The LA Weekly covered another nerd burlesque show put on by Devil’s Playground. This time the ladies took on characters from Blade Runner, Aeon Flux, Metroid, Alien and others. Below is Aeon Flux flipped over on the brass pole, a sensuous Samus Aran and Metropolis‘ Maria taking the floor. The LA Weekly link contains the whole slideshow (Yes, sadly, it’s a slideshow).
LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly
The woman who unwittingly launched a movement: Bettie Page participated in a documentary, Bettie Page Reveals All, near the end of her life. Her actual voice is heard during narration, and it features commentary by Hugh Hefner as well. Page is of course associated with her pictorial spreads in men’s magazines in the 1950s, among them pulp and fetish books. Page’s modeling career was very brief but prolific, appearing in dozens of magazines and leaving behind hundreds of photos, and even short, now rare 8 mm films. Her image graces numerous reproductions of those photos, along with posters, t-shirts, hoodies, figurines, and other merchandise. Page’s look forms the basis for modern burlesque and pin-up modeling, and has been absorbed into the punk culture.
The continued fascination with Bettie Page revolves around several points, one being her physique and looks, which are iconic, though they were staples of women’s fashion at the time. Yet the way Page wore that look, along with her beaming, cheery face draws out an animistic, sensual reaction. The other main point about Page’s biography is her complete disappearance from the spotlight after 1959, when she became a born-again Christian. Page began to minister with figures such as Billy Graham after her retirement from modeling. Page’s fast rise to fame in the prudish 50s brought her infamy, the likes of which she could not handle. This combined with her abusive past lead to an unstable and tragic figure for whom abandoning her career made the most sense. Page went through numerous divorces and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. Page lived penniless while her image was scooped up and reinvigorated by artists, writers and musicians starting in the 1980s.
It wasn’t until she found proper management that she was able to license her likeness and name to the thousands of products featuring her then-youthful, evocative form and trademark hairstyle that Bettie Page finally achieved a modicum of financial stability. Page attended fan conventions, gave interviews and lent her story to several different fans, but always refused to be photographed at her current state. These links contain some of the few contemporary images of Page, taken during her revival years. Though she is clearly much older, the bangs were in tact and so was her ruby red, broad smile. Luckily Page was able to enjoy her golden years as a revived celebrity. This documentary looks like it may contain some of the authoritative discussion and data on her life. Her appearances on film in any respect are very rare, so to have Page provide an interview for the film is one of the world’s last looks into the mind of a woman who launched a thousand portfolios.
Here is a gallery up on Life magazine’s website: Classic Burlesque.
It includes a lot of beauties who vamped it up way before size zero became and accepted standard of beauty. Among them was vivacious redhead, Tempest Storm:
Topless Robot has pics and more about the Nerd Burlesque show and party from the Comic-Con weekend.
Meow.
From my friend, Missy Fit: Burlesque A’Pades is a touring show out of New York and they are launching a tour this summer.
Burlesque-A-Pades will be on tour July 16th – July 31st! We just might be in your town, so check the schedule below and come out and see this swingin’ show!
Hosted by MURRAY HILL and starring ANGIE PONTANI, KITTEN DE VILLE, HELEN PONTANI, MELODY SWEETS, THE PONTANI SISTERS and special guests in each market!FRIDAY, JULY 16TH- BURLESQUE AT THE BEACH (CONEY ISLAND)
www.coneyislandusa.com
*with Mstickle and Bianca DaggaSATURDAY, JULY 17TH- THE COOLIDGE THEATER (BOSTON)
www.coolidge.org/midnights
* with The Boston BabydollsSUNDAY, JULY 18TH- VENUE MUSIC BAR & BISTRO (PORTLAND, ME)
www.venuemusicbar.com
* with Whistlebait BurlesqueTUESDAY, JULY 20TH – THE IRON HORSE
(NORTHAMPTON, MA)
www.iheg.com
* w/ guest host Albert CadabraWEDNESDAY, JULY 21ST- SHOWCASE LIVE
(FOXBORO, MA)
* with Miss Mina of the Boston Babydolls
www.showcaselive.comFRIDAY, JULY 23RD- CAFE 9
(NEW HAVEN, CT)
www.cafenine.com
* with Nikki le Villain and Lily La VampSATURDAY, JULY 24TH- THE OTTO BAR (BALTIMORE)
www.theottobar.com
* with Gilded Lily Burlesque and Deanna DangerSUNDAY, JULY 25TH- THE BIRCHMERE (ALEXANDRIA, VA)
www.birchmere.com
* with Deanna DangerMONDAY, JULY 26TH- SKULLY’S (COLUMBUS, OH)
www.skullys.org
*with Viva Valezz and Calamity RainWEDNESDAY, JULY 28TH- OFF BROADWAY (ST LOUIS, MO)
www.offbroadwaystl.com
* with Lola Van Ella and Sammich The TrampTHURSDAY, JULY 29TH- MARTYRS (CHICAGO)
www.martyrslive.com
* with Michelle L’amour and the Chicago StarletsFRIDAY, JULY 3OTH- THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM (CLEVELAND)
www.beachlandballroom.com
*with PINCH and SQUEAL, Bella Sin and Annie DollSATURDAY, JULY 31ST- ASBURY LANES (ASBURY PARK, NJ)
www.asburylanes.com
* with MSTICKLE and Bianca Daggafollow us on twitter! www.twitter.com/burlesqueapades
From Topless Robot
Topless Robot is heading up a nerd burlesque show called Fempire Strikes Back in San Diego at the Voyeur. (Full info here) Straight from TR:
Yes, TR is sponsoring a nerd burlesque show on Saturday night, to be put on by the lovely ladies of Devil’s Playground. The show isn’t just one nerd theme — they’re doing the videogame girls, the Star Wars stuff, and of course comic book heroines. Voyeur is located at 755 Fifth Ave., the doors open at 7pm, the show starts at 9pm, and it costs $20 to get in.
Giggity.
Lola van Ella and Sammich the Tramp closing out St. Louis 2010 Show Me Burlesque festival. It’s very cool to see people reviving old theater styles. This is a mix of silent movies with vaudeville, and of course some bawdy striptease. It’s a very soft, classy, elegant performance piece with a very strong, old Hollywood flair to it. Sit down and relax when you watch this one. It’s worth it.
The video is by Vimeo, which for some reason WordPress doesn’t like to embed, so here’s the link.
