In case you don't know, I spend a lot of time (probably... more than I should) on the blogging/photo-sharing site Tumblr. If you don't know Tumblr, don't worry - I care about your lonely soul and you should go there. You should go there a lot. There's a lot of good to be said about Tumblr: a generally-positive atmosphere, relatively few trolls, and really awesome stuff on there. However, this is kind of a kvetching post, so let's just skip the gristle and get right down to the main course, shall we?
Okay, I've established that I am an aspiring/learning burlesque performer. Since my teacher was so impressed with my preparedness for last lesson, I've been headfirst in research. Tumblr, with its infinite pages of pictures and stories, seemed a good place to start. At first, I saw things that made me just wonderfully happy - ideas for costumes and makeup, links to useful videos, etc. However, the more time I spent on the "burlesque" and "pinup" tags, the more crestfallen I became.
The more I looked, the more I noticed a very, VERY specific type in the pictures: milky-white skin, vintage hair cuts, curvaceous hourglass (read: thicker) figures, and loads of colorful tattoos. I got the impression very quickly that this is what "perfect" is supposed to look like for burlesque. I would assume this is a personal issue, but I would also venture to guess many people share it: when you're going to do something, you try to do it as close to "perfect" or "right" as possible. Performance art, even one that is meant to be so body-positive - like burlesque - can be quite unforgiving of the unconventional/unusual. I felt like throwing down my guns and quitting before I even hit my first lesson.
I am absolutely none of those things. Being half Cajun by blood, my skin isn't quite dark enough to be considered by convention "exotic" (I'm not even TOUCHING that subject today) and I turn sort of yellow in the winter. My hair is naturally sort of... um... Well, let's not guess at that, but I swore off dye three years and had a color rinse in September so... Yeah, it's brownish-reddish... Oh, and it touches my tailbone. I do NOT have Dita Von Teese hair - and those haircuts are not very versatile beyond "vintage" styles, I've found. I also go to ren-fests, so long hair is needed for braids and curls and looking like a fairy. Also, I haven't got a single tattoo or piercing anywhere on my body - I need to get my ears re-done. So, there I was, thinking that yet again, I didn't fit the physical mold for something I really wanted to do.
And I really don't like that I wound up on that train of thought. Burlesque is a lovely thing, a beautiful way for women to explore and use and wear their sensuality in a powerful way. However, if we're all going to preach body positivity, I'd like to SEE more bodily variety on these Tumblr tags. Yes, Dita Von Teese is a gorgeous woman and a talented performing artist/marketing director. I'm not here to knock anybody as long as they're not going to be a jerk. However, just like "conventional" modeling or the beauty industry, there's a very narrow range of people who fit that. Not saying those people aren't attractive and wonderful and amazing in their own way, but let's see some variation!
All that being said, I'm really looking forward to my next lesson on the 26th! Look for another post specifically about that when it happens. I actually - surprise, surprise - have a lot to say about the learning/practicing process, but as Alton Brown says, that's another show. I'm really trying to keep this blog from being yet another person just beefing and whining to the Internet at large. So, this upcoming week, I'll be really trying to find examples of awesomeness to blog about!
Marigold, all bundled up in blankets, saying have a happy day!
Okay, I've established that I am an aspiring/learning burlesque performer. Since my teacher was so impressed with my preparedness for last lesson, I've been headfirst in research. Tumblr, with its infinite pages of pictures and stories, seemed a good place to start. At first, I saw things that made me just wonderfully happy - ideas for costumes and makeup, links to useful videos, etc. However, the more time I spent on the "burlesque" and "pinup" tags, the more crestfallen I became.
The more I looked, the more I noticed a very, VERY specific type in the pictures: milky-white skin, vintage hair cuts, curvaceous hourglass (read: thicker) figures, and loads of colorful tattoos. I got the impression very quickly that this is what "perfect" is supposed to look like for burlesque. I would assume this is a personal issue, but I would also venture to guess many people share it: when you're going to do something, you try to do it as close to "perfect" or "right" as possible. Performance art, even one that is meant to be so body-positive - like burlesque - can be quite unforgiving of the unconventional/unusual. I felt like throwing down my guns and quitting before I even hit my first lesson.
I am absolutely none of those things. Being half Cajun by blood, my skin isn't quite dark enough to be considered by convention "exotic" (I'm not even TOUCHING that subject today) and I turn sort of yellow in the winter. My hair is naturally sort of... um... Well, let's not guess at that, but I swore off dye three years and had a color rinse in September so... Yeah, it's brownish-reddish... Oh, and it touches my tailbone. I do NOT have Dita Von Teese hair - and those haircuts are not very versatile beyond "vintage" styles, I've found. I also go to ren-fests, so long hair is needed for braids and curls and looking like a fairy. Also, I haven't got a single tattoo or piercing anywhere on my body - I need to get my ears re-done. So, there I was, thinking that yet again, I didn't fit the physical mold for something I really wanted to do.
And I really don't like that I wound up on that train of thought. Burlesque is a lovely thing, a beautiful way for women to explore and use and wear their sensuality in a powerful way. However, if we're all going to preach body positivity, I'd like to SEE more bodily variety on these Tumblr tags. Yes, Dita Von Teese is a gorgeous woman and a talented performing artist/marketing director. I'm not here to knock anybody as long as they're not going to be a jerk. However, just like "conventional" modeling or the beauty industry, there's a very narrow range of people who fit that. Not saying those people aren't attractive and wonderful and amazing in their own way, but let's see some variation!
All that being said, I'm really looking forward to my next lesson on the 26th! Look for another post specifically about that when it happens. I actually - surprise, surprise - have a lot to say about the learning/practicing process, but as Alton Brown says, that's another show. I'm really trying to keep this blog from being yet another person just beefing and whining to the Internet at large. So, this upcoming week, I'll be really trying to find examples of awesomeness to blog about!
Marigold, all bundled up in blankets, saying have a happy day!
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