All right, lovelies - here's the deal: I had planned for my next blog entry to be a spotlight on the women of Rurouni Kenshin, an anime series near and dear to my heart. However, due to circumstances beyond my comprehension (namely, putting pictures to blog) I won't. Do not rule it out for a later entry once I work all that tech-y stuff out! There is, however, another extenuating circumstance that I feel is pertinent and worthy of blogosphere reporting!
Tomorrow, I visit Miss K. L. (name withheld) for my first-ever session of burlesque dance coaching. Yes, this does have roots in my very own nerdism. My first exposure to anything burlesque-related, to my recollection, was the stripper mouse scene in Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. Of course, many hours spent with the Looney Tunes (and a scene in The Mask based thereupon) fueled the fire. I don't guess everyone here is really all that interested in the journey from there.
Point is, I'm fulfilling a dream of mine: to perform. Yes, burlesque can be sensual/sexual/sexy in nature. For a good while, it was one of the main ways a woman performer could control her own career, from information I have acquired. Currently, according to my research and (albeit limited) experience, it is a female-dominated body-positive form of performance art. It celebrates beauty of all shapes and sizes. I'd go into the whole history of it, but I'm a bit tired at the moment to do all that research, cite all those sources, and write the equivalent of a college paper here. Y'all came to read a blog and a blog's what you'll get! (If you want more information on the origins of burlesque performance, I'd be happy to share my links with you - just ask me!)
Why is it coming up in Magical Girl Power! you ask? No, it has nothing to do with anime (at least not until I actually do a number to Sailor Moon's transformation sequence) or fandom, etc. It's coming up here 1. because it's my blog and I'm happy to share, and 2. body image is a human thing, and feminism is a human issue. Body positivity is something I'm going to touch on A LOT in dealing
with the con scene, anime, fantasy, sci-fi, and other nerd-tastic subjects.
Thing the first! What is body positivity? Good question, darlings! In my opinion (and I would assume at least some other people share this view) body positivity is the attitude that there is no wrong way to have a body. People come in all shapes and sizes and colors and levels of fitness and every other possible variation. That's cool as all hell. All I say is that if you're going to be body-positive, you need to be health-positive. Whatever kind of body you have, please - I implore you - treat it with love and respect! Burlesque, to me, is a form of performance art that promotes body positivity. Go on YouTube and look up burlesque performances. You will see ladies (and some gentlemen and everybody in between) of so many body types and performers of all skill levels.
Small side note: does this mean you have to find every body type attractive? No. That's just not realistic. There are going to be some things that you, yourself personally, do not find attractive or sexy or what have you. That's your prerogative. You can be body-positive and celebrate the beauty of every person without finding them a sexy, sexy thing. The key to body positivity is respect: respect for your own body and the bodies of others, regardless of physical attraction.
Back to burlesque - the other reason this is coming up in a feminist nerd's blog: Double. Freaking. Standards. Boys/Dudes/Gentlemen/Males-Biologically-or-Not, I am talking to you! You (okay, we!) drool over Orion slave girls and Princess Leia in her metal bikini and Felicia from DarkStalkers. And that's cool - I do it too. The issue is what I would like to call drooling respectfully. Respect that a girl/woman's sexuality/sensuality is HERS. It is for her. Burlesque is a lovely, wonderful way for her to CHOOSE to share that with an audience.
Let me repeat that: A WOMAN'S SEXUALITY IS NOT FOR YOU. Not even if she's portraying the character who's been the star of every X-rated dream you've ever had. Not even if she's wearing a skimpy costume. Not even if she's taking her clothes off on-stage. Don't even get me started on if she's had a drink or two...
My point is that burlesque is a way for a woman to own her sexual power, even flaunt it, in a safe environment. That means "no touchy" unless the performer specifically tells you that you can. For me, that's a powerful thing - I've been there. I would be willing to be money that about 90% of female convention-goers have been touched without their consent in some way. There's always some dummy who thinks that short skirt means he can help himself to a feel of the behind under it. Burlesque is a performance art that a woman chooses of her own volition because it makes her feel good. Think of it as her way of offering to share her sexuality with you - respect her courage to do so!
I'm really nervous going into my first lesson. I am a perfectionist by nature and I don't tolerate it well when I mess up. My lesson is a four-hour session and I still need to get my outfit together. Wish me luck! Apologies for getting a little rant-y on only my second post. Beware, however - these topics WILL be reappearing, particularly when con season starts to pick up...
Marigold/Hyper-chan, out!
Tomorrow, I visit Miss K. L. (name withheld) for my first-ever session of burlesque dance coaching. Yes, this does have roots in my very own nerdism. My first exposure to anything burlesque-related, to my recollection, was the stripper mouse scene in Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. Of course, many hours spent with the Looney Tunes (and a scene in The Mask based thereupon) fueled the fire. I don't guess everyone here is really all that interested in the journey from there.
Point is, I'm fulfilling a dream of mine: to perform. Yes, burlesque can be sensual/sexual/sexy in nature. For a good while, it was one of the main ways a woman performer could control her own career, from information I have acquired. Currently, according to my research and (albeit limited) experience, it is a female-dominated body-positive form of performance art. It celebrates beauty of all shapes and sizes. I'd go into the whole history of it, but I'm a bit tired at the moment to do all that research, cite all those sources, and write the equivalent of a college paper here. Y'all came to read a blog and a blog's what you'll get! (If you want more information on the origins of burlesque performance, I'd be happy to share my links with you - just ask me!)
Why is it coming up in Magical Girl Power! you ask? No, it has nothing to do with anime (at least not until I actually do a number to Sailor Moon's transformation sequence) or fandom, etc. It's coming up here 1. because it's my blog and I'm happy to share, and 2. body image is a human thing, and feminism is a human issue. Body positivity is something I'm going to touch on A LOT in dealing
with the con scene, anime, fantasy, sci-fi, and other nerd-tastic subjects.
Thing the first! What is body positivity? Good question, darlings! In my opinion (and I would assume at least some other people share this view) body positivity is the attitude that there is no wrong way to have a body. People come in all shapes and sizes and colors and levels of fitness and every other possible variation. That's cool as all hell. All I say is that if you're going to be body-positive, you need to be health-positive. Whatever kind of body you have, please - I implore you - treat it with love and respect! Burlesque, to me, is a form of performance art that promotes body positivity. Go on YouTube and look up burlesque performances. You will see ladies (and some gentlemen and everybody in between) of so many body types and performers of all skill levels.
Small side note: does this mean you have to find every body type attractive? No. That's just not realistic. There are going to be some things that you, yourself personally, do not find attractive or sexy or what have you. That's your prerogative. You can be body-positive and celebrate the beauty of every person without finding them a sexy, sexy thing. The key to body positivity is respect: respect for your own body and the bodies of others, regardless of physical attraction.
Back to burlesque - the other reason this is coming up in a feminist nerd's blog: Double. Freaking. Standards. Boys/Dudes/Gentlemen/Males-Biologically-or-Not, I am talking to you! You (okay, we!) drool over Orion slave girls and Princess Leia in her metal bikini and Felicia from DarkStalkers. And that's cool - I do it too. The issue is what I would like to call drooling respectfully. Respect that a girl/woman's sexuality/sensuality is HERS. It is for her. Burlesque is a lovely, wonderful way for her to CHOOSE to share that with an audience.
Let me repeat that: A WOMAN'S SEXUALITY IS NOT FOR YOU. Not even if she's portraying the character who's been the star of every X-rated dream you've ever had. Not even if she's wearing a skimpy costume. Not even if she's taking her clothes off on-stage. Don't even get me started on if she's had a drink or two...
My point is that burlesque is a way for a woman to own her sexual power, even flaunt it, in a safe environment. That means "no touchy" unless the performer specifically tells you that you can. For me, that's a powerful thing - I've been there. I would be willing to be money that about 90% of female convention-goers have been touched without their consent in some way. There's always some dummy who thinks that short skirt means he can help himself to a feel of the behind under it. Burlesque is a performance art that a woman chooses of her own volition because it makes her feel good. Think of it as her way of offering to share her sexuality with you - respect her courage to do so!
I'm really nervous going into my first lesson. I am a perfectionist by nature and I don't tolerate it well when I mess up. My lesson is a four-hour session and I still need to get my outfit together. Wish me luck! Apologies for getting a little rant-y on only my second post. Beware, however - these topics WILL be reappearing, particularly when con season starts to pick up...
Marigold/Hyper-chan, out!
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