A Fat, Nude Woman Became a 1970s Merchandise Sensation. Who Was “Bridget in the Buff”?

In the early 1970s, a jigsaw puzzle of a cheerful, young, naked, fat woman known only as “Bridget in the Buff” arrived in stores all over America. It was just the first of countless Bridget-related merchandise that would be sold around the world for the next decade: calendars, playing cards, coloring books, cookbooks, and much more. Bridget was everywhere. But who was she? In this episode of Decoder Ring, the real Bridget reveals all. Her name is Dawn Brooks, and she takes us through the unusual path that led her to pose nude for scores of popular products. How does it feel to be a gag gift—and now, an unlikely icon? Besides Dawn, you’ll hear from her friends Leslie Block Prip, Kathy McDermott, and John Emery; Herb Kavet, whose company created the “Bridget in the Buff” line of products; and Bridget admirers Laura Mazzuca Toops and Ginger Geralamo. Thank you to Brenda Oelbaum, and to Molly Brown and Olivia Dever from the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections. This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, our Supervising Producer. Decoder Ring is also produced by Max Freedman. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com or leave a message on our hotline at (347) 460-7281. Sources for This Episode @historicalfatpeople on Instagram Davidson, Margie. “Last Minute Suggestions for the Man in Your Life,” The News and Observer, Dec. 22, 1972. DeBoer, Paul, Herbert Kavet, and Martin Riskin. Bridget’s Diet Cookbook, American Publishing Corporation, 1972. Farrell, Ann. “Puzzles are fair game for adults,” The Toronto Star, Mar. 7, 1975. “Fat Nude Model.” Boston After Dark, Jan. 26, 1971. “Father’s Day.” Kearney Daily Hub, Jun. 12, 1972. “Gifts for Father’s Day.” The Muscatine Journal, Jun. 15, 1972. Jensen, Margaret. “Old Man Time in the Buff,” Columbia Missourian, Feb. 4, 1973. Lescaze, Alexandra, dir. All of Me: A Story of Love, Loss and Last Resorts, Mighty Fine Films, 2013.“Naughty Bridget!” Sunday People, Dec. 16, 1973. “New Games Puzzle Players.” Columbia Missourian, Mar. 11, 1973. Powell, Doris. “For Those Who Have Everything Or Want It…” The Times of Trenton, Nov. 23, 1972. Schachameyer, Linda. “Puzzling Over Bunnies, Apes and Donny Osmond,” Columbia Missourian, May 20, 1973.