Ep. 88: Popstar Pin-Up

Nymphet Alumni

In this episode, we dive into the history of pin-up and rockabilly fashion to analyze this aesthetic's continuous deployment in the 21st century pop landscape. We discuss the exaggerated gender dimorphism of the 1950s, the striking similarities between pin-up girls of the '40s and Instagram starlets of today, rockabilly's morbid legacy and the Overton window of obscenity, the decadence of Americana foodstuffs, and the raunchy, feminine stylings of Amy Winehouse, Katy Perry, and, most recently, Sabrina Carpenter.

Links:
Image board
Welcome to the Club: The Women of Rockabilly (2001)
Rockin': The Rockabilly Scene by Andrew Shaylor
Rockabilly: The Twang Heard 'Round the World by Michael Dregni
Dave Hickey on Rockabilly in Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy
Sabrina Carpenter "Nonsense" Outros Compilation
"What Happens When a Pop Star Isn't That Popular?" by Shaad D'Souza – New York Times
Sabrina's custom "Espresso" swimsuit vs. Marilyn Monroe's in How to Marry a Millionaire
Katy Perry performing "One of the Boys" in 2008
Rolling Stone on the backstory behind Katy's Teenage Dream cover
Rolling Stone review of Teenage Dream upon release in 2010
TASCHEN's The Art of Pin-up by Dian Hanson
Alexander Thompson's photographs of Mexican-American Rockabillies
Property from the Life and Career of Amy Winehouse – Auction Catalog
"A Sly Wink to Pinups of the Past" by Ruth La Ferla – New York Times (2012)
Caroline Gnagy's Work*

*Full interview with Caroline Gnagy also available on Patreon!
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