Lynettes
Lynettes | |
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 The Lynettes, photographed in 1964 | |
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The Lynettes (Gylic transcription: Lineţ) were Gylian identical triplets, who used the stage names Arlene (Gylic transcription: Arlin), Charlene (Gylic transcription: Şarlin), and Marlene (Gylic transcription: Marlin). They were models, actresses, media personalities, and groupies, and became iconic figures of Groovy Gylias through their career of humorously embodying "the trappings of success".
Background
They were born Esyri Þeis, Seryn Þeis, and Soskedy Þeis on 12 May 1940, in the Free Territories. They came from a poor working-class family, and their childhood was marked by hardships. They were educated in volunteer classes and at home.
They worked various odd jobs as teenagers, including bicycle messengers and newspaper delivery. They began working as models at age 16, and received their first significant exposure from appearing on the cover of teen. Modeling led them to expand into acting, and they became a presence in the Groovy Gylias scene, attaining recognition as some of the first well-known groupies as the modern practice of touring in Gylias emerged.
As their acting career took off, they adopted English language stage names: Arlene, Charlene, and Marlene. The names were chosen specifically because they rhymed, and this gave rise to the collective nickname of "the Lynettes", after an existing English name.
Career
The Lynettes became fixtures of the Groovy Gylias scene, seen at in vogue locales like Sibylla and other nightclubs and concert venues, where their presence helped attract clientele. Their work as actors was entirely based on their image, leading to cameos in films and gigs as television presenters, particularly for ATV. As groupies, they traveled frequently and accompanied some of Gylias' most successful acts, as well as foreign acts on tour where they doubled as tour guides. One notable responsibility they took on tours was as personal stylists, often picking acts' wardrobes and applying make-up.
Their career was defined by their role embodying the "trappings of success". With their identical appearance, thick Shalumite-accented English, and playful bawdiness, they jokingly claimed to provide glamorous companionship to a plethora of people, allowing them to enjoy an experience of socialised luxury. The company of the triplets thus served as either a humorous sign that someone had "made it", or simply a way to feel the experience through paid companionship.
To complete the sensation, they regularly rented limousines or similarly conspicuous means of transport when accompanying someone in public, and took the initiative to plan an itinerary of nightclubs and similar spots in order to "see and be seen".
In contrast to hétaïres, the Lynettes forewent intellectual stimulation in favour of wish fulfilment and sexual services. Much of their popularity was owed to their tongue-in-cheek approach: they deliberately maintained a surface of fawning deference and enthusiastic attraction towards their companions, but took the dominant role romantically and sexually. Amanda Leloup observed: "They took the lead in flirting and foreplay, and came on refreshingly strong, like they really wanted a piece of you. They were the ones who massaged you, undid your clothes, pinched your bum, or French kissed you, never the opposite. And a night with them never ended until you'd satisfied all three equally."
Their occasional pornographic roles demonstrated the dynamic even more explicitly, since when they shared a single partner, one sister would perform pegging while the other two engaged in kissing and oral sex, respectively.
The Lynettes were easily recognisable by their gold evening gowns and opera gloves, worn together with fake fur stoles and teardrop-shaped earrings. They went to great lengths to jokingly present themselves as identical and interchangeable: they maintained the same appearance and extensively practiced speaking in unison, which complemented their flirtatious, sing-song manner of speaking. When invited for interviews or guest appearances, they insisted on always being present together, never individually.
As a result of their friendships with musicians, the triplets appeared on various albums as backing vocalists, and recorded a few novelty singles which capitalised on their image as glamorous, flirtatious party girls. They also produced a spoken word album of interviews describing the life and philosophy of a groupie, which became something of a cult classic, and was notably used for samples by Neo-Gylian Sound acts.
The Mişeyáke Metro Mail humorously wrote that the Lynettes "snuck their way to becoming a household name through the side door". It described their appeal: "They were sweet and lovely, bringing the same giggly enthusiasm to makeovers and sex equally, and provided their services almost like a charity, generously lending a bit of stardust to everyone. For one night, they could make anyone feel like the most important person on the planet." Sima Daián similarly praised them as an excellent example of aristerokratia, commenting that "they made everything feel as elegant as a ballet and as intimately fun as a slumber party."
Their performing career gradually slowed down during the wretched decade and ended sometime in the early 1980s. They pursued various business ventures until retiring in their sixties. One of their few public appearances in retirement was being interviewed by Rasa Ḑeşéy for her documentaries The Beaties Anthology (2002) and Our Cities (2003).
Personal lives
They were involved in various relationships during their lifetimes, without marrying or having children. They were closest to each other, and lived together their entire lives.
Soskedy died on 16 December 2008, followed by Esyri on 20 March 2010 and Seryn on 24 September 2020.