September of 2007 was a month filled with a plethora of Hopeful sets.
But even so, the Suicide Girls were holding down the fort.
Doing just that was @snazzy in Blue Sheers .
This set makes nice use of reflections in glass.
A bit like the iconic shot from Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express.
But things really got cooking with @lylith in My Masquerade .
This jug-tastic spread got over 1000 likes (which was about ten-times the average for a Hopeful set back in those days), yet she sadly did not make the cut (for some reason).
I often wonder: were models ever precluded from promotion due to a lack (or paucity) of tattoos?
That would really be a shame.
But we must remember that SG is a brand.
And it has thrived by competing based on DIFFERENTIATION.
You’re probably not gonna go down the street to that SG competitor because it’s cheaper.
Why?
Because the competitor does not exist (as far as I am aware).
Suicide Girls was and is the only game in town for alternative pin-ups.
SG shrewdly staked out its territory in the beginning (2001).
And it has not given up the high ground these past 22 years.
A very impressive streak indeed!
As mentioned earlier, a Hopeful set around this time would average about 100 [sic] likes.
Which we might extrapolate to say that there are ten-times as many members in 2023 as there were in 2007.
But we must be cautious with this extrapolation.
The other side of the coin is this: there were models getting 10,000 [sic] likes on sets in 2007.
I simply do not see those numbers anymore.
3000-4000 seems to be a viral set these days.
A total smash-hit.
But there is so much lost by not perusing these Hopeful sets of yesteryear.
One great one is Day Dream by @sakura87 .
Great photography.
Excellent creativity in the makeup.
And a simply STUNNING model.
How many likes did it get?
108 [sic] so far.
This girl shoulda gone pink.
She had a couple of tats.
It’s a bit perplexing trying to understand why some models were picked and others passed over.
This process (which seems to retain an opaque mystique even to this day) has certainly left many guessing, “why not her?!?”
Upon what basis are Hopefuls chosen to be Suicide Girls?
Getting likes on your sets is important.
Getting tips on your sets is important.
Getting positive comments on your sets is important.
Live-streaming can be very difficult for some, but it can be a superb tool with which to advance your SG trajectory.
And then there is the social media aspect of this site.
ENGAGING with MEMBERS is key.
If a Suicide Girl or Hopeful follows me, I’ll love them till the end of the world.
Yet I see many models who follow a minuscule number of members.
I understand the approach.
A model wants to make herself seem “exclusive”.
Fine.
But to me, that approach is seriously lacking in imagination.
A model wants to project the air of “a star”, so therefore they act like a haughty prima donna.
That’s not really my cup of tea.
I’d expect that behavior from vacuous Playboy playmates.
Which is why I have nothing to do with the bunnies over there.
It seems to me (especially judging from the early years of SG) that Suicide Girls are meant to exude a certain attainability.
Even if it’s an illusion, it’s a damned powerful one.
In other words, SG’s target audience (dudes, primarily) are not paying to be ignored and brushed off.
They can get that at Penthouse or Hustler or anywhere.
Then again, Suicide Girls are (obviously) meant to come off as “bad bitches”.
Granted, it is a fine line to walk.
But I see many models (SGs and Hopefuls) drop a set and then disappear.
That will never get you to the next level (unless you are undeniably hot-as-fuck).
Conversely, I do see some models work hard on here.
They ENGAGE with the community.
THEY are who make this a fun site.
Diatribe paused.
Really I think that naked minds are as sexy as naked bodies.
Which is why oddball men like myself flock to this site.
We are looking for unicorns.
We are looking for girls who are DIFFERENT.
I especially appreciate those who put their hearts and BRAINS into the CRAFT of pin-up photography.
It’s always good to ask the question: What Would Bettie Do ?
There’s a perfect set by @cherryclafouti .
Her contemporaries recognized it was special.
But where was the follow-up set?
And what did she do after the set dropped?
Q: how do you promote yourself on SG?
Q+: how can you promote your SG set OUTSIDE OF THE SG COMMUNITY?
Hmmm.
These are questions.
And, of course, at the end of the day: how can a gal make ends meet whilst taking off her clothes occasionally?
It definitely takes a HUSTLER.
To string together several gigs (like Only Fans).
And it is an UPHILL FUCKING BATTLE.
So remember the lesson of Suicide Girls (the website):
DIFFERENTIATE yourself.
Make yourself different.
Make YOUR SETS different.
STUDY the sets you are COMPETING AGAINST.
“Borrow” an idea here and there.
But IDEAS are the key to NEXT-LEVEL success.
A great body is an asset.
A great body coupled with a great idea is art.
Art is timeless.
Priceless.
If the tits are swinging like big, hanging bells, I’m in!
In like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!!
And that’s just what we get from @mollydolly in Stuffed Animal Fun .
The trick is to survive the bad times.
There will be instances when you make PERFECT ART.
[and nobody notices]
Don’t let the lack of recognition stop you.
KEEP GOING!!!
Truth be told, there were SO MANY SETS (thanks, Hopefuls!) in September 2007 that SG sets suffered a sort of “inflationary” effect.
The previous set suffered from that.
As did the fucking gorgeous @mason in Roadtripping .
Competition is, by its nature, dirty…mean…nasty.
Competition is at the heart of America.
I am assuming Suicide Girls continues to be incorporated within the USA.
It appears that SG is headquartered in America.
So what?
The what is this: all of this feverish competition in September 2007 yields BETTER SHIT (theoretically).
A Hopeful comes along.
She gets 2000 likes on her first set.
A veteran Suicide Girl drops a set the same week.
Her set barely gets over 1000 likes.
It’s brutal.
The defeatist gives up.
But the competitive spirit says, “ok, bitch: it’s fucking ON!!!”
Competing with art.
“Oh, you think that’s creative? Ha. Check THIS out!”
Musicians in the late-1960s were COMPETITIVE AS FUCK (even if it was subconscious).
Do you think Eric Clapton was gonna take the same old approach after JIMI FUCKING HENDRIX came along???
No.
And everybody was on Bob Dylan’s nut sack.
He went to Nashville, and everyone followed.
Not to mention The Beatles.
Sgt. Pepper.
A psychedelic concept album.
Playful.
Immensely and IMMEDIATELY influential.
Every turn The Beatles made, a thousand other bands followed in their wake.
Creativity.
Trend setters.
YOU set the trend.
Be a trend setter.
Set the site on fire (metaphorically).
Why did punk rock succeed?
BECAUSE IT FUCKING OUTRAGED people.
SG is punk rock.
Rock and roll.
Sex, drugs, and rock & roll.
And Oxford commas.
Chicks with glasses.
And intelligent tattoos.
Ladies who fill their profiles out and IMPRESS US with their taste in film and music.
THAT is sexy.
I see a lot of profiles that ain’t filled out.
Maybe because you ain’t that interesting?
Can’t fake it.
Gotta be real.
SG is real.
The real bitches.
At least it should be like that.
Which is why studying the history of SG is important.
What has been done?
What hasn’t been done?
What can I do?
It doesn’t hurt to have a great rack.
Like @karii in Playful Heart (for instance).
But for every Karii, there is an @ember with a RIDONKULOUS rack that says, “Girl, please…”
Observe this wonder of nature in The Golden Couch .
Can’t just rely on the titties, though.
Can’t just rely on the ass.
SG’s members want something more.
Something different.
Something worth renewing that subscription for.
And on that last point, SG is a TEAM EFFORT.
Competitive, yes.
But a community.
A bunch of gals making great, naked art.
And catering to an audience that has innumerable predilections.
Perhaps no one worked as hard in September 2007 as @pennyf .
She released two GREAT sets.
And here’s the first: The Whole Kit and Kaboodle .
What a great looking gal.
But competition works both ways.
The veterans (should) know all the tricks.
The newcomers have freshness and unpredictability.
Novelty.
And veterans, at any time, can tap into this novelty.
All it takes is courage.
The willingness to fail.
Playing it safe is BORING AS FUCK.
Members wanna see rock and roll.
The punk spirit.
Observe the snotty ultra-violence of @dior in Ms Alex .
Pretty fucking impressive.
Even more impressive is the creativity of @zoli in Mannequin .
That is a diabolically-artful concept.
And the photography made sure the planning and vision were a success.
You know…I love a good nose.
And @asphyxiated must have known that she possessed a magical schnozz…for she modeled it with mucho moxie in Dissolved Girl .
For a set that oozes personality and playfulness, see @elly in Surfside Inn .
She had the “eye of the tiger” there—and it made for a very persuasive set.
Because getting naked just ain’t enough (most of the time).
Pin-up modeling is hard work.
Gotta be creative.
Gotta put your soul into titillation.
What would David Bowie do?
What would Elvis Presley do?
How did they get so many fans??
If your kink involves Civil War relics, look no further than @ohxslut in Hoe Down in the Hay Barn .
Girl wrapped in a Confederate flag.
Only 40 likes?!?
I’m shocked.
Perhaps she was misunderstood.
But nothing can top @wendy .
And she is in fine form in Darling .
I mean…
It just doesn’t get any better than that.
But we are not all blessed with a body like Wendy.
We gotta work with what we got.
Few women have rock-star titties AND a fantastic ass.
So, whichever is your money-maker, shake that thang!
This one is for all you ass men out there: @taisia973669 in Breathless .
Truly one of the best ass sets in the first six years of SG.
Yet she didn’t make the cut.
The members, however, seemed to LOVE it.
And there’s that conundrum.
What precluded her from going Pink?
Perhaps it was bad-ass babes like @djinn in Pinball Wizard .
Damn.
Somebody call Pete Townshend.
That’s some good shit!
And then @pennyf was back to bitch-slap us in Afternoon Adventure .
THAT is a masterpiece.
I have never seen SO MUCH HAY in an SG set.
I hope Penny F at least found love.
She would definitely crash the servers over at Farmers Only.
FINALLY someone had a good idea.
Like Magritte, @zak decided to get in the swimming pool WITH AN UMBRELLA.
Genius.
Iconic.
That’s the kind of shit I wanna see.
This is Guggenheim-level fuckery here:
Pisces .
And I always go gaga for redheads—so @copper in Unmentionables is truly a joy.
But the set that really takes my breath away is Roanoke Hideaway by @aliana .
I been to Roanoke.
Scariest city in America (other than Albany, NY).
Wherever they were hiding Aliana was a DAMNED-GOOD hiding spot.
Jesus Christ.
This is gold!
Two more.
It’s all about the artistry.
Consult an artist.
If you are an artist, put those painterly thoughts to work.
Dig the dreamy, pastel vibe of @misslolo in Candy Kisses .
That yellow brassiere.
Such an excellent color choice!
And check out the cool filtering effects on the lighting.
This was 2007.
Not sure how they were doing that.
Anyhow.
This is a tremendously-special set.
Final one.
Titties.
It’s Lake by @fetch .
Sure, the boobs are magnificent.
But which shot sells the set???
The one where she’s spitting water out of her mouth like a statue.
Creativity took the tits to the next level.
In terms of a pin-up spread, that’s all you can control as a model.
Make great art and let the chips fall where they may.
—Pauly Deathwish
