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Love, Sex, Power, Pleasure

Sharmadean Reid

Sharmadean Reid

— 16 min read
Love, Sex, Power, Pleasure
Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell - Basic Instinct (1992)

I have just completed six months of deep research into the life of Cleopatra VII and upon reading the final sentence of the Michael Grant biography, my final thought was: wow, my girl Patty really threw it all away for the D, huh?

Cleopatra's death.

Even within the story of one of the greatest women in the history of the world, there remains the lingering message that you can’t have it all.

What is all? Love, Sex, Power, and Pleasure. I’ve left out money because all four states are available with or without it. Yes, money is a fast lane to economic independence, which gives women the power of choice, but as we all know—money can’t buy you love.

You can be incredibly (nouveau) rich and yet have no social power. You can have power without having a penny to your name (as cult leaders do so well). So, while I will touch on money, after being involuntary celibate (girls can be incel too!) for nine months or so, I can tell you firsthand that it can’t get you no satisfaction.

In today’s letter, I want to tell you my version of the events of Queen Cleopatra as well as my thoughts on the movie Babygirl (2024) as a reading of love, sex, pleasure, and power. But first, let’s do what any good critic does and make some definitions. For me;

  • Love: A deep feeling of understanding, acceptance, and safety. For the purposes of this conversation, also includes marriage/secure partner.
  • Sex: The act of intercourse. Could be frequent/infrequent, good/bad.
  • Power: One person having dominion over another, physically or psychologically.
  • Pleasure: The feeling of satisfaction, not only in the bedroom but in general life through food, dance, experiences, etc.

Because all I want is…

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