For the Love of Mae West

I probably don't even need to tell you guys that Marie (of Agent Lover fame) is hilarious, adorable and awesome in every way. Because you're probably already reading her blog and laughing over her Top Ten Inspriational Celebrity Photos or her detailed analysis of She Wolf. Girlfriend makes me laugh. In this guest post she tells us about one of her fave ladies.

There were several notable female icons that have inspired me since I was a child, sprouting from my father's fondness for each of them. Sultry singer Peggy Lee was one, coquette cartoon Betty Boop was another, but the most prominently influential lady was the comedienne, actress and playwright known as Mae West. Mostly famous for her witty, playfully suggestive and widely recognizable one-liners, you can say Mae was the Diva of the Double Entendre or the Siren of the Sexual Innuendo. She was also constantly surrounded by muscle menz. DELISH. My kind of woman!



Aside from her quotable quips, she was bold, brash, confident and sexy and never once apologized for being "outside the norm." I decided to come up with three "Maentras" that may help all of us take a cue from the legendary woman that was Mae West. And like the fortune cookie game you can add "in the sack" after each one, which can be a nod to Mae's naughty nature.



In 1926, Mae wrote the successful play Sex, which was deemed as morally corrupt and she was sentenced to jail for obscenity! Imagine being arrested for obscenity for writing nowadays? My blog would have probably put me in the slammer a couple of times! Probably for the excessive usage of the word "ladyboner." Mae was a big supporter of gay and transgendered rights and wrote a play called The Drag which dealt with the subject of homosexuality. Apparently the Catholic Church led a campaign against her at one point, and the FCC called her vulgar for a joke about getting splinters from a ventriloquist dummy! OH MAE! She did whatever she wanted and even though she was a "wild woman," Mae actually never drank or smoke. I think she found other ways to unwind...who needs a drink or a cigarette in your hand when you can be grabbing something else? WINK.



Not only was Mae as smart as a whip, she was stylish as hell and confident in her femininity. Her hip swivel was as alluring as her word play. I'm positive she would be able to seduce an entire monastery even if she wore a paper sack. You can't really say that about many people! Turn heads wherever you go, even if you are wearing Selenas-style leggings and a side ponytail (me right now FYI) No matter what you are wearing you betta work it. I think Mae would agree with me!



Although she never considered herself to be on the forefront of feminism, you can't deny she was and still is a major role model for women's rights. In her autobiography, Mae said "I freely chose the kind of life I led because I was convinced that a woman has as much right as a man to live the way she does if she does no actual harm to society." She demanded equal pay and was Hollywood's highest paid star in her prime. Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something. F those suckas boo. At the end of the day all that's gonna matter is what you did to be the baddest bitch on the block and that you are an inspiration to yourself.

Here are some famous quotes by Mae...

♥ "Cultivate your curves - they may be dangerous but they won't be avoided." ♥

♥ "Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you." ♥

♥ "Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before." ♥

♥ "I believe that it's better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked." ♥

♥ "I only like two kinds of men, domestic and imported." ♥

♥ "It's hard to be funny when you have to be clean." ♥

♥ "It's not the men in my life that count, it's the life in my men." ♥

♥ "Say what you want about long dresses, but they cover a multitude of shins." ♥

♥ "When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before." ♥

♥ "When I'm good I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better." ♥

This one is especially hilar for us bloggers:

♥ "I always say, keep a diary and someday it'll keep you." ♥

Mae West was truly an original and someone who had a undeniably grand effect on culture that is still apparent today. She was the ULTIMATE ORIGINAL BADASS BROAD!!!!! Thank you for being my fairy godmother in this wild ride called life.

Which badass broads have inspired you?



agentlover.com