A Glamorous Life in an Era of Secular Puritanism

Religion may not be as popular as it once was but fanaticism and the judgement it sowed still reigns supreme in our time, an era of purely secular puritanism. 

The artistic journey has taken me to many different places from which to view myself and the world. One of the things that I notice being always under scrutiny both by myself and by others is my sexuality. Considering the nature and focus of my art this is more than understandable but while I scrutinize and critique the purely aesthetic aspects of style and execution in my art many others are scrutinizing the “morality” aspect of things.

Being a pinup/fetish/nude model who lives and dresses daily in traditional glamour attire including a corset and high heels and pursues traditionally feminine passions from things like ballet as a method of fitness to being a housewife and baking and cooking and actually enjoying it while celebrating the joys of that has taught me LOTS. 

It has taught me that despite what people say in our era of supposed "tolerance and diversity" I am NOT free of scrutiny and judgement. It has taught me that tolerance and diversity ONLY applies to what they the self appointed judges deem worthy of being tolerated and celebrated as diverse. Hypocrisy flourishes in our modern times like a much unloved garden weed.

A self constructed glamorous life a life built from the bits and pieces of an aesthetically ravaged 21st century world has taught and shown me that we live in an age of extreme secular puritanism and that despite all of our best efforts as a society when it comes to women’s sexual rights we have not really come that far.

People will rant and rave about the progress that is Roe v Wade and The Pill and all of that and yet while we do have the right to abort a fetus and have a full time job and pay all the bills we can still technically go to jail for exposing a nipple in a place deemed “inappropriate”. Basically we can get branded a life long sex offender by some radical judge for showing the EXACT same body part that a man shows in public with no reprisal. In my case for a theory of radical secular puritanism I will say that the first to brand a woman as a physical or moral offender for that exposure of the nipple would more than likely be anther woman. 

The greatest stink eye and outwardly rude comments from perfect strangers that I have encountered has always been from women, secularly asexual women aka "The Blandies". 

Think back to the Janet Jackson “Nipple Gate” at the Super Bowl for instance. The biggest critics and accusers were women. My question is why? So Janet exposed her boob and nipple, SO WHAT? Why is that such a character flaw? What is wrong with boobs and nipples and exposing them on national TV if you want to? So some people got turned on, is that bad? Any number of males could have performed a half time number with their shirt off and no one would bat an eyelash, many of the same women who shredded Janet for exposing herself would in fact be first in line to drool at the "man candy" bare chest fest that could potentially take place. What is up with that? Hypocrisy much?

I love women, I love women passionately. I love to look at them, lust after them, appreciate them and admire them and yet some of the biggest critics of women like myself have been other women. Women who will rant and rave and scream that people like me have sold out to a “male fantasy” or the system of “patriarchy”.


Who are these same women who scream that "real women have curves"( are the rest of us synthetic?) Who are these same women who say "men like meat and dogs like bones"?  What is that ? I thought you all didn't care what men in the patriarchy liked or wanted? Double standard much? These are the same women who will give me dirty looks for the heels or the corset and feel they have a right to comment and criticize me for it. 

In truth as a woman who is attracted to women in a physical sense I have to say that all my attraction is not “male centric” My attraction is just to traditionally ultra feminine and glamorous women in classic looks and executions of glamor. I like specific facial and body proportions and I appreciate the psychological mindset that is alluded to by a girl who makes an effort to present her self beautifully. For instance I am VERY sexually attracted to the likes of Dita Von Teese but not at all attracted to the likes of Ellen Degeneres. There is nothing wrong with Ellen she just does her for me. Why is that wrong,  it is just personal preference and orientation.

Looking at and analyzing fashion from the 1900s-1950s it is obvious to see that the first half of the 20th century were dominated by an exponentially fading mass culture glamor and sex appeal while the latter half has been dominated by asexual secular puritanism. What started as an apex of masculinity and femininity in the corseted and tight laced Edwardian/Belle Epoque eras and peaked with the devil may care attitudes of naughtiness in the 1920s has gone into a tail slide of sexually less and less provocative and enticing fashion all until we have reached today an era of flip flops, baggy sweats and a generally slovenly look that seems to define our times. An era where not giving a damn is viewed as a "statement".

I do honor the idea of personal liberty in fashion and sexuality but I also have to say that as a species we do subscribe to many specific standards and triggers of attractiveness and while there is personal freedom to do what you want do not be angry at the girl or even the boy who chooses excellence over complacency and goes that extra mile to stand out and be attractive.

XOXOXO

Miss Audrey