Thursday, June 23, 2011

Emma Peel's Mum?

Generally speaking, the population of the world can be divided into two broad groups- those who love Diana Rigg and those who need to have their heads examined. Recently, though, I came across an awesome video of another beautiful, butt-kicking Brit... I present to you vintage footage of the awesome, adorable Miss May Whitley:





How can you not love Miss Whitley's performance? Witty, charming, plucky, and able to execute a perfect seoi nage without missing a beat.

Hmmm... teh wiki tells me that Diana Rigg's performance debut was in a production of one of my favorite plays, Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle. While this only raises my estimation of Ms. Rigg, I think I have a new schoolboy crush.

UPDATE: It's after 3AM, and I'm at work, I'm in a revelatory mood. When I was in college, I was paired with a female student during shime waza instruction. My counterpart was a very attractive young lady- petite, charming, brilliant... everybody was in love with her. So, I'm in a situation where I'm supposed to choke this girl, this lovely girl with whom I'd often walk to biology class. I felt like a real heel, and all sorts of thoughts ran through my head in a few seconds. Of course, I realized that she was in the class of her own free will, she knew exactly what she should expect, we were in a supervised environment, and that I had her best interests in mind. Put tersely, I had to choke her, and I had to choke her exactly as I would have choked a big bad bald bastard... I wouldn't have been doing her any favors if I "went easy" on her- better to experience such an unnerving event in a controlled setting with a sense of mutual benefit and trust, and learn how to handle oneself should something similar happen in a hostile situation. We practiced several choking techniques in the course of the hourlong class. I know I did the right thing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like a total shitbag for a few hours afterward.

On a comical note, in the course of another class, I was practicing yoko shiho gatame with her, and was actually doing a decent job of maintaining my composure until she critiqued my pin, "You have to press your head down on my chest harder." Suffice it to say, I had to take a breather for a few minutes after that- can't be brandishing a kanabō on the mat.

16 comments:

BDR said...

Emma Peel, especially in the black and white season, was, is, and will always be my very first crush.

99 was second.

Unknown said...

Diana Riggs is awesome, er, was awesome as Emma Peel. I adored that show solely because of her performance.

The new love of your life is quite charming and wonderful too.

I love the story you tell on yourself at the end of the post, for a Bastard you can be quite witty and charming m'dear BBBB.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

The new love of your life is quite charming and wonderful too.

She's adorable! I love the whole "powder puff" routine after tossing her partner, and her quip about sending him to the infirmary.

I love the story you tell on yourself at the end of the post, for a Bastard you can be quite witty and charming m'dear BBBB.

Aw, shucks! Most of my best stories include an element of self-deprecation. A friend of mine always joked, "You're not happy unless you're getting your ass kicked!"

Unknown said...

I think that you and I have a lot in common w/regards to self-deprecation..and the image we project as hard-asses, when in fact we have a huge soft side in our personalities.

The Ball n Chain and I run a feline rescue out of our humble abode. Nothing can melt my heart faster than a sickly or injured kitten or a house cat that was left to fend for itself when it's owners moved out of the neighborhood. We get some financial help which is greatly appreciated by a few friends and a local organization that pays for the spay and neuter of these felines.

Then, I get my ass up and get on that soapbox and write another bitchfest about the R's and how they are bringing our nation to it's collective knees, using every cuss word I can think of and verbally abusing the shit out of each and every one of those jerkwad mutha fuckas.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Those are the flip sides of the same coin- the compassion to take care of the helpless, and the rage to take those who kick the helpless when they're down out back to the woodshed.

Personally, there's nothing I detest more than a bully- I've always hated bullies of all stripes.

Unknown said...

I learned to despise bully's quite early in my childhood. Then, I learned how to kick their asses off campus. I know it sounds contradictory but it really isn't as the only thing a bully will relate to is another person beating their fucking ass.

One of my lil sisters had to wear an eyepatch for several years due to major sight problems. I couldn't believe how mean and nasty children could get towards others..it shocked me. They wouldn't just verbally attack her..some physically went after this tiny kid with glasses and an eyepatch.

Irony of all ironies..the parents would complain that I was bullying their precious child. They would complain to my parents and the school. Thank gawd my mum was one of those that took no shit and didn't let any bullshit stand without going off about it when someone got in her face about me and my actions or tried to say I was the aggressor.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

One of my earliest memories was punching some older kid who wanted to push me around in the belly. He never expected it. They usually don't.

The 26th is Pride Day, I'm planning on putting up a post about how I unknowingly stood up for gay rights when I was six or seven.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

I should put this in a postscript to this entry, but I have to admit that posting about Emma Peel and Diana Rigg are, pure and simple, ploys to drive traffic to my blog. Far and away, my most popular post was my Frank Frazetta retropective, with "Frazetta Style Women" being a popular search term.

Unknown said...

LOL..I don't care about traffic. I write to calm the screaming beasts in my noggin. If I get reactions from actual readers..its an added bonus. I have a regular following, according to my stat counters, but they never comment. I guess a lot of folks are that way.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I write to calm the screaming beasts in my noggin.

sometimes, it's just a quiet voice in my head asking "hey, is there room in here for one more?"

My tkd instructor also does a class called S.H.A.R.P. Sexual Harassment, assault, rape prevention. Mostly women; at the end of a session she usually asks me (as a large threatening kind of guy ) and a couple of other high ranks to help out.

The idea being while the class has been taught several easy, effective techniques, it is beneficial for them to get a gut feeling for how effective they really are. We usually need to wear all our protective gear, and there's really no need to hold back; the techniques work; it really just becomes a matter of convincing the students they work.

I usually come away from class a bit sore. Luckily I don't bruise easily.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I loved everything about Get Smart. What a funny show!
~

mikey said...

I learned everything I know about booby trapping my apartment from Max. Well, him and Bubba...

Smut Clyde said...

those who love Diana Rigg and those who need to have their heads examined.

I can only suppose that some members of the male population do not have bunks to be in.

Butch Pansy said...

I wanted to be Mrs. Peel. Now I'm more likely to go to the mat with a kinabo wielding bbbb...the warts could be an issue, though. Have you had them taken care of?

Substance McGravitas said...

Gee, that was pretty great. She could break my heart any time she liked.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

She could also dislocate your wrist, elbow, or shoulder.