Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Burlesque

 Burlesque
type
FeatureClass
 Burlesque
label
Burlesque
 Burlesque
page
Burlesque
 Burlesque
comment
The word "burlesque" is derived from a Romance language term meaning "to send up". Burlesque theatre originated in the UK and US in the 19th century as a form of broad satire and parody aimed at low to middle class audiences, poking fun at the "highbrow" entertainments and social activities of the upper classes. During the Victorian period, it became increasingly common for roles to be played by attractive women, dressed more "daringly" than Victorian convention normally permitted. The women quickly became the main attraction, and costumes became more revealing to the extent permitted by local laws. As in Vaudeville and Music Hall settings, music and variety acts became staples of Burlesque shows. The tone often became suggestive, even shading toward bawdy, although outright vulgarity, obscenity, and nudity were avoided; the intent was to spoof and titillate, not offend. While Vaudeville tended to be dominated by individual acts; Burlesque shows depended on troupes travelling a circuit. It was generally looked down on as "low" humour by Vaudeville performers, and a last resort for the "washed up"; but many performed in Burlesque troops under pseudonyms, as the work was typically more steady and reliable.
Burlesque comedy was typically broad and low; with a strong emphasis on Slap Stick and sexual innuendo. The lead comedian was known as the "top banana"; and many well-known comedians started in Burlesque — such as Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Milton Berle — before crossing over into movies, radio, or the fledgling television industry. One of the most famous classic Burlesque comedy routines is Abbott and Costello's Who's on First?.
While not originally the focus, sexual titillation became increasingly part of the landscape of Burlesque; however, the striptease remained a "back room" affair. The death of the Burlesque circuits in the 1920s resulted in the already well-established striptease, or "hootchie cootchie dance" being incorporated by theatre owners as a gimmick to bring in audiences. Although music and comedy remained a large part of Burlesque, the striptease became the primary draw. The degree of nudity and types of dancing permitted were limited, not by artistic or modesty concerns, but by obscenity statutes, with the stereotypical "pasties and G-string" used to avoid violating local laws. Performers did occasionally go beyond what was permitted, up to and including full nudity; and raids and arrests were frequent occurrences. A few places banned Burlesque altogether. This form of Burlesque was popular from the '20s until the '60s, peaking during World War II and the post-war '40s, finally declining in the '50s.
Many striptease dancers incorporated elaborate gimmicks into their acts, many of them artistic and/or comedic; and some parodied celebrities. As the form declined in the '50s, a few became minor celebrities in their own right; and just as many comedians moved on to Hollywood, so did a few of the more popular dancers. Some of those who managed to make a showing on the silver screen were Gypsy Rose Lee, Bettie Page, Tempest Storm, and Lili St. Cyr. Several movies were made which featured them; but these were generally highly bowdlerized versions of the performances, or low-budget indie productions.
With the legalization of hardcore pornography in the 1960s, Burlesque lost its appeal and the theatres either closed or began showing pornographic films. A few remained, with performers playing up the artistic or comedic aspects; but they typically didn't last long.
The modern Burlesque Revival (sometimes referred to as Neo-Burlesque or "Burlycue") started in the late 1990s; and is based predominantly on a Hollywood History version of Burlesque. It tends to focus entirely on the striptease, dropping the comedy and music aspects. Many performers and troops also incorporate themes of body-acceptance and Post-Modern Feminist or New Age themes of female empowerment through sexuality. Peformances range from re-creations of period styles featuring a minimum of nudity or sexuality, often undressing only down to their underwear, to modern alterna-porn; with the majority emphasizing costuming, performance, and "tease" rather than sex.
The aesthetics of burlesque would later be used by Dark Cabaret artists.
Super-Trope of the The Burlesque of Venus, parodies of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (Botticelli).
For the 2010 film, head over to its own trope page.
 Burlesque
fetched
2024-04-11T20:32:24Z
 Burlesque
parsed
2024-04-11T20:32:24Z
 Burlesque
processingComment
Dropped link to PanicAtTheDisco: Not an Item - IGNORE
 Burlesque
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Burlesque / int_19d740d8
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_19d740d8
comment
The Great Mouse Detective had a rather inexplicable scene involving burlesque, to the delight of furries everywhere.
 Burlesque / int_19d740d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_19d740d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Great Mouse Detective
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_19d740d8
 Burlesque / int_2221ecbd
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_2221ecbd
comment
CSI: NY: "The Real McCoy" revolves around a bar of the same name, which features a burlesque dancer who is also the girlfriend of one of the owners. Jo reveals to Mac that she worked in a burlesque club during college and lets him think for a good while that she danced, before revealing that she kept their books.
 Burlesque / int_2221ecbd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_2221ecbd
featureConfidence
1.0
 CSI: NY
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_2221ecbd
 Burlesque / int_24089637
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_24089637
comment
In The Girl from the Miracles District, Nikita has several friends and allies in a Thirties-style burlesque theatre called The Music Box.
 Burlesque / int_24089637
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_24089637
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Girl from the Miracles District
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_24089637
 Burlesque / int_261c8d3f
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_261c8d3f
comment
The Simpsons: The Maison Derriere from "Bart After Dark". Bart ends up working there to pay off a debt for destroying the owner's gargoyle, and it attracts initial public outcry when exposed to the public.
 Burlesque / int_261c8d3f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_261c8d3f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Simpsons
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_261c8d3f
 Burlesque / int_27f4c7fb
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_27f4c7fb
comment
Coraline: The two old ladies downstairs Spink and Forcible are retired burlesque performers, and they have posters hanging in their apartment from saucy versions of Shakespeare plays they performed in, such as Julius Sees-Her and King Leer. In the other world, Coraline actually sees one of their shows.
 Burlesque / int_27f4c7fb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_27f4c7fb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Coraline
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_27f4c7fb
 Burlesque / int_2f28a53c
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_2f28a53c
comment
Ellery Queen: In "The Adventure of Veronica's Veils", the Victim of the Week is an impresario re-opening a burlesque theatre, and the suspects include several burlesque dancers. There's some comic suspense over whether the title dancer will take it too far. She does, but offscreen.
 Burlesque / int_2f28a53c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_2f28a53c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ellery Queen
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_2f28a53c
 Burlesque / int_30a379a6
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_30a379a6
comment
In Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) the murder victim was a stripper at a burlesque club. There's lots of Fanservice featuring the other strippers in their corsets and underthings.
 Burlesque / int_30a379a6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_30a379a6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_30a379a6
 Burlesque / int_3e5de40b
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_3e5de40b
comment
In an episode of Scrubs there's a subplot about the women being uncomfortable having a co-ed changing room and when Elliott is forced to change in front of the guys JD has an Imagine Spot of her as a burlesque dancer.
 Burlesque / int_3e5de40b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_3e5de40b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrubs
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_3e5de40b
 Burlesque / int_43c9273b
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_43c9273b
comment
The musical Gypsy (and the 1962 film adaptation starring Natalie Wood) is the story of Gypsy Rose Lee. She started out working in Vaudeville, but moved to Burlesque because of the better money-making opportunity; and became one of the most well known strippers of the era. The word 'ecdysiast' was coined in her honor.
 Burlesque / int_43c9273b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_43c9273b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gypsy (Theatre)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_43c9273b
 Burlesque / int_5fdabcd0
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_5fdabcd0
comment
Zucchero: The song "Vedo Nero" (I See Black) tells about Zucchero going to a Burlesque stage where he is metaphorically seeing everything black (referring to the women who are sensually dancing while being barely dressed in black). The song's video even shows how the women rise to the stage of a bar while bearing black robes, only to put them away (which surprises everybody in front of them) and then begin dancing alluringly, before eventually approaching the audience to dance with them. Even the elderly woman (accompained by her husband) is enjoying the show.
 Burlesque / int_5fdabcd0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_5fdabcd0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Zucchero (Music)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_5fdabcd0
 Burlesque / int_731993f
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_731993f
comment
CSI-verse:
CSI: Catherine Willows is a former burlesque dancer. In one episode she meets up with a cop who used to watch her dance and who became her mentor after encouraging her to switch careers.
CSI: NY: "The Real McCoy" revolves around a bar of the same name, which features a burlesque dancer who is also the girlfriend of one of the owners. Jo reveals to Mac that she worked in a burlesque club during college and lets him think for a good while that she danced, before revealing that she kept their books.
 Burlesque / int_731993f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_731993f
featureConfidence
1.0
 CSI-verse (Franchise)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_731993f
 Burlesque / int_7676812f
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_7676812f
comment
Wild West COW Boys Of Moo Mesa in "Thoroughly Moodern Lily" had a burlesque competition between Lily Bovine and Sadie Wowcow.
 Burlesque / int_7676812f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_7676812f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_7676812f
 Burlesque / int_78c1833b
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_78c1833b
comment
Cabaret, both the stage musical and its film adaptation. How the Kit Kat club is portrayed (burlesque, vaudeville, fetish club, etc.) seems to depend on the adaptation.
 Burlesque / int_78c1833b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_78c1833b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Cabaret (Theatre)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_78c1833b
 Burlesque / int_7ad62e34
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_7ad62e34
comment
In The Honeymooners, Ed Norton's wife Trixie is a former burlesque performer, with a heavy implication she was a stripper.
 Burlesque / int_7ad62e34
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_7ad62e34
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Honeymooners
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_7ad62e34
 Burlesque / int_7db5e90f
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_7db5e90f
comment
Lucky Luke saloons often had Can Can dancers in 'em.
 Burlesque / int_7db5e90f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_7db5e90f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Lucky Luke (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_7db5e90f
 Burlesque / int_7e62d5c2
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_7e62d5c2
comment
SHIMMER wrestler Rayna Von Tosh had the gimmick of a burlesque pin-up girl. Since SHIMMER is a family-friendly show all she really did was peel off her gloves during her entrance.
 Burlesque / int_7e62d5c2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_7e62d5c2
featureConfidence
1.0
 SHIMMER (Wrestling)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_7e62d5c2
 Burlesque / int_807deccb
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_807deccb
comment
The video for "Last Surprise" in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is burlesque-themed, featuring the female members of the Phantom Thieves wearing costumes not out-of-place for a Pussycat Dolls performance.
 Burlesque / int_807deccb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_807deccb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (Video Game)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_807deccb
 Burlesque / int_8afceb4f
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_8afceb4f
comment
The Right Stuff. The astronauts attend a Burlesque show where an actress playing Sally Rand performs her iconic fan dance.
 Burlesque / int_8afceb4f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_8afceb4f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Right Stuff
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_8afceb4f
 Burlesque / int_9eac916a
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_9eac916a
comment
In The Sting, Hooker's girlfriend is shown performing in a Burlesque show. Yes, she's a stripper.
 Burlesque / int_9eac916a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_9eac916a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Sting
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_9eac916a
 Burlesque / int_9fe5f7a7
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_9fe5f7a7
comment
One music video for "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers (which stars Eric Roberts) takes place in a Victorian-era burlesque theater, where dancers perform during the chorus.
 Burlesque / int_9fe5f7a7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_9fe5f7a7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Killers (Band) (Music)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_9fe5f7a7
 Burlesque / int_a0075eb5
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_a0075eb5
comment
Oklahoma!: "They've got a big the-ay-tur, they call it burlycue..."
 Burlesque / int_a0075eb5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_a0075eb5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Oklahoma! (Theatre)
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_a0075eb5
 Burlesque / int_a4453beb
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_a4453beb
comment
Early talkie Applause is about Kitty, the star singer/dancer/stripper in a burlesque show. It's a pretty grim take on burlesque. Kitty performs in a third-rate show with a lot of hefty chorus girls behind her. Men leer at her disgustingly. Her daughter April, who was educated in a convent, is shocked and horrified when she finds out what Kitty does for a living.
 Burlesque / int_a4453beb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_a4453beb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Applause
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_a4453beb
 Burlesque / int_aca4d3ab
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_aca4d3ab
comment
Lady of Burlesque was a 1943 murder mystery involving Burlesque performers.
 Burlesque / int_aca4d3ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_aca4d3ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 LadyOfBurlesque
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_aca4d3ab
 Burlesque / int_cac1f772
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_cac1f772
comment
CSI: Catherine Willows is a former burlesque dancer. In one episode she meets up with a cop who used to watch her dance and who became her mentor after encouraging her to switch careers.
 Burlesque / int_cac1f772
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_cac1f772
featureConfidence
1.0
 CSI
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_cac1f772
 Burlesque / int_d578ee98
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_d578ee98
comment
In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Uhura performs a Burlesque-style fan dance to distract a patrol.
 Burlesque / int_d578ee98
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_d578ee98
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_d578ee98
 Burlesque / int_da1208fe
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_da1208fe
comment
Moulin Rouge! is set in the titular brothel-cum-theatre in Paris, famous for its Burlesque shows.
 Burlesque / int_da1208fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_da1208fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Moulin Rouge!
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_da1208fe
 Burlesque / int_dca041af
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_dca041af
comment
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Midge starts doing comedy in between acts at a strip club, many of which are elaborate costumed performances.
 Burlesque / int_dca041af
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_dca041af
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_dca041af
 Burlesque / int_df290812
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_df290812
comment
In Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass owns a burlesque club called Victrola. Blair gets up on stage in one episode and does a strip tease.
 Burlesque / int_df290812
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_df290812
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gossip Girl
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_df290812
 Burlesque / int_ea10776c
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_ea10776c
comment
There is a 2010 film called Burlesque that features a club with such performances. Christina Aguilera and Cher star in the movie.
 Burlesque / int_ea10776c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Burlesque / int_ea10776c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Burlesque
hasFeature
Burlesque / int_ea10776c

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Almost Summer / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Applause / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Blood Brothers (2007) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Burlesque / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Dance, Girl, Dance / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Footsteps in the Dark / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Ladies of the Chorus / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 LadyOfBurlesque
seeAlso
Burlesque
 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Assassination Bureau / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Game Changer / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Notorious Bettie Page / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Ruling Class / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Sting / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 The Girl from the Miracles District / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 BettiePage
seeAlso
Burlesque
 Zucchero (Music) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 America's Got Talent / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 CSI / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Ellery Queen / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Gossip Girl (2007) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Crazy Horse (Theatre) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Metro: Last Light (Video Game) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Bloodbound (Visual Novel) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque
 Red Carpet Diaries (Visual Novel) / int_20d88961
type
Burlesque