The Happy Stripper: Pleasures and Politics of the New Burlesque

About this book

If the burlesque stripper with her bawdy spirit and unruly insubordination has emerged for many as a new empowering model for the sexually aware woman then she also strikes horror in the heart of second wave feminism. Embodied by high profile artistes such as Dita von Teese and Catherine DLish the explosive revival of striptease burlesque and overt female sexual performance has proved no less alluring to a new generation of women artists familiar with the provocative work of 70s performance artists such as Hannah Wilke and Carolee Schneeman. Eloquent on prettiness and power desire and knowingness money sex and class and with an extensive knowledge of burlesques rich tradition Willson raises long overdue questions about womens erotic expression within a postfeminist condition. The new burlesque demands above all a response - this fresh brazen provocative book at last provides it.