To think burlesque IS empowering?

[Neverknowing]

Following on from the 'burlesque' thread, I want to ask peoples opinion on burlesque I think if a woman is getting paid to do something they enjoy and they feel empowered by it then there's nothing wrong? I have a friend who did burlesque for years and said men and women who went to the shows were always respectful and she loved doing it!
Does anyone have any reasons they think burlesque isn't empowering?

'empowering' means getting power, doesn't it?

Not just having an income - lots of people have insecure zero hours contracts which are dependent on physical fitness but which can sometimes pay well or get you lots of tips. And it's not just enjoying your work either, as people find that comes and goes.

The people who are empowered here are the club owners.

I have no problem with it. Live and let live. BUT, empowering it is not.

Having power is empowering. Actual power - like representation in government, equal pay for equal work etc...

Using words like empowering for artsy stripping does the word a disservice. If you enjoy it, fab, don't try and make it into a feminist endeavour - it ain't.

If you feel shit about how you look and do Burlesque classes to feel more comfortable and sexier then okay I guess.

But if you're doing it for an audience then you're still stripping off for the public. And if you enjoy that, great. But don't kid yourself that taking your clothes off in front of strangers is empowering.

< burns retro dresses >

Queen that is a really horrible post. I know you're point-making but please think twice about the pejorative language you've used about women.

As a size 18 Queen I can assure you my husband finds me attractive when I'm prancing round the bedroom with my pasty, cellulite ridden body.

What a horrible post

And with one single post on MN, Lindybop went out of business

Queen, that was just so bitchy and unnecessary. I hope it made you feek good to post that.

It's not empowering, it doesn't give you any greater degree degree of control over your life than any other occupation. It might increase your self-confidence, but I can think of many other ways of doing that which aren't based on what you look like naked.

Maybe us fat birds should just resign ourselves to wearing tents, instead of trying to feel or look attractive, Queen? No. I'll wear what I like, and makes me feel confident and happy and comfortable, retro or otherwise. I'm never going to be one of life's great beauties, whatever my size, but DH has no problem finding my pasty, cellulite-ridden body sexy.

The burlesque shows I've been too featured a lot of male acts. I think they're funny and sending up the idea of what's sexy rather than trying to be sexy. I do think a lot of women emulate the look and the retro styles in general becasue it helps them feel better about themselves. Certainly my first hell bunny dress made me feel attractive for the first time in a long time. I felt able to accept my body after childbirth and life threatening illness so for me it was empowering, empowering enough for me not to give a shinny shit what anyone else thinks about me. It went beyond the dress to actually accepting how I looked naked (no TV cameras in sight).

When it comes to the abortion argument I firmly believe my body my choice and that extends to every part of my life including what I wear and I also believe it extends to every other person. If you choose to be a burlesque performer or attend a burlesque show you aren't hurting anyone so why judge?

I agree Donkey

I think curvy women can look stunning in 1950s retro dresses I love the style but I am short and straight up and down so they make me look like I've been playing in the dressing up box.

I did a burlesque class for a bit. It was fun and made me not hate my body quite so much. I wouldn't say it was empowering but it did improve my confidence.

And Queen my DP finds my flabby pasty size 18 arse very sexy thankyou very much.
The retro look is often recommended because there are very few women, of any size, who don't look good with a defined waist, which is what the look is trying to achieve.

Have you been to a burlesque show? Men don't go unless they're attached somehow to one of the performers. It's not for men, the niche of boylesque aside. It's women taking the classes, putting on the shows, buying the paraphernalia. Burlesque is for women.

One of the purposes of it is to demonstrate that women can do this sort of thing and it's for them, not men. It's nothing to do with boners. The fact that so many people can't grasp that a woman might enjoy doing or watching something sexy even if not a single man benefits from it is so telling.

this sums it up for me!

Their body, their choice

That would only work if everybody lived in a vacuum. As it is, choice isn't so much like driving a car - where you power yourself entirely - but rowing down a river, where you're constantly being pushed and taken off course by external that are out of your control, and that you might not even notice.

Empowerment my arse
This

I asked on the other thread what is the power that people think can be obtained from burlesque or stripping?

"to empower" means .

What power is burlesque giving to the dancers?

Is stripping empowering? Not in my book. Giving it a fancy pants name doesn't change the fact it's stripping.

So if it's empowering, then why is the woman virtually naked at the end of it whilst in a room full of fully clothed spectators? It's posh stripping - you can dress it up with beautiful costumes and traditions and music and artistic moves. But at the end of the day you are still taking your clothes off for money.

If you feel its empowering I feel rather sorry for you.

There are many many ways to feel empowered, having to wear "sexy" clothes and nipple tassles isn't one of them.

If it makes a woman like herself and her body more, form friendships and keep a supportive female environment and not judge herself by boners (since burlesque is about women, not men), is that not a form of empowerment?

I can't say I'll be feeling particularly ra ra sisterhood tomorrow in the office while my male boss drones on.

Oh don't listen to them all OP. Of course it's empowering. Any counsellor, GP or careers advisor worth their salt tells you promptly to either take up stripping or burlesque when you're feeling low or demotivated ... right?

Lots of people do lots of things for different reasons. Burlesque isn't my cup of tea but I can understand why people want to do it and how it helps them embrace their bodies. There are just a lot of people on mn who think their idea of empowerment is the only way.