Witty, Bawdy Quotes by Mae West

Yes, she was a Literary Lady, and a fierce fighter against censorship

In this edition of Sunday’s Literary Ladies Lite, I pay tribute to Mae West (1893 – 1980). She earned international fame as an actress and singer, but she was also a talented playwright and screenwriter. In fact, she wrote most all the clever and sometimes bawdy quips that were her stock in trade.

At one point in the 1930s, Mae was the highest-earning woman in the U.S. Constantly doing battles with censors, she famously said, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.” Of course, she was being ironic. The more notoriety the censors heaped on her, the better known she became.

Mae created her iconic persona, and behind it was her desire to poke holes in stodgy convention and hypocrisy. The American Film Institute named her the 15th greatest female screen legend, an honor she richly deserved. When her film career wound down, she continued to write books and plays.

After reading her delightful bon mots, scroll to the end to find out more about Mae West and censorship — and how she even spent 8 days in jail.

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

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“Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from.”

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“There are no good girls gone wrong — just bad girls found out.”