Naughty Librarians (ladies, take it away)

A rose by any other name… the Naughty Librarian. We’re down to the final category of exploring reel librarian character types (see previous posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here). And I know I’m going to get a lot of hits out of this post, as “naughty librarian” — and similar phrases like “sexy librarian” or “tomcats librarian” —  are the MOST POPULAR search terms that lead to my blog. It’s a classy joint I’m running here, this Reel Librarians blog.

This category originally began as “The Sex-Obsessed Librarian” in my undergraduate thesis. The male and female portrayals of this character type are quite different, as you’ll see. The guys will have their turn next week. It’s time now for the ladies.

The female Naughty Librarian serves as a sexual fantasy, which comes as no surprise, I’m sure. She’s usually either an attractive librarian obviously “on the prowl” or she’s like a young Spinster Librarian who “lets her hair down” outside the library (click here for a previous related post about that). The Naughty Librarian portrayal is all about contrast, inner desires juxtaposed with a more conservative, restrained exterior or library setting.

But be warned — if their romantic or sexual desires go unfulfilled, these Naughty Librarians often to turn to violent, or otherwise criminal or manipulative, means to get what they want. But that’s probably all part of the fantasy, right? 😉

Let’s take a peek.

*SPOILER ALERTS*

One of the most textbook examples of this category is Jennifer O’Neill as Heather Moore in the 1990 TV movie Personals. Heather combines sex with murder, as she plays a meek and button-up librarian by day and a knife-wielding serial killer at night (see left). After arranging dates with married men through newspaper personal ads, Heather then kills the men because of their infidelity — exercising her own brand of vigilante justice. This television movie illustrates the Naughty Librarian at her most vicious.

In Tomcats (2001), “bad boy” Michael Delany (Jerry O’Connell) sets out to seduce Jill, a seemingly timid librarian (Heather Stephens). He boasts, “This is almost too easy” when he first spots her, pushing a library cart full of books (see clip below). They bond over The Scarlet Letter — wink wink — and he walks her home, which has a white picket fence, of course. Jill looks like the perfect prototype of a young Spinster Librarian, with her prim bun, pretty pink cardigan, and tortoiseshell glasses. But once inside her house, Jill’s inner dominatrix comes out to play — literally — as does her librarian grandma! Gotta admit, they’re super organized with those toys, whips and handcuffs, just like real librarians would be. 😉

And for the second half of their date, see below. Warning:  Due to, ahem, racy content, you may need to authenticate your birthdate to watch the following clip. The following clip is definitely adult-themed and probably NOT suitable for viewing at work. Depends on where you work, of course, but still, just trying to give you fair warning.

Valerie Curtin as Ophelia Sheffer in Maxie (1985) also reveals her inner Naughty Librarian. An attractive, thirtyish brunette who works in the San Francisco Public Library, Ophelia makes a pass at fellow librarian Nick (Mandy Patinkin), who rejects her not-so-subtle advances. And after an embarrassing moment at a library fundraiser, she attempts to blackmail him into sex by threatening to fire him.

Other examples of not-so-exemplary behavior exhibited by Naughty Librarians include revenge and blackmail that ultimately lead to a man’s suicide (Weird Woman, 1944, also see this post) and participating in a sinister island ritual to sacrifice an innocent man’s life (The Wicker Man, 1973).

But not all Naughty Librarians are bad girls at heart (see Hammett, 1982; The Man Who Never Was, 1956). In the immortal words of Jessica Rabbit, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.” For example, in Hammett, the perpetually underdressed Kit (Marilu Henner) helps out hard-boiled Hammett (Frederic Forrest), who tells her that the only person he trusts in the world is “a librarian with a smart mouth.” Early in the film, she shares a flirtatious scene with Hammett’s friend, Jimmy (Peter Boyle). After spying her lingerie hanging up, he asks, “Is that what you wear to the library?” and Kit vamps it up in response, “That’s what I wear underneath what I wear to the library.” Too bad we never get to see her in a library setting. But you can catch a glimpse of her in a blue silk nightie in the trailer below.

Next week, the male Naughty Librarians round up this series on reel librarian character types. Stay tuned! 🙂