Are you still reading the OLD version of this blog?!
Join me at the new Pinup Blog at:
http://www.thepinupblog.com/
Click here to continue reading this article on the new Pinup Blog.
Burlesque has taken many forms through the years, but one fact always stayed true: The female form.
Last week I talked about cartoon pinups and added some videos for your viewing pleasure. After a second watching I noticed something linking all these unforgettable cinematic moments- A song and a dance. These cartoon women didn't only look good, they made for memorable entertainment. They all reminded me of a fabulous art form, enjoying an enticing revival- burlesque.
The Golden Age of Burlesque - Gypsy Rose Lee
Burlesque is not just about the female form. In it's golden age, it was about entertainment- comedians, singers, dancers. In my opinion, this short video of Gypsy Rose Lee is one of the best examples of burlesque. Lee isn't just taking off her clothes, she's mocking the stereotypical view of what a “lady” should be, while charmingly teasing her male audience about what they really want to see.
The Dirty Man's Burlesque – Betty Page
Burlesque would slowly die out as an art-form for the people, and leave behind it only the fraction of strip. In the late 1940's there were “camera clubs”, formed by men with an interest in nude photography, that's how Betty Page got her start. She Quickly linked up with Irving Klaw, which pretty much cemented her as a BDSM superstar. Page also made a few soft-core fantasy videos, for Klaw, among them striptease shots, that- due to Pages playful nature- seem more like a farce than the real dirty thing.
Burlesque Comeback- Liza Minnelli
In 1972 we revisit the golden age of burlesque, in Bob Fosse's Cabaret. Liza Minnelli makes an Academy Award winning performance as Sally Bowles, an American Burlesque dancer, in Germany, at the time of the rising of the Nazi rise to power. Though many social,political and historical issues are addressed in the film, it can't be denied that the Cabaret scenes are it's main allure. My favorite scene, of course, being, Sally's introduction to the viewer- Minnelli at her finest:
Neo Burlesque- Dita Von Teese
Widely thought of as one of the instigators of Neo Burlesque, Dita Von Teese puts on a show of beauty like no other. Although her shows lack the parody side of classic burlesque, in many ways, Von Teese is putting new issues up for debate: Like female sexuality and standardized fantasy and also artistic aesthetic.
The Neo-Burlesque has brought back a lot of the stripping and a little of the spoofing, but it seems to be evolving as we speak.
Now that's entertainment!
Additional Sources:
http://www.musicals101.com/burlesque.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettie_Page
To get more cheesecake, subscribe by Email or by 
Contact The Pinup Shop Blog at thepinupshop@gmail.com
2 comments:
I came here on my craft blog EntreCard, intending to drop it...., I don't think so as it would be inappropriate. But I must say this is a very classy post abut burlesque dancing and I really did enjoy reading and watching the clips.
Thank you so much!
I'm glad you didn't just drop and run ;), but feel free to drop a card anytime- I am, after all, a student of culture :D
Post a Comment