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When you can buy nipple pasties on the high street and burlesque-esque pop bands are gyrating on MTV, has burlesque become boring?

Jane Bradley interviewed some queer-friendly burlesque stars to see what they thought…

No guilty secret

Burlesque, in its many and varied forms, has been around for a long, long time. Saucy and satirical, it encompasses everything from slapstick comedy to sensuous striptease, and all that’s inbetween.

It’s existed since the early Victorian era, and lately, it seems to be everywhere.

There’s no denying that Dita von Teese is championed by the media as modern burlesque’s poster girl of choice, and recent times have seen a huge surge of interest in burlesque and cabaret.

There are hundreds of burlesque-themed club nights across the UK, and the Ministry of Burlesque, a social networking site for burlesque performers and their fans has more than 8,000 members.

From being something of a guilty secret, burlesque is suddenly socially acceptable. Dita, the Pussycat Dolls and Immodesty Blaize, amongst others, have become household names. Even peak-time TV show Faking It has featured a burlesque episode.

Where once these worlds would have been completely separate, lately the boundaries have become blurred. Burlesque seems to have been swallowed and stolen by the mainstream culture vultures.

So, burlesque is booming, but is it getting boring too? With sequinned nipple pasties for sale in both Ann Summers and BHS, Has it been commandeered from an authentic counter-culture into just another high-street commodity?

Subversive drag kings

The majority of acts seem to be an homage to traditional burlesque, but there are a few daring originals who tease, charm and please with their innovate twists on the classics of old.

I tracked down a few of contemporary burlesque’s brightest stars to get their gossip and advice for the discerning gay girl.

Among some of burlesque’s new names is Red Sarah, whose drag king act was named in the latest issue of Bizarre as one of their “10 Hottest Burlesque Acts to See Before You Die.”

Subverting the traditional burlesque model, she told me that she “has a lot more fun as a man than as a glamorous woman,” because her drag act, a macho lover who “gets hot and sleazy taking of his tweed layers,” gives her an excuse to flirt with women.

Another much lauded drag king act is that of renowned lesbian burlesque beauty, Golden De Licious, (pictured above) based on Nan King from Sarah Waters’ infamous Tipping The Velvet.

A caricature of traditional female sexuality

The exaggerated feminine characteristics played upon in much contemporary burlesque could be seen as similar to the stereotyped imagery utilised by drag queens and porn films.

Stockings, heels and corsetry rank amongst the most popular fetishes in contemporary culture, and the cheesecake poses coupled with the coy demeanours of many acts form a caricature of traditional female sexuality.

Whilst there is a debate surrounding the ramifications for feminism from the recent rise of burlesque, it’s not an issue I can hope to answer or even start to analyse in an article of this meagre amount of words.

Why women love burlesque

The burlesque artists I spoke to were all hugely passionate about its appeal to women.

Bisexual burlesque diva and teacher Bella Besame (pictured left) explains that “the shows that I run in the UK have a predominantly female audience and I think this is a big reflection of the fact that the environment is so safe and fun.”

Golden Delicious agrees: “people assume burlesque is aimed at men but I think that women tend to enjoy the experience just as much, if not more! I’ve recently got a regular gig at a lesbian burlesque ball, and have never had such a great audience.”

The night in question is Corset & Diamonds, a monthly club night in London, organised by the glamourous and charismatic Monica Martinez. Men are allowed entry only as women’s guests, to avoid any lechery.

According to both Monica and Golden Delicious, the club’s atmosphere is celebratory and comfortable: “Everyone’s dressed up and appreciates unconventional glamour and beauty. It’s not a fetish club full of hardcore sex, I’m passionate about creating an atmosphere of sensuality and decadent glamour without the sleaze.”

A former financial services advisor, Monica felt suffocated by her day job, and started the event so that she “could feel like I was in a film and create my own world, even if it’s only for a night.” This kind of escapism is a popular explanation for burlesque’s seemingly universal appeal.

Another artist, the coyly-named Fanny Kisses, explains that “burlesque is about comedy and satire, gender play and teasing an audience. At any one gig I might watch flaming nipple tassels, a woman squeezed into a bell jar, a beautiful fan dance, a talented musician or a guy walking on glass.”

Not all cheesecake striptease

So, whilst sex and sexuality may be all-important to the majority of burlesque performers, with varying degrees of subtlety (or otherwise), it’s not all conventional cheesecake striptease. The range of acts out there is hugely varied and diverse.

From girl-only events to the burly, bristly all-male Bearlesque troupe, whatever your preference there’s bound to be something to tickle your fancy. And that, at the very least, is a reason to be thankful for the burlesque revival.

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