Because so many of you have kindly helped the world to discover SuicideGirls we thought we’d compile a list of the most asked questions from press, fans and everyone else.

Q&A WITH FOUNDER MISSY SUICIDE

What is a SuicideGirl? What is the meaning of the name?

She’s a girl that doesn’t fit in with regular beauty standards. She often has piercings and tattoos and more. But really, it’s about the attitude of creating her own definition of beauty and sharing that with the world. As for the name…the girls all commit “social suicide” for not wanting to fit in. So they’re “SuicideGirls,” which is a term used in Chuck Palahniuk’s book Survivor.

What was your original vision for SuicideGirls?

I wanted to create a place where girls can express themselves, feel comfortable being uniquely themselves and being beautiful, and embrace their bodies, because the definition of beauty was so limited in 2001. There was either the stick-thin body type or like the silicon-enhanced blonde Pamela Anderson type. I saw all these beautiful women around me, and none of them were reflected anywhere in society. I wanted to give them a place where they could shine, where they could be themselves, where they could be appreciated for their own beauty and uniqueness. I thought it’d be popular in Portland, maybe Seattle. Twenty years [later], we now have nearly 4,000 official SuicideGirls from every continent including Antarctica. We have over 250,000 hopeful SuicideGirls, and we get about 20,000 applications every year from women. Our community is quite large. Everybody feels like an outsider at some point in their lives, and the message of being uniquely yourself resonates far wider.

What is the Blackheart Burlesque?

It is a pop culture nerdgasm. All of the routines are themed to reference pop culture that appeal to our audience (Think: Star Wars, Super Heroes, TV, Movies and Video Games.) All set to a kick ass soundtrack and featuring some of the best choreography around. Seriously, this isn’t your Grandpa’s shimmy-shimmy burlesque; these girls are bad-ass dancers in storm trooper helmets. Come see it for yourself, blackheartburlesque.com!

How can someone apply and what do you look for in a SuicideGirl?

Models can apply at suicidegirls.com/model and one of our amazing team will help you through the process of filling out the paperwork and shooting a set. We look for girls that live their life on their own terms, women who are self assured and confident. Women who embrace their bodies and themselves. Who recognize that their body is intrinsically as much a representation of who they are and what they have been through as any of the ideas they have won through triumph, failure and hard fought experiences. Girls who are uniquely, beautifully, wonderful themselves, the sum of all of their parts.  Girls that bring so much to the table and believe they deserve a place at it. 

What do you consider to be the best part of being a SuicideGirl?

The friendships, meeting so many awe-inspiring women from around the world. It has been incredibly rewarding to be able to encourage and see all of the amazing things the women in our community have been able to accomplish. I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of this international community of bad asses.