Lynne O’Neill Strip-Tease Magazine 1968

Here are images of the Lynne O’Neill spread in “Strip-Tease” magazine from my personal collection, dated 1968.

1968 was labeled “The year that shattered America” by Smithsonian Magazine.

Rowan and Martins “Laugh in” debuts on NBC.

A workers strike becomes the match that ignites civil rights movement. Starting with the deaths of sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker when they are tragically killed by a garbage truck in Ill repair, in Memphis Tennessee.

Police brutally open fire on human rights protesters at South Carolina state. 27 injured and 3 protestors left dead at the hands of police. Nine officers total are tried but acquitted of charges of excessive force, holding up a standard of police brutality.

More than 15,000 Latinx high school students in Los Angeles, California demonstrate by walking out of school in a fight for equality in education. They were demanding better and more educational opportunities.

In New York Over 500 activists protest a recruiting event at the college for napalm producers Dow Chemical.

ExxonMobil announces that they have discovered oil beneath Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. This would be the largest oil discovery in North American history.

Remember that little sanitation strike I mentioned earlier? Well, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., was there in Memphis to amplify voices and was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. James Earl Ray, a white supremacist, and the gunman is not caught and escapes the states. More people march, 39 die, over 2k are arrested and 2600 are injured across the country in more than 100 cities.

“Hair” opens on broadway and is a hit.

Andy Warhol is shot in his NYC apartment.

The countries very first Special Olympics is held in Chicago.

The Glenville Shootout In Cleveland Ohio, between Black activists and police, 6 are left dead.

A white man kissed a black woman on national television for the first time.

The Poor Peoples Campaign

“Hey Jude,” by The Beatles is released.

Feminists protest Miss America pageant.

60 minutes debuts.

“At the Olympic Games in Mexico City, Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos receive the gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter dash, then raise gloved fists during the national anthem to protest violence toward and poverty among African-Americans. The next day, the International Olympic Committee strips their medals and sends them home.”

Nixon wins the presidency and Shirley Chisholm of becomes the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

And, Apollo 8....

These are just a few of the headlines of 1968. This magazine “Strip -Tease” does not add to the movement by supporting the civil rights movement of 1968 or amplifying Black and Brown voices but it does tell a piece of the story of that year.

I did notice a stark lack of Black and Brown skinned striptease Queens in this issue but there are some interesting stories from this mag that I will be posting in time. It was rare to see Black models in these type of magazines. White presenting models were in high demand and if there was an “Exotic” (cringeworthy word) story attached of her history in some far off land, even better, as long as they were white presenting.

Fortunately today things are changing in the industry, though not enough nor fast enough. We still have much to learn about humanity in sex work, we will always have work to do but by in large, sex workers are often agents for progress and change. Understanding the sting of marginalization on some level. I’m not sure about Lynne O’Niells political affiliations but chances are, she was a bit more progressive because of her role in the industry, but honestly that’s just me hoping that she was a nice lady for those times.

This magazine didn’t care about politics, civil rights or even women’s rights, however it encapsulated the more submissive and seductive side of 1968, featuring several queens of striptease but for now we are focusing on Lynne O’Neill.

I have screenshot each page of this article for you to read and enjoy. I hope you enjoyed this little trip through time. 1968 was a hell of a year and I missed a lot of headlines while writing this piece, however there were so many headlines that would be worth mentioning due to the absolute civil and social fracture of that specific year. After all, 1968 was the “year that shattered America”.

Here are some good reads about 1968.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/1968-history-major-events-in-pop-culture/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/1960s/1968-events

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/timeline-seismic-180967503/