After five weeks in the USA, I've dodged the free-pour at bars, memorized the menu for Cracker Barrel, and marvelled at the wonder of American candy bars and food stuffs (I'm still puzzled by Moon Pies, however). It is with some relief I've returned to Canada, though I'm as far from home as I was anywhere in continental United States. But on my morning run seeing Shopper Drug Marts and Tim Hortons I felt comforted, somewhat. It was while I was passing my third Timmy Ho's that my mind started to wander (as it does these days) about how the mechanics of my mind enjoy burlesque and all that they entail. I was able to come up with the following reasons....

Little Miss Risk's Reasons I Love Burlesque

Fringe. All the best things have fringe - benefits, lunatics and panties. From my experience as a child where I was mildly obsessed with a family friend's lampshades that sported fringe (but was forbidden to touch) the seed got planted in my fertile little brain about the exoticness of fringe. Now I am equally enchanted with fringe as an adult but I prefer it on panties or bras to housewares.

Nudity. I enjoy seeing my friends naked on a regular basis. This is one of those fringe benefits I was referring to above. I usually have a curiosity of what people look like naked and I have the privilege of having a lot of attractive friends. I half suspect part of the reason that I got into burlesque in the first place is to get an eyeful. Yes, I know, I'm a pervert, but your not telling me anything I'm not already acquainted with. This is also part of the reason I hang out and Sin City fetish night too -  attractive partially naked people is something I like a LOT.

Nudity. Or, to be more specific, my own. People may not be as interested seeing my sport my birthday suit in m autumn years, but I have no issues doing so now. Burlesque is a good reason as any to flaunt it, and a captive audience is always a bonus. Not that we ever get down fully nude - that would be boring - but it revives people's atrophied imaginations after living in an MTV society where your overloaded by overt sexuality. Besides, it takes a lot to be 3/4 nude and put out subtle sexuality.

The Gear. Corsets, stockings, high heels, copious amounts of make up... unless your a woman of leisure, your probably not going to do your day to day business in full drag every day of your life. Dita can pull it off, and so can Dolly Parton. Are you really going to wear fake lashes on your way to yoga? I tried... it's hard. But living in the darkened nightclub light that is the natural habitat of burlesque dancers and their ilk, we can layer it on, cinch it in, and vamp it up. No one mistakes you for a common (or uncommon) streetwalker and your creativity with your appearance is celebrated, not shunned. For the record, power yoga is uncomfortable with fake lashes, FYI. I did it so you don't have to.

The People. I had mentioned above that nudity is a big part of why I like burlesque. I am very much in favor of minimal clothing. Believe it or not, there are other people who like seeing people where minimal clothing too. I find that meeting people who have seen you mostly naked is a surprisingly enjoyable experience. No more will you wonder if they are actually paying attention to what your talking about or if they are picturing you naked. Now you KNOW they are picturing you naked but they have a good visual reference to go with and now they may even pay better attention to what your saying. They just know what you look like naked when your saying it.

There are dozens more reasons, but honestly, I think these are the main ones that spring to mind. Superficial? Shallow? Maybe. But no one can accuse me of not being honest. With all this in mind though, I'm going to get ready for our Ottawa show tonight and put all these things into practice, hopefully in other people's minds.

See you at Maverick's tonight, kids!

xoxox

Little Miss Risk