Talk:Don Blanding

Don Blanding: Stunning Mysogynist
I am including this in the discussion section of Don Blanding's page because I realize that what I am engaged in here is interpretation and criticism, but I encourage interested parties to read Mr. Blanding's poem (now in the public domain) to determine for themselves if this is not a stunning piece of misogynistic writing:

The Virgin of Waikiki

Out at Waikiki by the sobbing sea, In a distirct rather sporty. In a banyan's shade lived a virgin maid Who was just this side of forty.

In a little flat with a persian cat And a Yellow she-Canary, By Her lonely self lived this aged elf, And she had no wish to Marry.

She did not go to a movie show, For she had no one to take her, And she did not stray from the narrow way, Because nobody tried to make her.

With Her sallow skin and her double chin And the gray curls on her forehead, And her wrinkled brows she did not arouse Emotions hot and torrid.

So she did not miss a lover's kiss Nor the throb and thrill of passion, As she did not know how such things go In her simple old maid fashion.

Now, the folks who stay out Mo-ana way, At Gray's and Halekulani, Refered to her with a hidden slur When they called her "VIRGIN ANNIE"

But I wish to state that at just that date, Shes Waikiki's one Virgin, Though some were sure that the girl was pure Because she'd had no urgin'.

But a dirty cat in a near-by flat, Whose morals were quite elastic, laid a low-lived plan to ruin Anne. With methods sly but drastic.

With a Fiendish glee she said she'd see To the simple maid's undoin' so she thought and thought till her thinking brought the method of Anne's Ruin.

She Stopped one day in a casual way to ask about Anne's Persian then said "OH LOOK AT THIS LOVELY BOOK, ITS THE NEW UNCENSORED VERSION"

"Of Vermilion Sin by Helliner Grynn, I am sure you will find it Stiring, and with a knowing look she left the book, Despite Anne's Chaste Demurring.

In a wicker chair, all unaware of her neighbor's wicked scheming, Anne took a look through the borrowed book, and it set her wildly dreaming.

For the story told in a manner bold of a pair of royal Lovers, Who's life of shame was a scarlet flame That singed the satin covers.

Each Gilded Sin that Helliner Grynn Described with skill uncanny, Stirred a strange unrest in the withered breast of simple virgin Annie.

And her Ragin Blood was a surging flood that seemed to sear and scald her. as the tale ran on she grew pale and wan, and the things she thought appalled her.

With a vision Clear, she saw how drear was this virtue she had been shielding, and she longed for the charms of a lover's arms and the joys of weakly yielding.

In Wild Despair she tore her hair, and cried to the stars above her: "I'LL END MY STATE OF CELIBATE, AND GET ME A HARD BOILED LOVER "

With a frantic wail she cleard the rail, of the porch with a leap gazelle-ish, And headed straight for her nieghbors gate and the light in her eyes was Hellish.

"I'LL STEAL HER ROUGE AND HER HIGH HEELED SHOES- THE ONES SHE WEARS ON MONDAYS- AND I THINK I WILL GET HER PINK GEORGETTE AND HER SILK EMBROIDERED UNDIES"

Like a mad Typhoon she swept the room, Till she found the things she needed, With a frenzied haste and doubtful taste then back to her house she speeded.

Before her looking glass this aged lass sat down- it was really quite tragic- and you would have cried as this virgin tried to work a vampire's majic.

With Writing ink that was brilliant pink She Dyed her scanty tresses, While for further lure she poured "QUELQUES FLEURES" Down the front of the stolen dresses.

As she sat and peered in the glass she smeared Her cheeks and lips with Carmine, With a stroke and flick of an eyebrow stick she made effects that were really charmin'.

IT was half past ten when she left her den, feeling wild and very flighty, as she boldly strode down kalia Road In a flimsy chiffon nightie.

Underneath a tree in Waikiki, Was a sailor drinking madly, it was roten "oke" that made him choke but he needed cheering badly.

For he was blue and "oke" he knew would cheer his dispositon. Then he raised his eyes and to his suprise, saw a lovely appariton.

My God, My God, He heard her Sob, "MY HERO MY ADORER" It was Annie There and her frenzied stare quite startled the man before her.

He Jumped to his feet for a quick retret, But Anne, with a gesture qicker Than a bullet's hum, seized the bottle of rum and drank the remaining liquor.

"Well strike me pink" said the sailor " I think this Girl is drunk or dippy. But she looks all there and I Dont care if her figue is too hippy."

So HE Caught the maid and she dizzily swayed to his arms, and he quickly kissed her. And he heard her moan like a saxophone, as the first kiss raised a blister.

OH I can't write of that hectic night, My desscripion would be quite pallid. And anyway the things I'd say dont belong in a proper ballad.

To the folks who stay out Mo-ana way. Anne's ending is a mystery, and the daily press could only guess at part of her curious history.

But The papers state that next moring late, on a beach by the broad Pacific, They FOUND ANNE DEAD BUT THE PAPERS SAID THAT HER SMILE WAS BEAUTIFIC!!!!

END OF POEM

Virgin Annie is raped and murdered in this poem. One can guess that she might have initiated some of the interactions but one wonders how it is that she came to be dead. Is Don implying that having had an orgasm killed her? Perhaps he did not give orgasms to many women but I have learned that doing so does not rob women of their lives. No. So the question remains: misogynistic? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.77.252.165 (talk) 19:30, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 14:28, 9 November 2007 (UTC)