VOL UME 9, I SSUE 4 90

G I R L S
S U I C I D E
WORDS JULIE CHIARIELLO
HI TCHI NG A RI DE TO THE REVOLUTION WI TH THE
PIC ALISSA BRUNELLI / SUICIDE GIRLS
IT WAS A GORGEOUS DAY
in the Los Angeles hills, the skies
were clear and as we wound our
way up through the green oak
lined hillsides, the excitement was
palpable. We were going to spend
the afternoon in the company
of some of the sexiest and most
celebrated Suicide Girls.
We had arranged to meet
and hike a few miles into a
secluded spot with a cascading
waterfall to create a set for the
feature. My crew was running a
bit behind, as we had stopped off
to pick up some champagne and
nibbles for a little picnic.
When we arrived, the rst
model, Trystin, also a secretary
at SG HQ, was already there
looking dreamy with
her big white wolf dog.
Staff photographer
and fellow Suicide Girl,
Milloux, arrived shortly
thereafter with Ackley
in the passenger seat, a
self described stoner vegan with
the face of an angel.
We gathered at the en-
trance, passing around a Launch
Box, getting high and waiting on
SG model coordinator, Moon. Half
an hour later we were all nicely
stoned when Moon came rolling
up giggling. She had gotten lost,
passed the turn off, stopped and
rolled a spliff in desperation, got
completely high and then found
her way perfectly back to us.
When all else fails, get high.
With the lovely Moon safely
arrived, we set off. As we hiked
along we all took turns pausing
to capture beautiful shots along
the way. The light was magickal
that day and even though we
found that the waterfall was dry,
the day was i mbued with a sense
of beauty and ease and it didnt
bother us in the least. We set
about laying the picnic out and
the girls started to creatively play,
taking turns in front of and behind
the camera. I marveled at how
seamlessly they worked together.
Engaging each other, laugh-
ing, and settling into the most
delicious angles. I was in love
and deeply inspired by how the
Suicide Girls get the job done.
We sat down and dove into a
rich discussion on their lives at SG.
The girls spoke to me about feel-
ing more relaxed and condent
in their own skin since beginning
their work and that becoming a
Suicide Girl was pivotal in their
evolution as women. For each
of them, it had truly been a rite
of passage in becoming a fully
realized woman that owns who
she is and celebrates it. Embrac-
ing her unique aws, her unique
beauty, with all of her cards
on the table. This gor-
geous strength and
condence combined
with the tender vulner-
ability to hide nothing
is what makes Suicide
Girl so alluring.
What does it mean to be an
empowered woman in the 21st
century and for that matter, what
does it mean to be truly free? To
me the ability to enjoy the simple
pleasures, to savor them without
inhibition is the key to an incred-
ible life. I have always believed
that repression of our innate
needs creates perversion.
Camuss quote could have
been inspired by what the Suicide
Girls are accomplishing as a
worldwide community with the
unseeming, deeply rebellious act
of being comfortable in their own
skin and celebrating it. As the
afternoon wore on the girls told
me more about how they create
at SG. They live in communities,
they create in communities,
they travel together and launch
businesses together. These girls
want to be unbridled, unfet-
tered and free to celebrate life in
a vibrant, wild way. And its the
strength of their collective, that
gives each girl the courage and
fortitude needed to be successful
in making this choice that goes
against the norms of our societys
conventional sexual mores. There
are so many things that are out
of our control as human beings,
with everything in the political
scene going to hell and rampant
human rights abuses happening
around the planet, we often feel
that we have no control over what
is happening to us. However, we
do have one thing afforded to us,
its our choice, the one we have
to make each moment. We come
in naked and we exit naked and
by the time our skin is wrinkled
and old, playing it safe with our
choices isnt going to matter so
very much anymore. Choosing
fearlessly, and choosing with
condence, this becomes very
attractive once we recognize how
eeting life is. And although we
all cant run away and become
Suicide Girls, I feel that their
movement can inspire similar
movements that are
happening all over
the world.
Whether
it be the
freedom
to be
comfort-
able in
our own
naked
skin, the
right to marry
whom we choose or
the ability to freely use and
enjoy the benets of canna-
bis. All of these movements
speak to the same thing, we
want the fullest expression
of our freedom and we will
keep making choices that
empower that end.
SUICIDE GIRLS
VOL UME 9, I SSUE 4 92
The only way to deal with an
unfree world is to become so
absolutely free that your very
existence is an act of rebellion.
Albert Camus
These girls
want to be unbridled,
unfettered and free to
celebrate life in a vibrant,
wild way.
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SUICIDE GIRLS
VOL UME 9, I SSUE 4 94
UP IN
SMOKE
ILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST
time I saw Up in Smoke. Do you want to get
high man? Does Howdy Doody got wooden
balls man?
I was 17, stoned completely out of mind
and rolling on the floor in laughter. So you can
imagine my pleasure when I came across Damsel
Suicide and her brilliant Up In Smoke photo set
while perusing the Suicide Girls yummy blogo-
sphere. I caught up to ask this intelligent ganga
babe a few questions.
What inspired this incredible set?
The Up in Smoke tribute set was Pilots idea. She
has a 1963 Cadillac Deville named Francine, and
she thought it would be perfect for a Cheech &
Chong tribute. Naturally, I was all about that idea.
Choosing the characters came naturally, as I am
more of the cliche stoner (Chong) and she is more
of a novice (Cheech). Working with the weather,
lighting, and elements during the shoot proved
difcult, but our interacting with each other was
incredibly easy. We focused on channeling the
characters and sharing good stoner energy, all
while adding our own little twist. I couldnt have
asked for a better Cheech to my ChongPilot is
truly an amazing woman to work with.
On channeling Cheech and Chong.....
We tried our best to recreate some of the more iconic
images from the movie. Pilot, Alissa, and I have the
utmost respect for Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong,
so we really wanted to do their creation justice. They
are true innovators for the cannabis community and
it was an honor to pay tribute to them.
Favorite way to enjoy your favorite pastime....
Im a glass girl through and through. Every time I
get a new glass piece I have a christening smoke
session, and at the end of it I give the piece a
name. Ive had some pretty great named pieces in
my day, but Barack Obonga: Commander in Kief
is probably my favorite.
I still have a few of my glass pipes from when I
was 19/20 (my early smoking days) which are great
for when Im on the go, but I really enjoy a sturdy
glass bong. For me, theres nothing quite like loading
up a bong with ice cubes and taking that chilly THC
goodness into your lungsI absolutely love it.
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COMMUNITY NOT only
creates incredible opportunities
in these girls lives, but it simply
is good business sense as well.
Suicide Girls is truly a launch-
pad for many women in their
careers and thus continues
to spread like wildre across
the planet. Missy Suicide,
Suicide Girls Co-founder began
the company back in 2000
to showcase the alternative
girls that she was meeting
and photographing and has
enjoyed launching a concept
that has become a world-
wide phenomenon. She has
sometimes been knocked in the
press for underpaying the girls
for their work. I searched for
evidence of this with many SGs
and overwhelmingly found that
everyone felt supported, loved
and thankful for Missy and her
contribution to all of their lives.
What became evident to me is
that if you come to Suicide Girls
expecting to be treated like
women in the porn industry,
where you sell your image for
as much money as you can,
and walk away with no voice,
no expression as an artist, and
no community to network
within, then you are going to
be disappointed. What Missy
is trying to do is quite
different. Shes
helping
women to become entre-
preneurs, to utilize not only
their beauty, but also their
intelligence to jump-start their
careers. Ultimate success is
dependent on each woman
and how she will utilize the
unique opportunities afforded
to her by having an auto-
matic network of 2500 artists,
photographers, and millions of
members connected with you
and your voice. Its up to each
artist to decide what level of
prosperity she will enjoy within
the SG platform.
I caught up with Missy at
Suicide Girls HQ in Los Angeles
to ask her a few questions
about her incredible endeavor
at SG.
I have long considered
you to be a innovator, an
early adopter of a style that
would transform our lives
on the internet. Your com-
munity oriented, alternative
nude pin-up site, gave art-
ists like this a voice for the
rst time, and has helped to
de-stigmatize how we view
women and their sexuality.
Back in 2001, before Face-
book, Twitter, Myspace and
the idea of social networking
websites took hold, you had
the foresight to strike out
on your own and you saw
the incredible power
of cultivating
a commu-
nity as a
platform
for your
online
business.
What
gave
you this
idea? What inspired you?
The most exciting thing about
the internet to me has always
been as an outlet for all voices
and a way to nd like minded
voices no matter how small
they may be. I found myself
in Portland in 2001 after the
dot com bubble had burst with
time on my hands before going
back to school for photography.
I started taking photos of my
friends, these gorgeous women
who didnt t into societies
narrow denition of beauty,
women with tattoos and pierc-
ings and stories to tell. This
was 12 years ago and the only
women who were celebrated
as being beautiful were blonde
silicone enhanced barbie dolls
or waif like models. I wanted to
photograph the women I knew
with the same condence,
attitude and sexiness the classic
pin-ups had. I wanted the girls
pictures to depict how they
felt sexiest about themselves.
Once I had shot a few friends
I was sitting at a coffee shop
with my friend Sean. I showed
him the photos I had been
shooting and said I wasnt sure
how to display them because
the girls had so much to say
and share with the world, to
put just their images in a book
or on a wall felt wrong. We
had worked together in the
past and he suggested we
make a website to display the
photos. The idea for Suicide-
Girls was born. We created
a community based around
the models photos, where
the girls could keep blogs and
interact with members. 12
years later the site has evolved
into an international phenom-
enon that has resonated with
people around the world. The
ideal of beauty has denitely
broadened in that time. I have
received thousands of thank
yous from women around
the world who were outsiders
and didnt feel beautiful until
they saw how empowered
and condent the women on
my site were. Hundreds of
thousands of friendships have
been made, tens of thousands
of couples have met, hundreds
of marriages and businesses
have been formed because of
connections that were made on
our site and dozens of babies
have been born because their
parents met on our site.
Youve inspired so many
women to own their unique-
ness and celebrate it without
inhibition. What started as
a chance to see punk rock,
alternative girls naked has
turned into a full blown
social movement. You have
created an incredible com-
munity of gorgeous, intel-
ligent women, and employ a
mostly all female staff, many
of whom are also Suicide
Girls on the site. What are
the top ve things that you
feel are important in being
empowered in business?
Here are the basic principles
that I believe people need in
order to succeed:
1. Have condence in yourself
and you can do whatever
you set your mind to. The
rst step in getting others to
believe in you is to believe in
yourself.
2. Have passion for your ideas
but be able to look at them
with a detached critical eye
Q&A
MISSY
SUICIDE
What is your favorite
vice and what cocktail
pairs nicely with it?
I like playing cards and a
Jameson and ginger ale
pairs nicely with that :)
to assess their real resonance.
Make sure that you are
executing your passion in the
most useful and viable way
you can.
3. Dont be afraid of making
mistakes, no one is perfect.
Admit them, correct them
quickly, learn from them and
move on. Dont beat yourself
up about making them. I
have found that women have
a harder time forgiving them-
selves than men do. Men
make just as many mistakes
but they dont dwell on them.
You shouldnt either. :)
4. Surround yourself with
passionate people. Foster
an environment where they
feel free to share their ideas.
Provide structure and goals
to help them to achieve
greatness.
5. Have fun and enjoy the work
that you are doing.
What is one of the most
inspiring stories youve en-
countered in your mentoring
along the way?
One of the models on the
site worked in the ofce
for 5 years, and left
the ofce work
behind
last year
to start
her own
business.
While
I was
super
sad to
see her
go as she had
become like an ap-
pendage to me working so
closely over the past 5 years
I couldnt be happier for her.
It was a pleasure to see her
change and grow so much
over the
time we
worked
together.
She
started a
company
that
is not
related
to SG but
where she utilizes
the skills that she honed
working for us. Now our
working relationship has
changed with her company
as a vendor and it is such a
pleasure to see how she op-
erates as a business person.
For centuries and still
around the world today
in the sex trades and porn
industries there is always
some element of misogyny,
subjugation or desperation
in which people are not
allowed through societal
morays or laws to cel-
ebrate their sexuality and
sensuality freely. Through
SG, you are empowering
women and the member
community that
enjoys them
to have a
healthier
experi-
ence with
their
sexuality
and en-
couraging
a new
way to en-
joy it without
repression. In
my summation
you truly
are
at the
forefront
of the
sexual
revolu-
tion,
wherein,
women
are able
to not
only cele-
brate their unique
beauty but also what
is going on for them as
artists and human beings.
Where do you feel we
are at in this mo-
ment within
the sexual
revolution?
The nude
female form
is probably
the most
celebrated
subject mat-
ter in all of art
history. Sex is a basic
human need. We all do it
and should enjoy it and not
be embarrassed by it or our
bodies. Somewhere back
during the Victorian era or so
sex became shameful, and the
ensuing couple hundred years
have been difcult, especially
for womens body image. I
feel like the past decade our
ideal of beauty has widened
immensely. We are seeing
many varied body
types and people
being cel-
ebrat-
ed as being beautiful. In
addition we are seeing many
more forms of love being rec-
ognized. This is all powerful
stuff and the rst steps in truly
accepting and loving ourselves
as a society. There is still a lot
of work to do before we all
celebrate and embrace our to-
tal selves but the past decades
growth has been incredibly
promising.
Which morays within our
societies structure would you
like to rewrite?
I feel like modesty and
power are intrin-
sically linked
and therefore
if you allow
yourself to
strive for mod-
esty as an ideal
you are allow-
ing your voice to
be lost and lose your
power in all aspects of your
life. I would love to replace
that with striving for condence
instead of modesty as an ideal.
If you are condent, you are
powerful and in control as
well as being accountable
for your decisions.
VOL UME 9, I SSUE 4 96
SUICIDE GIRLS
What is one of the most
important things that you
learned about yourself
while running SG?
To own my triumphs
and mistakes.
What comic/video
game superhero
would you do?
Wolverine is
pretty hot.
What is your favorite
punk song of all time?
Oooh picking a favorite is
tough, I love Minor Threat
and Bad Brains and all
that old school DC punk.
When did you rst fall in
love with Pin Up?
The rst time I saw Betty
Page, seeing the play-
ful joy she had in doing
something naughty.
THERE ARE SI MI LARI TI ES
between the cannabis cultural move-
ment and the sexual revolution, in that
both movements are interested in re-
leasing the stigma and the shame away
from two inherently natural and plea-
surable gifts afforded to us as human
beings. Where do you feel the move-
ments can overlap and help each oth-
er? How do you feel about the cannabis
legalization movement in general?
There are
bigger sh
to fry.
PILOT SUICIDE
suicidegirls.com/girls/
pilot/
I THINK THE MOVEMENTS
can help each other by simply
moving forward. I hope that
we can continue to educate
people on both topics with
literature, magazines, photo
shoots, websites, etc; however,
I really believe its more about
how we choose to live on a
daily level that will leave the
biggest impact. For example,
Im very honest with people
about smoking grass and my
nude modeling career. Those
who are around me know Im
a successful and educated
human being, and they see
that both of these things dont
affect my life negatively. The
more the average person sees
and knows this, the more
widely it will be accepted.
I think generally speak-
ing the cannabis movement is
making huge strides. We may
be a ways away from federal
legalization, but I do believe
on the day-to-day level the
public and local law enforce-
ment realizes there are bigger
sh to fry.
DAMSEL SUICIDE
suicidegirls.com/girls/
damsel/
I FEEL THE SEXUAL
revolution and cannabis cul-
tural movement overlap each
other in innite ways. I believe
Carl Sagan said it best:
The illegality of cannabis is
outrageous, an impediment
to full utilization of a drug
which helps produce the se-
renity and insight, sensitivity
and fellowship so desperately
needed in this increasingly
mad and dangerous world.
Carl Sagan
Like cannabis, the
sexual freedom and indepen-
dence of strong women can
also provide fellowship in
this increasingly mad and
dangerous world. Thats
what Suicide Girls has given
to me - a lifelong connection
with other women who are
just like me. Women who
have overcome self esteem
issues and nd beauty in
imperfections. A group of
women centered around
feminism, personal declara-
tion, and the redenition of
beauty. It was an incredible
feeling, discovering women
like me, but they seemed
so much stronger than I
was, sexually independent
and not afraid to put out in
the open what I had been
concealing my whole life.
I yearned for that kind of
strength, for the courage
to dictate my own idea of
beauty and sexual expres-
sion. Thanks to Suicide Girls,
and the incredible women I
have formed deep spiritual
connections with, I found
that strength and courage.
And with that new found
strength and courage, I
could be vocal and open
about the other
thing most
important
to me:
the won-
derful
benets
of can-
nabis.
MOON SUICIDE
suicidegirls.com/girls/
moon/
CANNABI S AND SEX
have been through just about
the same amount of oppres-
sion throughout the past
(okay, sex just a bit more)
but in the 60s and 70s, can-
nabis and sex became more
prevalent in society, although
it was looked down upon,
the revolutionists saw these
things as a type of freedom.
Nowadays, 40 years later, it
feels like sex and weed are
just as oppressed as they
were back then, although
there is more of a light
at the end of the
tunnel now.
What is
it really
going to
take to
get the
stigma
out of
peoples
minds?
THERE ARE SI MI LARI TI ES
between the cannabis cultural move-
ment and the sexual revolution, in that
both movements are interested in re-
leasing the stigma and the shame away
from two inherently natural and plea-
surable gifts afforded to us as human
beings. Where do you feel the move-
ments can overlap and help each oth-
er? How do you feel about the cannabis
legalization movement in general?
Like cannabis,
the sexual freedom and
independence of strong
women can also provide
fellowship
As a proud stoner and nude
model, these two things are
super relevant in my life. It
bums me out that i have to
break the law in order to
smoke a harmless plant that
gets rid of my anxiety and
helps me relax at the end of
a long day. It also bums me
out that people automatically
assume Im a porn star or a
slut just because i feel com-
fortable sharing my body
with the world. The human
body is a beautiful form and i
dont feel any shame for
doing what i do, it
makes me feel
great about
myself actually.
Im extremely
proud to be
a part of a
movement of
girls who arent
afraid to stand up to
societies norms on
sexuality, people
need to know that
its okay. Why are
people so afraid of
naked bodies? Were all
born naked. Clothes arent
natural.
I think the movements
can overlap and help each
other in that most people
who smoke weed dont mind
naked bodies, and a good
amount of people in the sex
industry smoke weed, or at
least feel like it should be legal.
the two movements can come
together since were both on
the same page of the stigma
society feels towards us.
I love the cannabis legal-
ization movement. I feel like
its really important, not just
for cannabis culture but for
our society as a whole in the
sense of sustainability. hemp
is too good a commodity to
have illegal. It truly makes no
sense. Medical marijuana
is making great
strides and
that makes me
feel great, its
truly a miracle
healer, and
makes so many
people who are
sick feel better.
I love cannabis
because the culture is
awesome, everyone
i know who has
smoked weed is
awesome, it makes
me feel so amazing and
happy, i love the taste of it. i
love the extreme versatility
the cannabis plant offers to
the earth. i just dont see why
anyone wouldnt love it. :)
ACKLEY SUICIDE
suicidegirls.com/girls/
ackley/
AS MORE AND MORE
people learn tolerance and
become more open with their
sexuality and natural health
the oodgates will to continue
to leak into the main stream
and and will become more
accepted by the masses.
States like Colorado
and Washington legalizing
cannabis for recreational
use has really helped break
down the stereotypes that
have been associated with
people who use it.
Ive seen a lot of stories
and studies done on cannabis
and its effects on people in the
media these days and the facts
dont lie. Its not this big scary
drug like society made it out to
be. Reefer Madness is nothing
more than an entertaining
stoner movie. Its 75-year-old
propaganda. There is a whole
new culture that has formed
around cannabis. There are
so many new forms of using
other than smoking; dabbing,
vaporizing, and lets not forget
the amazing edibles out there.
With new brands popping up
everyday this allows people
to forgo the effect of harming
their lungs with carcinogenic
smoke. This makes it a logical
and natural way to treat medi-
cal conditions.
Now we can get the
facts. If someone thinks can-
nabis makes them feel better
when they are sick, why
would we deny something so
simple. Its a plant a weed,
in fact, that grows effortlessly.
Everyone always talks about
wanting a cure for cancer.
Maybe this is it. We are nally
getting the chance to nd
these things out.
While I wish it was legal-
ized everywhere, I really dont
want the government stepping
in too much. Im too worried
about corporate interest. Once
they get their hands on it, they
will destroy what is so natural
and good about it. So honestly
I like it how it is. Ill always live
in a state where I wont be
punished for using cannabis.
Ill always live in a state where I
can grow my own.
VOL UME 9, I SSUE 4 98
SUICIDE GIRLS
Everyone
always talks about
wanting a cure for
cancer.
Maybe
this is it.
Please visit the revamped
Suicide Girls Web site:
suicidegirls.com
And for more information
on the Blackheart
Burlesque Show:
blackheartburlesque.com
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