Where do ideas of the erotic come from?

A few blog entries ago, I was talking about a picture from the Independent showing a woman standing in front of two famous paintings. For some reason, I found the picture quite erotic - the contrast between the appreciation of art and the pretty girl in the smart business suit. I also pondered on a lasting liking for French Maids. I can't remember anything particular about French Maids prior to about the age of 20. Then I remember the front cover of a magazine that showed a girl with curly black hair in a maid's uniform carrying a small tray and bent over slightly. I was impressed enough to buy the magazine (which didn't have any other related pictures inside I remember). A website that I have come across in the last couple of days suggests that the attraction of maids is the combination of the satin, very-formal outfit (especially with stockings) and the submissiveness of the maid as a servant to a master and linked to issues of them needing to be spanked for being so naughty. It also notes various occurences of French Maids in relatively mainstream media. Marilyn Monroe wears a maid's outifit in one of movies from the 1950s, a character in Desperate Housewives wore one, the female lead in the Bill Murray film, The Man who knoew too little wears one, Carla in Scrubs did, and so on. Apparently they are quite common halloween outfits in the USA and are very popular in Japan. So there you go. So another excuse to include some maid photos Jennifer Aniston again - she really does look good in her outfit. Apparently she also wore one in an episode of 30 Rock

The classic look - with stockings and heels

The Japanese costume look - part French Maid, part superheroine

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And Sinead O'Connor, from her days as a French-Maid kissogram - now there's a thought!