Bunny Yeager is a name I’d never heard before. I knew nothing about the woman, but I definitely realized some of the things she popularized (even though she never received the credit that she fully deserved) after watching Naked Ambition. I absolutely recognize her contributions to the fields of art history, empowering the feminist movement before it really took off and for breaking ground within the creative community, which was generally considered a men’s club at the time.
Giving credit where credit’s due, directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch lay the groundwork for the life story of this beautiful woman who could have become a world-class model or a movie star but instead became a photographer and molded the entertainment industry around her will.
Originally working as a model, Bunny was a blonde bombshell who moved behind the camera lens and was almost immediately labeled the “world’s prettiest photographer” by her coworker, Roy Pinney. She would soon be known for her fearless self-portraits — which would later be known as “selfies.” Labeled a “cheesecake photographer,” which refers to the flirty femme fatales featured in her photos, this self-taught female showcased the natural beauty of both the girl next door and the burlesque dancer with ease. She also just happened to made bikinis popular.
She was an outsider, an underdog who was ahead of her time with her nude photography reflecting the personalities of her models, balancing both domestic goddesses to teenage rebels, her pictures were risqué for the 1950s, but she didn’t let that stop her determination. There was no fear in her photography.
“She managed to take some of the most iconic photographs of the time, and frustratingly, most people don’t know her name…”
Maria Stinger, a Marilyn Monroe look alike, got her onto the scene, but it was a photoshoot with Betty Paige that was later submitted to Playboy that would create careers for both women for years to come. This documentary is obviously artsy, but it also dips into the pop-culture world, as well.
Bunny Yeager helped define the look and the voice of Playboy in the ’50s but she would later professionally struggle as full nudity becomes socially acceptable when pinups get overshadowed by hardcore pornography in the ’70s. After struggling for many years, her art would later be rediscovered by many when her exhibition debuted at the Andy Warhol Museum. A new generation discovered her talent, and she definitely deserved these accolades before her death, so I’m glad Naked Ambition was eventually released to bring her flowers.
Bunny had to overcome a lot, beginning with being based in Miami, which definitely wasn’t a hub of publishing at that time. She had to fight professional stereotypes and eventually obscenity charges, which were later dropped — although they would be the basis for her husband spiraling into depression, alcoholism and later committing suicide.
Bunny was a trailblazer who helped pave the way for the feminist movement and the sexual revolution while creating a mood and an ambiance through costuming. Testimonies from Hugh Hefner, Dita Von Teese, Bruce Weber and Larry King affirm her brilliantly overlooked original art, which would eventually make its way onto eBay.
One of my favorite things about watching documentaries is learning new details about well-known subjects. The behind-the-scenes information is sometimes more interesting that what is usually widely known. Unfortunately, for far too long, Bunny Yeager’s details largely fall into that latter category. She was a hard worker who was the breadwinner for her entire family. Her art became well known. She flirted with Hollywood and high society… until she was abandoned by both. But she’d keep on plugging away, working in a variety of industries until she found her niche again.
If you’re a fan of bikinis, selfies or Playboy — and even if you’re not — you definitely need to give Naked Ambition a watch in order to bring some recognition toward Bunny’s contributions to the entertainment industry of the 20th century. Naked Ambition depicts a heartfelt tale of Bunny Yeager, one where her courage and stamina to fight against the odds would eventually prove victorious. It may be long overdue, but Bunny has definitely left her mark on the world, which should be widely recognized by everyone.