Special Edition: Lipstick and Dynamite

The documentary Lipstick and Dynamite by Ruth Leitman was screened at Saint Xavier on Wednesday, March 18th in the Art Gallery. The movie focused mainly on the lives of women wrestlers in the 1940's and 50's.

When I walked in to see this movie, I was not too sure what to expect. After hearing the title correctly (I thought the movie was called Lipstick and Diamonds; it was a very perplexing moment), confusion still lingered (I had no idea what the meaning was behind the title even after learning its true name). After consulting a fellow Visual Communications student, I learned a possible clue as to what the title really meant. Lipstick and Dynamite delves into the world of female brutality, sexuality and financial responsibility that society ignored back in the 40's and 50's--a world that goes largely unnoticed in today's modern culture. These wrestling women had to deal with the expectations of acting and dressing as a lady ("Lipstick") while still unleashing their aggressive and wild side in the ring ("Dynamite").

In the public eye, the wrestlers were forced to conform to standards of beauty at the time. Their hair had to be stylized at all times, their makeup sketched on, and their clothes were to be elegant. The wrestlers had to exude an image of "properness" when they wrestled and when they had down time for recreation. The sexist attitudes of the time held women to a certain physical ideal that had to be met or disparaging comments and manipulation would overtake them. These beliefs and tactics still plague our society today. Female wrestlers in the modern world have to dress and behave in ways that are believed to attract the male audience. Scantily clad female wrestlers today desperately seek attention by parading around with the intent on grabbing male viewers. Today's wrestlers (like those in the past) may feel forced by management to agree to act and dress in specific ways. Manipulation and coercion are maneuvers that management has constantly used to exploit women over the years.

This film does an excellent job of telling a story that many can relate to in modern society. Female profiteering is a problem that is still relevant today and has not gone away. By making this documentary, Leitman has brought attention to an issue that will not end unless more people are aware of it.