Disagreeably Charming a la Jane Russell

Behold! Jane Russell! Stop. Behold again!! Jane Russell.

This is a blog about being disagreeable, and the benefits that lie therein. It is also about Jane Russell, who is Ruby Assembly’s pin-up girl for all things agreeably disagreeable. Jane Russell wasn’t a lady who overused her mega-watt smile. As a starlet of the 1940’s and 1950’s with a gigantic, terrifyingly fabulous hourglass physique – she was more likely to pout or slightly frown than offer a toothy compliant grin. All of this I quite like, preferring to respond with vigour regardless of the situation – be it chortlingly happy or definitely displeased.

Now, I don’t know that Jane Russell was necessarily a revolutionary. She was an avid pro-lifer, who apparently tried to convert Marilyn Monroe to Christianity. Marilyn is quoted as saying “Jane tried to convert me (to religion) and I tried to introduce her to Freud”. Not such a silly billy, that Marilyn. She needn’t have appeared so compliant, so breathlessly sweet and dull. All’s I’m saying is that there’s a certain weight in being authentic – and grumpy authenticity should be just as regaled as pop-tart sweet authenticity. I’ve never been a particularly good fibber (you can usually tell what’s whirring in my brain by my expression) – but I do believe that responding earnestly is better than responding happily ‘just because’. It saves lots of uncomfortable-ness further down the line, and nips mis-communication in the bud.

I’m not suggesting you should be rude. But I am inviting you to see the beauty in being steadfastly disagreeable.

Here’s Ruby Assembly’s agreeably disagreeable photo blog, inspired by the hair flowers, luxe waves, lethal curves and strong jaw of Jane Russell. There’s even an embedded out-take from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to cheer your spirits!