Burlesque and body image: what's the skinny?

Body image is a prominent part of burlesque. Real women of all shapes and sizes, in all their feminine glory, are portrayed every evening on New York burlesque stages to packed theatres. Men clearly prefer a curvier woman, so it's a wonder why some of us starve ourselves to conform to an ideal that wasn't at all fashionable even as little as fifty years ago. Angie Pontani, New York's classic fifties icon of burlesque, answers a few of my basic questions.

JNU: What's your take on the fact that burlesque is equally as appealing to straight women as to men?
AP: I think it's fantastic. I enjoy having a mixed audience. It makes it more exciting to me as a performer and proves that burlesque has something for everyone to enjoy, male or female. 

JNU: Do you sense that women come away from a burlesque performance feeling so much better about their femininity or body shape? (I know I do!!)
AP: I think burlesque re-introduces women to a feminine ideal that got lost somewhere between 80's hair and the grunge movement. Burlesque affirms there is nothing wrong with being feminine and embracing your inner Miss Sexy. Put on the lipstick and dress you can't sit down it and enjoy it. A good burlesque performer puts that into perspective, body type aside. A dancer who knows what they are doing makes the audience comfortable with the titillation and tease, leaving the girls walking out of the room with pep in their step and the guys chasing after them. It's mixes sexy with fun and that is really what sexy should be: fun!

JNU: How many of your friends or acquaintances read fashion magazines and subconsciously judge themselves by that standard?
AP: A lot of my friends read fashion magazines, most of my friends are also in the business and know what a before and after touch-ups picture looks like. I certainly hope people would not judge themselves to an unreal ideal, though I know many do. In part, I think it's because most people are unaware of the process these pictures go through before they are printed. I am thankful that I lived most of my life influenced by vintage everything and paying little attention to contemporary television and magazines. I do think that the media that promotes these ideals should be ashamed of themselves. If not for anything but for the fact that they promote one body type, skinny and tall. There is no variety; it's either your typical super thin model spread or a very rare special edition plus-size featuring models that are sizes 14+. In between that lies a huge sea of women, where is that representation? Some people are born thin and tall, my mother is one of them: 5'6 and skin and bones. I don't think it's fair or balanced to eradicate that look from fashion: just make sure it's not the only option. Show the whole gamut and not just in a special edition once a year. 

JNU: Does the fact that women judge themselves to these impossible standards erode their confidence?
AP: You can't airbrush your pimple off or "clone and stamp" your waist a few inches smaller. You can't replicate a still photoshopped image when you are walking down the street. I have the blues when I feel that I'm not at my physical best, or if I get a blemish or have bags under my eyes and so on, but I don't walk around thinking, "I'll never look like that Guess add". If anyone did, I imagine it would be horrible for their confidence. But if these magazines and ads make people feel so bad, stop buying them, perhaps. There is consumer responsibility in this issue as well. 

JNU: Where is the real joy in our city? Have factors like stress, strict diets and rigid schedules made us women lose our feminine sense of lightness?
AP: It's easy to get caught up in the grind of the city or just life. Whether you have a high-powered job or are a housewife, life is tough and stressful and there are never enough hours in the day. Regardless, strict diets never work and rigid schedules will eventually snap. Life is short, I choose to try and make it fun. When I get dressed every day, I will embody a different lady that I love. One day I may do my hair like Rita Hayworth or Donna Summers; I get into it and that is where I hit my lady-light stride. I uphold my responsibilities with my work, family and future planning, but I try like crazy to go easy and not sweat the small stuff. I know it's easier said than done, but once you start to make small and positive changes in your life, before you know it, those changes make you.

JNU: How do we get back to the fifties when curvy was fashionable?
AP: One person at a time, with some acts of random kindness thrown in. Tell your friends and strangers they look fabulous; don't buy those junk magazines; tell DOVE their new add campaign is awesome; when a magazine does a plus size spread write to them and say, "that's great, but let's see it more and not just once a year like it's Christmas!"

Demand more diversification, not just plus size, not just curves but also petite and mid-sized girls. We make change, that is how it's done; at the end of the day it comes down to what we will tolerate. The burlesque movement was started by people in underground cultures, not mainstream media. It is comprised of all body types, Barbie types too! That movement has grown over the years and affected mainstream media. It's a slow trickle, but well worth the wait.