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BETTY PAGINATED #26
($5.00 US, AUS/£5 from Dann Lennard / PO Box A1412 / Sydney South / NSW 1235 / AUSTRALIA.
E-mail)
This review really should've been up sooner but this issue of
BP is such a lengthy read that it just took a while to finish (that's a good thing). Regular readers of
BP know that is heart consists of wrestling, porn, naked ladies and wrestling. This issue doesn't disappoint but that stuff does get pushed aside a bit this time around for a huge feature on Dann and Helen's trip to America. Nearly half of this 64-page magazine-sized issue is devoted to this Australian pair's experiences in and reactions to God's Favorite Country. Some of the things they write about include the Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival Form they had to fill out ("Are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?"), crappy Australian-themed American products (which should embarrass us all), pubs in New York, Combat Zone Wrestling (yikes), snack foods (Ever heard of Rap Snacks potato chips endorsed by Lil' Romeo? Yeah, me neither.), fast food restaurants, wigwam motels in Cave City, Kentucky, local tv in Nashville, regional lore, the obscenity of Las Vegas – that just scratches the surface, really. Dann Lennard and Helen Vnuk (
Snatched: Sex and Censorship in Australia) are both engaging writers and know how to make junk culture fun and interesting. I recommend this issue to anyone who enjoys good travel writing.
The rest of the issue, of course, is also good, clean fun. Well, okay, maybe not clean but fun nonetheless. More stuff: how Dann and Helen almost became regulars on a tv show, a quick look at t.A.T.u and their knock-offs, an interview with '70s/'80s softcore actress Glory Annen (
Felicity), wrestling reports/reviews, indie horror flick
Cradle of Fear, a report on the 2002 National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle, a brief look at Alan Moore's career and lots more, including my favorite regular feature – the reviews. Dann reviews films, magazines, zines, comix, websites, music, books, Blair Witch-related stuff and food (!) in an entertaining and easy-going style.
As I mentioned earlier, this issue's a big one and well worth the cover price (it also comes with a beautiful 2-color Bettie Page sticker drawn by Glenn Smith). It took me a while to read but now I'm itching for a new one!
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