to fast women! may we be more like them.

I initially wanted to write this post about “fast women”. Women who are promiscuous and daring. Women who actively please themselves— physically and emotionally. Fast women possess a specific form of freedom that is spiritually liberating. As if there’s a burst of rays beaming from their chest and lighting up the room as they twirl and sway to the music, arms wide open and head swung back. They are joyous.

I was watching the 1976 version of Sparkle starring Irene Cara with the women in my family. My mother, her mother, my sister, and our cousin. Gosh, how I love that movie. Sparkle’s oldest sister, Sister, was always my favorite. She didn’t dare shelter herself in a world that refused to filter itself for others. She encouraged her younger sisters to explore their desires as long as they were willing to face the consequences of what may come. She didn’t steal the spotlight either; she just knew what got the crowd going and embraced the authenticity that came with performing. Sure, she chased a more synthetic high after the initial stardom wore down— falling down a path of drugs and bad relationships, but she still held to her values. Even if it costs her, her life.

That’s what had me consider the complexities of promiscuity. Everything is nuanced. Promiscuity and “being fast” are always deemed inappropriate and carry a negative connotation. But the movie Sparkle does a beautiful job at showcasing how promiscuity, if carefully done, can be emboldening rather than detrimental.

The middle sister, Delores, seemed to resent her sisters’ man-catching ways and focused solely on getting out of New York. Of course, she sings with her sister, but she isn’t liked by many. She’s very skeptical of men, rarely seen getting their attention (What I originally chopped up to colorism, as she’s the only dark skinned sister), but also rejecting them when attention is given to her. There is very little shown of Delores without her sisters, except for when she tries to save her sister’s life by setting up her abusive boyfriend. Her final monologue was given to her mother about wanting more for her life. She didn’t care to be a professional singer. She didn’t want to be lusted after. She wanted to be respected and seen for who she was. Which is honorable, she also never hid herself and her true feelings, but until she left her family, she wasn’t truly able to set herself free.

While one sister flew too close to the sun, and one struggled to jump off the porch, we are left with Sparkle. The youngest, most family-oriented, yet yearned to be seen and be as free as Sister. She cherished Sister’s advice and snuck around with her boyfriend Stix, who not only respected her but also saw something she never saw in herself. As she complied and moved through life, the death of her sister left a mark of maturity that encouraged her to not give a damn ever again. The show ends with Sparkle taking control of her own career as a singer. Stealing the stage with her voice and allowing herself to let go and be seen.

I always loved Sparkle. If it taught me anything, it taught me not to give a damn. But there’s something about watching a movie of sisterhood, romance, and self-liberation with the women in your family that reminds you how they are also women of promiscuity, of self-respect, and no-nonsense. Women who push you to be your authentic self— loud-mouthed, daring, and curt. What I loved most about Sparkle was its mirroring of the women in my life (without the drug and physical abuse). These women never held back and hardly cared if it hurt your feelings, if it was the truth. I know as children we can find it to be hurtful and a bit disparaging, but it’s real. And it is respected. There’s a way to be tactful in showing your consideration by being blunt.

Be ye be bold, blunt, daring, and fast!