Rendering №10

The headline of the article is My hero: Mae West. The article was created on Friday 12 April 2013 16.00 BST. The author of the article is Kathy Lette. The purpose of the article is to give the readers some information about was an American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol Mae West.

The writer clarifies that as if Mae West's mix of talents – comedian, playwright, director, producer, novelist and sex siren, weren't enough to make any writer impale herself on her pen, West was also a feminist who makes Madonna look like Julie Andrews, an intellectual who rubbed shoulders with the Roosevelts, and a civil libertarian who went to jail in defence of freedom of expression.

Further the author reports that Today, when the only creative muscle exercised by cinema stars is in their control-top tights, and screen-writers are the most put-upon of literary prostitutes, we can only marvel at the business acumen of a woman who invented the droit morale in her Paramount contracts, meaning each film had to be made "to her satisfaction".

The writer points out that through the seismic days of the Wall Street crash and the struggling New Deal, West first mounted her unique pedestal: an icon who raised eyebrows for a living.

Further the author tells us that the actress' first play, which she wrote, directed and starred in, was coolly titled Sex. When raided by police, rather than close the play, West chose to stand trial.

Then, the judge convicted her of "corrupting the morals of youth" and sentenced her to Devil's Island where she saw enough of homosexuality to write her next play, The Drag. Opening night saw an unscheduled third act; a team of New York's finest rushed on stage and arrested the entire cast.

The writer states that the box office declared West "not guilty" on the grounds that the US supreme court was later to recognise as a defence to obscenity – she had a "redeeming social purpose". She combined sexuality with satire, at a time when Bible-bashing, prohibition America desperately needed a cure for its irony deficiency. 

Further the author tells that what makes West so fascinating is that she accomplished all this in an era when women were meant to be decorative and domesticated. Her domesticity was limited to the sewing of wild oats and the barbecuing of sacred cows – entire herds.

In conclusion the writer say that in a man's world, she had what it took to take what they had.

To my mind, this article is really worth reading. Having read about Mae West's life I was really impressed ! I believe that this actress deserves respect because she was one of the more controversial movie stars of her day!