Random Image Dump #12: The Sweater Girl

For this Random Image Dump, a brief history lesson might be in order. This post is all about a sexy (and maybe sexist?) 1940s–1950s fashion trend that originated in Hollywood: that’s right, it’s The Sweater Girl craze. As we round the corner into autumn next month, it seems like a good time to reflect on … Continue reading Random Image Dump #12: The Sweater Girl

Happy 90th, Julie Newmar

One of these days I’m going to turn more of this blog’s attention to the 1960s Batman television show. Obviously, my pop culture loves range far and wide, so it’s hard to squeeze them all in here, but Batman was critical to my childhood, my love of comic books, and my development into a scholar … Continue reading Happy 90th, Julie Newmar

All the Colours of Edwige Fenech

This December, on Christmas Eve, French-Italian actress and producer Edwige Fenech turns 75, which offers as good a reason as any to celebrate this living legend. If you’ve never so much as dipped a toe in the beautiful and strange world of 1970s Italian giallo films, you might be questioning that “living legend” assertion. For … Continue reading All the Colours of Edwige Fenech

Random Image Dump #9: Bella Donna Edition

It’s time for another not-so-random Random Image Dump, and I guess my Italian heritage is shining through today. Not only that, but June 2 was Festa della Reppublica, the annual commemoration of post-fascism, universal suffrage Italy, since 1946. Appropriately then, this outing is all about celebrating something else uniquely Italian: famous Italian bella donnas. Here’s … Continue reading Random Image Dump #9: Bella Donna Edition

Bad Girls We Love: Molly from Batman (1966)

Decades before Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) movie ignited Batmania across the land, the original Batmania spread like wildfire after the debut episodes of the 1966–1968 Batman television series. One of the few instances of an honest-to-goodness pop culture phenomenon, Batman’s camp sensibilities and colorful pop art style endeared it to millions of fans, including yours … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Molly from Batman (1966)

The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club

At some point in the 1970s, probably just a couple of years before I was born, my parents and some of their friends visited the Playboy Club on East 59th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I know this because of the Playboy swizzle sticks stored in a kitchen cabinet during my childhood, which I … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club