From a piece entitled, “Vivien ‘Lay,’ scarlet woman:*”
Two-time Oscar winner Viven Leigh, the iconic Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With The Wind,” was a hot mess off-screen — a slutty bisexual who battled mental illness for most of her adult life, an explosive new biography claims.
So what have we learned today, class? Bisexuality is slutty. Mental illness is a terrible, horrible thing that may cause sluttiness or bisexuality, so that should always be thrown into “explosive” stories. And all of these things mean that you’re a “hot mess.”
Well, I guess that means that I’m a hot mess, too. And I couldn’t be prouder to be a bisexual, mentally ill slut. Because it’s awesome.
*See what they did there? Vivien “Lay?” Get it? BECAUSE SHE WAS A HARLOT.
I'm Britni, a snarky bitch and generally awesome person. I write about sex, love, and bullshit. If sex-positivity, discussions about BDSM and kink, queer issues, and topics that are completely inappropriate by society's standards make you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.
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23 Comments
VIVIEN LAY HAR HAR YOU GUYS ARE THE FUNNIEST.
Count me in as a “hot mess” by those standards. Proud of it too!
It is well-known that Vivian Leigh was given electric shocks, like many people at the time and that she was not at all helped with her mental problems. By slutty, they mean she picked up men in the streets of London often in the throes of a manic episode…I am horrified by this article. Shows what most people think of bisexuals and bipolars, I guess.
Um. Just for the record, I would have banged the shit out of Vivien Leigh if we were in the same generation and she had allowed me half an opportunity. She was hot as hell, and I am known to be attracted to “hot messes.”
Thank God we have better therapy these days, though. She must have struggled mightily in her life and now she endures bullshit posthumously too, poor woman.
Bisexuality is slutty? Oh dear, I must be doing it wrong!
I’m a little shocked at your ignorance. Reckless sexual behavior is a hallmark of the manic phases of Bipolar 1 disorder. So yes. Mental illness does in this case make you slutty. Just like it makes you suicidal, depressed and more likely to be an addict.
To imply that I’m ignorant is offensive to me as a mental health professional. I’m addressing the *language* used in the NY Post piece. You think I don’t know that manic episodes can cause promiscuous and impulsive sexual behavior? Of course I do. What I’m addressing is the piece itself. It called her “slutty” and “mentally ill” but never actually said she was bipolar or addresssed symptoms of mania. They simply referred to her as a slutty, bisexual, mentally ill woman.
Don’t call me ignorant. I’m not addressing her actual diagnosis. I’m examining the language we use to discuss bbisexual, “slutty,” and mentally I’ll people.
Don’t forget that much of my interest lies in how the messages we receive every day contribute to our perceptions of others.
I never refered to you as ignorant. Simply that you displayed ignorance on this subject.
I just feel you missed the really interesting mental health side of this. LBGT rights are everywhere, people know it’s normal these days. Mental illness still has a dramatic stigma.
I recall reading a similar article recently that did discuss her bipolar in some decent depth and I was quite impressed by the portrayl. I may have gotten this article confused with that on.
I apologize whole heartedly for insulting you.
“I’m addressing the *language* used in the NY Post piece.”
Then you don’t understand the “language”, either!
All it said is that she was bisexual and slutty. It never said the two were linked. It could have just as easily said “frigid bisexual” if she was bisexual and her issues caused her not to have sex much. But it said “slutty bisexual” because she was bisexual and her issues caused her to have a lot of sex.
The only problem with the language is that both “frigid” and “slutty” are sensationalist terms. But you’re mixing in the bisexual thing and claiming they’re saying it’s slutty.
If I said “Britni is a brunette bisexual”, would you have leapt up in arms shouting “SO BECAUSE I’M BRUNETTE, I’M BI?!”? No, of course not. Not every little reference to bisexuality needs your defense, you know?
Not every little reference to bisexuality needs your defense, you know?
Spoken like someone that’s not part of a marginalized population.
I’m queer, Poly, kinky and I agree with her. So I fail to see your point.
“Spoken like someone that’s not part of a marginalized population.”
Yes, this. Whether or not the phrasing was intended to say that bi=slutty, the juxtaposition of those words in the article is close enough to that to reinforce the stereotype in the minds of the surprisingly large number of people who already believe it. And I mean a VERY large number of people. Because that stereotype is so very prevalent, and so harmful to a lot of bi people (myself included), it’s important to call into question sloppy, sensationalized wording like that used in the NY Post article (which I read; the whole thing was trash). When it comes to things like this, bisexuality DOES need defending. And really, what serious publication uses the word slutty in its articles?
I AM bi!
I just don’t see the need to bring up every time there’s a neutral word next to a sensationalist word in a description about someone.
As I said, “blonde bi whatever” is the same as “slutty bi whatever”. The only ‘problem’ is the severe misuse of commas nowadays!
Well, I shouldn’t really be pedantic this late at night, but the fact that they qualified bisexual with the adjective slutty implies, to me at least, that not all bisexuals are slutty. It implies there has been at least one bisexual who was also slutty, but the fact they had to make the distinction could be taken as implying that there are non-slutty bisexuals, and even that most bisexuals aren’t slutty.
I haven’t read the article, so this may be bollocks, but from the bits you’ve quoted, it’s not implying that bisexuals are slutty.
*Facepalm* It’s not like bisexuality and mental illness just showed up recently, NY Post. And “Old Hollywood” wasn’t nearly as wholesome as people like to think.
I’m going to agree with slightly too drunk here. From what I’ve read it doesn’t imply she was slutty BECAUSE of the bisexuality. Just that she was both.
Well, I’m not the only one that read it that way, apparently (this post just went up 5 minutes ago, so I didn’t read their opinion on it first to form mine, FYI).
Another person has the same opinion as you, Kudos.
My opinion remains what it is. the article states clearly she was sexually promiscious due to her bipolar disorder.
I don’t actually believe she was bisexual, or at least considered herself one to be honest. I think she was a mentally ill woman caught in hollywood and not getting the help she needed. The one flaw I see with this article is the assumption that any woman who sleeps with another of the same gender is bisexual.
When you look at it in that light, dropping the bisexual issue totally it becomes not about marginallizing a population but about not accpeting a woman’s choice to sleep with someone of the same gender.
The gender of the person may or may not be related to her bipolar mania. I don’t know enough to state as such. But seeing as homosexual sex was very very tabboo in this time period, it could easily be considered part of the reckless behavior that is common of manic depressives.
I see your point, but I feel the articles flaw is more in it’s assumption of her sexuality.
Ah, I read the article. I was under the impression you were refering to a different article of the same subject as the picture you used was featured in the other I had read.
I agree that this one is silly, sensationalist and portrays sleeping with the same gender in a bad light.
My apologies.
But…I thought that bisexual women were like, so sexxy, and that making out with a girl was like, so hawt, because it really turned the menz on?
Dammit, shitty media stereotypes, get you shit together!
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It is really depressing to see how little change has been made regarding people’s assumptions about sexualilty, and mental disorders.
In reference to your tweet. I’m a she actually.
I apologized to be polite. I was under impression it was a different article as at first glance it seemed the same.
You’ve always been something of a role model to me, that doesn’t mean I don’t disagree with you sometimes.
Having you WTF me is pretty heart breaking actually.
It’s not quite as simple as me arguing with you then reading the article and apologizing.
I guess I just wanted to talk to you and look smart.
I didn’t mean to offend you and I’m sorry that I did. I just get frustrated sometimes because people can be pretty mean. You weren’t mean, and I was annoyed about something else and so I became annoyed at everything.
Of course you’re allowed to disagree with me! I don’t expect everyone to always agree with me. I think it’s pretty obvious that they don’t.
Please don’t let this stop you from commenting again. I appreciate your comments (I’ve noticed them before) and you *are* smart.
I apologize. I was in the wrong here.
Thanks for that. I was feeling pretty silly and upset and then silly for being upset.
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Oh my brain…