Web MasterIt’s hard to go one week at Washington University without encountering some kind of “pimps and hos” party, and the sheer amount of crushed-velvet-suit-wearing, gold chain-sporting party-goers at Bauhaus this past weekend confirms our undeniable obsession with the culture of prostitution. For those looking to expand their knowledge of this fascinating line of work, “Rental Picks” offers these choice selections, which all deal with the world’s “oldest profession.” Now when you ladies squeeze into leather miniskirts, heels, and halter tops, and you fellas rock the top hats, silk shirts, and walking canes, you will be aided by a deeper knowledge of the true art of pimpin’ and hoin’.
Dolemite (1975)
Directed by D’urville Martin
Starring: Rudy Ray Moore, D’urville Martin
>>”Some folks say that Willie Green was the baddest muthaf**** the world ever seen/but I want you to hold onto your seats/hold on to them tight/as you now get ready to see the story of me, yes, me/ badass Dolemite.” So begins Dolemite, the story of the film’s namesake, played by Rudy Ray Moore, a jive-talkin’, ho-pimpin’, kung-fu-fightin’ hustla with no love for hatin’ suckas. Such a sucka, rival pimp Willie Green (director Martin), sets up Dolemite for a drug bust at the beginning of the film, and the rest of the movie revolves around Dolemite’s quest to reclaim his kingdom with the help of his martial arts-trained mistresses. Although Dolemite might sound vulgar and poorly made (and, well, it is), it’s actually one of the best examples of blaxploitation, which includes 70s gems like Shaft, Superfly, and Blacula. Such films were crucial in shaping the hip-hop culture of the 80s and 90s, as is evident from the copious Dolemite references in rap lyrics (“pimpin’ hos and clockin’ a grip like my name was Dolemite,” goes the Snoop Dogg verse). Dolemite also marks one of the first times a pimp character was portrayed so favorably. Rent it for a hilarious, extremely quotable, funk-laden good time.
Great scene: After being released from jail at the beginning of the film, Dolemite meets up with a few of his favorite ladies, who provide him with fresh pimp clothes (“Take these Hush Puppies and stick them up yo muthaf***in’ ass!” Dolemite shouts to the prison guard) and some long-awaited lovin’.
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)
Directed by Mike Mitchell
Starring: Rob Schneider, William Forsythe, Eddie Griffin
>> While the other three films in this list are American cinema classics, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo has yet to become firmly entrenched in our cultural marrow. The story of a fish-expert turned ‘man-whore’ recalls the formula of Midnight Cowboy but puts a distinctly Rob Schneider spin on things. After he smashes the expensive aquarium of international man of humping Antoine, Deuce has to make some quick cash. A phone call from one of Antoine’s customers prompts Deuce to embark on a short career as a gigolo. Deuce soon gets representation in the form of he-pimp T.J. (Griffin) who uses the newcomer and his prodigious mangina to satisfy his oddest she-johns: an obese black woman, an incredibly tall Nordic lady (“That’s a huge b****!”), a narcoleptic, and a Tourette’s Syndrome sufferer (a tour de force performance by SNL’s Amy Poehler). Deuce soon finds a girl to love and a detective (Forsythe) to avoid and the hijinks ensue from there. Though Deuce approaches the cutthroat world of pimps and hos with an eye toward sophomoric comedy rather than gritty realism, the gigolo’s world has never been more glamorous or more accessible. If a mere aquarium cleaner can pleasure women of various sizes and afflictions then maybe we can rise to such a challenge.
Great Scene: Trying out his skills for the first time, Deuce visits Margaret (Marlo Thomas, in an uncredited part). In his debut gigolo gig, Deuce has to play the role of a lost German tourist complete with lederhosen and a map of greater New York City. Ironically, it is a German shepherd who spoils the affair by tearing through a closet door while Deuce attempts to give Margaret the old Bavarian bratwurst. Deuce leaves with $10 and a new career.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Directed by John Schlesinger
Starring: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman
>> In this heavy-handed look at making it in the big city, Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a good-natured country bumpkin hoping to make it big as a gigolo in New York City. Unfortunately, turning tricks turns out to be harder than he planned, especially when his first customer makes him pay her. Joe is soon destitute, but he forms a strange, symbiotic relationship with the weasely Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Hoffman), a sickly two-bit swindler. With Ratso providing the brains of the operation, Joe manages to land a few consistent clients at the wild, decadent parties of New York, but his “pimp’s health” is in steady decline, and he dreams of escaping to Miami. In order to help Ratso realize his dream, Joe slips to painful depths of depravity, as we see in a number of scenes that were too much for many viewers of 1969 (including one with implied oral sex). In the end, though, it shocked everyone by winning the Academy Award for “Best Picture” in 1969 despite an “X” rating. Its subject matter might have warranted the stigmatizing rating, but no one can deny its powerful depiction of the seedy, impoverished underbelly of New York, where Joe is forced to sell his few possessions and even his own blood in order to buy him and Rico coffee, canned goods, and cigarettes. In the end, the life of a “stud” turns out to be harder than Joe expected.
Great scene: On the bus to Florida, Ratso, at this point almost completely paralyzed with sickness, asserts that in Florida no one will ever know his embarrassing nickname, and that he will go by the more dignified “Enrico.” The thick-headed Joe actually manages to remember this new rule in his last speech to his friend: “Hey you know, Ratso- Rico, I mean. I got this damn thing all figured out.” This final moment of kindness captures the clumsy but deeply compassionate spirit of the two losers’ friendship.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
>> So far we’ve seen traditional hos and gigolos, but Taxi Driver offers a far more disturbing character: Iris (Foster), a twelve-year-old prostitute who willingly engages in all sorts of dirty deeds. She is merely one corrupted character among the many lost souls in Scorsese’s dark vision of New York City. Into this perverse environment comes Travis Bickle (DeNiro), “God’s lonely man,” who takes up work as a cabbie in one of NYC’s filthiest neighborhoods. After failing to win the affection of the more cosmopolitan Betsy (Shepherd), the awkward Bickle sinks into an almost ascetic existence and obsesses over the day when “a real rain will come and wash this scum off the streets.” He also takes special interest in Iris, unable to understand why she would subject herself to a life of prostitution. Armed with a black-and-white view of justice (and some cheaply-purchased handguns), Travis sets out to “save” Iris and purge the foul streets of what he perceives to be evil. Taxi Driver excellently portrays this concept of subjective morality, as Travis’s zealous personal beliefs force him to take justice into his own hands, with violent results.
Great scene: Hoping to impress Betsy, who he has actually convinced to go on a date with him, Travis instead ruins his chances by taking her to a sleazy porno theater, where she promptly storms out on him. A long shot ensues where Travis talks to Betsy on a payphone, trying to apologize for his inept actions. The camera pans to a shot of a bare hallway, signifying the lonely path that Travis will now take in response to his failure.