By J.R. Taylor
As Republicans gather in New York City for their convention, another candidate is getting ready to address her followers at a gathering in Chicago. The event is GlamourCon, being held at the Holiday Inn O'Hare International on August 28 and 29. The candidate is none other than Ms. Marilyn Chambers (Picture: ).
Many a proud American has already pulled his lever to Marilyn Chambers's amazing body of work. Now they can dangle their chads in tribute to the adult icon--at least in Utah, where Chambers is already on the ballot (under her married name of Marilyn Chambers Taylor) as a Vice-Presidential candidate for the Personal Choice party.
"We're trying to get on the ticket in five other states," Chambers explains from her Southern California home. "I've never been into politics, because I've never felt that an actress needs to spout her political beliefs--but I'm not a reluctant candidate. When [Personal Choice Presidential candidate] Charles Jay asked me if I wanted to do this, I thought he was kidding. Once my name and biography were on the site, I thought I better get going."
Chambers, of course, is best known for her pioneering porno-chic work in Behind the Green Door (1972) (Picture: - - - ) and for some underrated mainstream roles in films such as Rabid (1977) (Picture: - - - ) and the bizarre Angel of H.E.A.T. (1981) (Picture: - - - ) --as well as plenty of softcore classics such as Party Incorporated (1989) and The Marilyn Diaries (1990). Throughout promoting her strange career, Chambers would often confound an expectant media by being an unexpectedly eloquent interviewee. It's no surprise that Chambers can make a compelling case for her own candidacy.
"The candidates with the Personal Choice Party have the freedom to comprise their own platforms," she explains, "and mine is built on the right to have your personal choices. Americans are supposed to have the Constitutional right to partake in whatever activities they want to, without restrictions. That's not quite how the country's being run. They use their power to decide what American citizens can or can't do, or what they can and can't say. It's like Clear Channel caving in to pressure on Howard Stern's talk show. Radio hosts are warned on what they can and can't say, with no clear lines drawn."
Chambers knows a lot about pushing the limits of talk radio. CNN host Larry King has claimed that the actress once offered him sexual favors during an appearance on his old Miami radio show. Marilyn's no mere mouthpiece, however, as proven when Mr. Skin suggests just abolishing the FCC.
"That'd be great," Chambers replies, "but we definitely need rules. Otherwise, we'd run amuck. I've got a teenage daughter, and I don't want her hearing some guy saying 'fuck' on the radio. There have to be some rules, but those should be clear rules. The danger is with these fuzzy rules where everything becomes a judgment call. Somebody who wants to say what they believe in politically can just have their words squelched. That's not American."
Chambers isn't a single-issue candidate, but she's got her preferred topics. Don't expect her to be predictable, either. While she's pro gay marriage ("It's ridiculous for the government to preclude a choice made by consenting adults."), Chambers isn't going for easy votes amongst the Mormons of Utah. "Personally," she adds, "I don't approve of polygamy. It's been around for years, but it always seems to be a group of men having power over women and children. The men have the power to do whatever they want. It's not about equal rights."
Don't expect Chambers to meet anybody's stereotype of the Right or Left, either. "The right to bear arms is very important to me," she explains. "I used to own a gun shop in Las Vegas called The Survival Store. It's a good thing for people to register their guns, but there are criminals that can do that, too. I need a gun in my home if somebody breaks in. I want to be able to shoot them. I also want to be able to protect my country."
As it turns out, Marilyn Chambers makes for a compellingly common-sense candidate. There's certainly no reason that Jay and Chambers can't be a write-in vote no matter where you're registered.
Voters can also take comfort that Chambers isn't some kind of celebrity filling up her free time: "I'm really very serious about standing up for the rights of others. When people talk about freedom of speech, very rarely do they concern themselves with standing up for the freedom of others. I spoke to this agent who thought I was making a mockery out of the system. Maybe I'll get some attention from this, but it's not a joke."
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Official Personal Choice Party site Marilyn Chambers |
Behind the Green Door Rabid Angel of H.E.A.T. Party Incorporated The Marilyn Diaries |
