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 Linda Thomas
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Bombshell.jpg
Charlotte Austin, left, and Siolo Thompson asked writers and artists to answer the questions, who do today's women admire, who do today's men covet, and who's a female role model? The result is a collection of essays and artwork redefining the bombshell. (Amanda Paredes photo)

Two Seattle women set out to build a better 'bombshell'

February 17, 2013 @ 5:01 pm (Updated: 9:53 am - 2/18/13 )

Before Hollywood had sex symbols, it unleashed bombshells.

The first bombshell, in 1933, was MGM's Jean Harlow, known for her hourglass figure and sex appeal. Others followed - Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch and today's Kate Upton or Beyonce.

Two Seattle women are reconsidering the definition through 40 writers and visual artists in the pages of a new collection entitled The Better Bombshell.

"The word bombshell has two meanings. For our generation it's Marilyn Monroe and the pinup girl. Often times for our parent's generation it's something else. My mom said, ‘To me a bombshell is the atom bomb in World War II,' so it also takes on this double meaning of detonating and destroying something," says Charlotte Austin, a Seattle writer and co-creator of the Bombshell project.

"We don't know what the modern ideal woman should be," says Siolo Thompson, the visual artist behind the project. "We asked people to examine the idea of the bombshell, and the ideal woman. Deconstruct it. Criticize it. Break it down. Tell us what's wrong with that notion."

How does she define a bombshell?

"She's powerful, she's sexual, she's beautiful, she's not afraid of men. On the more sinister side she's manipulative," says Thompson. "We need to bring back what was good about the bombshell."

Jean Harlow, for example, was the biggest money maker in that studio. During the Depression when no one was making money, she ran an industry.

"Those are powerful, powerful women and we've sort of reduced them to cardboard cutouts," she says.

Thompson and Austin asked teams of writers and artists for their takes on female role models, giving them these questions to think about: Who do today's young women admire? What earns our envy and our celebration? Who do today's men covet?

Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist, tackles the "what do men want" question by outlining what men do not look for in a woman. Shoes and pedicures top his list. Men just don't care.

"Men do have opinions about women's clothes. But you should ignore these opinions. If women dressed the way men wanted them to, the world would look like a giant Hooters," Barry writes.

"But the truth is, we're not really that picky. I think we're a lot less critical of women than women themselves are," he says. "The Better Bombshell is a good example: Here we have an entire book devoted to discussing what the ideal woman should be. You won't see men discussing what the ideal man should be. Men tend to assume that, whatever way they are, that's the way they were supposed to be - not unlike Labrador retrievers."

Thompson says her version of today's bombshell adopts a little of Barry's attitude about self-acceptance.

"There's a barrage of photo-shopped images of what you're supposed to look like and what you're supposed to be. The counter balance we're trying to provide with this is that you're not supposed to be anything other than what you are," says Thompson. "You're supposed to be the best you can be, but you don't need to look like Beyonce. You don't need to be a size two model to be powerful and beautiful and sexy."

Most girls and young women would agree with her in theory, but visit any high school in America and you'll find most of the girls are striving for physical perfection.

The Seattle authors hope to change their impressions of a bombshell with a national tour, beginning next month, with stops in schools, community colleges and women's correctional facilities.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (21)


  • Add A Comment

  • maplefish wrote...
    HAHAHAHAHAHA
    February 17, 2013 5:50 pm
    Why do Women spend $BIiLLIONS of dollars on clothes and make-up and hair products and countless hours shopping and MANIPULATING, if it weren't to attract the attention of we evil men.... I love BOMBSHELL'S.....bring em on! LOL
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    After years of relentless study, I have concluded that the sexiest organ of a woman's body...
    February 17, 2013 11:51 pm
    is her brain.

    All that other stuff is just variations on a theme. Coupling up is like buying a used car, (even in those rare cases where the car hasn't actually been used). The expectation of what you hope to get will usually be more fantastic than what you finally take home. Style and design may vary somewhat, but one steering wheel feels about like another. The differences between one model and another, when "going through the gears" are nowhere nearly as dramatic in reality as we fantasize they might be. The amount of padding in the seats is merely a footnote.

    That likely has something to do with the divorce rate; people hoping to trade in the old model and find something new that just might meet those unrealistic expectations.

    Don't forget the warning embedded in the commercials for male performance enhancers. "If you're still ready to rock after four hours, better get your butt (and various appendages nearby) to the hospital!" There are only so many hours a week that will be spent with a spouse or significant other in a physical embrace. Women love to talk. Better find one with something intelligent to say, because you are going to be listening to her, either way. :-)

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  • mnpat wrote...
    "variations on a theme"
    February 18, 2013 6:16 am
    Haven't heard that one since Blood Sweat and Tears Chuck. Agree with my previous posters but I will add this.....ladies you should be more concerned with the what's inside then the packaging, the gold digging days only last so long.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    It's hard to post stuff
    February 18, 2013 6:18 pm
    When she's looking over your shoulder like that isn't it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Country_Dog wrote...
    Bombshells
    February 18, 2013 5:53 am
    is violent talk. We don't talk that way in Seattle. We want peace and love and organic food.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    Bombshell?
    February 18, 2013 6:43 am
    Is extinct because it is no longer politically correct...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • anotherfencewalker wrote...
    and then she opened her mouth..
    February 18, 2013 7:36 am
    If you want to reinvent the bombshell, start with putting your credit cards away and living at Nordys trying to always upgrade the "hot and bitchy" look. You defend by saying you want to feel better for yourself? Not buying it. You want the looks from the guys and the green envy from other women, or girls. Right? Now days its spike heels, glittery skirt things and tatoos, not to mention the cowgirl jean bit. By the way, on the jeans...some of you SHOULD NOT be wearing something that attracts attention to your a55 like that. Like looking at rear bumper on a 58 Buick. If you really want to re-do the bombshell bit, start with your social ques and basic personality, then proceed. Otherwise you're just 5 cosmopolitans in a downtown Seattle cocktail lounge..
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  • 2112 wrote...
    Dave Berry is wrong about one thing
    February 18, 2013 8:26 am
    Nasty feet are definitely a deal breaker.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    What's funny is how people are so confused about why they can't find the right guy/girl
    February 18, 2013 8:39 am
    I'll never understand why people think it's all that complicated, you'll hear them talk about how it's hard to find a good man/woman... Look where you're trying to find them!!! this goes for men too, If you're a woman going out to a bar or club with a short skirt, revealing clothes etc. basically looking as sexual as possible, guess what, you're going to attract dude's that are out looking for sex and that's it... if you're a dude looking for a good woman, and you go after the flashiest thing on 2 feet that's dressed like she's ready to take the stage at a strip club... well then yeh, you're not finding a good woman that's ready to settle down.. Look I went through my early years, i tried chasing the hot chicks etc. and it turns out, the ones that try so hard to look slutty, well, they probably aren't the kind of woman that you are looking for if you want a meaningful relationship... and on the other side of the coin, Women should know if the guy who's coming on to you is trying oh so hard to impress you or being really really straight forward trying to get you alone then he's probably a mans1#t... it is what it is.. my best tip i can provide is, look for someone in a place of interest for you... Don't go to the club or a bar and expect that's a great place to find a relationship... i'm not saying you can't find one there, i'm just saying there's a lot of people in there who probably aren't looking for a true relationship.
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  • Mike in Pioneer Square wrote...
    Visit any high school in America...
    February 18, 2013 11:26 am
    Visit any high school in America and you'll find most of the girls are overweight, like most of America. We always here mixed messages about this, but that's the truth. Americans have been getting fatter and fatter.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cougsfan34 wrote...
    What high school did you go to?
    February 18, 2013 11:37 am
    What high school did you go too? Once everyone gets out of college everyone fattens up.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    @News Chick
    February 18, 2013 12:38 pm
    What a dumb article! You are better than this fluff!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    The two in the picture look eerily like -
    February 18, 2013 2:10 pm
    The like two ladies who approached me @ the Wynn Hotel & Casino in Vegas three weeks ago while I was sitting at the bar playing video poker at 2:00 AM in the morning and the two asked if I wanted some extra company @ $800.00 each per hour. Crazy!!!!!
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