Mae West shocked audiences and infuriated censors for more than 70 years. She was pop culture’s original blonde bombshell sex-symbol comedienne provocateur. But she was more than just a corseted sex pot with an affinity for word play. She was a trailblazer, transgressive, funny, smart, sassy, lively, a genius. And she got away with all of it. IDEAS contributor Lynda Shorten explores the legacy of the eccentric Mae West.

Guests in this episode:

Linda Hutcheon is a professor emerita of English and comparative literature at The University of Toronto.

Ramona Curry is an associate professor emerita of English at The University of Illinois.

Pamela Wojeck is a professor of film studies at The University of Notre Dame

Scott C. Miller is a make-up artist and retired undertaker