CASSANDRA PETERSON ON THE SEXUAL ASSAULT SHE EXPERIENCED BY A CELEBRITY BASKETBALL SPORTS FIGURE

In perhaps the most horrific passage in her book, 'Yours Cuelly, Elvira' is the sexual assault that Cassandra experienced. To comply with the Google requirements for no sexual explicity, I have not changed any words below, but I have stopped at the ...

Excerpt:

"The other episode involved my friend "Unce Wilty' who I'd run into once or twice at the Playboy mansion since moving back to L.A.

In Las Vegas, whenever Wilt was in town, he and Sunny frequently slept over at the house I shared with her and our other roommates, and spent a lot of time hanging around the pool.  I got to know him and liked him a lot. He was flirty, although always respectful, but he did have a big ego to go along with his big body and big career. He was smart, interesting, and funny, and damn was he big. He towered over us at seven-one. We took a picture together by our pool one time and in it I look like a munchkin, only coming up a little above his waist. It was crazy how big he was - not just tall like his friend Lou Alcinder (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabber) who I'd met with him on a couple occasions, but huge, weighing in at 300 pounds. My entire outstretched hand just fit into his palm.

Wilt had always flirted and kidded around with me, but he was never pushy or rude. He was rich, good looking, and famous, so he had girls coming out of the woodwork. He hardly needed to force himself on anyone like me. I was somehow always able to deflect his advances by joking around, and he'd always laugh and slough it off. I'd known him for so long, I trusted him and felt comfortable around him.  ...

The third time I went to his house for a party, my friend bailed on me at the last minute, so I went alone. An hour or so into the party, he asked if I had seen the closet he'd built for his basketball jerseys from the various teams he'd played with over the years. As I shook my head no, he led me through his bedroom and into his closet, which was roughly the size of my single apartment.  I stood marveling at the rows of size fifteen shoes while he pulled jerseys off the rack  - the Philadelphia Warriors,  the Harlem Globetrotters, the L.A. Lakers - and laid them out on the center island for me to see.  "Wow!", I gasped, trying to look impressed even though I didn't know a thing about basketball. Suddenly, with no warning, he grabbed me from behind, gripped my neck with one gigantic hand, and shoved his sweatpants down with the other. ...

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked.

I didn't respond. My face burned with anger and humiliation as he chuckled to himself on his way out of the closet. It all happened so fast I was still in shock. Trembling, I made sure he was gone, then ran into his bathroom, locked the door, and puked into his giant-sized toilet. ...

***

She never heard from this predatory narcissist "friend" again.  He knew what he was doing. This is the story of a man who a woman had known for some time, at least to the point where he had been welcome in her home and she his. And of a celebrity who bragged about having sex with thousands of women. One wonders how many of these women were raped. Cassandra said who would believe an out of work actress and ex stripper. I wish it were "Who would believe an outsized sports figure."

Well, I believe her.

What is the answer here? To never flirt? To never be friendly? To never go to a party? To never trust a man who is a friend? 

****

Please note that I listened to this book as an audio book in which Cassandra Petersen herself reads, and then I got the e-book. My download shows page numbers 252-254 which depends on the size of text one chooses. I do hope you'll want to read this book, just as I hope I've lead you to other books that are worthy of your time reading!  

Missy

CASSANDRA PETERSON WAS RAPED BY A MAN SHE INVITED IN FOR A DRINK

In Chapter 15 of Cassandra Peterson's book, 'Yours Cruelly, Elvira', she reveals that she was raped. The first rape she reports in this chapter happened after she invited a man who she'd met at a club and had a conversation with back to her place for drinks.  I know that some men do think that such an invitation is considered as an invitation to have sex, or to at less mess around a little. Such stories make us women far less likely to invite men on dates.

However, I think we women have to educate men - all men - including our brothers and platonic male friends, what rape is. I agree with Cassandra that even if things are far along, if a woman says stop, a man should comply. There are very many reasons why a woman may want to stop, from concern over contraception to not feeling well to sobering up to - very many reasons.  

In this case the man was a rapist. The classic rapist.  There is no confusion about it.

When she suggested they get together another evening, before much had happened, he was angry.  He threw her to the floor, he balled up his fist and asked her if she wanted her teeth knocked down her throat. He threatened her that he knew where to find her and that she was not to tell.  There are times when I do hope there is eternal hell rapists. They are rarely one time offenders. Such men rape and rape again. They hate women. Rape is violence. They love that they are destroying a woman's health, reputation, and sanity.

Cassandra says she knew people would think she had asked for it by inviting him in. Also, she was aware that as an ex showgirl and because of her sexy Elvira character, she was less likely to be believed if she did report the rape.

***

Please note that I listened to this book as an audio book in which Cassandra Petersen herself reads, and then I got the e-book. My download shows page numbers 251-252 for which I took notes.

CLEOPATRA DIANE DE MERODE and KING LEOPOLD II OF BELGIUM : THE FIRST CELEBRITY - CALLED A COURTESAN SHE DEFENDED HERSELF AND WON

CLEO DE MERODE

Image from Wikimedia

Because she was so photographed and so many copies were made, there exists a great number of images.

CLEOPATRA DIANE DE MERODE

1877 - 1966

Daughter of Viennese Baroness, Vincentia Maria Cacilla Catharina de Merode

Long before American artist Andy Warhol predicted that in the future everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes, Cleopatra Diane De Merode, known as Cleo, became the first world famous celebrity, the first celebrated woman, whose international fame lasted years. Though word of mouth and mentions in newspapers and small presses included the beautiful woman who started ballet lessons at seven and performing in The Opera Ballet in Paris at eight in the corps de ballet, it was photos of her as an adult and printed on postcards that circulated the world and promoted this Parisian dancer and actress during the Belle Epic. Rather than cut and paste into e-mails, her image was snail mailed around the world. One of those images was of her taking a show bath rather than a good scrub. I think of present day exotic dancer and stripper Dita Von Teese, now famous for her on stage baths. According to the 1896 Parisian Illustrated Review volume 1, page 65, the most photographed woman in Paris was described as "having eyes of velvet, dazzling teeth, a fine figure, and a languishing grace." It was the year she met King Leopold II of Belgium who was at the theatre watching her performance and asked to meet her. She was a half hour late in getting back onto stage and that half hour may have lead to rumors that were never true.

According to author Michael D. Garval, in his book, "Cleo de Merode and the Rise of Modern Celebrity Culture," a primary reference for this month's posts, Merode was at a "pivotal moment in the history of fame and visual culture" and she "heralded modern celebrity icons."

Garval also gives an accounting of reviews of the dancers of what was risky burlesque as the century turned, which as is traditional, included humor and silly jokes, flirting, flouting, and taking most of it off. 

While Cleo was not a stripper or exotic dancer as we think of them today, she eventually showed much of her body, but there was one part she never ever showed. Her ears! Apparently, she thought they were ugly. Ear fetishizers speculated and hoped she would eventually show them but she kept them tucked under her neatly organized extremely thick hair in a style called the bandeaux.

The question is, how did Cleo, who was a trained ballet dancer though not a star, but known for her beauty, keep her celebrity going?

By 1902 she was at the height of her celebrity and considered to be the most beautiful woman alive, a fashion icon, a trendsetter /influencer. She had been modeling for statues, paintings and posters, depicted as nude or clothed. She was sought as a model by the best. She was photographed for her personal publicity - her career. She appeared on the backs of playing cards. 

She was an inspiration to other women. As we learned when we explored the reality of a ballet dancer's life in Paris, it was expected that dancers were Courtesans or at least had patrons for the girls bloomed into puberty while living in poverty.

But was she a Courtesan? That's something she denied.

Was King Leopold II of Belgium her protector or just one of many who could look but not touch? Their liaison was enough for both of them to be portrayed in the "Foyer de la Danse" at the Opera. It was a private club where rich men could mingle with the dancers, a place where ballet dancers could meet patrons or be plucked out of the chorus to be Kept. 

Reports were also that she had spurned marriage proposals.  Was she picky or all tied up with the King? 

Whatever their relationship was, it made them both more famous.  Yet, some thought her reputation suffered for it because his reputation was so bad! Whatever did or didn't happen between her and the King, it hurt her career. After all, who was good enough for a King? And who was good enough for her? There was about forty years difference between them. Implied is that the 61ish old King could still - well, you know!  He of course, did have deep pockets, but did he actually Keep her, or was he just her most adoring fan?

I wonder what role class had in Cleo's life because she was not born common. However, Cleo was the illegitimate daughter of a Baroness of Venice,  raised Catholic, and well, everyone understood there could be no marriage because the King was married, but you love who you love.

Of a mixed European heritage, she was popular in Germany and Austria and toured.

Eventually Cleo would try to conquer America, and appear in New York City. 

In her later years she would deny she was ever a Courtesan, sue to reclaim her reputation and win against a feminist author who became famous for her theory too.

The never married and childless dancer, who continued to perform until about the age of thirty-nine, (some say fifty) continued to teach dance even in her eighties and lived to a very old age. I'll be posting more on this Belle Epoch beauty this month.

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Research for this months posts include the above mentioned book, encyclopedias such as encyclopedia.com and general reading. To read about other Courtesans, ballet dancers, dancers who were mistresses, or the Belle Epoch, search through this blog using the archives.  You might be interested in Isadora Duncan, for instance. Click on the tag such as ballet and bring up other Mistresses or Courtesans covered here. CELESTINE EMAROT, MISTRESS OF BARON CHARLES de CHASSIRON and FERDINAND De MONTGUYON and BALLARINA COURTESANS runs in September 2016.