Marilyn Monroe
An item crossed my virtual transom the other day, highlighting a cooperative advertising campaign directed toward the District of Columbia (Our Nation's Capitol) in order to intrigue and seduce people into coming here.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation is putting a new tryst, er, twist on on our middle-aged Virginia Is for Lovers slogan. The press release explained, “Throughout April, the Virginia Is for Lovers partnership advertising will be in Metro stations, bus backs, radio, movie theaters, D.C.-based web sites and commuter newspapers carrying the message of Less Commuting — More Connecting, Vacation in Virginia.”
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureauare requisitioning the lower platform at Gallery Place/Chinatown, one of Washington’s busiest Metro stops, with subway-sized posters highlighting the museum’s Grand Re-Opening on May 1, as well as Richmond itself as a destination.
One of them features Andy Warhol’s 1967 Marilyn Monroe (shown above).
My appreciation for Ms. Monroe is on record (though I actually preferred her original pre-star curly auburn tresses and nose, but that’s me).
I'm quite excited that we're getting the VMFA back in May, and I understand what Mr. Warhol managed to do to art. But this poster isn’t an artistic debate. It’s supposed to be alluring, and it succeeds.
But a colleague here, when hearing of this, exclaimed, “Richmond’s not sexy!”
Au contraire, mon frére.
That's French for, "You been walking outside lately?"
I think the question is: What kind of sexy is Richmond?
Here are some suggestions, and please cast your vote accordingly.
Richmond is sexy like [blank].
• The I Think I Love My Wife Chris Rock.
• Jenny Sanford (former first lady of South Carolina)
• Gabrielle Union (actress, recently in Flash/Forward)
• Parker Posey as a party girl/librarian (“Sassy, savvy and definitely clued in!" is quite Richmondy.)
• The Women of Talbot's
• The sadly late and great Tony Randall
• Or the also sadly late and great Roddy McDowall
The final nominee has got Richmond bona fides, having performed with GWAR, and, as you can see, she already has her own action figure. She is perhaps best-known for fire dancing, usually during the song "Horror of Yig."
But that may be just too sexy.
Now that I have your eyeballs, and not to advertise for myself, but, yes, to advertise for myself and also a worthy cause, I'm co-hosing the 1708 Gallery's 20th (!) Annual Art Auction tomorrow (Saturday) night, $75 per person. Come watch me mispronounce artist's names and maybe buy the perfect thing for the living room, because "Home Is Where the Art Is."
Even at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop.
