"Is Burlesque Empowering?" And Far Less Irrelevant Questions
- Alabaster
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
A Burlshit Blog
by Alabaster
Burlesque always seems to be a hot topic of debate. Everyone has an opinion that is the correct opinion and… you know what? That’s fine! Art is largely subjective. Everyone can hold their own opinions on what burlesque is and is not.
However…
I have a bone to pick with the particular debate over whether or not burlesque is empowering to women. This debate was recently re-sparked when a contributor over at the BBC decided to pipe up with a think piece on wether the revival of burlesque is as empowering as it’s portrayed, or if it’s actually a regression in feminist movements. It glosses over the difference between commercial and polished shows, and the more “underground” shows and how one could be seen as more progressive than the other. Blah blah blah.
Unsurprisingly, burlesque communities around the world had some things to say about this! Myself included. So much so, that I actually had to sit and chew on why the article bothered me so much. Personally, I live by the idea that people are allowed to be wrong. No one needs to agree with burlesque, why I do (or anyone does) it, or whether or not it should be celebrated. They are allowed be wrong and misinformed. I am allowed to guard my own peace of mind by not trying to change everyone’s mind about striptease.
* Side note: Before I get too far into my rant, I want to make something very clear. I have an INCREDIBLE amount of privilege, not just in burlesque, but in U.S. society at large. I am white (the palest, most alabaster skinned Mexican you will ever meet), I’m conventionally attractive, and I’m not “visibly” queer…. whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean. In short, I could potentially be the poster (not)child of Fourth-wave feminism whose ideal focal point is empowerment of women (intersectionality may or may not be included). Never mind the fact that I do sexy things for a living and only kinda consider myself a woman… on most days. And yet, the article’s point still failed to land.
So, why is this article getting under my extremely glittered up skin? It really comes down to one thing.
I have never been asked if my other forms of income are empowering.
I have been a babysitter, a retail worker, host, server, non-profit 9-to-5er, virtual assistant, and podcaster. Yet, the only jobs I have had questioned in regards to empowerment are the ones I’ve had that have to do with sexuality, like burlesque, content creation, and sex education. It seems that the only way for these jobs to be taken seriously are if they are somehow empowering. As if how I make my money is indicative of an entire social movement like feminism. Articles like the one mentioned above are framed as if they are asking a hard hitting question, but what is really is, is some form of ill intentioned “gotcha!” tactic that ultimately skips over much more interesting (and relevant) questions.
As a server and retail worker, I handled horrible business practices that fucked over workers and fended off a stunningly frequent barrage of sexual advances from customers. In a non-profit environment, I was expected to forego any work/life boundaries to sacrifice my time and mental health to the cause for below sustainable wages. Where were the crusaders worried about my empowerment then? Those jobs were considered viable and valid avenues to pay my rent, regardless of the hell I had to go through to earn it.
Why does any form of sex work, or work adjacent to sex work need to be empowering in order to be valid? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of empowerment is “the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties.” By that definition, the systems that surround and police sex work and sex adjacent work should be questioned about whether or not they are empowering. What is failing to empower burlesque is the laws, societal norms, and critical “gotcha” examination of the individuals that are simply trying to work within the shitty system.
Additionally, from a historical perspective, sex work (in many forms) has long been a way for individuals to provide for themselves and their families when other “more legitimate” forms of work lie behind too many institutionalized barriers. That part sounds a whole hell of a lot like financial empowerment to me. The issue arises when shitty people step in to take advantage of anyone just trying to earn income. That, combined with the lack of protections awarded from the law, are the limiting factors. Not the work itself. Does empowerment to make a living only count if it has nothing to do with sexuality?
As always, everyone’s story is different. Some performers get into burlesque because it made them feel empowered and strong. I am among that number! I started burlesque as a way to get out of my comfort zone and finally break all the way free from my conservative upbringing that upheld modesty and purity as virtues. But no story is that simple. Whether it’s a job, or a hobby, sometimes it can wear a person down! Sometimes the acts don’t feel right, or you force it, or the audience doesn’t lose their minds over the thing that made you feel like a badass. Sometimes we get TIRED of being sexy and just want to live without being evaluated by a crowd! And yet, for others, it’s just a job! Whatever combination of job vs hobby vs badass babe making gauntlet burlesque is to each performer is up to them.
Now, the article does get a few points right. Commercialized burlesque is very hegemonic. It caters to a specific gaze. It doesn’t include a wide range of bodies, skin tones, abilities, genders, or styles. What we consider to be burlesque today is a far cry from the style and historical context in which it was built. Early burlesque had many Black performers, like Josephine Baker, Jean Idelle, and Lottie the Body, pioneering the industry. This rich history is often reduced, redacted, and whitewashed to a very narrow “ideal” for commercialized stages. But, it is lazy to come after an entire art form based on the select few that have an advertising budget to come across your radar and then ask the most glaringly boring question about it. Especially when you acknowledge that underground forms of burlesque exist and then just END THE ARTICLE. You missed the juicy bit! Keep going! Come ON!
There are a whole slew of other ways to critique the current state of burlesque on both global and local stages. It would have been far more interesting and earnest to ask questions like:
How can we create change to see more diversity on stage?
How are we valuing burlesque in order to increase rates for performers and small, local productions?
What laws and cultural norms are constraining performers from gaining this empowerment I am so concerned about?
What -isms are in play that are barring certain groups from being empowered within the industry? And how do we fix that?
What systems are being upheld by continuing to hold hegemonic shows as the pinnacle of burlesque?
Burlesque is by no means perfect, but one dimensional personal empowerment is not the issue. It is bigger than individuals. There are systems in place from the wider world that are mirrored within burlesque scenes and communities. How do we combat these systems? Are we amplifying the voices of the disenfranchised or are we just screaming about empowerment as if a high tide raises all boats?
Whether burlesque is an industry or a community space, not everything comes down to empowerment in order to be meaningful. Repeat after me. “A job does not need to be individually empowering in order to be an acceptable way to gain income.” That’s a long chant, and oversimplifying of a very large and systemic problem. But really, fuck your personal empowerment! Fight the systems that keep people disenfranchised instead. And go to a local burlesque show. Support performers. Uplift the voices of the disenfranchised within your community. And stop telling us to act like ladies, for fuck’s sake.
By Alabaster
(by the editor not the author- Alabaster does so much for the burlesque community here in Denver. Read more, sign up for her newsletter, see our community calendar, watch or listen to local performers including myself- Morningstar on the Pop a Pastie Podcast, and so on!)
Instagrams: @alabasterbutt / @alabastardproductions / @blassphemyshow / @denverburlesquehub
Denver Burlesque Hub: Home of all our Denver Burlesque shows and etc.:
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