Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Favorite Pic of the Day for November 27th

Above:
Mr. Herzog by Gordon Nebeker

~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

Riveting Reads

Tale of the Tail: Sergey by Richard Rothstein


'Bend over and let me see you shake a tail feather
Bend over and let me see you shake a tail feather'
Tina Turner


When Richard Rothstein recently sent on this Autumnal themed set with Sergey, I knew they'd be perfect for Thanksgiving week.  Of course the Autumn colors, both on and around Sergey, were perfect for the holiday and season.  I love like so many of nature's wonders, Sergey's colors blend into the Autumn palette of the surrounding tree's and forest.


Sergey's striking art piece was found on Esty, and made it's way over from China for the shoot.  The Autumn body bouquet didn't just remind me of the holiday's colors, they also reminded me of another symbol of Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving turkey.


Now Sergey obviously looks nothing like a turkey,  but just like the peacock, turkey's puff up their bodies and spread their fancy tail feathers in order to attract a mate.  Each year, 'Gobblers', use their tails, to get tail.  The back feathers are puffed up and Tom Turkey struts around in hopes of attracting as many admirers and mates as possible.


Sergey has also been known to strut, not out of vanity or arrogance, but out of confidence and pride.  Like those amorous barnyard birds, Sergey also attracts attention wherever he's out in the wild. Now admittedly, especially when he's out with Richard, Sergey' often naked, a sight not always expected by those out for a leisurely walk. With or without his elegant Autumn ensemble, Sergey natural draws and attracts attention.





The Pilgrim Paradox


I've had the ad below in my 'Thanksgiving' folder for a few years now.  The Carter's Trigs 1953 underwear has a Thanksgiving theme and on the surface seems rather benign and innocent.  It was certainly benign the year it came out, at least to the audience the company was seeking. As time moves on however,  I struggle more and more with depictions of Pilgrims and (with) Native Americans to promote Thanksgiving.


Those with even a casual knowledge of history, know that stories of the 'First Thanksgiving' aren't exactly factual.  Stories like Squanto's Journey have been read to children for years.  Unlike stories about Santa Clause however, children aren't sat down at 11 and 12 and told that what they were read and told wasn't historically factual.

The truth, still playing itself out today, wasn't as simple as a handshake followed by a huge feast.  Everyone didn't come together with smiles on their faces to celebrate. It was a more violent transition.  Pilgrims and Native American's were of course crucial to the event, just not as they're usually portrayed in ads, cartoons and children's bedtime stories.


I hate that the term political correctness has become so corrupted.  So many, including the fool in the White House, have turned something positive into something distorted.  There will always be those who take things too far, but for me, political correctness is simply about thinking.  Thinking about how our words, how our actions, even how the visuals we choose, may impact others.  Thinking about others is never a bad thing.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is not just the golden rule, it's a rule that every year, more and more seem to forget and ignore.

Two Spirits by Marc DeBauch


This year, when putting together my Thanksgiving pieces, I came upon a Playgirl spread from the 1990's. (below)  I thought The Passionate Pilgrim was a hot spread, and wanted to include it, but had to really think about how it fit into my own thoughts about Thanksgiving related visuals.  In the end, and after weighing several factors,  I chose to include it.  For me, it didn't have the same exploitation feel that I sometimes get, maybe in part due to it being a male and female. There is also the nostalgia element in the series, and the  Carter's Trig ad.  Nostalgia as we've learned can be risky, depending on your personal experiences.  Maybe I'm justifying a bit, (a lot) I'm not sure, but the struggle to decide was something I'm actually thankful for.

Artwork by J.C. Leyendecker

The Passionate Pilgrim


'Burning with desire to feast on each other's raw sexuality.'


The Passionate Pilgrim
Playgirl: December, 1995
Photography by David Hinds
The Passionate Pilgrim: Wade West


It seems a shame that this appears to be Wade West's only appearance in Playgirl.  With his incredible body, pouty lips and his long blonde nineties bangs, he would have made a great centerfold.  There are so many models who appeared in the male / female fantasy pieces who deserved spreads of their own.


'On the night of our celebration, I felt myself flooded with such need for her that it pulsed with my very blood.  Beneath the fabric of my breeches, my sleeping manhood stretched and stirred.  As she kissed me, it raised its proud head aloft and reached out for her.  I thought my body would ignite.'


'Freeing one another from the confines our clothes, we began our feast in earnest.  My  mouth and hands sought out her generous mounds and moist comforts, while she consumed me with an ardor that surpassed my own.  All my senses yearned for her, and i knew by her soft, quick sighs that she felt the same.'


'As the throws of our love making became more urgent, I could feel a great swell of release gathering within her.  In my loins, a matching force grew to a fever pitch as well.  The pleasure was so intense, I thought that it would rend us apart, scattering the very nerves and fibers of our bodies up to heaven to dance amid the stars.'


'A moment later, overflowing with a fullness beyond measure, the momentum of our coupling exploded in a climax of sublime ecstasy....'