Dita Von Teese

[Amy Jeanne]

She's boring in interviews. She speaks in a monotone. She rarely gets emotional or excited about anything (at least the interviews I've seen.) Just Bleh. Her appearance would have you think otherwise that's why I've always been indifferent to her.

 

[Christi.adell]

I don't know her personally so I can't comment on that, but wow is she gorgeous.

Plus I love that she's "older" (by Hollywood standards) and she looks better than most of these young actresses these days.

 

[Antje]

I don't know her personally so I can't comment on that, but wow is she gorgeous.

Plus I love that she's "older" (by Hollywood standards) and she looks better than most of these young actresses these days.

I second that

 

[bunnyb.gal]

I don't know her personally so I can't comment on that, but wow is she gorgeous.

Plus I love that she's "older" (by Hollywood standards) and she looks better than most of these young actresses these days.

I third that. Where celebrity ladies who act like ladies and look like ladies are pretty thin on the ground, even if she has the personality of a pet rock I'm all for her.

 

[i_am_the_scruff]

I third that. Where celebrity ladies who act like ladies and look like ladies are pretty thin on the ground, even if she has the personality of a pet rock I'm all for her.

See that partly why I don't like her. Some people feel she acts like a lady but I see her differently. When I watch her in interviews even the way positions her legs when she sits seems so fake to me. And I don't believe going onto national TV and saying "naked wet t*ts usually does the trick" is very ladylike.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I'd hardly call Dita a "lady." lol. That's kind of one of the reasons I *want* to like her, but she needs to get a persona first.

 

[bunnyb.gal]

See that partly why I don't like her. Some people feel she acts like a lady but I see her differently. When I watch her in interviews even the way positions her legs when she sits seems so fake to me. And I don't believe going onto national TV and saying "naked wet t*ts usually does the trick" is very ladylike.

I guess I missed that particular interview...

Let me put it this way, if you could pick a role model from the following list:
a)Lindsay Lohan
b)Jordan
c)Dita von Teese

That was my only point, really, that what gets put out there for the public to turn our adulation to, let's face it, ain't what it used to be. I'm not a great fan, but I think she's incredibly beautiful, and I like the way she dresses (most of the time). And as Christi.adell wrote, that she is "of a certain age" and is still putting the "young'uns" to shame.

 

[Puzzicato]

I guess I missed that particular interview...

Let me put it this way, if you could pick a role model from the following list:
a)Lindsay Lohan
b)Jordan
c)Dita von Teese

That was my only point, really, that what gets put out there for the public to turn our adulation to, let's face it, ain't what it used to be. I'm not a great fan, but I think she's incredibly beautiful, and I like the way she dresses (most of the time). And as Christi.adell wrote, that she is "of a certain age" and is still putting the "young'uns" to shame.

Is there an option D for a role model who leaves their clothes on?

 

[MissHannah]

I want a role model to do more than look pretty, makes lots of money and take their clothes off. I want them to have principles, intelligence, integrity, humour and opinions.

But I like her hair.

 

[TillyMilly]

I like her, I don't think that facially she is that pretty- especially her mouth and lower face area, but she does have nice hair. Her outfits swing between frump and hooker though, with some highlights along the way.

I think she has some deep seated personal issues perhaps stemming from her past- the God-awful 'Readers wives' style porno photo shoots she did when she was younger and the girl on girl porn - and the whole nasty strip club thing. I know that her father was particularly disaproving of it all, which was quite emotionally tough for her.

I find that she tries very desperatly to portray herself as lady-like ('I only eat classy stuff like fois gras and champagne', 'I never wear jeans') but it really comes off as fake, trying too hard, and born of deep seated insecurities (about her background and her career and maybe other things too). Also I feel sorry for her in that she has said that when she got together with her ex she thought he was a 'Dandy and a gentleman' (and he really is'nt, I've met him) and it's also obvious from interviews that he thought she was a wh*ore (he first saw her in a porno movie and met her at a fetish convention)- which is far from the elegant domesticity she tried to create with him. I understand that his taste is for niave starlets who he can control and manipulate and he finally met his match in Dita, which is why the relationship was doomed.

All in all I actually like the woman and lots of the things she says about her past as a girl are remarkably similar to me (and lots of us, I'm guessing).

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Her ladylike is in appearance, not in behavior.

Her glam is all in makeup and artifice, and she rarely shows any personal substance that is unrelated to the artifice side of things.



So her asthetic is different then other stars, but that's it.

She is no more demonstrating that you don't have to obsess about looks, then any of the other starlets, just because her actual look is different...she is still basically 'all about the looks, not about the content'. Just like every other 'famous person' that we keep comparing her to.


Please note, this is not me disparaging her, merely saying that as a 'role model', all she is modeling is a look.....not a role.


At least in public. At home she might be a paragon of good ideas and a truly deep person, but she just does not demonstrate that in public.

 

[Miss Golightly]

I had seen photos of her and I was impressed with her personal style and was keen to see her being interviewed so I could hear what she sounded like and what she had to say for herself - I think it was on America's Next Top Model - anyway, she was giving the girls tips and pointers and I have to say when she opened her mouth I was a bit disappointed - her voice was not what I had expected (I was expecting a kind of dusky voice!) and her manner had nothing to do with how she looked - she came across as very, very dull.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I can't think of a single celebrity who hasn't disappointed me in one way or another, so I stopped thinking of them as role models when I was about ten. All I expect of them now is to be good at what they get paid to do, and leave it at that. As far as I can see, Ms. Von T. is very good at what she does.

Whether these folks should get paid as much as they do for whatever it is that they do is a whole 'nother matter though...

 

[Lady Day]

Wow Lizzie, you were reading my mind.

Its not her job to be a role model, in her private life or otherwise. Every time she is in public, shes at work, looking a specific way for the persona that is her business. You cant fault her for that.

To look to celebrities, musicians, sports figures and the like as 'role models' is just silly. Their jobs are to entertain, no more, no less. And they better do it well or Ill move on.

If I want good upstanding people who make a difference, Ill look to pillars of my community.

LD

 

[Rosie_Beau]

I think some sports figures can be role models as there is a lot of personal sacrifice and achievment in what they do.

 

[Miss Golightly]

To look to celebrities, musicians, sports figures and the like as 'role models' is just silly. Their jobs are to entertain, no more, no less. And they better do it well or Ill move on.

If I want good upstanding people who make a difference, Ill look to pillars of my community.

LD

Perhaps "role model" is a phrase that is used when perhaps people mean inspirational - certain celebs can be inspirational whether it's what they have done with their lives (for me Audrey Hepburn's work for UNICEF) or perhaps their sense of style you might appreciate (also AH!)....

As for people doing good deeds in the community I have to agree with you - these are the unsung heroes. I was just watching Oprah (maternity leave is great!!!!!) and she was doing a show on everyday heroes - the things people were doing for complete strangers was truly inspiring and tremendously touching.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I think some sports figures can be role models as there is a lot of personal sacrifice and achievment in what they do.

There is....but they also get PAID to perform.....at least most of them..including 'amateur' athletes are supported by a myriad of ad contracts etc...


Back to Dita...she models a 'look'...sure...and its 'our' look....or at least a stylized variation of the whole vintage look thing. And there is zero wrong with that and her being able to exploit the market for such things...viva capitalism.

But.....being 'vintage' is a lot more then being cute and looking like a pin-up....and in that sense, she in many ways misrepresents what 'vintage' is...

which is probably why this is even open for discussion...we expect or would like her to also represent the collective 'us' in terms of other things...and when she doesn't do that....its a dissapointment.

Its like the cover of a book really drawing you in, it seems like something you would like, about a topic you would love to read more about.
Open the book and you find out its not at all about anything of interest to you and is not even about the topic pictured on the cover.

She is unfortunately the book cover that the population at large sees and thinks about when they browse the universe for 'vintage' or 'retro'

 

[GrrlFriday]

I think it's unfair to expect Dita or anyone else to represent a "collective us"
In the modern vintage scene, different people are into it for different reasons. Some just like the clothes or just the music or just the movies. And some consider it an immersive lifestyle. Some are into it for nostalgia-sake and some consider their interest in subversive. How could one person represent all that?

Especially since there was no collective "them" or "then." The Golden Era encompassed two to three decades of people of all nationalities, races, and walks of life. Undoubtedly, some of those people were as she is perceived to be: pretty, vapid, and of loose sexual morals.

Anyway, I think she is a modern-day style icon. I love the way she wears vintage and the way she imbues modern clothes with a vintage flair.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I think you misunderstand what I mean.

To vintage folks...who know the subtleties....she does not represent anything.


To the average person who knows nothing about any of the stuff we do or like....you bet she is a public face for it.

Its not about expecting her to represent...its about the fact that she does represent 'vintage' to a whole group of outsiders who see her and associate it with 'vintage, retro' etc...

 

[Lauren]

Miss Neecerie sums up what I feel about Dita very well.

I think she does her job great, but I'm not altogether sure how I feel about how she has made "vintage" appear to the normal person with an interest in fashion. I think it's a good way to get people interested in vintage, but what she really is to me is a modern representation of vintage influence in fashion, not really the end-all in vintage glamour because authentic historical vintage and vintage style are quite different in a lot of ways. It's just a matter of preference. I don't know enough about her to comment on her actual personna. I really don't think of most celebrities as "real" somehow... although I know they are- their lives is so publicized they almost become like fictional characters to me. [huh]