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Analysis of Modern Burlesque

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Submitted By sirensaintsin
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The resurgence of a performance art that came to fruition in the mid to late 1800's until the early
1970's has gained great popularity in the last decade. The pomp and circumstance, the bawdy humor, the struts of classic showgirls, the gowns or resplendent glamour, and of course the tease of strip have made burlesque a must see all over the world yet again. Why did burlesque pop up again after its seemingly ultimate demise? With human bodies on display in every facet of advertising thrown at us daily, instant comedic gratification at our fingertips with the advent of the internet and smart phones, and interactive entertainment whenever we want, how did burlesque capture the hearts and minds of so many women and men in a world run by mass media? The answers are complicated yet quite simple.
Connection. Live shows offer a mini vacation, a break if you will, from our everyday lives in a way that still makes us feel connected. Burlesque offers this connection through the spectacle of glamour and raunchy statements. It connects to the primal human desires all the while using the platform to comment on social, political, and cultural sexual paradigms.
It seems in today's society that everyone has an opinion and everyone's opinion is right.
Democracy and our first amendment have allowed everyone to speak up and speak out. Though, not many have enough clout to really do much about it. Perhaps this is why the modern burlesquer is making waves. Burlesque dancers take what many of us think and preach about and put it into a pretty or gaudy 3-7 minute package covered in glitter and crystals and hand it to you just how you like it.
Quick and easy. Burlesquers also offer it in a confident realm where it is personable yet entertaining. A lot of us dream of “the good ol' days” where women were women and men were men. A time when sex was perceived to be innocent. This is where the classic strut and strip has importance. A play on the

cis-gender normative of the female role as lady for the hetero cis-male audience1 in a grand spectacle of glitz and glam. It is also where women are free to express their sexuality with authority2 in the place of being a worshiped Goddess. In mid century London a famous burlesque house hosted Raymond's
Revudebar which proudly toted showgirls of varying different and international body types and ethnicity.3 Although even today performers of color have generally not been seen as artistic sexual beings, modern burlesque is unabashedly supportive of these cultural issues. Edysiasts of color are able to shine and express themselves in any way they see fit without confines of social misconceptions and the audiences are devouring it with fervor.
Not only is socio-cultural commentary at the forefront of burlesque but so is political. No matter where these performance artists live they have something to say. Especially about their governments and how they relate to the common people. This is certainly no more apparent than in their actions by deciding to become social deviants thought to be unskilled home wreckers, drug addicts, and prostitutes.4 By shunning the socio-political norms expected by society these women and men make a stand against the powers that try to tame them. Burlesque performers fight against the stigmas of striptease being powerless, exploitative work that demoralizes those that participate in this field of work.5 Even though there have been many failed attempts at unionizing6 the performers still stand strong in making these political statements on and off stage.
1 Schweitzer, Dahlia, Striptease: The Art of Spectacle and Transgression (Journal Of Popular Culture 34, no. 1 )PDF. 68
2 Ibid., 72
3 Mort, Frank, Striptease: The Erotic Female Body and Live Sexual Entertainment in Mid-Twentieth-Century London
(Social History 32, no. 1) PDF. 48
4 Ross, Becki L, “Troublemakers” in Tassels and G-Strings: Striptease Dancers and the Union Question in Vancouver,
195-1980 (Canadian Review Of Sociology & Anthropology 43, no. 3) PDF. 330
5 Ibid.,34
6 Ibid., 341

Sex. Sex permeates our lives. It is in our advertising, entertainment, and main discussion in our interactions with others. It is the “hot” topic. Even feminism has a voice in it. Burlesque has been and always will be the ultimate in feminist sexual prose. If we are to fight against social, political, and cultural sexual restraints placed unnecessarily on women then we need art and artists who not only put themselves out their to speak up but who have zero qualms by doing so. Burlesquers say with their performances here I am, sexual, raw, uninhibited. Join me on this journey to self love and discovery.
They fight against mass media's attempt to body shame with perceived flaws and products to fix it. This radical feminist approach in a field dominated by sexual spectacle is the perfect recipe for female consumerism.7 Burlesque is tangible and approachable. It is relatable and palpable. Though burlesque was originally intended for that of the hetero-normative male consummation it has taken a vastly wide turn in its modern resurgence. The main audience for burlesque is now women. Many performers agree that their acts are not for the male gaze but that of the female. It isn't even for cis-female gendered or hetero-normative female consumption but that of the wide variety of gender and sexual fluidity mostly commonly accepted of females in society.8 This allows a unique feminist appreciation between performer and audience member.
Shows such as, “A Tribute to Icons and Legends” give burlesque a firm plantation of legitimate acceptance by the common folk of today's society and within the performance art world. It teaches us to think, voice, and react to social, political, and cultural issues around us. It is entertainment of interactivity and grand spectacle. It is fantasy and reality all in one. This is of great importance today where we are told what and how to think. Burlesque has always broken the mold in which we are so willingly to be placed and it will continue to shatter cultural restraints.
7 Wosick-Correa, Kassia R.Joseph, Lauren J. "Sexy Ladies Sexing Ladies: Women as Consumers in Strip Clubs."
( Journal Of Sex Research 45, no. 3) PDF. 201
8 Ibid. p. 205
Bibliography
Mort, Frank. "Striptease: the erotic female body and live sexual entertainment in midtwentieth- century London." Social History 32, no. 1 (February 2007): 27-53. History
Reference Center, EBSCO History Reference Center (24078231).
Ross, Becki L. "Troublemakers" in Tassels and G-Strings: Striptease Dancers and the Union
Question in Vancouver, 1965-1980."Canadian Review Of Sociology & Anthropology 43, no. 3 (August 2006): 329-344. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, EBSCO
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (22062376).
Schweitzer, Dahlia. "Striptease: The Art of Spectacle and Transgression." Journal Of
Popular Culture 34, no. 1 (Summer2000 2000): 65-75. Psychology and Behavioral
Sciences Collection, EBSCO Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
(4250949).
Wosick-Correa, Kassia R.Joseph, Lauren J. "Sexy Ladies Sexing Ladies: Women as
Consumers in Strip Clubs." Journal Of Sex Research 45, no. 3 (August 2008): 201-
216. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, EBSCO Psychology and
Behavioral Sciences Collection (33522575).

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