Pretty Things
Aug. 10th, 2005 08:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiI found out about the Burlesque documentary yesterday from Nep and Julia http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/prettythings/ and found it on HBO Video on Demand last night. I liked it, though disliked the filmmaker (for pretty much the same reasons others mentioned). She seems to be a dancer (lots of Fosse style stuff in her final routine) more than a striptease artist. She just doesn't have - it - whatever it is.
Its interesting comparing the sentiments of burlesque of the old classic performers to performers of today. Today's performers don't do it because its just a way to make money. They also seem to read sex more into the art form than women in this documentary for the most part did.
Burlesque (not just striptease, but the other entertainment forms with it) went the way that other artistic forms did. The masses seem to prefer artificial altered entertainment nowadays (versus the do it yourself, realness of past art forms). There's no sense of mystery to the modern day stripper either. I think having some unknown there is infinitely more sexy then just letting it all hang out (I can't remember the quote, but I loved what the super tall ex-performer said about walking out naked, and then what?).
The availability of excess (not just flesh, but other things too) has served to make us numb I think. Perhaps this connects to the Iron Maiden article I posted yesterday? Back in the earlier days of metal, kids traded tapes and made pen-pals through the back of magazines to share new music. One had to really be something to get noticed. Now you can walk out your front door and trip over a whole host of artistic stimuli. Its good that stuff is more easily accessible, but are we taking it for granted? And has the standard lowered?
Socio-culturally, the old forms of entertainment like Burlesque or Broadway musicals were accessible to everyone interested. This is a sentiment expressed in Pretty Things that was echoed in http://www.broadwaythemovie.com/home.htm . Oftentimes one must have some connections and a fat wallet to find these kinds of entertainment today (with some exceptions of local groups). Gone are the days when we could drive to some divey strip bar in Worcester to see Dita perform. I'm happy for her success, but unhappy about her increasing inaccessibility.
Give me Vaudeville or a good Burlesque performer any day!
Its interesting comparing the sentiments of burlesque of the old classic performers to performers of today. Today's performers don't do it because its just a way to make money. They also seem to read sex more into the art form than women in this documentary for the most part did.
Burlesque (not just striptease, but the other entertainment forms with it) went the way that other artistic forms did. The masses seem to prefer artificial altered entertainment nowadays (versus the do it yourself, realness of past art forms). There's no sense of mystery to the modern day stripper either. I think having some unknown there is infinitely more sexy then just letting it all hang out (I can't remember the quote, but I loved what the super tall ex-performer said about walking out naked, and then what?).
The availability of excess (not just flesh, but other things too) has served to make us numb I think. Perhaps this connects to the Iron Maiden article I posted yesterday? Back in the earlier days of metal, kids traded tapes and made pen-pals through the back of magazines to share new music. One had to really be something to get noticed. Now you can walk out your front door and trip over a whole host of artistic stimuli. Its good that stuff is more easily accessible, but are we taking it for granted? And has the standard lowered?
Socio-culturally, the old forms of entertainment like Burlesque or Broadway musicals were accessible to everyone interested. This is a sentiment expressed in Pretty Things that was echoed in http://www.broadwaythemovie.com/home.htm . Oftentimes one must have some connections and a fat wallet to find these kinds of entertainment today (with some exceptions of local groups). Gone are the days when we could drive to some divey strip bar in Worcester to see Dita perform. I'm happy for her success, but unhappy about her increasing inaccessibility.
Give me Vaudeville or a good Burlesque performer any day!
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 01:12 pm (UTC)You are right though, the girl making the documentary just didn't do it for me. She didn't have that seductive yet innocent aura - I'm not sure how you get that - I think some people are just born that way. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 01:40 pm (UTC)it seemed like she was trying too hard. that she wanted to learn what they did, instead of feeling what she could do. it's all about making it your own, and i think that's what the one woman was trying to get across to her. i mean what about that headbanger woman? she was nuts! decades ahead of the punk thing. but apparently guys dig that. hehe. it certainly wasn't traditional in any sort of stereotypical sense.
even her ballet dancing was strained - like one of degas' dancers. pretty but gangly and uncomfortable in her own skin.
Burlesque
Date: 2005-08-10 02:10 pm (UTC)I think so too.
"it seemed like she was trying too hard. that she wanted to learn what they did, instead of feeling what she could do. it's all about making it your own"
I agree. It seemed too forced (and she seemed too shy for it - I mean, it *is* a striptease).
"i mean what about that headbanger woman? she was nuts! decades ahead of the punk thing. but apparently guys dig that. hehe. it certainly wasn't traditional in any sort of stereotypical sense."
I didn't get into it, but it definitely made me smile to see it :)
"even her ballet dancing was strained - like one of degas' dancers. pretty but gangly and uncomfortable in her own skin."
She obviously had dance training but just didn't seem a natural. I was wondering if she threw on the pointe shoes just because it seemed like a cool thing to do - she definitely was awkward in them. She also kept moving in a lot of ways that would be a ballet no-no when she was at the barre (overextending, doing things that you'd never do on pointe, things that may hurt her body).
Still, it was an interesting show :)