We like our 'sex kittens' to be 'good girls' please
While boys across the world lament the future of a nudity-free Playboy magazine, the verdict has sparked memories on the end of the "great heterosexual male dream". The raunchy girl-next-door was the ultimate fantasy for the most part of the last century. Young women in distinct costumes of high-cut leotards, tuxedo bow-tie collars and cuffs, stockings, heels and a bunny tail on their behind, anchored the idea of the frisky woman available for voyeuristic pleasures.
In an interview given to Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci for LOOK Magazine in 1967, founder of Playboy, Hugh Hefner said: "The rabbit... has a sexual meaning; and I chose it because it's a fresh animal, shy, vivacious, jumping - sexy. First it smells you then it escapes, then it comes back, and you feel like caressing it, playing with it. A girl resembles a bunny... Consider the girl we made popular: the Playmate of the Month. She is never sophisticated, a girl you cannot really have. She is a young, healthy, simple girl - the girl next door."
The idea may come across as slighting (quite rightfully so), but let's not look at it as only a product of the West, or one that emerged from the sexual liberation of the post war era. Our own Bollywood depictions of women are no strangers to misogynistic portrayals, with doe-eyed beauties turning sex kittens to suit the fancies of the male gaze.
Funnily enough, the example of Katrina Kaif sticks out, as she swings between portraying her virginal beauty while retaining the image of a sex kitten to the masses. What began as a bold debut with Boom in 2003, progressively gave way to simpler and sweeter roles for wider acceptability. Her outfits complimented this move, with cutesy dresses and simple silhouettes in pink or white or orange, basic make-up and giving in to the altogether unassuming archetype.
Boring? Yes, but Katrina has secured her spot on the top with such contrasting item-numbers like "Sheila ki Jawaani" and "Chikni Chameli" that sexify her overall sweetness. Holding a bed sheet to cover herself, dancing with bedroom eyes and having what looks like the labour force - lustfully forming her back-up dance crew - seals the deal perfectly. Katrina is the sex symbol who's also modest, out of reach, yet she is (metaphorically) available to all.
But the balance isn't only struck by turning nice into naughty - the opposite holds equally true. That's where Sunny Leone comes in - the concept of a porn star entering mainstream cinema was something that surprised even some of the most open-minded self-proclaimed liberals. Yet, her contradictory portrayal of "raunchy propriety" has ensured that she is welcomed both as an artiste and an actress. The "Baby Doll" may titillate on-screen but her red-carpet outings and Instagram account pictures convey the story of a married girl, doing what she does best to earn an honest buck. Sunny is the anti-thesis to what's considered "acceptable" and yet she's the complete package in a paradoxical way.
The sex goddess needs to be a "good girl" every now and then to validate her spot on the top - too much sexiness, seduction or self-worth (like the femme fatale) will make her an outsider and ensure her downfall. For her to be accepted, she needs to be understood in conventional terms, and popular media has figured this concept out well enough.
In the midst of the outcry of "loss of innocence" regarding dropping full-nudity in Playboy, there is hope for voyeurism at the click of a button. Though the heady feel of flipping through smutty pages is now passé, the modest siren continues in a number of ways. She may not be in print anymore, but her idea is imprinted in cultural psyche. With her less-daring, more clothed cousin taking over from the March 2016 issue, Playboy's readership will encompass children of 13 years and above. The question remains: Are we okay with objectifying the female body for young readers when women's emancipation is moving forward? Women need to be seen as more than sexual objects, clothes or not.