Mesrine and Bronson

My Movie Reviews that you will LOVE - NO, Not a Chick Flick that you might think, in fact these 3 movies are VERY Manly.....Violent....Gruesome.....but more importantly.....they are based on TRUE stories.....I am not a fan of Fiction....I prefer Movies based on real events......the 3 Movies that are a Must Watch, if you dare are: Mesrine: Part 1 Killer Instinct, Mesrine: Part 2 Public Enemy #1 and Bronson





http://www.mesrinemovie.com/

http://www.bronsonthemovie.com/


Interview with Stacy Burke Cica 2003

Stacy Burke is a 5'3" 100 pound barbie queen that apparently needs more than a KEN to content her sensual fantasies. Yep, she's a fetish model! With four years of drama and jazz and three years of belly dance under her belt Stacy seems to promote and market herself primarely as a fetish model. What does "Fetish" mean? Well uh? It means she gets alot of her sensual rush off of being bondaged, gagged and yes, even chloroformed {Well, not literally}. According to Fetish-Realm Magazine fetish modeling has been long identified as pornograghy, but while that may seem like the obvious assumption that is just not the case. It's not pornograghy that fetish modeling is trying to depict. It's 90% about experimenting with all of the senses {taste, touch, smell, ect.} to sensationalize arrousing sensual fantasies. It's also about fashion and clothing {despite the lack of at times} and the invigorating games between consenting partners {key word: CONSENT!} Personally I don't think I'd have any senses left after a photo shoot like that, but I think I'd make it through a Stacy Burke foot massage any day. [Image] Though this California fitness KAT dwells in the kingdom of fetish modeling she's done particularly well as an eccentric 'Artist'. She's been featured on such top shows as 'Baywatch', 'The New Love Boat, 'Power Rangers' and Playboy's 'Sex Court'and her stage credits include roles as Frenchie in 'Grease' and Janet in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. Stacy has recently been featured in 'American Virgin' starring Mena Suvari, Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia. For an entire look at Stacy's credits, photos, ect. refer to her home page at Stacy's Fetish A-Go-Go and KAT-TIM-TATIONS. Stacy has currently been hired on at the World Famous Cathous in Hollywood by Riki Rachtman where I'm sure she will be dressed accordingly and she has just returned home from Las Vegas where she attended the 'Dressed to Thrill' event. She's also feeling pretty damn proud for winning the 2001 Bondagette Award and you can catch her on the cover of the new issue of Fetish Realm Magazine. I recently did a one on one interview with this fetish babe and here's what she had to say: Dallas: What's up Stacy? How's 2001 been treating you so far? Stacy: Pretty good so far. I just can't believe how time flies. Hey stop the world for a bit will ya! I need more time here! {laughs}Dallas: Ya know had it not been for my love for the LA scene and the Cathouse I know I would have never come across you. So do you think by you being affiliated with Riki Rachtman and the Cathouse that it kinda induced your popularity a bit more? Stacy: Ummm? I don't about that. It isn't really public knowledge that we are buds. All I know is Riki is a great friend, really sweet and I support him greatly! I am so proud to be apart of the Grand Re-opening of Riki Rachtman's World Famous Cathouse! [Image] Dallas: Who's idea was it to portray you in bondage photo shoots and what's the concept behind being chloroformed in some of them as well? Stacy: Me {laughs}. I love fetish modeling! I think it's an art form. I love B-movies and campy stuff. I get to really play with my creativity here. Over acting is a bonus. Ya gotta love that! Chloroformed is just the releasing of control. Almost like bondage. However people need to remember 'CONSENT' is the key to everything! If there is no consent then you are breaking the law. Dallas: I can see in your photos you're quite an actress, and aside from modeling, is acting something you have a passion for? Stacy: I love acting! I do some mainstream films {did a bed and lingerie scene with Tom Cruise}, but I hate auditions. So you will only see me in a few mainstream things as well as spokesmodel stuff. In fetish films I get to act as much as I want to with no pressure, no politics, no games and no casting couch. I don't need the fame that mainstream can give me. To me I see myself as a success. I am making a pretty good living at something I love to do. Dallas: Hey tell me about the film "Pretty Cool"? Stacy: How'd ya hear about that film? I don't know when they plan on releasing it, but it's part of the Emanuelle series. One of the stars is, Playboy playmate,Summer Altice. I forget the names of the other stars. I just play a cheerleader. I had a bigger part, but I couldn't shoot the last day due to a prior engagement. It was cool to play a highschool cheerleader though. Dallas: I know I for one am attracted to a woman's hands and sometimes their feet and I've noticed you've touched on that in a few of your photos. Is this something you've noticed in some or all of the men you've known or have been envolved with? Stacy: Yeah, c'mon! Women's feet! Especially in five inch stillittos. They're sexy as shit! Plus I'm a sucker for a three hour foot massage! Yeah baby, that's the way to my heart, yoswa!!! Dallas: Who were the porn models that you looked up to growing up and why? Was Traci Lords on that list at all? Stacy: I've only seen one porn video and don't even own any porn videos at all. I probably should watch one someday, then again I probably won't. I'm not a fan of porn. To me it's like watching open heart surguery, eeewww! However I adore Showtime's new show "Queer as Folk" I never knew that guy on Guy Action could be so hot! I think I've finaly found a form of {soft core} porn that I actually like. Yeah I might buy some Guy-on-Guy porn flicks. Ummm? maybe today. [Image] Dallas: Ya know, Axl Rose is on record as saying, to him, the internet is nothing but a garbage can. Has the internet been more of a positive experience for you than negative or what? What's it been for you? Stacy: For me it's been positive. I'm learning a new feild of work by creating web sites and learning about computers. That way I have something to fall back on when the modeling days start to fade. I've met many cool people via the web. I find out about cool events and i t keeps me up to date on things. I can just type in a word in the search engines and 'Poof' mega-information. Sure there's negative crap out there {varies depending on one's taste}, but information should be un-baised and uncensored. You control the mouse babe. The web's as evil as ya want it to be.! Dallas: So when and how'd you cross paths with Riki Rachtman? And did ya guys hit it off from the get go? Stacy: I was watching an Mtv special about a year and a half ago about past VJ's and what they're doing now. I've been a fan of Riki for years and I absolutely adored his radio show on KLSX and was completely pissed off when he got booted! I think he is an untapped talent, very underated and under appreciated. If I were rich and owned a radio station or a TV channel you bet I would put him in something really big! Who knows? Hopefully that might happen. Anyway in that special on Mtv he gave out his web site addy {POOLSCHOOL.net} and I emailed him. We emailed eachother back and forth for awhile and then we finally met at a coffee shop. Yeah I'd say we hit it off. Riki is the coolest and I support him in all of his adventures! Dallas: What bands get you off and like put you in the mood? Something like Faster Pussycat, Jackyl, Aerosmith? Stacy: Yeah, but to tell you the truth my favorite bands or artists are Cheap Trick, Blondie, Dick Dale, David Bowie, Sex Pistols and Rob Zombie. Of course if I were to list all the bands I dig this would be two miles long! The newest band I like listening to is Linkin Park. They're awesome!< /p> Dallas: You told me once Punk Rock was your thing. Mentality and sexually what sits better with you? Punk or Haibands? Stacy: It's a tie between surf and punk tunes. I just put a surf or punk CD on and Go-Go dance my freggin' ass-ass off!!! [Image] Dallas: Are you into KNAC.com at all? I'm Pure Rock Patrol so becareful! {laughing}Stacy: Yeah of course! I used to go to Sunday nights at Geckos for KNAC nights. I love all music, but I especially love hard music and KNAC gives me that! Dallas: Ya know I can't say how glad I am that Riki has brought back the Cathouse! Do ya see the LA scene rising again as we speak? Stacy: Yeah, but I didn't know that it was a 'scene' until it was over! I just assumed it would always be there. How sad that I was wrong. I hate clubs now. The same old music, different club, same old disco like songs and the same old phoney ass people wearing designer this and that. I'd rather stay at home and wat ch re-runs of 'I Love Lucy'! Dallas: Ya know I was promotoing you in the KNAC chatroom recently and {DJ} Philthyphil says he has heard of you, but he said he just didn't grasp the whole fetish thing. So would ya like to enlighten him and the rest of us on that whole concept of yours? Stacy: Sure. It's quite simple. A fetish is something that you need to turn you on. Whatever it may be. It could be feet, stockings, bondage, wearing latex or a girl in five inch stellettos, ect. As long as it's contentual and the parties involved are both adult then there's nothing bad about it. Dallas: I am personally registered in two of your yahooclubs and I dig being apart of 'em. Did it take off at first or was it more of a slower progress? Stacy: My StacyBurkeDotCom yahoo club took off right away with over 2100 members. The rest of them {about seven of them last count} are taking the slower route.
I love yahoo clubs! I can interact with people, find out about cool events, news, I like the creative abilities with them and you can reach out to many people all over the world! Dallas: Hugh Heffner and Riki Rachtman, wow! Do ya get alot of envy from other chicks by knowing them? Stacy: Well most of my friends are fellow fetish models. They all seem to get their fair share of celebrities. Dita {a fellow fetish model} is dating Marylin Manson, Jonathan Davis of Korn is dating a fetish model and I just found out that Arban {another fetish model} is dating Tommy Lee {former husband of Pamela Anderson}. Most of the envy comes from my friends that are men. Hef and Riki are like their idols. Dallas: Ok Stacy I'm gonna wind on down here with you. What do ya think of 'Rock's Man Behind The Messgage' web site and my support page in it? Stacy: What is this? Some kinda trick question? Of course I dig it dude! I think you should get into broadcasting or into the media. Come on, ya love it and you're good at it! Dallas: So what's next on Stacy Burke's agenda? Stacy: Ummm? Well I will be going to the Renaissance Fair this weekend for my birthday {Mayn 27th} and then I will be attending the 'Dressed to Thrill' event
in Vegas next weekend. Then I will be heavily promoting for the Grand Re-opening of Riki's World Famous Cathouse for June 5th. [Image] Dallas: Cool! Thanx for the interview and here's to ya! Stacy: No problem sweetie, anytime. As long as I got my coffee then it's all good.

News from Skin Two

The new Skin Two Magazine, issue 62 is in the printing factory now and will be delivered next week. The new issue looks fabulous – full of stylish fetish fashion, coverage of all the top international BDSM events, classy photography, an exclusive interview with Dita vonTeese and a big feature on fetish Australia, etc, etc. See a preview and order the new issue at our new online store at www.skintwo.biz

As well as getting Skin Two magazine directly from us, you can now also get digital downloads in PDF form of ALL back issues, right from the very first Skin Two magazine in 1984. Downloads are only £2 each – collect fetish history at www.skintwo.biz !


Fetish Website Hosting – and Online Payment Set-Up If you have a fetish/BDSM website, you won’t need me to tell you what a pain it can be to find hosting that’s fetish-friendly. Even worse than that, try getting a shopping cart set up and online credit card payments. I’ve been deleted by PayPal twice, restricted by two major banks – what a hassle it all is.

So I am happy to recommend a firm I’ve recently discovered, run by fetish people with long experience in hosting and payment systems. They already host sites for a number of fetish businesses worldwide, from small to large operations – and they have been really helpful on our new online shopping cart (see above!). So, wherever in the world you are located, if you want reliable people to help you through all this, I suggest you go here

Skin Two North, Leeds: Shall we do it again? If you are in the North of England, you may have been to the three Skin Two North parties in Leeds in 2008, 2009 and 2010. They were a lot of fun and Leeds is such a cool town. We’ve had a number of emails asking whether we plan to do another in 2012. What do you think? If you would like to come, let me know and maybe we’ll be heading up, North again in 2012. Mail me here


Upcoming Events

Saturday January 14th, London: Master Workshop Club RUB have organised some classes for men to learn how to dominate their women intelligently and give them a really good time. Men - find out how to do it properly! Get guidance on how to realise what will work best with your partner, learn a little of the the psychology. Women – encourage him to thrill you. These are small private classes, taught by an experienced male dom. Details here


Wednesday January 18th, Santa Cruz, CA, USA: How to Please Your Man
Join internationally acclaimed sex educator Midori for this in-depth training on orally pleasuring your guy. Learn all about the sucks, licks, swirls, strokes and touch secrets that will blow his mind. She’ll even cover tips on how to reduce discomforts or gag reflexes. Midori, is an acclaimed writer and lecturer on a wide range of sexual topics. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and vast experience as a pioneering San Francisco sex educator. She's the author of bestselling books “The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage” and “Wild Side Sex”. Check out the other classes and events at Purple Pleasure in Santa Cruz - www.purepleasureshop.com/events.php To discover all Mindori’s classes on kinky sex (including bondage) at locations across the USA, go to www.fhp-inc.com/classes

Thursday 19th January, London: Art Erotica Exhibition Opens Art Erotica is a major new event in the London art calendar that will present a high-profile opportunity to exhibit for artists producing work in the erotic genre. Most media, including painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, drawing/graphic art, mixed media/construction and original prints are eligible for entry. The 2012 Art Erotica benefits the respected sexual health charity FPA. Read more here


Saturday 21st January, Richmond BDSM, West London, UK

Join the West London people of Richmond BDSM at Swish, the local fetish party, held at the Hellfire Club in Sunbury. It’s a great venue and deserves to be better known.
Then, our regular munch at the White Cross pub in Richmond is back on the fourth Monday of each month from Monday 23rd January. Join Richmond BDSM at www.richmondbdsm.org

Saturday January 21st, London: Club RUB
Animal Menagerie and Beautiful Beasts - get details here

Friday January 27th, London: Pedestal This is THE club for submissive guys and dominant women. The next event is at Club Collosseum, in Vauxhall, from 10 pm. If your are a submissive man, you need to be here on the 27th - www.clubpedestal.com


Saturday January 28th, London: The Gate Master Keith welcomes you to this strict dresscode night with the emphasis on play. Lots of equipment to use, including tilting bondage table, puppy cage, spanking benches, thrones etc. Entry £10. Resistance Gallery, 265 Poyser St, Bethnal Green. London E2 9RF www.thegateclub.co.uk


Sunday 29th January, Bristol, UK: CBT Workshop
Mistress Geo Pinch of Bristol will be conducting a second CBT workshop from 2pm to 6pm at The Cellar, Bristol’s new BDSM venue. Complete beginners are welcome as Mistress Geo will be instructing at all levels in the use of a wide range of CBT techniques and implements. Light refreshments will be provided. Places are limited to 30, allocated on a first-come-first-served basis (up from the first workshop’s 20 places). Please contact Ms Pinch for further information, via www.geopinch.co.uk

Saturday February 4th, Epinal, France: Cheyco Leidmann Exhibition

The great photographer Leidemann has a show from 4th February to 17th March at La Lune et Parachute, in Epical, to the East of Paris. Details at www.laluneenparachute.com/home.html
Leidemann’s website is at www.cheycoleidmann.com

Saturday February 4th, London: Subversion
There’s no Subversion in January - but they’re back in February for a Purple Pervery & Pink Passion night at Union, 66 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TP, from 10pm. See - www.clubsubversion.com

Thursday February 9th, Milton Keynes, UK: Milton Keynes Fetish Night
Every second Thursday of the month at Pink Punters, 2 Watling Street, Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes MK2 2BS, from 9pm until late. Dress code: Fetish, Kinky, Gothic, Military, all black. No jeans, trainers or street clothes. Cost: £7 before 12, £12 after. There’s a selection of furniture and a suspension beam. There’s no website yet, but you can find them on Fetlife at fetlife.com/events/83962/v2

Thursday February 16th, Bedfordshire, UK: Frocks
Frocks is a series of parties for t-girls and their admirers, held at the excellent Vanilla Alternative venue on the A1 near Sandy, Bedfordshire. Frocks is bi-monthly on the third Thursday of the month. www.honest-advice.co.uk/Frocks.html

Saturday February 18th, London: Master Workshop Club RUB have organised these classes for men to learn how to dominate their women intelligently and give them a really good time. Men - find out how to do it properly. Get guidance on how to realise what will work best with your partner, learn a little of the the psychology. Women - encourage him to thrill you. These are small private classes, taught by am experienced male dom. www.club-rub.com/index.php/club-rub/master/
(Then visit Club RUB later that night and try out what you have learned!)

Saturday February 18th, Amsterdam Holland: Boudoir Bizarre XVVIII This big Dutch event is just 15 minutes from Amsterdam and it features performances, two dancefloors, dungeons, absinthe & champagne bar, etc - see the details at www.boudoir-bizarre.nl


Saturday February 25th, Manchester, UK: Manchester Alternative & Burlesque Fair Over 50 stalls to browse and shop, performances, DJs, no dress code, entry only £50 12 noon to 6 pm at: Sound Control, New Wakefield Street (off Oxford Rd), Manchester M1 5WH (Look for a narrow street by the viaduct at Oxford Rd Train Station, Revolution Bar on the corner)

www.thealternativeandburlesquefair.com/index.php/next-event

Monday March 12th - Sunday March 18th: London, ObsessionArt

Skin Two was one of the first magazines to feature them when they launched, so we’re delighted to see ObsessionArt, a champion of fine art nude, erotica and high class fetish art in the mainstream, now celebrating it’s 5th anniversary with a major exhibition in London’s prestigious Mayfair art district. From humble beginnings, the gallery now represents some of the best-known names in the business, selling exclusive art prints for some of our favourite artists and photographers including Sorayama, Michael Manning, Ray Leaning, and Dahmane, to name just a few.
The exhibition will provide a rare opportunity to view and buy previously unreleased limited edition prints and original paintings by more than eight of ObsessionArt’s artists and photographers. Confirmed for the exhibition so far are Hajime Sorayama (Japan), Stephen Perry (UK), Mick Payton (UK), Saturno Butto (Italy), Igor Vasiliadis (Ukraine), Lee Jones (UK), John Wellington (US) and Dahmane (France).
The show is at The Gallery, 28 Cork Street, Mayfair, London W1S 3NG. It will be open each day* from Monday 12th - Saturday 17th inclusive, from 10am – 10pm. *closed Tuesday evening for press viewing. For further information: www.obsessionart.com

Saturday March 17th, Schloss Milkersdorf, Germany: Latextrem Royal This is a latex-only event. No leather or PVC - just rubber! It takes place at a castle in Milkersdorf, near Berlin – and there’s a shuttle service from Berlin, so travel is easy. You can book hotel rooms, dinner and make a weekend of it - info here


Saturday March 24th, New York, USA: Miss Rubber World

The Baroness will be MC at this big New York event, which goes from strength to strength. The affair lasts from the Friday pre-party through a tour of NY fetish shops on Saturday afternoon, to the big party on Saturday night. Host hotel is the Affinia Manhattan Hotel, so you can party with friends in your room all weekend. www.missrubberworld.com

Saturday March 31st, Birmingham, UK: Birmingham Alternative & Burlesque Fair at Vudu, Smallbrook Queensway, Hurst St, from 12 noon until 6 pm. Four themed shopping floors. performances, DJs, lots of confirmed vendors. No strict dress code (but feel free to look fabulous) Entry £5 on the door. Info here


April 13th - 15th, Barcelona, Spain: Barcelona Fetish Weekend

This was a great weekend last year and we’ll be there again for sure in 2012. Check out the full event programme here
This year, they have a dedicated event hotel, so you can stay with fellow fetish people from around the world. It’s a great location, a short walk from the dinner party and the the bus to the main party leaves right from the hotel - see you there! Hotel info is here

June 2nd - 5th, New York, USA: New York Fetish Marathon

New York’s famous fetish fest is back,with four days of parties, including SMack!, Paddles and The Baroness’ Royal Amusements. See the cream of NYC’s fetish clubbing all at one four-day marathon! www.NYFetishMarathon.com

Saturday 16th June, Paris: La Nuit Démonia Tickets are on sale now at - boutique.demonia.com/nuit-demonia-2012-p-5861.html

More info at - www.nuit-demonia.com

Sunday September 23rd San Francisco, USA: Folsom Street Fair 2012 San Francisco leather Week starts on Sunday 16th September and ends with the legendary Folsom St Fair on the 23rd. This is one of the world’s top leather events and, although essentially a gay celebration, all sexualities are welcome and have a great time. Don’t miss it. www.folsomstreetfair.org


September 29, Lyons, France
: Bal des Supplices www.baldessupplices.com

Saturday October 27th, Las Vegas, USA: Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball The 2012 Fetish & Fantasy Ball is at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. It’s a great trip and not expensive. If you have never been to Las Vegas, give it a go. (For UK partygoers, we recommend flying Virgin Atlantic out of Gatwick.)
www.halloweenball.com

Other Fetish News

Submissive Women and Dominant Men in London

Quite a few people have been asking about a club for sub women and dom men in London. A place where women can go confidently. We have volunteered to pass the word and put people together. Genuine enquiries from sane people to tim@skintwo.com

Do you run a Fetish Business? Want to get your Flyers Distributed? We use and recommend HandJobsMedia to distribute flyers to fetish events across the UK. Contact Michaela at www.handjobsmedia.com

The Only One-y: Scotty The Blue Bunny

Article from: http://sparklydevil.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/the-only-one-y-scotty-the-blue-Linkbunny/

I first met Scotty the Blue Bunny at New York Burlesque Festival in 2003; the exact incriminating details escape me, but I know we were both loud, drunk and obnoxious. In other words, love at first sight.

It’s hard not to be drawn to a guy in a blue spandex bunny suit who’s pushing 7 feet from the tips of his ears down to his size 13 Lucite stripper heels — especially one with such an acerbic and fearless wit. Over the years I’d see him at various festivals and events, and we’d engage in our backstage ritual of hurling good-natured insults at each other while tossing down Jager bombs and spewing glitter and profanity. But it wasn’t until Scotty moved to San Francisco that I really got to know the man behind the bunny suit, and was struck by what a smart, eloquent, introspective and sensitive (yes, really) person he is offstage as well. A gifted yoga and Pilates instructor, Scotty is actually quite down to earth and always refreshingly free of pretense. Whether onstage or off, he lasers in on bullshit and mercilessly mocks it with his trademark brand of utterly outrageous humor and razor-sharp delivery.

In one of his opening bits, Scotty stomps onstage to the Godzilla theme, and it’s a truly apt comparison: he’s the motherfucker who will storm into your burlesque show, stomp all over your preconceived notions of emcee protocol and etiquette, rip your face off in front of everyone, and you’ll only love him even MORE for it.

I asked Scotty to take a few moments to sit down and answer some probing questions about the man, the myth and the bunny. I hope you enjoy this peek behind the ears as much as I did.

Tell me a little about how Scotty the Blue Bunny came into being. When did you first don the suit? How did you come to emceeing?

I date my genesis to my first tour with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus in 1996. As a lead up to that, I had been doing small shows with them locally in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for about a year prior, as well as late night drag shows and not so late night spoken word slams. The Cirkus gave me room to be interdisciplinary without thinking too much about it. So I experimented with clowning and fantasy and the “female impersonation” naturally faded out. One turn with bunny ears stuck as a trademark forever. And since there is a strong tradition of wearing animal outfits in the circus and sideshow it felt natural. After a few years of touring, variety and burlesque shows were now happening on dedicated earlier evenings instead of late night clubs – and there was a need for hosts. It seemed, and still does, like a perfect niche. I could bring all my little circus tricks and banter to glue a show together.

You’re infamous for saying some utterly outrageous, shocking shit on stage. Do you think you get away with it if you weren’t dressed in a blue bunny suit?

Probably not – but it’s not like I’m hitting the stage in a pair of khakis anytime soon. And I haven’t gotten away with everything just so you know. I made someone so mad once they bit me…

How do you approach hosting a burlesque show, or any show for that matter?

Girl, the spandex helps me get caught up in the excitement of the show. Shows are exciting! Dixie Evans said something to the effect that there was a time before Facebook and DVDs – when people went out. They HAD to go out and it was fun and active to be in the audience. The audience might come to the show to see the performers, but the performers come to see the crowd. I think of the proscenium as a meeting place. I still romanticize performing and doing shows and I remind myself to get caught up in the magic. Also Jo Boobs told me to never ever get tired of being a bunny: “Don’t you dare!” Period. So I keep a mental Rottweiler growling at potential boredom or habituation. I mean, god forbid I was a lucky SOB cast in Cats – I’d have to be a pussy Tuesday through Friday with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Every time I step on stage it’s fresh; there’s always someone who hasn’t seen me before. PLUS it helps to have new costumes and shoes and stuff – even if the material is old, (girl!) it’s a sweet little trick to play on yourself to have something new to show off.


Link

You’re part of the “old guard” that’s been around since the burlesque revival really exploded. How do you see the old guard meshing with the new guard?

Actually – I think I’m part of some intermediary guard. I’m old enough that for me, burlesque never really disappeared culturally, but young enough that I never really saw contemporary burlesque until I saw my peers do it. I don’t mean to downplay my experience. As we go along it really does seem I witnessed and was part of a pivotal time in the genre, in New York anyway, but it would also seem that it was a pivotal time for Burlesque globally as well.

I think young and old are meshing just fine. Living in San Francisco especially, I catch glimpses of it being an inter-generational scene. Some of the seniors will put high-heels on their walkers and come to see our shows, or be in them! It’s not all about immortalizing them at BHOF. It’s great to have idols, but it’s nice when those idols come down from Olympus to suck on a whiskey sour and yell out at you.

Recently you stated that performers should “strive to suck.” I interpreted that as “strive to take risks” but would you care to expand a bit more on that?

A bit of irreverence would do us all some good, for both the performer and the audience. Yes, we all exist within the confines of a genre and audiences come with expectations built on that, so you gotta knock that shit down. Striving to be good is great, but I also want to be passionate, playful, furious, horny, careless and wild as well - and in burlesque we get to work it out on stage.

Performing can be a transcendent experience (ritual) for the performer, which makes for great theater. It doesn’t have to be written off as therapy, and people should really be open to “sucking” in the name of experiencing their performances differently than their audience. Go ahead, get on your knees, scream and pour blood all over yourself in the name of Satan. This is Burlesque for Christ’s sake – irreverence is built into the definition of the damn thing.

I also appreciate to see a little struggling with the form. Creators struggle with their respective forms in order to transcend raw materials and really make art. All the rhinestones and all the feathers have to add up to something that blows people’s minds and suspends reality – aka entertainment. We come to and perform in shows so we can re-enter our everyday lives with new awareness. We destroy to create.

What are your thoughts on the spectrum of performer quality that we see today, from boring to genius? Can you talk a little about that “grace period of suck” that you mentioned?

Well, maybe 15 years ago, we had more places to experiment, and audiences were not quite sure what they were looking at, so we got a way with some unfinished shit. I mean I was doing drag – and as much as I look like a real rabbit to you now, that’s how successful my female impersonation was. Blech! We were doing shows that grew out of nightlife. I mean, I’ve seen gorgeous go-go girls dancing while licking soft-serve ice-cream cones in front of video monitors playing scenes of people vomiting. When I first met World Famous *BOB* she was eating cheeseburgers on a go-go box at an after-hours club where I showed up in a metallic kilt to eat fire and our boss was a giant lime green drag queen. Now look at us. Honestly – we were werking it out!!! We didn’t have schools with handouts and charts. We were weird and walked the streets when New York was the place for that. Kids today don’t have that – they have to step onto the stage with much more intention and seriousness than we ever did. Bow your head to your own creative process and do your own best work. Foster uniqueness. Everything else will take care itself.


Copping a feel at NYBF ‘03

As someone who makes a living from performing, what do you think of the whole professional vs. hobbyist debate? Is this going to divide us as a community?

The truth is that most people don’t care – they just want good show. We have these beautiful Living Legends and heaps of black and white photos of dancers past – but we don’t know anything about the qualities of their shows or productions. Really, there is far too much glamorizing going on – far too much nostalgia and projecting.

The truth is you can’t be in every show. Performers need to just relax and accept that they don’t fit every bill – and it’s not always about being good, or professional. It’s pretty obvious what you have to do to perform on all the different levels.

Making a living in burlesque is making a living as an artist, and I think that if people thought of themselves in the broader spectrum of performance instead of rhinestoning the shit out of the status quo, they would be better burlesquers. Sparkle is great – but if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that audiences want the whole diamond. You have to express yourself through your skills. You have to live on stage.

Originally, this debate was very emotional for me because I found my way into a bunny suit through experimentation and exposure to all kinds of freaks. I don’t have any formal education in the arts besides my abandoned violin career, which ended in highs chool. Joey Ramone never took voice lessons and Rober Mapplethorpe was a drop-out. I don’t think anyone would dispute they are professional world-class artists. I model myself on that.

One of the first times I first met you, the first thing you said to me after I got offstage is that I should close my mouth while I perform. At first I was taken aback, and then I realized you were giving me real constructive criticism instead of a meaningless “oh that was great.” Do you think a lot of burlesque performers aren’t used to receiving real feedback? Or that they just don’t want it and would prefer the “that was great”?

Shit, everyone I know jumps off stage asking “Wasitgoodwasitgoodwasitgooddidyoulikeit?huh?huh?” Everyone I know is interested in refining their art and making it better. I think everyone is talking to everyone about their shows all the time. Critique has a language and timing all its own, and it’s better just to ignore a bad performance and pour enthusiasm all over something you love-love-without-a-doubt love. The majority of performances I see are just fine – the rest, should just be gracefully left alone to figure it out. There is a kind of innocence there you don’t want to fuck with. The joy of being in showbiz for so long is watching people figure it out.

What do you think are the biggest challenges the burlesque community is facing right now?

The biggest challenge is how do you perform for an educated audience, at every ticket price. People know what burlesque is. We need to accept it’s completely cultural now – it’s not neo, or a revival anymore. It’s just Burlesque.

What do you love most about burlesque? And what do you hate?

The thing I love most is watching the nightly transformation from nose-picking fart-smelling scratch-n-sniff reptilian invader into pristine glamour girl (you know who you are). The thing I hate the most is pizza backstage.

Tell me about one of your most memorable moments on stage; something that really resonates and sticks out when you look back at everything you’ve done.

Getting bit.



He’s the only one-y: get more of Scotty the Blue Bunny at http://scottybunny.com