These days, playing the siren calls for a great deal of subtlety. Nothing is as easy as building an image, and nothing is harder than keeping it coherent. And then there is a certain laziness among women, it would seem. They may take care of their appearance, but their voices, their walk, the way they speak? To these they give less importance and less time… And yet! Owning one's femininity today is almost an act of bravery.
The power of a siren
Very quickly, the women who manage it stand out from the crowd. Once a siren succeeds in setting herself apart, she must show a certain skill: making men pursue her. She must also embody something exciting — remember? We have talked about this before: intense emotions leave a deeper mark than gentle ones (at first, at least; in the long run one risks growing bored, and it is rather the opposite that works over time…). Sirens are often disconcerting because they are irrational. In any case, they do not belong to the norm. Every woman is an enigma to men. Sirens are startling enigmas, as well as bewitching ones. Think of the men who succumbed to them. Paris starts a war for the beautiful eyes of Helen. Caesar puts his empire at risk, while Mark Antony loses his power and his life for the love of Cleopatra.
Napoleon is besotted with Joséphine, DiMaggio can never forget Marilyn, and Arthur Miller lost his pen for several years. A man often rushes to his ruin with a siren and can never free himself from her.
How does the siren remain out of reach?
Keeping a certain distance from men, remaining somewhat unattainable, commands respect and stops them from seeing through a siren's weaknesses. Sirens achieve this through their shifting moods. Through their whims. In this way they unsettle men and grant them little respite. A siren is thus a perpetual conquest. A constant challenge that turns the heads of many a man. A siren's physical attributes are her greatest asset. A fragrance, a touch of make-up, a way of walking, a hairstyle, a manner of dressing leave all the deeper an impression on men in that they carry no particular meaning or symbolism.
A siren, even one of ordinary appearance, seems beautiful. A beautiful woman, however, is not necessarily a siren. A smile, a pleasing gaze are highly seductive, but they must not dominate. They are too direct and too obvious. The siren stirs a general desire, and the best way to do so is to create an overall impression, at once unsettling and diverting.
Why is her voice her secret weapon?
The voice, as the legends tell us, can have an almost immediate effect, close to animal instinct. The siren plays discreetly with the intonations of her voice, her foremost instrument of seduction. Many historians agree in marvelling at Cleopatra's voice.
The Empress Joséphine, reputed to be one of the greatest seductresses of her time, had a languorous voice that men found exotic. Marilyn Monroe had a voice that was at once clipped, childlike and, at times, deep. Sirens are never aggressive in what they say; they speak slowly and never raise their voice. Their voices soothe and lull. And while the sound envelops, the body stirs.
What does a siren look like?
The siren takes particular care over her appearance, for everything must be harmonious. No single element should draw attention on its own. Accessories serve to divert without monopolising attention. Sirens suggest much and reveal very little — just enough to make you want to know more. The siren has a graceful, nonchalant walk. She is languorous, as though she had all the time in the world. Her gestures are at once innocent and suggestive. The siren seduces because she resembles a perpetual conquest and an eternal pleasure.
