I love your music! Can I see you naked?

Neko Case is officially the Sexiest Babe in Indie Rock.

I know, I know. Duh. But an online Playboy survey confirmed it, so it must be true. (Never fear – the link is work-friendly, unless your work doesn’t like Canadian newspaper articles.)

I heard about the poll while it was still going on. Someone sent the link to a Neko mailing list I’m on, and encouraged fellow fans to support Neko and vote to see her naked.

Now, I admit it. I’d like to see Neko Case naked. I even voted for her in the poll. But I felt kinda guilty about it. Guiltier than she did, apparently – she voted for someone else in the poll.

I’m not anti-Playboy. If Neko did decide to pose for the magazine, I’d probably pick up a copy.* (On second thought, scratch the probably.)

And I’m not anti-voting-in-sexy-artist-polls. If they do a Sexiest Babe in Corporate Rock poll, I’m voting for Mariah Carey. I don’t want to hear her sing, but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her.

But it just feels different with someone I respect and have seen in concert. I have coworkers and friends who are perfectly nice women and quite lovely, but I wouldn’t dream of trying to compliment them by asking them to pose for Playboy. Even those hot Russian twins who work on a different floor.** And not just because I could get in trouble with HR – because it’s just not the kind of thing you say to friends and coworkers.

I’m rambling, but I’ve been mulling this over for a while. Anyone else have an opinion about this? I don’t mean about Neko in particular – poll’s over and done with, she’s probably not posing (and gives some smart reasons why not).

But doesn’t it seem a little weird to treat your favorite artist like a coed at Mardi Gras?

*(In fact, I have seen her in some nice cheesecake shots that I won’t link to from here. She posed for a Seattle-based magazine called Kutie a few years back.)

**(I’d definitely buy their issue. But I wouldn’t read it at work.)

What the hell are you trying to say, here? Get that woman to drop trouser! Enough with the debate about it!


Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore.

It just seems like a weird way to express your fandom.

If I had the chance to talk to Neko in person (or, I dunno, Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kinney, or any woman I like because of her talent), I wouldn’t ask her to pose nude. So it felt weird to express my support of her by voting in a poll that does the same thing.

I’m trying to say I’m conflicted, and I’m wondering if it strikes anyone else as odd. (Not my inner turmoil – asking your favorite artist to pose nude.)

Interrobang!?, your little dilemma reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry’s dating a beautiful but vapid actress for whom he lusts physically for but finds intellectually barren. He visualizes his situation as a chess match between his brain and his penis where he keeps letting his penis win. Basically, your brain appreciates Neko Case (who is also becoming a favorite of mine) because it believes she is talented. However, if I may be blunt, your penis also appreciates Neko Case because she’s a “hot babe.” What you’re afraid of is, if Ms. Case does pose nude for Playboy, that your brain’s rational appreciation for her as a soulful and insightful artist will be overwhelmed by your penis’ physical appreciation of her as a chick with a nice rack. For you, her credibility as an artist will suffer as you increasingly see her as lust object. She’ll become just another celebrity bimbo of dubious talent who can’t keep her clothes on.

Sorry about the dime-store psychology, but I can relate to your situation. There is this certain talented actress who I’m rather found of who did something similar not too long ago. When she did, I found myself having the same conflicted feelings you’re having right now.

:smack: That should be “fond of” NOT “found of.”

You should just become an Iggy Pop fan. You wouldn’t have to feel guilty then. You wouldn’t even have to ask him to get naked.

Of course then you’d end up seeing Iggy Pop naked, and that’s a whole 'nuther problem.

Yes, you may see me naked.

Oh my god. I actually read the OP and decided to post something about how I couldn’t concentrate on his moral dilemma because I was distracted by the naked picture of Iggy Pop I keep over my computer.

(And I don’t consider it a problem at all to see Mr. Osterberg naked, although I should mention the picture that’s fascinating me is him when he was about 20.)

But what I was going to say was, music is sexy. Musicains are sexy. There is certainly a long tradition of guys becoming musicians in the expressed hope that people will therefore want to see them naked. So it doesn’t seem that strange to me.

Is it different if the muscian is a woman? Well, it’s true female nudity and desirablity have a somewhat diiferent meaning in this society. But speaking for myself, of course I’m turned on by people I consider brilliant and talented.

Is that the same as a co-ed at Mardi Gras? It’s isn’t to me, is it for you guys? :slight_smile:

I didn’t go to the poll, so maybe I’m missing the point, but …

I think there’s a difference between asking someone to pose naked and wanting to see them naked. Or not even minding seeing them naked…

I see no problem with appreciating a musician’s (or anyone else’s) work, and appreciating their body at the same time. Both appreciations should be respectful, of course … but I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive.

(And yes, I think it would be possible to admire her pictures in Playboy respectfully, and not cease thinking of her as a talent musician and wonderful human being in her own right.)

[sub]Oh, and Apos – how you doin’? :D[/sub]

On a semi-related note, I just picked up the new New Pornographers CD, Electric Version. I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to it yet but if it’s half as good as Mass Romantic I’ll be a very happy camper, indeed.

And yes, Ms. Case is a sexy babe with a sexy voice.

No, how you doin’?

Aw, geez.

Here I was assuming this thread was going to be about jazz saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer.

I’m cool, I’m cool. And you?

Yowza!

Once again, I have to play spoil sport: the only female “celebs” who pose naked for Playboy are the ones whose careers have been on the skids so long, ANY publicity seems like a good idea. That’s why Pink hasn’t done (yet!) it but Tiffany has. That’s why Brittney Spears hasn’t done it (yet!) but Jody Watley has.

Around the time you no longer WANT to see your favorite female musician nude, she’ll decide it’s time to do a Playboy layout.

That’s not COMPLETELY true, as posing in “Playboy” has started to acquire some kind of cachet in the past several years. Drew Barrymore was naked in 1995 or so, and she was working at the time. Charlize Theron posed a couple years ago as an up-and-comer (har!). This is a trend that I believe should be encouraged.

All those page views are starting to pay off in responses…

I get what you’re saying, but that’s not it. I’ve seen nude pix of Neko, and they didn’t have any effect on my opinion of her talent.

Woo hoo! (I think.)

I see that I did not explain this clearly, which has led to confusion. The poll asked you to vote for the Sexiest Babe in Indie Rock – and also mentioned that Playboy would ask the winner to pose for the magazine. So by voting, you were asking someone to pose nude by proxy. Some people asked Sahara Hotnights. I asked Neko.

You have articulated the difference that gave me pause. I mentioned Neko in my “top 5” thread a while ago, and I’d have voted for her in a Sexy Babe poll that didn’t involve a request to pose nude without pause. Because of the asking, though, I paused. Then voted. I’m only human.

I have decided, after careful deliberation and about 20 spins through the album, that Electric Version is better than Mass Romantic. But it’s close. There are five or six candidates for my favorite song, while “Letter from an Occupant” easily took top honors on the earlier album.

The thread can be about anyone you want it to be about. Ask Playboy to do a Sexiest Babe in Jazz poll. Although I might have to vote Diana Krall over Strassmayer – she seems kinda bony from the pix on her site.

To sum up: I’d love to see Neko nude. Again. But, as a fan of her music, it seems weird to me to vote in a poll hoping that she’ll be asked to pose nude. I appreciate her body and soul.

Anyway, substitute your favorite musical artist you find both brilliant and sexy, then think about if you’re really being a fan of their music if you’re asking them to pose nude.

Or, just think about your favorite musical artist nude. That might be more fun.

Oh, thanks a hell of a lot, Interrobang – I was just assaulted by the mental image of Ludwig von Beethoven in the buff.

Gaaaaah! :eek:

You know he’s dead, right? At this point, I seriously doubt you could pick him out of a lineup of other people who’ve been dead for 200 years.

I heard Karolina play (fully clothed) in a full-sized jazz orchestra in the Village a couple months back, and she looked fine. Even chatted her up during the break…she seemed pleased that I’d heard of her. And delighted when I lied that I had purchased her CD.

Of course, she was sharing the stage with a bunch of fat, hairy, sweaty guys, so she may have just been attractive in comparison.