Lady Of Burlesque Analysis

With a humorous tone and use of the G-string as a symbol, Barker allows us to follow her protagonist, Gillian, in her dilemma between wearing fashionable undergarments to resemble the picture she has of a voguish woman, or rejecting the unpleasant G-string and accommodating who she is, with her flaws and imperfections. Barker lets us

Drag queens have spent years performing for themselves and for many other people. Their shows today are a way to express themselves and make people question what they know about gender and sexuality. Rupp and Taylor in their book, “Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret” discuss this subject in detail, calling their performances a form of protest. They question the roles that society has put them into, and in turn provoke their audiences to question these things, such as gender and sexuality. This type of social protest is called “subversion.” Through this book, we can more specifically look at two types of subversion that played a major role in the 801 drag queen’s performances. The first, and most obvious, is the idea of masculinity versus femininity, and how the Queens use different techniques to break free from the traditional way of thinking about these concepts. The second is the overt way that the Queens portray sex and sexuality, in ways that are impossible for the audience to ignore. Both these types of subversion have an overarching theme of crossing boundaries, whether over the division of the gender binary, or the limits of what is socially acceptable to talk about regarding sex. Drag queens envelop the audience and take many of them out of their comfort zone.

In the reading, “The Lady in Red,” Richard LeMieux talks about how he was once successful businessman but then he became a homeless man after his business failed and had to beg for money as his last resort. When he was successful he would invite many people over for Thanksgiving and enjoy the luxury of spending money on more expensive food. Afterwards he ended up in his car with his dog and rationing his money on food and gas. Consequently he ran out of money and tried begging but there were people that ignored him or were rude because he was homeless. LeMieux wants people to understand that you should stay strong just like when disrespected by the man in the Porsche or the man that muttered about how worthless homeless people are LeMieux knew

1. Early in the essay, Carl T. Rowan describes Miss Bessie as five feet tall and no more than 110 pounds. While explaining how she doesn’t seem physically threatening, Rowan notes she had a “towering presence in the classroom. She was the only woman tough enough to make me read Beowulf” (411). Rowan’s resistance towards reading Beowulf led to him learning about Miss Bessie’s large brown eyes, that resembled “daggerish slits” (411). Rowan describes his former teacher in a way that resembles someone who is looking up to an authoritative figure. Whenever he comments on her appearance or personality, it he does in a very respectful context. Just by the way Rowan often talks about Miss Bessie, it’s obvious the amount of respect and admiration he has

Susan Glaspell’s one act play “Trifles” is based on an actual murder court trial that she remembered covering from her days as a newspaper reporter in Iowa. She wrote at a time when women were supposed to be submissive to men and especially to their husbands. This play takes a look at a common social problem during the early 1900s when Americans wanted to keep all of their relationship problems private. Many married couples would do anything to keep their lives free from scandal, and this murder mystery examines the necessity of appearances and reputation of having the perfect marriage that was typical during that time. This was done to protect the married couple from being scorned by family, friends and community if their secrets were ever turned into a scandal. It is an incredible play that may be better understood by those who have experienced the same situation at some time in their lives. This play/production is a good definition/example of a problem play because it aims to draw attention to a /the social problem, such as of emotional abuse.

Both the Victorian Era and 1950s and 1960s America featured inflexible expectations of a wife and her views on marriage. Grant Allen, a Victorian essayist, in “Plain Words on the Women Question” in 1889, wrote, “We ought frankly to recognize that most women must be wives and mothers: that most women should therefore be trained, physically, morally, socially, and mentally, in the way best fitting for them to be wives and mothers” (Broadview Anthology 628). Essentially, Allen holds the belief that all women are meant to serve as an asset to men, to complement men. Additionally, his use of the word “train” connotes that women should be disciplined to fit this role, which betrays the lack of equality between the sexes. He further argues that it goes against nature for women to desire more than motherhood and wifehood. He chastises women who attempt to oppose their “duty,” “instead of boasting of their sexlessness as a matter of pride, they ought to keep it in the dark, and to be ashamed of it” (628). In other words, to be feminine is to mother children and to marry a man. Deviating from this neatly structured plan for a woman’s obligation is to become unfeminine.

Writing exhibits a form of communication, empowerment through freedom of speech, and allows the general public to become educated on matters that may not be eminent. Julia Serano is a trans woman who uses her writing, her voice, and her very being as a means to combat transphobia, cissexual privilege, gendering, and “passing” centrism. In Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, Julia Serano dismantles the misconceptions that various individuals have concerning tans women, gender, sexism, and femininity. In order to accomplish this, Serano provides examples from her life as well as her observations before and after her transition from male to female (MTF). Thus, she is able to demonstrate the form in

The source I found most interesting this week was "The Feminine Mystique Except" written by Betty Friedan. The article talks about how it was believed that women who were professionals were not feminine. For this reason, women returned to assume the role of housewives were they according to the mystique of femininity "She can not consider herself under any other aspect than the mother of her children or wife of her husband" (Page 439). According to Friedan, some of the feelings that oppressed women who wanted to be professionals were neurotic, unfeminine, unhappy. Many women disagreed with this model of life that many women had and led many of them to strive to achieve and occupy a position in

The term Burlesque is usually thought of as slightly naughty theatre produced and performed between the 1890s and World War II. Webster defines it as a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation, mockery usually by caricature or theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts. Today Burlesque has no meaning as a contemporary phenomenon to most Americans. Burlesque is far from the commonplace twentieth century definition. The background, rise and fall of American Burlesque takes place in less then forty years. The entertainment known as

As this story begins, Mr. Wright has been murdered and his wife the star witness. The evidence is slowly breaking down their so called case. Women of this time period were not treated like men, a woman was only good when she was slaving for her husband and his needs. As Emily Dickinson once wrote “Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul/ and sings the tune-without the words, / and never stops at all.” Mrs. Wright used to sing but Mr. Wright did not like that and forced her to a quiet. Mr. Wright was a bitter old man playing a gentleman; never taking a liking to kids he stole her hope for children, leaving her baron in her womb and her heart. He was a control maniac and demanded power in every aspect of this poor woman’s life; No Children, No Song, No Friends; she had nothing, which meant nothing to lose. In Susan Glaspell’s drama, “Trifles”, we explore the gender inequality between men and women of that time and why that has such a large influence on the murder investigation.

As the “fair” lady is depicted by the words “scan,” “lip,” and “sip,” her femininity is noticeable even after her spouse’s death. In rendezvous with the lover, she part with him “with a shudderful kiss” (46). The kiss “before the brass” (46) shows her not only her female sexuality and passionate love for the lover, but also her fear of committing the sinful and immoral

In the selection, A Respectable Woman, Kate Chopin portrayed the life of an early nineteenth-century woman, expected role, and behavior in a largely patriarchal society. During that period, churches in America were instrumental to the way people lived. Due to the large influence of Catholics, Anglicans, and other Protestant churches in America, people believed that having an affair outside of marriage was a taboo and ungodly. Married women symbolized perfection and most times battle, with satisfying sexual desires, and keeping their role as respectable women. Chopin employed the use of plot, conflict, theme, imagery, and symbolism, verbal and dramatic irony, and foreshadowing techniques to narrate the story of a woman torn between satisfying sexual desires and staying faithful.

Burlesque is a form of art, which provides charming versions of the past through erotic parodies. However, throughout time the face of burlesque has changed due to economical, political and social factors. Today, we observe this art form in a modern context regarded as neoburlesque. Neoburlesque blends “comic eroticism with a diverse range of performance styles, from pantomime and clowning to ballet and performance art” (Mansbridge, 98) to create nostalgic engagement with the past. Many neo burlesque performers consider their work an art form that encourages self-confidence and self–awareness, where as the traditional performers viewed their work as a way to make ends meet. Through the research conducted and my personal experience at The

When one hears the term “rock musician” one thinks of someone devoted to playing concerts, traveling all over the world, and enjoying fame and fortune. That is not the case for Gorki Aguila. He is a Cuban rock musician, leader of the band, Porno para Ricardo, who uses his music to criticize Fidel Castrol, communism, and the Cuban government.

After reading The Nance, I feel devastated about the way that the Republicans deinstitutionalized the Burlesque industry. It was born of homophobia and hate. It upsets me how this society who hates the nance as a character in burlesque can also find