Burlesque, the new Femenism??!?

If you asked me to tell you what I know about burlesque, I'd be lying if I said that the first name that came to mind wasn't Dita Von Teese. The internationally known performer is easily the biggest name in burlesque right now and has been for some time.

"It was a hobby for about a decade, and then slowly but surely, as demand for me to perform grew, it became my career," Von Teese says about how she got into burlesque.

In a recent interview Dita talked about how dance has served to make her a stronger and better person. It’s a leap I appreciate however I see subtle but tangible parallels with SL, she talks about dance and how it makes her really appreciate her body for what it does. She goes on to say, “even though I might not like everything about how it looks, I try to focus on the wonderful ways it serves me. I feel grateful to walk, dance — and I feel grateful to be healthy. I try to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

I’ve met many girls in SL who dance because it makes them feel special, it gives them strength, strength that transcends into real life, so the next time you scoff at a pretty girl, scattily clothed twirling her snake like body around a virtual pole maybe she’s not a slut, just maybe this is what she does to heighten her self-confidence, increase her strength to the point she can walk out with her head held high – okay, it might be a stretch but it’s what I like to believe so don’t spoil it for me!!

In the same article Dita is asked about the criticism that what she does is demeaning to women. She acknowledges that she has faced accusations of being anti-feminist, of doing something that is degrading to women, but she goes on to point out quite brilliantly that it’s a tough argument these days when the audience is 80 percent women, and heavily LGBTQ. The audience speaks for itself.

She goes on to say, “feminism is complex, evolving, and even flawed. The basic ideals of feminism are here in burlesque’s modern form. This isn’t our grandparents’ burlesque. I think feminism is about gender equality and support for the choices of other women, even if we might not make those choices for ourselves. I think we need to respect each other’s feminist ideals, and a room full of women enjoying watching striptease is clearly a new type of feminism.”

I read that and it made me smile, not in a humorous way but in an empowering way – I personally believe this is one of the most insightful observations of Feminism I’ve ever seen. Dita Von Teese, I salute you!

What I'm wearing, (or not!), this week;

For the Head, Skin, Eyes, Ears and Shape, take a peep at "I'm Back!!, New Year...... New Head!"

Hands - VISTA PRO-HANDS V.1FINAL - Vista Animations

Hair - +elua+ Judith_Red [rigged]

Rings - Absolut Vendetta- Hydra Rings - Vista Animations

Watch & Bracelet - (Complete/LEATHER) [MANDALA] SITENNOAH_white

Face Plugs – .:ellabella:. Kerli V2 lite-chin

Shoes - [MAITREYA] -KC- LOIRE HEELS / PAIR

Lingerie - Erratic delice lingerie - bra / white (maitreya)

The the top two images were made using yet another naturally brilliant pose from {Lyrium} and is called Reckless, you can find it here The main MP store is here