Mae West is flipping the focus from quantity to quality. While the first half of the sentence refers to the sheer number of romantic partners she may have had, the second half flips the focus to describe the vitality, energy, and spirit of those individuals. She was essentially declaring that she didn't care how many men were in her orbit; what mattered was how much passion and "juice" those men actually possessed.
In the early 20th century, this wasn't just a clever joke - it was a radical statement of female agency. At a time when women were expected to be passive recipients of male attention, West used this chiasmus example to position herself as the judge of male vitality. She wasn't a woman being "collected" by men - she was the one evaluating whether a man was lively enough to be worthy of her time.
This bold attitude was the hallmark of Mae West, an American icon whose career spanned seven decades. As a singer, playwright, and screenwriter, she became the ultimate "femme fatale" of the silver screen, known for her husky voice and a wit so sharp it could draw blood long before the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
The trail of controversy she left behind is as impressive as her wordplay. In 1926, West wrote and starred in a Broadway play titled "Sex", which critics condemned as the cheapest, most vulgar low show to have dared to open in New York. Despite the scathing reviews, it ran for 375 performances before authorities jailed West for "obscenity" for eight days and fined her $500, a move that only served to make her fame skyrocket. Her star power became so undeniable that Paramount Pictures reportedly bribed her with a 1931 Chevrolet Housecar just to persuade her to start making movies.
Her marketing and public image were often as wild as her scripts. In 1933, a press agent for her film "It Ain’t No Sin" taught 50 parrots to squawk the movie's title as a publicity stunt. However, when the movie's name was changed at the last minute, the agent simply released the birds in South America, where legend has it they spent years flying through the jungle shouting "It ain't no sin!" to unsuspecting travelers.
West’s cultural footprint even extended to the military and aviation - both a specific parachute malfunction and the inflatable life vests used in WWII were nicknamed "Mae Wests" because the silhouette of the inflated gear was said to resemble the actress’s famous hourglass figure.
Even her social life was a series of power moves. When the management of her apartment building tried to bar her African-American boyfriend, boxing champion William Jones, from entering the premises, West didn't bother arguing with the landlord. Instead, she simply bought the entire building and lifted the ban herself.
This "live by your own rules" mentality is likely why she is so closely associated with the phrase "You only live once." While the sentiment has existed for centuries, it was West who popularized its sassy, modern usage.
Her influence remained potent even into her later years. When the Beatles asked her to appear on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band", she initially joked, “What would I be doing in a Lonely Hearts Club?” and only agreed after receiving a personal letter of admiration from the band.
She capped off her career with the film "Sextette", featuring a cast that remains one of the most bizarrely incredible lineups in cinema history - including Alice Cooper, Timothy Dalton, Ringo Starr, and Keith Moon. Though often cited as one of the "worst" films ever made, it stands as a testament to the magnetic pull of a woman who knew exactly how to put the life in her men.