c. 2018 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(8-18)
Gorgeous. In sight
and sound.
Having Jeanne
‘Hollywood’ Basone and Cheryl ‘Lightning’ Rusa on Cult Radio
A Go-Go was a treat for the ears, in terms of their interaction with
callers and other veterans of the ‘Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.’
But when I clicked on the Facebook live feed provided by Tiffany May
DuFoe, another of my senses was piqued.
They still looked
incredible.
I was transported
back to the 1980’s while listening to tales of their athletic and
theatrical prowess. Fans had been thrilled with this new wrinkle on
the sport. In hindsight, the series seemed to have come and gone far
too quickly. But with a modern show on Netflix reviving interest,
once again, the ladies were front and center in the public view.
My preparation for
writing about G.L.O.W. involved messaging with ‘Hollywood’
herself. Almost as an afterthought, I mentioned that Terry &
Tiffany of CRAGG had promoted my book, ‘Biker Lifestyle – And
Beyond.’ It was a collection of stories I had written for the
California magazine during years when her show was becoming a
national sensation. In those yonder days, my strategy was to test the
limits of creative thought by submitting stories that
pegged-the-meter. With each manuscript, I wondered if editor-in-chief
Bob Bitchin would lose patience with this line of thinking. My work
veered from typical themes of roadgoing wanderlust, to political
intrigue, social commentary, and life after death. Only one offering
missed being published. I reckoned that G.L.O.W. also pushed the
confines of TV grappling, with extreme participants like ‘Palestina’
and ‘Colonel Ninotchka.’
Jeanne offered an
unexpected bit of personal trivia in response:
“I did the
cover of Easyriders in 94 or 96… I think it was ‘96.”
I
was breathless,
Her
comment offered a tempting detour from the road to my intended
destination. I tried to regain focus on the task before me, out of a
sense of duty. Words took shape in a column about her notable career
in the ‘squared circle.’ But then, the rumbling sound of
customized Harley-Davidson motorcycles returned.
A
patient Internet search revealed that her modeling appearance had
been in the April, 1995 issue of the magazine. I found back issues
for sale on various websites. Tingling with excitement, I asked her
how this had come to pass. Her response sated my appetite for
details:
“I
think a friend referred me to the photographer Raiko Hartman, the
studio was located in Hollywood for the shoot. They also needed a
girl who was tall because Grady’s 1990 FLHTC Ultra was a big bike.
I had heard that Easyriders would hire women who were more petite as
to not make the bike look so small.”
Hartman has long
been active as a professional photographer, with many notable clients
over the years. His list of credits is stunning. He also has also
given technical lectures about the methods involved in commercial
advertising.
I asked for more
thoughts about her experience and she explained the connection in
depth:
“I had been
been doing many photoshoots with Playboy, several calendars and
bikini postcards (the postcards you find at Venice Beach) before I
did Easyriders. Truckin’ June 1993 was another cover I had shot. So
this shoot went as smoothly and professionally as the others. When I
got to the studio located in Hollywood, I met with the owner of the
bike Grady and the photographer Raiko and then went straight into
hair and makeup. The bikini you see in the shot was one of the ones I
suggested and they loved it! The accessories and heels were mine
too!”
I
asked if other celebrities from G.L.O.W. had ever appeared in the
publication. She said no.
As
before, I was struck by the parallel nature of her participation in
the 80’s television hit, and my own fond memories of having written
for the
west-coast
biker rag. Echoes still resounded with raucous tones of an age when
social media had not yet begun to bind the public consciousness with
real-time shaming. When over-the-top literally meant going headfirst
across the upper rope of a wrestling ring. When MTV videos, haute
couture fashions, and sports
competition blended into one.
When
I was still in my 20’s, and able to party, years before 1999.
Jeanne
invited me to participate in an online chat, through the ‘Independent
Pro Wrestling 24/7’ Facebook
page. At the risk of appearing out-of-place, I continued my thought
detour, asking
if she had received any feedback about the chopper-magazine cover.
And if she had any personal interest in two-wheeled machines. Her
reply made me smile:
“I really don’t
remember getting tons of feedback like I did in Playboy… perhaps
that magazine was not as widely read by our wrestling fans… and I
love Harleys just as long as they don’t break down… like they
used to back in the day.”
My
face was red, remembering a past motorcycle of the same hue. A
tricked-out, 1977 XLH 1000 Sportster. My first hawg from Milwaukee. I
had purchased the bike in Madison, while living in Lake County, Ohio.
It drew compliments and attention wherever I rode. But being from the
company’s dreaded ‘AMF’ period, it had a demonic soul. When
properly tuned-up and polished, the old ‘Ironhead’ ran like a
beast, thundering mightily through its shotgun pipes. Yet just as
often, it ended up being hauled in my pickup truck. A rolling
sculpture in metal. Parts vibrated loose. Oil leaked constantly.
But
I loved it, with devotion.
In
modern terms, only the good moments remain. Just as recollections of
watching G.L.O.W. with my kid have deleted any dissonant notes of
marriage angst or work fatigue that were present. Now, the pure
essence of that era has been distilled to a fine liqueur. One sweet
on the palate.
Like
the image of ‘Hollywood’ herself, still gorgeous and still
wrestling in the 21st Century!
Comments about
‘Words On The Loose’ may be sent to: icewritesforyou@gmail.com
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O. Box 365 Chardon, OH 44024+
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