of Bettie Page or hear "there goes another Bettie Page," I think of my sweet über-Bettie-fan friend, and her act of kindness.

I should probably apologize for my irreverence over on the "Betty" thread, but one huge pet peeve of my "Bettie buddy" was when people misspelled her name. It was kinda amusing how much it bugged her. And there were no chat rooms, blogs, message boards, etc, so she must have encountered the error in print elsewhere. So I probably carry a bit of a torch for her cause when people who supposedly adore her can't take the time to spell her name properly. In a memorial thread, no less. We used to joke, there's Betty Crocker, Betty White, Betty Rubble, Betty Boop, and even Bette Davis Eyes, but there was only one "Bettie."

Indeed.

Rest in Peace, Bettie Page.

Bettie-billy

I'm just mad I mispelled it, knowing full well it was with the IE not the Y... I hate
being corrected on spelling and punctuation cuz I do it all the time to friends around me. mwhahahahahahah....

ps. I did like your story though as it brought back memories of a sweet little blonde
named Jodie ( " I know huh" said in a george lopez voice ) who walked up to my
locker in high school and handed me my first Stray Cats and Blasters LPs.
(cue "summer breeze")

Not sure it was actually mispelled.

Here's Betty (Bettie) herself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzNW7IBXL_A

Kiki wrote:

Not sure it was actually mispelled.

Here's Betty (Bettie) herself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzNW7IBXL_A

anyone got a cigarette?

LOL!!!

How 'bout that? She was actually born "Betty" but when she got enough clout to change it professionally, (post 1950) she chose "Bettie." It's not as drastic as Bob Hope changing his name from Leslie or Marion Morrison choosing John Wayne, but clearly, the name change was of some importance to her.

Now if you'll pardon me, I'm gonna go hang out at the Leon Drucker forum.

Richard A. Williams





Edit: The point here is clearly NOT whether or not John Wayne "chose" his name, (he didn't) or Bob Hope chose his (he did, back in vaudeville). The point is, for the last 57 years of her life, "Betty" Page chose to have her name spelled "Bettie," even though she spent the first years of her career as "Betty." I concede that neither is wrong, but if you dug up Bettie right now and asked her the frozen pizza question, "What do you want on your Tombstone?", she'd say... well, nothing. She's dead. But if she could talk, she'd tell you "I prefer Bettie, with an ie."

interesting link kiki!!! thank you

nothin' to see here....move along.....nothin' to see.....

Hot Rod Girl wrote:

tvthewiredturtle wrote:

Hot Rod Girl wrote:

Thanks for the article, Andi. There's something that's so sad about her life, her troubled childhood, her failed marriages, her emotional struggles. And yet people hold her up on a pedestal, and strive to be like her. Tragic. I hope she has finally found the peace she was longing for in her life.

RIP Bettie Page,
hrg

She was a beautiful creature, and for some reason, she like many others of either celebrity or notoriety in the art world who stood head and shoulders above the din of mediocrity seem to have lived tortured lives

Perhaps it was the tortured lives that gave her and others the inspiration to stand head and shoulders above the din of mediocrity?

Or, was it the ability to stand above the din of mediocrity that leads to the tortured lives?


Anyhoo...I do agree that she was a beautiful creature who made many men happy, and gave many women "permission" to express themselves.

And it's inspiring that she was able to draw on her experiences to counsel other folks (later in her life) to help them find peace in their own personal struggles. But, is this worthy of pedestal status? That's up to each person to develop their own opinion...


hrg

Happiness is related to the external as joy is related to the internal....
lets be honest, she was a slut for her day even though we call it art now. Victoria secrets
catalog is a hellava lot more erotic than the burlesque of the past. That doesnt excuse
it and she should not be on any form of pedestal for women really other than some
golf claps and wolf whistles for a really hot body and sexy smile with no silicon or botox involved.
I dont care if some get mad, she never set out to create a genre for modern gals.. it just happened. She was actually remorseful at one point, and attempted to turn her life in a new and positive direction. That in itself should be heralded more than the burlesque..but its not profitable or cool.

...damn where is that cigarette!!