Dear Friend and Reader:
I DIDN’T JUST learn about sex from Sasquatch and the books on my mother’s shelf when I was a kid. I learned a lot from somebody named Betty Dodson. The only way to sum her up is with the word “original.” Betty went from being a fine artist to a sex teacher, transforming herself through the ’60s and ’70s like so many people — but unlike most others, she never stopped; she never joined the system. She kept going, and she’s still going just as she reaches her 79th birthday.
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Betty’s contribution to the 20th century was legalizing masturbation. It’s a long story, but hardly anyone had a kind word about selfsex until Betty, er, came along and showed us all…gave women vibrators and dildos…began her Bodysex workshops where women would explore masturbation together…and got the word out to the world. Oh, and made a career out of it.
Tonight Betty and her collaborating partner Carlin Ross have relaunched Betty’s website as DodsonandRoss.com. Betty’s previous site (which will be revived for posterity) was famously 1990s in style. Carlin has brought Betty up to Web 2.0, complete with Digg and Technorati. And, I presume, a lot of new hot stuff to come.
Betty is my oldest astrology client. My little contribution to progress was doing the electional chart for the site’s launch. (Years ago, I recall being the one who said, Betty, you MUST get on the Internet. But I may be dreaming…if so, it’s a pretty hot dream.)
I’ll have more to say about Betty during the Virgo phase of Planet Waves Astrology News. Here is my favorite video tape of hers, if you are interested. I’ve watched it about 10 times. She tells her story and she’s FUNNY. I got through watching it last night with a friend and, after laughing nonstop for nearly two hours, emailed Betty how she reminds me of a morph between Groucho, George Carlin and Lucille Ball.
But fortunately for us, she is the original, Betty Ann Dodson.
Yours & truly,