More skin or less....

[Mark Tomlonson]

Steve Sloca wrote:

>Brian Sorgatz writes:
>"I am somewhere between Steve and Dan in the explicitness debate: I
>like the status quo.  In particular, I defend the thighs-together pose
>that some guys derisively call the "I-have-to-pee" pose.  I think it's
>charming.  Good cheesecake is an interplay between exhibitionism and
>modesty (or at least mock-modesty)."

As one who rails against the "Gotta Go" pose on a regular basis, let me 
expand on what I mean.

I like the traditional cheesecake approach that provides a fig leaf but 
is never obvious about it. There have been some centerfolds and other 
shots in Playboy that do this extremely well. As Peggy has pointed out, 
the turn of a leg can show off some truly attractive lines. Let's also 
not forget the tease element. Tease should not be a shibboleth, but it 
is one element that can make a major contribution to a successful pin-up.

I object when this turned leg makes the model look uncomfortable or 
awkward. Erica Jong's "Zipless Fuck" is one where the mundane details of 
an encounter simply disappear. Zippers never get stuck, for example, 
hence the name. In a pin-up, I look for the same kind of "Zipless" 
attitude.

In many centerfolds where a bit of tease and a leg show are the goals 
the leg is often turned to the point that the model loses her "center". 
She no longer looks balanced because she rarely is. The strain to keep 
her balance during a long Centerfold shoot shows on her face. Legs 
crossed, anxious, strained look - as the former parent of toddlers I 
know exactly what that means.

Generally I think the fix for any of these "gotta go" shots is to back 
up about two paces and start over. A lot of times a different torso 
twist, a lean back instead of forward (or forward instead of back), a 
turn of the hips away from the camera is all that would be needed to 
bring the model back into balance. Rarely is more explicitness the only 
possible answer. What I imagine happening is a lack of editorial resolve 
as to what the pin-up is going to highlight. If you want a particular 
setting and you want to show off a great pair of legs you may have to 
downplay the breasts a bit to make the thing work. If the model is truly 
suitable for pin-up work there should be no problem in still showing her 
breasts to a flattering advantage.

Mark Tomlonson
Kalamazoo MI