Typically, I wouldn't wear Playboy paraphernalia. Not that I have anything against them. I find Hugh Hefner to be interesting, fascinating even. As for his plethora of bunnies, who they are never had much impact on who I chose to be.
When you look at all the commendable work the Playboy Foundation has done from breaking black comedians into the white club circuit to avid fundraising to kicking off The Playboy Jazz Festival (they even sponsor one of the film festivals that launched my film career), you have to think twice about blanketly labeling everything as anti-anything. But in the aftermath of the Lil Kim, Pam Anderson craze with "girl power" doubling as feminism, preteens sporting thongs and grown women dawning french maid outfits in the name of female liberation, I tried to avoid some of the obvious off shoots of patriarchal duality, like me, a self proclaimed writer indie type with a serious social consciousness wearing a Hustler and Playboy T shirt.
Not that I haven't done it before. I did wear a shirt with a minuscule bunny once while driving through Pennsylvania. It was my driving T shirt. And the hicks who ran the highway snack shop gawked, thinking their bunny girl fantasy had just sauntered in the door. Not quite. And during the leather pants is hot craze, I had some skin tight leather-like pants with a tiny, nearly microscopic bunny on the back pocket. But never have I worn a flaming red T with a gigantic bunny, and there's a reason for that.
The Playboy symbol is so weighted. For some its the porn empire, the glitterized version of male domination at its sleekest. For others its cutesy, female fun or unabashed pride and confidence at its lusty peak. There's just one problem. My little cousin gave it to me for Christmas. He loves me. And I don't think sexism or female pride was on his mind when he saw it. He probably thought it was kind of cool and that I was gutsy enough to pull it off without either of those beleaguered interpretations distracting from my shine. So I put it on. And guess what? I didn't morph into a purring dominated sex kitten, nor did I suddenly get a rush of faked female pride. I felt very much like me with a T shirt That said I (bunny symbol) you.
When you look at all the commendable work the Playboy Foundation has done from breaking black comedians into the white club circuit to avid fundraising to kicking off The Playboy Jazz Festival (they even sponsor one of the film festivals that launched my film career), you have to think twice about blanketly labeling everything as anti-anything. But in the aftermath of the Lil Kim, Pam Anderson craze with "girl power" doubling as feminism, preteens sporting thongs and grown women dawning french maid outfits in the name of female liberation, I tried to avoid some of the obvious off shoots of patriarchal duality, like me, a self proclaimed writer indie type with a serious social consciousness wearing a Hustler and Playboy T shirt.
Not that I haven't done it before. I did wear a shirt with a minuscule bunny once while driving through Pennsylvania. It was my driving T shirt. And the hicks who ran the highway snack shop gawked, thinking their bunny girl fantasy had just sauntered in the door. Not quite. And during the leather pants is hot craze, I had some skin tight leather-like pants with a tiny, nearly microscopic bunny on the back pocket. But never have I worn a flaming red T with a gigantic bunny, and there's a reason for that.
The Playboy symbol is so weighted. For some its the porn empire, the glitterized version of male domination at its sleekest. For others its cutesy, female fun or unabashed pride and confidence at its lusty peak. There's just one problem. My little cousin gave it to me for Christmas. He loves me. And I don't think sexism or female pride was on his mind when he saw it. He probably thought it was kind of cool and that I was gutsy enough to pull it off without either of those beleaguered interpretations distracting from my shine. So I put it on. And guess what? I didn't morph into a purring dominated sex kitten, nor did I suddenly get a rush of faked female pride. I felt very much like me with a T shirt That said I (bunny symbol) you.
There's power in redefinition. Let's remember that.
1 comment:
Cute! This also helps put things in a different perspective.
Post a Comment