Intelexual-Media
The video presents a black women's history of pinup and burlesque by recounting the origin of burlesque in London and its evolution in America, along with the rise of pinup illustrations during World War II. The section explores the challenges faced by Black performers who were subject to racial stereotypes and compared to Sarah Bartmann. Despite these hurdles, several Black burlesque performers broke box office records, paved the way for future generations, and used their time in burlesque to move into other realms of entertainment. The article also highlights the fading popularity of burlesque and pinup photography in the 70s and its revival in the 90s with the creation of organizations that aimed to empower minority performers in a white-dominated genre.
In this section, the video explores the history of burlesque and pinup, which originated in London in the Victorian era as musicals with body humor. By the 1890s, they were more popular on the vaudeville circuit in America, but often included racist jokes and blackface. By the 1930s, striptease dominated burlesque, though it was still common to see clubs advertising to couples. Pinup illustrations were used to advertise performances, and gained popularity during World War II, especially among U.S. soldiers who would put them on lockers and equipment. Artist Alberto Vargas painted many pinups during this era, including several of black women. As photography became easier and cheaper, real women were featured in pinup photos.
In this section, the history of cheesecake photography is discussed, with the term being coined after a woman complied with a photographer's request to lift her skirt, and the editor called the resulting photo "better than cheesecake." While pinup and burlesque performances have often faced debates on moral grounds, white women who participated were not subject to racial stereotypes and were never compared to Sarah Bartmann, who was exploited for her curves. Black women, on the other hand, were expected to be examples of respectability for their race due to plantation-era notions of sex. The section goes on to highlight the early black burlesque performer Ada Overton Walker and the stereotypes and racial descriptors that black performers faced, as well as the places, like the Creole Palace, where they had the opportunity to showcase their talents.
In this section of the transcript, the video discusses the lives and careers of several famous Black shake dancers and burlesque performers of the mid-20th century. These women used their time in burlesque to move into other realms of entertainment or to meet well-paid husbands. For many of these performers, retirement meant pursuing other creative ventures such as singing or fortune telling. The speaker also suggests that while white performers were earning thousands of dollars per week, Black performers were earning only a fraction of that in comparison. Despite this, these women broke box office records in Tokyo and traveled to nightclubs all around the world, performing in cities like London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
In this section, we learn about several black women who made significant contributions to the pinup and burlesque scene. Lottie the Body was a popular burlesque performer in Detroit who was known as the Black Gypsy Rose Lee, socializing with famous musicians like Aretha Franklin and Louis Armstrong. Lawanda Page, who played Aunt Esther on Sanford and Son, was a shake dancer for four years and later became a comedian. Jean Eidel, also known as the Sepia Sally Rand, was renowned for her sensual dances with luxurious ostrich feather fans and helped integrate white-only burlesque clubs. Rosita Sims, inspired by Duke Ellington, became Tony Elling and performed in a style that suggested nudity without revealing everything. Despite facing discrimination, these women made an impact and paved the way for future generations.
In this section, the history of black burlesque and strip performers is explored. Burlesque struggled to stay relevant in the late '60s and early '70s as strip clubs and peep shows became more popular. Many burlesque performers retired, but some moved into strip clubs. The first wave of post-burlesque strippers faced racial discrimination, unfair wages, and harassment. The article also delves into the world of black pin-up girls, who coexisted with burlesque and strip performers. Jet magazine published beauty of the week pinups, which featured both aspiring celebrity women and girl-next-door types. Many famous black women, including actresses Jane Kennedy and Pam Grier, appeared as pinups in Jet magazine.
In this section, the video discusses the rise of pinup and nude photography in the black community in the 60s and 80s. Publications such as Jet and Hue Magazine featured pinup photography and calendars that grew increasingly risque. Tan and Terrific was one of the first magazines to display black women completely nude and was linked to pornographer Reuben Sturman, while Duke Magazine targeted well-to-do black men with its editorial content, including pinup illustrations and centerfolds. Playboy's first black Playmate of the Month was 19-year-old Jennifer Jackson in March 1965, and Ebony Magazine even dedicated an entire section to black soldiers in the August 1968 issue, which included a request for more pictures of pretty girls.
In this section, we learn about the fading popularity of burlesque and pinup photography in the 70s as strip clubs and pornography took over. However, there was a revival of burlesque in the 90s with the creation of organizations like Brown Girls Burlesque, which aimed to empower minority performers in a white-dominated genre. Chocolate City Burlesque in Cabaret was also founded with a similar goal of empowering its performers and highlighting the problems faced by black women in America. In recent years, black women have been increasingly visible in pinup photography through gentlemen's magazines, cell phone cameras, and their own boudoir photography.
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