The Happy Stripper: Pleasures and Politics of the New BurlesqueIf the burlesque stripper, with her bawdy spirit and unruly insubordination, has emerged for many as a new 'empowering' model for the sexually aware woman, then she also strikes horror in the heart of second wave feminism. Embodied by high profile artistes such as Dita von Teese and Catherine D'Lish, the explosive revival of striptease, burlesque and overt female sexual performance has proved no less alluring to a new generation of women artists familiar with the provocative work of 70's performance artists such as Hannah Wilke and Carolee Schneeman. Eloquent on 'prettiness' and power, desire and 'knowingness', money, sex and class, and with an extensive knowledge of burlesque's rich tradition, Willson raises long overdue questions about women's erotic expression within a 'postfeminist' condition. The 'new burlesque' demands above all a response - this fresh, brazen, provocative book at last provides it. |
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accessed allure American argues artist audience beauty behaviour bourgeois burlesque performer burlesque star burlesque's Camille Paglia Carolee Schneemann challenge Cherie Blair contemporary corset courtesan created cultural debate desire display Dita Von Teese dress economic empowerment erotic exploitation expression fashion female body female performer female sexuality femi femininity feminism feminist fetish film freedom gaze gender girls glamour Gypsy Rose Lee Hannah Wilke heterosexual hijab Horrible Prettiness Ibid ideal imagery Immodesty Blaize Jenny Saville late nineteenth century lesque Lola the Vamp London look Lydia Thompson Mae West mainstream male masculine middle-class Minsky's Burlesque naked nude Paglia play pleasure political porn pornographic pornography post-feminism post-feminist postfeminism prostitution Quoted role Routledge Schneemann seductive seen sense sexy smile social society spectacle stereotypes stripper stripping striptease Teese's theatre tion traditional transgressive University Press Ursula Martinez veil whilst woman working-class York young women