Sex kitten

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Newspaper clipping of Brigitte Bardot, 1958 Brigitte Bardot - Ogdensburg journal (1958).jpg
Newspaper clipping of Brigitte Bardot, 1958

A sex kitten is a woman [1] who exhibits a sexually provocative lifestyle or an abundant sexual aggression. The term originated around 1956 [2] [3] in articles in the British and American press and was originally used to describe French actress Brigitte Bardot. [4] [5] Sources[ who? ] believe Bardot's role in And God Created Woman was what inspired the term in the mid-1950s. [1]

Contents

The 1960s began the era of women embracing their sexuality after moving forward from the idea that women were very unlikely to experience pleasure during sexual activities. [6]

Celebrities

Bel-Air Drive-in advertisement for Sex Kittens Go to College (1960), starring Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot Belair Drive-in Ad - 5 October 1960, Fontana, CA.png
Bel-Air Drive-in advertisement for Sex Kittens Go to College (1960), starring Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot

Mamie Van Doren was called a sex kitten due to starring in B-movies in the 1950s and 1960s, including Sex Kittens Go to College (1960), Teacher's Pet (1958), and Untamed Youth (1957). These films often had Van Doren playing seductive and provocative roles. In 1998, when Van Doren created her website, she described herself as “the first authentic kitten on Cyberspace" [7]

Ann-Margret was described as a sex kitten in the 1964 film Kitten with a Whip. [8] [9]

Eartha Kitt, singer of the 1953 Christmas hit "Santa Baby", was also deemed a sex kitten due to some of the lyrics in her song. [1]

The Associated Press stated that the version of Cornelia Wallace in the film George Wallace , portrayed by actress Angelina Jolie, was depicted as "a shallow sex kitten" and therefore Cornelia Wallace had criticism towards the portrayal. [10]

A sex kitten is not always youthful. [11] In various definitions, the sexual attractiveness of a woman is the primary factor of sex kittens, but that did not necessarily mean physical beauty. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

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And God Created Woman is a 1956 French romantic drama film directed by Roger Vadim in his directorial debut and starring Brigitte Bardot. Though not her first film, it is widely recognized as the vehicle that launched Bardot into the public spotlight and immediately created her "sex kitten" persona, making her an overnight sensation.

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Mamie Van Doren is an American actress, singer, model, and sex symbol who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s. A blonde bombshell, she is one of the "Three M's" along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, who were friends and contemporaries. In 1953, Van Doren, then named Joan Lucille Olander, signed a seven-year contract with Universal, which hoped that she would be their version of Marilyn Monroe. During her time at Universal, she starred in teen dramas, exploitation films, musical, and comedy films among other genres. She has married five times, and had intimate affairs with many other Hollywood actors. She was one of the leading sex symbols in the 1950s.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamie Van Doren performances</span> Mamie Van Doren has been in 41 films, including four RKO films

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Umphred, Neal (April 18, 2019). "Where Have All the Sex Kittens Gone, Long Time Passing?". Medium. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  2. "28 Oct 1956, 13 - The Observer at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  3. "13 Dec 1956, 21 - Los Angeles Evening Citizen News at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  4. "Brigitte Bardot: her life and times so far – in pictures"
  5. "LIFE With Brigitte Bardot: Rare and Classic Photos of the Original ‘Sex Kitten’"
  6. Meah, Angela; Hockey, Jenny; Robinson, Victoria (2011). "I'm a Sex Kitten, Aren't I...". Australian Feminist Studies. 26: 57–71. doi:10.1080/08164649.2010.546328. S2CID   142947162.
  7. "Mamie Van Doren Home Page". 1998-12-12. Archived from the original on 1998-12-12. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  8. filmreference.com, Ann-Margret - Films as actress , retrieved March 28, 2008.
  9. lovegoddess.info, ANN-MARGRET , retrieved March 28, 2008
  10. "Widow of late Gov. George Wallace dies at 69". NBC News. 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2022-06-08. - Alternate version ("Cornelia Wallace, 69, First Lady of Alabama, Dies") at The New York Times , January 9, 2009. Version ("Cornelia Wallace, 69, second wife of Alabama Gov. George Wallace") at The Hour (Norwalk, Connecticut), January 8, 2009. Alternate ("Former Alabama first lady Cornelia Wallace dies") at The Columbus Dispatch , January 8, 2009.
  11. Kakutani, Michiko. "Who Exactly Is This Sexagenarian Sex Kitten?" The New York Times . March 15, 1996.