Betty Page and probably Linda Lovelace Bipolar

[Arch Stanton]

Linda Lovelace Dead

Frank writes: I have a theory about Linda Lovelace. It was that she was what might be called "manic-depressive" of "bi-polar" I recall reading a Playboy in Playboy with 50's pinup girl Betty Page. In the interview Page explained that she was diagnosed as bi-polar. Especially when she wasn't taking her meds she could have an explosive, sometimes violent temper. She had a bad habit of getting angry at people and grabbing a knife to stress her point. This got her arrested several times. Page was committed and released upon strict supervision to make sure she took her psychiatric meds. On the flip side, in the classic Betty Page pinups she has an almost hypnotic "glow" about her.

Another example is the 1995 movie "Mad Love" starring Drew Barrymore. I was described is like that "wild girl in school you know is going to be trouble." Synopsis is that she is a manic depressive, she runs off with a boy and her troubles soon start to manifest themselves.

It might have been the same with Linda Lovelace at least before she became famous and for a while afterwards. In all of her movies that I saw including Deep Throat, a couple of loops, a dog film and the "foot" film Lovelace had that consistent "gushing with enjoyment look. She wasn't that good of an actress. I've seem a lot of porn actresses try to duplicate that Linda Lovelace "orgasm" with few even coming close. It was consistent. The one I most remember was the finale of the "foot" movie with the fake "ejaculation" from the foot. It seemed extremely apparent that Lovelace got the joke and was really getting into playing along.

The flip side of bipolar and manic depressive can be a short, sometimes violent temper. Women with this type of temper tend to get into "contentious" relationships that can end up being "abusive", usually in the sense of gradually increasing arguments and fights (sort of like those apartment neighbors who are always fighting). Thus, it is quite possible be in a contentious abusive relationship and be drawn to something like the sex industry. I used to see if with strippers, many of whom aren't supporting anyone but are in contentious/abusive relationships.

[JonnyHungwell]

Linda Lovelace was just mad. She wasn't even good looking, the dog was nicer

[Arch Stanton]

"Mad" colloqually means she had a mental illness. There are about 15 recognised mental illnesses of which bipolar is one. She can therefore be bipolar and "mad".

[JonnyHungwell]

I never really liked Linda Lovelace's looks and thought Deep Throat was a mediocre movie. Quite why this particular movie came to be the icon it is, I'm not too sure - it just happened to be the right movie, in the right place, at the right time, it just fitted right in there. Retrospective viewing of the movie is not recommended - and as for LL, she just happened to be a loser who shot to fame by accident. She was mentally unstable, probably before, during and after her porn career, I don't think she ever came to terms with her past and died a sad person. I don't know whether she is someone you can feel sorry for, being a drugged up maniac who got into porn, failed in a movie career and then spent the rest of her life hating herself and everyone involved in her fame and downfall, becoming a radical feminist in the mean-time.

[Floydoid]

Are you confusing bipolar with 'highly strung'?

I never cared for Linda Lovelace either, and I also agree that Deep Throat is not a good porn film, even when compared to other porn movies from the 70's era. it doesn't hold a candle to 'Behind the Green Door', 'The Opening of Misty Beethoven', 'The Devil in Miss Jones' to name but a few.

I do actually have a copy of Deep throat, more for the curiosity value... in my porn collection it is filed under 'oddities'.

Now Bettie Page, she surely is/was in a class of her own - sophisticated, sexy, intelligent, and above all a brilliant performer.

[Arch Stanton]

Ye i think you are right, Linda Lovelace may wel have had Borderline Personality Disorder not Bipolar. Betty Paige definately had mental health issues - she had a breajdown and spent quite a while in a mental institution.

[c.j.jaxxon]

I've seen some pics of Betty Page and she's pretty.

[Floydoid]

Bette surei is well worth reading about, and looking at.