AFTER A WILD-CHILD ADOLESCENCE, I must have decided at some point that I had better go ahead and hide that inner troublemaker away so I could have some semblance of a normal life, whatever that is. Along the path of college, grad school, marriage, divorce, motherhood, and career pursuits, that part of myself got further and further buried until I no longer felt connected to my inner spark. That light reignited instantly when I discovered Bettie Page several years ago. That may seem dramatic, but such bold statements are not uncommon among women who have embraced Bettie as a muse. Though her original fan base was mostly men, the community of female Bettie lovers has grown rapidly over the years to the point where we likely outnumber the guys now.
Because I’m a psychotherapist and a journalist, people frequently expressed surprise—I’d say some even scoffed—at the idea that I have a serious interest in the likes of Bettie Page. Taking a cue from her bravery, I ignored their judgments and pursued my growing interest in the Queen of Pinups. I published articles about her in various online and print magazines, wrote and recorded a song about her, and after connecting with CMG Worldwide, the company that licenses the use of her image, I began managing Bettie’s official social media pages, as well as the blog on bettiepage.com.
Not long after, I got a license through CMG and started a Bettie-inspired fitness company. Through Bettie Page Fitness, I produced the first-ever body-positive workout videos, each of which is based on multiple Bettie poses and helps viewers cultivate her sense of confidence, strength, and joy. (You’ll get a taste of these later in the book.) Ultimately, all of this led me here, getting to pay tribute to my main muse and write a book for my fellow Bettie Babes, both current and to-be. So, my scoffers were wrong, and so were Bettie’s.
We are sold a lie that we must choose sides: professional or passionate; sensual or serious; promiscuous or chaste. It turns out that none of that is true, and the reason I know that is because Bettie walked this earth in her full glory, despite enduring numerous, truly hellish experiences. No matter what people told her she couldn’t or shouldn’t do in an era when many women—and men, for that matter—never questioned those prescriptions, she forged ahead with her heart as her trusty guide, and accidentally made history as a pioneer of empowerment, sexuality, and body positivity.
Bettie is the mirror that instantly reflects our potential back to us when we look at her. Once you get to know Bettie, you know that limitations are illusions and that hope can survive even the greatest hardships. One of the things I find most remarkable about Bettie’s influence is that even though her fans idolize and adore her, she mostly inspires women not to be just like her but to be our authentic selves because that’s the example she set. She lets us know that we really can have faith that if we stay true to who we are, it will all work out in the end.
Bettie spent her life just being herself—that seemingly basic thing that can actually be quite difficult. She embodied a simple complexity that often seemed contradictory. And isn’t that the very point—to ultimately be that combination of things that makes you uniquely, gloriously you? That’s why it’s probably best that we can never quite nail down exactly what it is that makes Bettie a legend, because if we could, we would no doubt be tempted to copy it at the expense of what makes us unique, as Bettie was.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a page—or several—from her book by looking to her for inspiration in all areas of our lives. Let’s explore the wonderful world of Bettie!