AIBU to think that burlesque is a bit crap?

[TiggyR]

My friend phoned out of the blue last week and asked if DH and I would like to join them to see a burlesque show in the London. I said yes, because
a) I like going out and don't get to go out often enough,
b) there was talk of dinner after,
c)I didn''t have the heart/guts to say 'Good God woman, what on eath do you want to sit through that cheesy tripe for?'
d) I was caught unawares and panicked.

Now I am not a prude, at least not where a consenting couple and a a bedroom are concerned. I have been known to be a bit inventive/naughty on occasion, and I have had a passing aquaintance with bumsex, bondage etc, so NOT a nun or a repressed saddo, and do I realise that burlesque is not full-on pornography, but I just find the thought of all that cheesy old fashioned titillation caberet-stylee excruciatingly embarrassing and cringey. I don't find it sexy, I find it a bit seedy and sad. I won't know where to look. I can't bear to think I'll be in a room with two hundred bald fat middle aged men who are all pretending to enjoy the 'art' and the music, and the spectacle, when actually their eyes are glazed over and they've got a hard-on under their popcorn. ICK!
I can't bear the chippendales, stripograms, hen-nights or lap-dancing or anything that's designed to get people horny whilst in a room full of strangers. Its all so undignified and cringey and desperate!

I googles the 'artiste' I'm going to have to sit through, and watched a video of her stripping (artistically) whilst singing some crap caberet style song, and I felt a sickeing feeling of impending doom. I'll be fidgeting in my seat all night, for all the wrong reasons and looking through gaps in my fingers.

Am I wrong?

I really enjoy beautiful corsets and lingerie, and grew up on the old movies of the forties and fifties thanks to my ancient dad, so the glamour appeals to me. I'm not arsed about needing to see the stripping side of it tbh, but I like the accoutrements of it.

I can understand how if you aren't into that sort of aesthetic that it would be a bore though.

We're talking the glamour of the Burlesque artists of the 40's and 50's (Look up Lily St Cyr and Tempest Storm)

Forgot and important one, Sally Rand.

I have no problem with it but it certainly isn't something I'd enjoy.

Never said they didn't. But they do wear trainers and baseball caps

Can't win with you can I? First you talk about how little casual wear there is then you talk about snobbery when I post some

Also if anyone is wondering why I defend burlesque so much it's because I've seen how much time and effort goes into the acts, the costumes and the nights themselves. I find it very insulting to hear it talked about like it's something trashy by people who have never actually seen it, or have decided one performance is indicative of the whole scene. With regards to nudity, most acts are about 3-4 mins long, pastied boobs are on show for about 5 seconds of that, it's the performance/costume before the reveal which is the main part. Not that the boobs are a bad thing, the human body is nothing to be ashamed of.

And as for fat girls stripping?! Damn them for not being skinny?

The artiste in question is Miss Polly Rae. I actually like to see proper curvy women being celebrated and I like 40's 50's glamour and I don't necessarily think it will be trashy - just, erm, lame? Cringey? Boring? Like trying to smile and be enthusiastic through your Mum's WI group doing a terrible am-dram performance! And I do have a real problem with people paying to be made horny in front of an audience. Its nothing to do with exploitation v. empowerment, its just undignified and slimey. Some things really need to be done in private....

The slightly odd thing is that the friend who suggested it is a bit of a body fascist, and so is her husband. I wonder if they realise they are all going to be over a size 12? She'll be a bit freaked out by that! I have another friend who went to a burlesque show last year, and these friends both have something in common in that that they both have lovely figures but are a tad too exhibitionist for my liking, and secretly love the look of themselves a bit too much. Any chance to dress up in anything kinky/overtly sexy (for a laugh, you understand) and they are both there like a shot. They are the ones who are always at a fancy dress party in something that looks like it was from Ann Summers rather than going as a Smurf or Margeret Thatcher!

I think Dittany is fantastic on threads like these.

By dittany Mon 25-Jan-10 23:17:43
YANBU. It is a pile of wank.

Unless I'm very much mistaken it's not possible to do burlesque without having to get your tits out. Stripping for middle class women who didn't want to miss out on the boom in women being turned into sex objects.

Very opposing views then,but on balance I'd say most people are on my side, and that it is indeed, a bit crap.

However, tickets are booked, and I'm going, so I'll let you know what I think. Besides, I think you should be prepared to try anything once. Well, not anything obviously. Not heroin addiction or necrophilia for instance. And lesbianism is pretty low down on my list. Though I'd give that a bash ahead of vegetarianism and marathon running. And only on the proviso that it could be with Kirsty Young or Kristen Scott Thomas.

She's hilarious my fav quote so far - 'This is stripping in red lipstick and well-defined eyebrows.'

Moondog was also very funny but probably not speaking the truth when she said : "I would rather be fingered by Frank Bough than sit through a minute of a 'burlesque show'".

It's all a bit crap isn't it. I hate shite like this. It is on the same level on my excrutiatingly naff shite metre as the Chippendales, girls at uni doing 'ironic' beauty pageants and Ann Summers parties.

Well yes the tacky burlesque nights that have sprung up since it became trendy are shit.

However I had the best night out of my life at a burlesque club. The highlight being a woman in nothing but stocking, suspenders and nipple covers singing whilst 'crowd surfing' on a an enormous bass drum as a 14 piece gypsy band played. Amazing.

Yes - why has it suddenly become so trendy? It's all a bit emperor's new clothes if you ask me. Everyone's wanting to go because everyone else is going, so it must be good.

As an aside when the woman on Americas got Talent or American Idol did the Knight Rider Burlesque routine who was the female judge?

Tiggy It looks like Polly Rae does traditional stripping, she seems to be good but I can see how it wouldn't appeal to you. It's a shame you aren't going to a more comedic night, I think you'd enjoy it more. Hopefully you'll have fun though, the atmosphere at burly shows is usually really good.

DevilWearsPrimark Do you remember the name of the performer?

It is pandemic in brighton which is usually the kiss of death!

During times of economic recession or uncertainly, people always hark back to the past because it represents certainly and wholesomeness and a more simpler time

this is why lots of large brands are running old campaigns again e.g. wholesome old Hovis ads

So yes basically, this is an acceptable way of nice middle class ladies jumping on the bandwagon of objectifying women while harking back to more wholesome times

I'm not sure how someone crowd-surfing with her minge out is wholesome.

There are very few good nights in Brighton, Club Smooch is good though. Especially when they have the Dream Bears on!

Tiggy It's just the way it goes, my DP has to put up with my scowling everytime I see someone described as burlesque just because they take their clothes off on stage. The fuss will die down soon and the quality nights should (hopefully) remain.

Me neither!

Burlesque is bollocks. And whilst we're on the subject, am I the only one that thinks Dita von Teese isn't all that, and ever so slightly rat-like.