Film still from Indecent Desires (1968) in which a young woman is terrorized by a man with a magic doll that forces her to strip, fondle, and otherwise torture herself for his pleasure.
As far as my opinion is concerned, no conversation about feminism and pornography can begin without a nod to the late Doris Wishman. She was one of the most prolific female directors in the 1960s and 1970s but her medium was the sexploitation flick (aka, my favorite genre of film). You may or may not remember her for the works Blaze Star Goes Nudist, Nude on the Moon, Bad Girls go to Hell, and Another Day, Another Man. Her films will never be remembered for their plots or dialogue, but the kooky Ms. Wishman was out there finding any excuse to film all kinds of naughty things. Before Tristan Taormino was showing us the way to have better anal sex, before Pink and White Productions was making their award winning pornography, and before Belladonna made an amazing leap from porn athlete to porn producer there was Doris pushing the limits of her time and kicking some major ass while doing it.
Although we tend to look back on the 50s and 60s as a happier time where everyone wore poodle skirts and waited until marriage, that was far from the truth and these films still pack a shocking punch for many modern audiences. Sure they’re campy, the hair is gravity defying, and the audio may not synch up well with the video but even my jaw drops when the poor girl was taking the belt again. It’s exciting to know that there was a woman steering everything and that she didn’t stop to think about whether or not it would be polite to ruffle some feathers.
On top of everything else, I’m also a retrosexual. The stockings, the shoes, the garters, and the panties all drive me wild. Then you have men in suits and ties and so many beautiful looking cars. You’re reading the blog of a girl who proudly lost her virginity in a 1958 Pontiac Catalina. The smell and sound of a pre-’65 automobile turns me on more than anything else I know. Throw in some spanking, face slapping, and name calling and I’m in heaven. I’m all about the kinkabilly style, daddy-o and I just can’t get enough. Leave the thongs and the tiburons at home and pass me the liquid eyeliner and bullet bras.
My hat is off to you, Ms. Wishman. Thank you so much for the fun, the fetish, and the kind of feminism I can get behind. Her work isn’t a part of the forgotten past so long as there are people that enjoy vintage undergarments and some good old fashioned brutality. She kept up with the boys and left a mark on this pervy girl’s heart.
Ms. Doris Wishman herself with images from Deadly Weapons in her sunglasses.
Great post Maggie. Love the clip, and the title. It’s just so “Reefer Madness”.
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