I was a teenager during the 2010’s, when the modern revival of burlesque took place, thanks in part to the popularity of burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. Ever since I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a burlesque dancer. I would spend hours in my room dancing in front of my mirror, dreaming that one day I would be on stage in beautiful, lavish costumes, that I would strip off for an audience of eager spectators. When I told the people around me that I wanted to be a burlesque dancer, I was often met with ‘what’s burlesque?’ To which I would reply – and I cringe as I type this, ‘burlesque is like stripping, but classy!’ This was a common phrase amongst the burlesque scene during this time, which I had internalized. It echoes the sentiments of the pole fit community and their insistent separation from strippers, during a time in which pole fit studios were rising in popularity. As burlesque pranced its way into our mainstream consciousness; so too did the shunning separation from strippers.
I started working as a stripper in 2019. During this time I would meet a variety of other strippers who were also burlesque performers. Our words seemed to naturally intertwine, yet there was also a sense of separation between us. In the changing rooms at shows, I would overhear burlesque dancers discussing the difference between stripping and burlesque. The main hypothesis: where burlesque is empowering to women, stripping is inherently degrading. Burlesque is a ‘feminist’ and ‘artistic’ form of stripping, mostly because of its largely female audience, whereas stripping is seen as only for the male gaze and is therefore inherently ‘dirty’ and ‘demeaning’.
As burlesque pranced its way into our mainstream consciousness; so too did the shunning separation from strippers.
When I hear burlesque dancers make statements like this, that imply burlesque is more ‘classy’ than stripping, I understand where they are coming from. That’s not to say I agree with the sentiments, quite the contrary, but behind these statements are centuries worth of whorephobic, misogynistic, and classist ideologies that have been fed to us. Conditioned into us. In a society that vilifies feminine sexuality, especially the commodification of it, strippers and other sex workers are viewed as lesser women. We are good girls gone bad, at once innocent damsels in distress and by turn seductive homewrecking bitches. Our existence threatens the patriarchal notion that women belong in the home, raising children, and being financially tied to their husbands. Patriarchy hates sex workers, and many women internalize and preach misogynistic, whorephobic rhetoric in an attempt to avoid the same hatred and violence sex workers are subjected to. You don’t have to like it to understand it.
It’s no wonder burlesque dancers may feel defensive when people harshly ask ‘You do burlesque? So does that mean you’re a stripper???’ When many members of the pole fit community declared they were #NotAStripper on social media, it came from the desire to be accepted as a legitimate hobby/career. But in doing so, they also asked to be exempt from the stigma and consequences associated with being a sex worker - like account bans, shadowbanning, etc. All they achieved was more stigma for an already heavily stigmatized population. The same thing happens when burlesque dancers choose to seek the validation and the safety of a puritanical society, opposed to actively challenging its rhetoric. It's ironic, because burlesque dancers have been causing controversies and scandals amongst conservative societies for centuries. Sex workers and burlesque performers have had to fight against the same systems that are designed to keep feminine sexuality oppressed. Regardless of the gender of the performer/sex worker, it is the expression of femininity, particularly femininity in power, that is so harshly punished by patriarchy, which is why society has historically tried so hard to shut both the burlesque and sex work industry down. Burlesque dancers and sex workers have been challenging patriarchal notions of what a woman’s role, – and therefore anyone’s role – in society is, for centuries. If our roles are not fixed, immovable, concrete things, what then?
In a society that vilifies feminine sexuality, especially the commodification of it, strippers and other sex workers are viewed as lesser women. We are good girls gone bad, at once innocent damsels in distress and by turn seductive homewrecking bitches.
The history of burlesque, like the artform itself, is vast and diverse, and has evolved in many ways since its beginning. The word burlesque derives from the Italian word burlesco, which comes from the word burla: a joke, ridicule or mockery; or burlare: ‘to laugh at. It is a satirical art form that involves caricature, ridicule, and irony. Many burlesque dancers would take on characters from famous works of classical literature, using costumes and exaggerated movement to imitate a subject in a ludicrous, humorous way to evoke laughter from the audience. During the Victorian era, musical theater parody was a common form of entertainment for the lower and working classes. Performers would poke fun at the prudishness of the upper class through parody, which makes burlesque is like stripping but classy’ truly laughable. Just as there are modern burlesque dancers who look down upon strippers, many members of Victorian upper class society would have looked down on burlesque performers, viewing them as classless and in poor taste.
When you Google image search “burlesque dancer”, you are typically met with glamorous photos of white burlesque performers. But it is important to note that African American and SWANA communities have played, and continue to play, an important role in the modern shaping of burlesque. I briefly touched on this in my article A Strip Through Time: A Brief History of Stripping and Pole Fit, in relation to the birth of the ‘hoochie coochie’ dance, a style of dance that involves the gyrating and thrusting of your hips. This style evolved from belly dancing, which massively influenced the trajectory of burlesque. During the late 1800’s, the Chicago World Fair gathered American spectators and one of the most popular sites of the fair was a strip known as the Midway Plaisance (loosely translated to “Pleasure Ground”), where SWANA performers would belly dance in colorful, shimmering outfits. The mix of their slow, sensual movements with fast pelvic rocks and hip thrusting shocked and tantalized American audiences, who had never seen this style of dance before. These dancers became known as ‘cooch dancers’, though over time this style of dance became commonly referred to as the ‘bump and grind’. One of the most famous burlesque dancers of this time was a Syrian woman called Farida Mazar Spyropoulos, also known by her stage name, Little Egypt'. Her incorporation of vigorous hip thrusting and gyrating inspired the metamorphosis of burlesque from the satirical and comedic entertainment it was birthed from, into the more seductive dance form more commonly performed today.
When you Google image search “burlesque dancer”, you are typically met with glamorous photos of white burlesque performers. But it is important to note that African American and SWANA communities have played, and continue to play, an important role in the modern shaping of burlesque.
It’s quite interesting to see that the shift from a satirical to a more sexual view of burlesque took place during a time in which SWANA and African American styles of dance were incorporated. Yes, Lydia Thompson’s troupe certainly contributed to this shift. But I do wonder if the fetishization of Black and Brown bodies, particularly in America and The UK, contributed to burlesque being viewed as more sexual, and therefore derogatory. This same rhetoric is still rampant today, where Black, Brown and Indigenous strippers experience a different type of whorephobia that white sex workers are exempt from. While whorephobia impacts all sex workers, there are varying degrees to it. To be a white stripper comes with a lot of privilege, I know that society still looks down on me – but because I am white – I can be praised and even celebrated for being a stripper. It is considered much more socially acceptable for white women to engage in feminine sexual expression, being seen as celebrating ‘body positivity’ and ‘female empowerment’. I have often been met with a sense of, ‘that’s so cool and edgy that you worked as a stripper!’ BIPOC strippers, on the other hand, are held to a different standard through racist stereotypes and fetishisation. Often being viewed as trashy, aggressive and classless. This again links us back to ‘burlesque is like stripping but classy’ rhetoric. When burlesque dancers uphold classicist ideologies of what is and is not socially acceptable, they are also reinforcing racist stereotypes of femininity. This is ironic, because many of the moves burlesque dancers use in their acts were created by African American and SWANA dancers and communities. It’s ok when white women do it, though! In fact, it’s considered classy.
The 1930’s is heralded as the Golden Age of Burlesque, producing some of the most famous names in burlesque, from Josephine Baker to Gypsy Rose Lee. Lee viewed herself as a ‘high-class’ stripper, foreshadowing the future classism of burlesque. She approved of the American essayist H.L. Mencken’s term “ecdysiast” meaning “a strip tease performer”, which he coined as a more dignified way of referring to the profession. Even during its Golden Age there was an attempted separation between ‘high class’ and ‘low class’ forms of feminine expression, which remains a focal argument for many modern day burlesque performers.
The increase in the demand from soldiers for the striptease in World War II, saved the burlesque industry from eradication and the looming threat of censorship. Burlesque dancers and sex workers have always shared a similar enemy. Censorship has stalked the feminine form for centuries. While today it has manifested into the online censorship of sex workers, this villain makes an appearance in the history of burlesque. For as long as women have tried to showcase, celebrate and even codify their bodies, patriarchy has been sure to try and squash these attempts. Remember, a woman’s place is in the home, not on stage gyrating in front of strangers or earning a living!
Burlesque dancers and sex workers have always shared a similar enemy. Censorship has stalked the feminine form for centuries. While today it has manifested into the online censorship of sex workers, this villain makes an appearance in the history of burlesque.
In 1935 New York, conservative citizens' groups began calling for action against burlesque. They argued that burlesque shows were "corrupting moral influence." Though let’s be honest, any time something that involves feminine sexuality is accused of “corrupting moral influence” what they really mean is ‘we are terrified women will gain bodily autonomy and the patriarchy will crumble!’ In 1937, a stripper at New Gotham Theater in Harlem was spotted working without a G-string. What followed was a police raid, and the demise of burlesque in New York. In 1939, The American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) union was founded to govern what live variety performances could, and especially, could not show. A lot of the censorship had an emphasis on women’s bodies, surprise surprise. This censorship did not last. Could not last.
According to Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show, while politicians in New York were battling to shut burlesque down, outside of the city it was flourishing with the demand for striptease under the influx of men in port city and army bases. As the years went on, burlesque lounges and bars opened up all across Europe and The US. And due to the American sexual revolution of the 1960’s, both club owners and spectators were demanding more and more flesh from the performers. Over time, these burlesque lounges became what we consider modern strip clubs. In Aotearoa New Zealand, strip clubs started off as coffee bars that were quite similar to burlesque lounges. As we saw in 1930’s America, adult entertainers in Aotearoa during the 1960’s were also restricted by censorship. However, in the 1970’s on-stage nudity was legalised due to a court ruling for the touring of the musical Hair. As the decades went on, these clubs started to reflect what we now associate with the modern strip club: performers would dance on poles, and there was now the option to purchase a lap dance from your favorite dancer. So we saw the shift from burlesque lounges to strip clubs, and with this came an insistence on the divide between modern burlesque dancers and strippers.
Due to the American sexual revolution of the 1960’s, both club owners and spectators were demanding more and more flesh from the performers. Over time, these burlesque lounges became what we consider modern strip clubs.
In my experience, I believe that the burlesque community has eased up on the whorephobia, but it’s not enough to simply stop saying that “burlesque is like stripping but classy.” Sex workers need the burlesque community to be loud allies. Just like the pole fit community, burlesque dancers need to be challenging the whorearchy and going out of their way to combat whorephobic rhetoric. Let us celebrate that both sex workers and burlesque dancers have a rich history of pissing off conservatives, and providing women, queer, and trans folk an industry where they can be financially independent. Let’s come together knowing that we both refuse to be censored.
When I think of the unity between sex workers and burlesque dancers, I think of the likes of Josephine Baker. A social rights activist, sex worker, and a burlesque dancer, Baker was an absolute trailblazer. She speaks to the resilience, passion, creativity, and drive needed to be a sex worker and a burlesque dancer. We are two communities with a shared history of challenging puritanical notions, and we are much stronger together. With the current rise in censorship, sex negativity, and a massive pushback from conservatives, it is vital we put a stop to this foolish divide and instead come together to celebrate the beauty of taking your clothes off! Whatever form it may take, whatever audience it may be performed to, and for whatever reason the person is choosing to strip. There are differences and similarities, but both deserve respect because they both require tremendous courage to not give a fuck what anyone thinks.
CITATION
Allen, R. C. (1991). Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture. The University of
Carolina Press. Chapel Hill and London.
Shteir, R. (2004). Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show. Oxford University Press. New York.
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