From
image to performance, I have many influences, male and female, from
sexed up film stars to peacock rock musicians. One thing that is
consistent in my ever-changing influences are blondes. As a blonde
myself, it could be that I subconsciously feel that I can emulate what
other blondes have. You always hear blondes claim that the likes of
Marilyn Monroe (the Champagne of Blondes!) influence their image while
brunettes may lean more towards Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn. I
adore the likes of the dark and sensual Ava Gardner but I tend to just
admire them. My list of blonde icons are endless but here I’ve whittled
it down to my top three and explore what it is about them, in terms of
image, that makes me tick. And no, as much as I adore Marilyn she’s not
here!
One
major source of blonde inspiration is Brigitte Bardot - the original
sex kitten. The long tousled mane, the kohled-up eyes and neutral pout
of Bardot is seen everywhere from sixties fashion connoisseurs to
glamour models to Kylie. It’s a morning-after-a-passionate-night look
that can be either individual or mainstream. Bardot’s sexiness was
playful and appeared to come more naturally to her compared to American
pin-ups. Bardot was sex. One of Bardot’s most celebrated moments on
screen is her fiery dance in And God Created Woman (1956). In this scene
Bardot moves as if possessed by an erotic demon, starting with baby
steps to a slow drum beat and culminating to wild, skirt-ripping
hip-swinging mayhem on a table. This scene has inspired many including a
recent Dior Addict ad campaign and my mambo act! Another iconic
moment was in a TV special (Special Bardot - 1967) where a leather-clad
Bardot draped herself around suspended chains and go-go danced around a
motorbike to the Serge Gainsbourg-penned Harley Davidson. This sequence
was swinging sixties sexy-sexy and partly influenced the look of my
Biker Girl act.
Like
Bardot, Catherine Deneuve is blonde, French and worked and/or made love
with the same men. That’s where the similarities end. Deneuve, like
Alfred Hitchcock’s blonde actresses, is often cited as a quintessential
ice queen. Deneuve has always appeared elegant and detached. Even in
comedic roles she has never been brash. It’s the mysterious demeanour
that keeps everyone guessing and a major part of her appeal. Her
enigmatic coolness lent itself to roles in films such as Repulsion
(1965) and Belle Du Jour (1967) where she portrayed suppressed
characters consciously or subconsciously seeking a sexual outlet -
classic fire under ice. In one of my favourite films, The Hunger (1983),
Deneuve plays an immortal vampire who promises selected humans eternal
life if they become her vampiric lover. Her slicked back blonde hair and
ruby lips nonchalantly blowing out cigarette smoke stand out in the
Bauhaus-led opening sequence set in an industrial club where she seeks
out her latest prey. Deneuve's cool otherworldliness was perfect for the
role.
My
ultimate blonde icon has got to be Debbie Harry. Through VH1 and
remixes of Blondie’s Atomic, I first became aware of Debbie Harry at the
age of thirteen. She had Monroe-esque prettiness with slavic cheekbones
and haphazardly bleached barnet combined with a feisty attitude and an
innovative punk spirit. A devastatingly knock-out combination. Harry’s
performances were full of character and variety - she would go from
sexily breathy in Fade Away and Radiate to angry and trashy in Rip Her
to Shreds. Image was an important factor for Blondie (apparently
keyboardist Jimmy Destri got in the band because he wore nice shoes) but
they also explored a wide range of music genres (including disco and
hip hop which included a collaboration with Coolio on 1999’s No Exit)
and wrote songs which have stood the test
of time. Blondie had both style and substance. For me, Debbie Harry
confirmed that you can be sexy and flaunt it without dumbing down or
sacrificing individuality - a far cry from the fifties
bombshell. Without Debbie Harry, there would be no Madonna or Lady Gaga.
My
top three blondes all have different appeals to me be it kittenishness,
enigma or edge. Their gold and platinum tresses reflective of their
spirit and attitude. All three are not bubbly child-like blondes like
the starlets from the forties and fifties (yes, Bardot’s career was
launched in the fifties but it was the latter part and her sixties image
has more universal influence). My top blondes are hot-blooded women who
roared instead of squeaked. They graced our screens and magazine covers
in the late twentieth century when sexuality became more overt thanks
to more relaxed censorship laws. Image from the sixties onwards became
less restrained which to me is sexier by far. I love pre-sixties looks
but I can imagine a great shag must have ruined the victory rolls. Give
me cool, subversive, tousled, back-combed, kohl-smeared super sexy
blondes any day!
Another fascinating post, Honey! It's always interesting hearing who burlesque artists take inspiration from, and these three choices explain a lot about your look and performance style. They each have a wonderful appeal, but together they sum up so much more of what it means to be blonde than Marilyn ever could. Thanks for all the history snippets too - I think I'm going to learn lots from your posts :-)
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