#indecency

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Last night they were acting Moliere in Fourteenth Street; Dickens was being played through the auspices of Nigel Playfair. Further uptown, George M. Cohan was unveiling the latest George M. Cohan musical comedy. But Broadway, being eternally curious, turned out in greatest numbers at the Biltmore Theater in Forty-Seventh Street, where the result of Mae West's latest encounter with the drama was being performed. This was the exhibit—play is not precisely the word—with a vaudeville background, whose preliminary trip through the Bronx and Queens had been followed by rumors that here was something that might arouse the police to action.

So began the review by an unnamed theater critic for the Times on October 2, 1928. It appeared, not in the arts section, but following a front-page story about the police ... taking action.

The play was Pleasure Man, a reworking by Mae West of her earlier play The Drag. It dealt not with vaudeville, as the critic said, but burlesque, and finished with a lavish drag ball.

Cops were stationed at all theater exits and just as the play was ending, reserves surrounded the front. When the cast tried to leave, they were arrested—56 in all, including West, who also acted in the show.

Of course this attracted audience members (some in evening dress, the Times noted) from other theaters nearby. The presence of cabs and other cars waiting to pick up theater-goers and actors added to the chaos.

Flashlights exploded as news photographers tried to capture the actors being led into paddy wagons. The police had to make five trips to get everyone to the station house on 47th St., where they were charged with indecency.

By 2:30 in the morning, Actors Equity posted bail. West's was $500, which may have been more than the others because she was doubly guilty, having written the play as well as acted in it. The producer, director, and theater staff were not arrested.

For some reason, the cops let the next day's matinee start, but raided it halfway through and arrested everyone once more. They had their own theatrical flair.

The trial wasn't held until April of 1930, and resulted in a hung jury. By that time West was a star, having triumphed in another play of her own called Diamond Lil. The next year she went to Hollywood.

Top photo: J.D. Doyle via Digital Transgender Archive Second photo: NY Daily News

[theperfectquestion]

One of the purest examples of the Overton Window sliding towards religious authoritarianism from my lifetime is public nudity. I am old enough to remember that public nudity used to be considered to be a good thing and a sign of a healthy relationship to one's body. Only ancient holdouts from the Mary Whitehouse crusades were AGAINST public nudity, and there was a feeling that the last few decrepit laws about 'indecency' would be tidied up before too long.

Today, I would hazard a guess that any attempt to weaken laws that make it illegal to be naked would be doomed to failure and ridicule. The idea that the human body is inherently sinful and that nudity is pornography is one that is currently stuck firm in the middle ground even though I remember that being a fringe belief ascribed to irrelevant lunatics.

[marieabanga]

Let's talk about modest dressing for Christians Amen

#keepingitreal dressing for Christians…do we ignore scriptures and go trendy some or we stick to our bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit???

[lastofthepencilpushers]

"Gross" Indecensy?

Hope you got the pun.

[sunnyrmrez]

The skeleton fam to me

[ihopeicanchangethislater05]

OKAY TIME TO GO FERAL.

why did NO one tell me about this picture

and for fucks sake look at robert in his glasses i am so unwell right now

A PERSON WHO HAS WATCHED BIRTHMARKS AT LEAST 15 TIMES NOW CAN TELL YOU THATS FROM HOUSE'S DAD'S FUNERAL

edit: im crazy asf about birthmarks so you should know this is the everyday normal for me

[pahatarcarabosse]

I say, the original novel of IWTUTKBTSMLITI is good! And the anime adaption of it is okay till the show runner and original author separated ways. sigh

Drawfee fanart - fake original novel and discourse. yes, this is a high effort parody of a series that doesn't exist. I just love the Otome Isekai genre to bits.

These two fake covers bled me dry for moment lol

Parody OI covers:

Shaty Cover / Drawfee IWTUTKBTSMLITI cover

[cornflakesdoesart]

tfw when you want to unify the kingdom, but the second male lead is too indecent

btw ot3 supremacy idc about ship wars, miss me with that shit ˇ---ˇ

[ancientcereal]

me after watching the latest drawfee episode: *sigh* now i have to draw this stupid love triangle

(yes i changed their outfits,, i couldn't bring myself to draw all the details on dick's cape thing so i just said "fuck it they all get new clothes")

[bardace]

I’ve been thinking about this joke literally since the episode, help…. I had to draw it as fast as possible I just had to

[elliottlewisart]

He’s just allergic to so many things 😔

[mewdoodles]

More skeletons flexing for anatomy practice... more excuses to draw my favourite boys~

[sneppu]

I like to think that because Snape rarely shows skin aside from his hands and face, that to everyone else every little sliver of Bare Sneep™ seems outrageously scandalous and lewd. Severus Snape has no idea whatsoever that the tiniest slip of his sleeve to expose the tiniest bit of his wrist gets the entire wizarding population scandalized and flustered, like a bunch of Victorian fools seeing a woman's ankle for the first time.

[satans-trek]

Wild crazy bonkers that the most convincing sexual tension in all of DS9 is this fifteen second interaction between Damar and Mila.

[zu-is-here]

<– • –>

[oocooartistry]

I watched the newest Drawfee episode and felt inspired to draw their characters! Only just now am I realizing that with Daleton's hands on his friend's shoulders, I have no clue how his pants are staying up...