Bakersfield Calendar Girls speak out against N.L. Belardes and Miss Bakersfield - By N.L. Belardes

Yes, there were a few Bakersfield models a little angry with me. Recently there was a bit of local controversy over a slinky calendar and one of its models. Or should I say, Matt Munoz of bakotopia.com caught Tiffany Allen, A.K.A Miss Bakersfield red-handed posing for a skin-filled calendar of hot mama delights. Just read his article on "Little Miss Sunshine?" and you'll see what our resident leader ska-topian revealed. We all know what Miss Bakotronic had to say in her rebuttal, the Queen Strikes Back. But what about the rest of the Bakersfield Calendar Girls? Seems I stirred up a few emotions with this comment on the original revealing article:

Makes you wonder where some people draw the line, especially in today's age where pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. No, this wasn't about porn, but if pretty girls are willing to bend rules and bare all "tastefully", how do we know that some girls won't go the "untasteful" route? Where's the fine line? What really are the goals of girls who want to show off their bodies on a bare-everything-except-for-my-nipples calendar? If you can't trust Miss USA and Miss Bakersfield to uphold integrity, does that mean many girls are just out for instant exposure... and I do mean the pun as well.

Sexy model Heather Rawlins of the infamous calendar has further revealed in a meeting at Bakersfield’s The Marketplace, that a few of the calendar girls took offense at what I wrote, and at what Miss Bakersfield had to say. She and at least one other model, Melody Dare, felt that not all of the story had been told. I think they didn’t like that the sexy Miss Bakersfield, Tiffany Allen, went on the record, and, well, slammed the Calendar Girls project as ‘dirty’ to perhaps salvage her integrity.

Here’s some of what Heather wrote to me over myspace:

I read your comments on bakotopia.com and they upset me. It is true not all of us were there for the same reason, but I know it's not just to have some guy drooling over my pictures. I want the right guy to drool over my pictures. And it's already happened. Three of us girls have already been contacted to do something else with modeling... and not like the calendar either: pictures with clothes on and commercials. The way Tiffany made everything sound made us look bad. It was really just a good opportunity to experience something we have never tried before… Just because we like to look good and feel good, doesn't mean we are dirty girls. I'm not trying to be rude or offensive… I was just letting you know.

My goodness. I can understand standing up for what you believe in. I told Heather I was glad she wrote me. We later had a nice discussion that included Melody Dare about opportunity, attention, and even the content of my website and book. Heather said: “It’s all about attention. You write for attention, don’t you? We just don’t like that some people are suddenly acting like the calendar was a bad thing, when it was just about a way for us all to get attention.”

I asked Heather about my pornography comment on bakotopia.com. “Until you see me spreading my legs in a porno, you can’t say that what I did was wrong.”

She’s right. The calendar was perfectly legal. And if she can make a living as a model, well, that has to be more exciting than my day job.

Heather went on to write in her myspace message to me:

…we ALL had a blast. Lil Miss Bakersfield doesn't mention anything about going to Mexico and having the time of her life, or about her getting paid money the night of the unveiling. So you see, stories have holes in them sometimes...

Yes, stories do occasionally have holes. Heather went on to say in our meeting, “She’s (Miss Bakersfield) so ashamed she made the biggest mistake of her life? Then why has she been showing off her calendar pic on myspace.com?”

Ouch.

I went to Tiffany’s myspace, which is set to private. I didn’t recognize her home pic as a calendar pic… so I called a male expert on the calendar who said that was indeed the case. It’s a photo from the back of the calendar not used on any specific dates; just a headshot that might be cropped from a skimpy pose.

Heather has a point. If Miss Bakersfield suggested the Calendar Girls project was a dirty project, why did she get involved in the first place? Did she not know the contract and payment schedule? Did she not want the possible attention and the paid trip to Mexico?

Is she really ashamed?

I don’t know, but Melody Dare sums it up when she says, “She said we were all dirty girls. And that ticked us off because we’re not.” I asked Melody what one of her goals was. She mentioned posing for Playboy magazine. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” Heather later added.

The rebuttal against my bakotopia.com comment was the right thing to do. It sparked more discussion. Besides, I’m the only one exposing full breasts, not the calendar. I am guilty as sin (Even though it is East Coast lit blog, litpark’s fault).

Now watch some video:



I’d just like to wrap this story up by letting you know that with so many questions and controversy I couldn’t think of any other way to save face than to take my own calendar photos of Heather and Melody. But in a positive light of course.

After all, I’m a photographer too…

I now present to you:

N.L. Belardes Bakersfield Girls Calendar 2007:

January:

I call this my JC Penney catalog pose. A nice start for any new year.

February:

Who can forget what Valentine's Day can do to young lovers?

March:

I call this my "girls in the crowd" shot. Don't forget to get starfucked!

April:

Miss Bakersfield reunites with two calendar girls for an April flowers pose

May:

May marks the beginning of those sultry summer months where you just want to escape with your ice cream

June:

June is just too hot of a month to be alone with such swirly cream

July:

The summer treat continues... Happy 4th of July!

August:

Finish off that hot month with a tongue of chilly goodness

September:

Back to school for that yawningly conservative 1 Book 1 Bakersfield. But hey, as long as it gets kids to read...

October:

Now that's a book! BUY NOW AND SUPPORT THIS ARTICLE! Yes I wrote it (Not for the timid)

November:

Thanksgiving again? Oh yes... thanks!

December:

Merry Christmas again? Heck yeah!

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Tuesday, January 09, 2007. You can leave your response.