News from Skin Two June 30th 2011
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Chris Hansen Caught Cheating On Wife By Hidden Camera: 'To Catch A Predator' Host Nailed: Report
Looks like the sting tactic that made Chris Hansen famous may have come back to bite him -- big time.
The National Enquirer is reporting that they've caught the "To Catch A Predator" host cheating on his wife with Kristyn Caddell, a Florida NBC affiliate news reporter twenty one years his junior, with a hidden camera. Hansen is married with two children and lives in Connecticut.
The Enquirer says that they have footage of Hansen out with Caddell, having dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manalapan, Florida, and then returning for the night to her Palm Beach apartment. The host has been spending time in Florida investigating the disappearance of James 'Jimmy T' Trindade, the Enquirer reports (via the Daily Mail).
"To Catch A Predator," a Dateline series, features Hansen and an advocacy organization called Perverted Justice posing as younger women and communicating with older men online, and then catching would-be sex offenders at a location that they and the almost-offender agreed upon.
Satan’s Angel story must be told by Baby Doe
I met Satan’s Angel at Tease-O-Rama in 2003. As I watched her performance side-stage I was blown away by this sassy, raw, brilliant woman that was able to get a crowd of jaded hipsters to bounce from their seats and give her a standing ovation. Over the years I have had the opportunity to really get to know Satan’s Angel beyond what you see on the stage. She has this unique ability to take you back to a moment in time with her captivating stories from her start in San Francisco to her adventures around the globe performing as a burlesque artist and rubbing elbows with celebrities along the way. Satan’s Angel still continues to twirl her fire tassels, tell her gripping stories and pass on the tips and tricks of her trade to the next generation of burlesquers. At this time two filmmakers, Joshua Dragotta and Tony Marsico, are working on a documentary about the legendary Satan's Angel. I hope that you can take a minute to pop by Kickstarter and make a donation today and make sure this film does indeed get made! No amount is too small. They have less than two weeks left in their Kickstarter campaign so please donate today.
Here is a quick tease from the movie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7M_EZ8hsk4&NR=1
For only $10 you can support this project to get off the ground
$25 and you get a autographed CD
$50 and you get a autographed DVD
$75 and you get a rare signed poster
$100 you get signed photo, DVD and credit in the movie
and the gifts get even BETTER the more you pledge, including photoshoots for burlesque performers, dinner with Satan’s Angel and more!
Please make a pledge today and support this project
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/395872532/satans-angel
Court Strikes Down Violent Game Law Supreme Court rules 7-2 in favor of the games industry.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the video games industry this morning in a case that called for the ban of violent games to children in the state of California.
"This is a historic and complete win for the First Amendment and the creative freedom of artists and storytellers everywhere. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what we have always known – that free speech protections apply every bit as much to video games as they do to other forms of creative expression like books, movies and music," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, which represents the U.S. computer and video game industry.
"The Court declared forcefully that content-based restrictions on games are unconstitutional; and that parents, not government bureaucrats, have the right to decide what is appropriate for their children."
"We are thrilled by today's news," added Jennifer Mercurio, VP & General Counsel of the Entertainment Consumers Association.
"We had hoped that we would see this decision, and it's been a long time coming. That being said, there will probably be one or two legislators who attempt to test these new parameters, and the ECA will continue to fight for the rights of entertainment consumers."
California State Senator Leland Yee, the author of the law, expressed disappointment in the court's ruling.
"Unfortunately, the majority of the Supreme Court once again put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children," Yee said in a statement. "As a result of their decision, Wal-Mart and the video game industry will continue to make billions of dollars at the expense of our kids' mental health and the safety of our community. It is simply wrong that the video game industry can be allowed to put their profit margins over the rights of parents and the well-being of children.
"While we did not win today, I am certain that this eight year legislative and legal battle has raised the consciousness of this issue for many parents and grandparents, and has forced the video game industry to do a better job at appropriately rating these games," he added.
"Every major national medical association – including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics – has concluded that exposure to violent video games causes an increase in aggressive behavior, physiological desensitization to violence, and decrease pro-social behavior," said Yee. "Thus, society has a direct, rational and compelling reason in marginally restricting a minor's access to violent video games."
In a 7-2 decision, the court struck down the proposed law, saying video games fall under First Amendment protection.
"Like protected books, plays, and movies, [video games] communicate ideas through familiar literary devices and features distinctive to the medium. And 'the basic principles of freedom of speech . . . do not vary' with a new and different communication medium," said the court.
"This country has no tradition of specially restricting children's access to depictions of violence. And California's claim that 'interactive' video games present special problems, in that the player participates in the violent action on screen and determines its out- come, is unpersuasive."
A PDF version of the court's full decision can be found here.
The proposed law was first signed in 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It opposed the sale of violent games to minors and could fine retailers up to $1,000 for each violation. A federal appeals court, however, blocked the law before it could pass, deeming it unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme decided in April 2010 to give the law a second look, making its decision this morning.
Games Industry Reacts to Supreme Court Decision
"This is a historic and complete win for the First Amendment and the creative freedom of artists and storytellers everywhere. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what we have always known – that free speech protections apply every bit as much to video games as they do to other forms of creative expression like books, movies and music," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, which represents the U.S. computer and video game industry.
"The Court declared forcefully that content-based restrictions on games are unconstitutional; and that parents, not government bureaucrats, have the right to decide what is appropriate for their children."
"We are thrilled by today's news," added Jennifer Mercurio, VP & General Counsel of the Entertainment Consumers Association.
"We had hoped that we would see this decision, and it's been a long time coming. That being said, there will probably be one or two legislators who attempt to test these new parameters, and the ECA will continue to fight for the rights of entertainment consumers."
California State Senator Leland Yee, the author of the law, expressed disappointment in the court's ruling.
"Unfortunately, the majority of the Supreme Court once again put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children," Yee said in a statement. "As a result of their decision, Wal-Mart and the video game industry will continue to make billions of dollars at the expense of our kids' mental health and the safety of our community. It is simply wrong that the video game industry can be allowed to put their profit margins over the rights of parents and the well-being of children.
"While we did not win today, I am certain that this eight year legislative and legal battle has raised the consciousness of this issue for many parents and grandparents, and has forced the video game industry to do a better job at appropriately rating these games," he added.
"Every major national medical association – including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics – has concluded that exposure to violent video games causes an increase in aggressive behavior, physiological desensitization to violence, and decrease pro-social behavior," said Yee. "Thus, society has a direct, rational and compelling reason in marginally restricting a minor's access to violent video games."
Rochester Police Arrest Woman For Videotaping Them From Her Front Yard By Carlos Miller
Update: Rochester police resort to retaliatory tactics against citizens
A woman was arrested for videotaping police from her front yard in Rochester, New York.
Emily Good, 28, was recording a traffic stop where police had a man handcuffed on May 12th. The video was uploaded to Blip TV today.
The cop who arrested her has been identified as Mario Masic, according to the Rochester Indy Media.
A man named Mario Masic who happens to be a police officer in western New York also runs a business called Harvest Moon Malamutes.
mariomasic.jpg
Mario Masic apparrently treats dogs better than he does camera-toting citizens
You can friend him on Facebook here. Or you can email him through his business email address at harvestmoonmalamutes@live.com.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows Masic hassling Good with absurd notions after he notices her recording.
“I don’t feel safe with you standing behind me, so I’m going to ask you to go into your house,”
“You seem very anti-police … due to what you said to me before you started taping me.”
It is not clear what Good said before she started recording, but if she said anything threatening, they would have arrested her at that moment.
She ended up getting handcuffed and taken away after she refused to walk into her house, even though she was clearly on her own property.
A friend or relative ended up taking the camera and we see her being led away.
Neighbors who witnessed the interaction confirmed she had done nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, the man they had originally handcuffed was released.
Mickey H. Osterreicher, attorney for the National Press Photographers Association, fired off a letter to Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard demanding that Good's charges be dropped.
Sheppard told Osterreicher and the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper that he has ordered an investigation, which normally is police talk for sweeping it under the carpet until the media attention dies down.
Rochester Police Arrest Woman For Videotaping Them From Her Front Yard By Carlos Miller -... Topics News
Update: Rochester police resort to retaliatory tactics against citizens
A woman was arrested for videotaping police from her front yard in Rochester, New York.
Emily Good, 28, was recording a traffic stop where police had a man handcuffed on May 12th. The video was uploaded to Blip TV today.
The cop who arrested her has been identified as Mario Masic, according to the Rochester Indy Media.
A man named Mario Masic who happens to be a police officer in western New York also runs a business called Harvest Moon Malamutes.
mariomasic.jpg
Mario Masic apparrently treats dogs better than he does camera-toting citizens
You can friend him on Facebook here. Or you can email him through his business email address at harvestmoonmalamutes@live.com.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows Masic hassling Good with absurd notions after he notices her recording.
“I don’t feel safe with you standing behind me, so I’m going to ask you to go into your house,”
“You seem very anti-police … due to what you said to me before you started taping me.”
It is not clear what Good said before she started recording, but if she said anything threatening, they would have arrested her at that moment.
She ended up getting handcuffed and taken away after she refused to walk into her house, even though she was clearly on her own property.
A friend or relative ended up taking the camera and we see her being led away.
Neighbors who witnessed the interaction confirmed she had done nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, the man they had originally handcuffed was released.
Mickey H. Osterreicher, attorney for the National Press Photographers Association, fired off a letter to Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard demanding that Good's charges be dropped.
Sheppard told Osterreicher and the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper that he has ordered an investigation, which normally is police talk for sweeping it under the carpet until the media attention dies down.
VICTORY: New York Senate passes marriage bill
Jun 24, 2011 at 09:33 pm
In a resounding win for the freedom to marry movement in the United States, the New York legislature today sent a marriage bill to Governor Cuomo’s desk that, when signed, will more than double the number of Americans living in a state with the freedom to marry for all committed, loving couples.
"Winning the freedom to marry in New York truly is a watershed moment for committed couples and for our country, a triumph for love and equality under the law,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “Now that we’ve made it here, we’ll make it everywhere -- and as Americans’ hearts open and minds continue to change in favor of the freedom to marry, the momentum coming from New York’s giant step forward brings a nationwide end to marriage discrimination closer than ever.”
The New York victory represents a number of historic firsts:
- For the first time, a Republican-led chamber, the New York State Senate, joined the Democrat-led Assembly in passing marriage legislation;
- The marriage bill was strongly championed by a governor who ran for office on his pledge to pass a bill and then campaigned steadily for it, making it one of his top priorities and committing political capital to its passage;
- A large number of America’s most prominent businesses including Xerox Corporation, Alcoa, and McGraw-Hill, and the heads of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, along with New York’s most important labor unions, urged passage of the bill;
- And numerous professional athletes, including NBA star Steve Nash, New York Rangers star Sean Avery, and New York Giants great Michael Strahan, joined the chairman of the New York Giants and owner of the New Jersey Nets in speaking out for the bill.
“This unprecedented support from Republicans, corporations, and even pro athletes demonstrates how mainstream ending the exclusion of gay and lesbian couples from marriage has become,” said Wolfson. “We are especially grateful for Governor Cuomo’s strategic and passionate leadership in advancing this bill. He worked tirelessly with Freedom to Marry and other advocates to secure the votes we needed to win. No governor has ever worked harder or more strategically to advance marriage legislation.”
The marriage bill passed the Republican-led Senate by 33-29 and then the Assembly in a 80-63 vote. With this win, the number of Americans living in states with the freedom to marry more than doubles, from 16 million to 35 million.
Freedom to Marry helped lead on every front of the campaign to win marriage in New York. As a founding member of the New Yorkers United for Marriage coalition, Freedom to Marry played a key leadership role in guiding and investing in the coalition's work to win. Freedom to Marry invested approximately one million dollars in the campaign, including more than half a million for television, newspaper ads, and direct mail, and over $100,000 in polling, all aimed at making sure legislators heard from the couples affected, their loved ones, and the 58% of New Yorkers who support the freedom to marry.
“With the freedom to marry in New York, the nationwide majority support for marriage will swell, as even more people get to see why marriage matters to same-sex couples, that gay couples, like non-gay, treasure the chance to affirm and strengthen their commitment, and that ending marriage discrimination helps families and hurts no one ” said Wolfson. “This win in New York adds to the momentum for the work ahead: ending the cruel exclusion from marriage in so many other states, and tackling and ending federal marriage discrimination under the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, under which so much of the crucial safety-net that marriage is intended to provide continue to be denied to married gay and lesbian couples”
If you are New York City, march with Freedom to Marry, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and New Yorkers United for Marriage in the Pride Parade. Meet us on Sunday, June 26 at 11am on 40th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues. We’re in Section 1 and should step off not too long after the parade begins at 12noon.
World's oldest person dies in Brazil at 114
June 21, 2011 5:37 p.m. EDT
Maria Gomes Vatentim, born in 1896, died Tuesday night at the age of 114.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Maria Gomes Valentim passed away just weeks before her 115th birthday
- She died of pneumonia, says the Gerontology Research Group
- Valentim lived in Carangola, Brazil and credited her long life to a healthy diet
- The honor of being the world's oldest person now passes to Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia
RELATED TOPICS
(CNN) -- A Brazilian woman ranked by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person died Tuesday at the age of 114.
Maria Gomes Valentim was born in 1896 in Carangola, a city in southeast Brazil, where she lived her whole life. She was just weeks away from celebrating what would have been her 115th birthday.
Valentim died of pneumonia, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which keeps track of the world's oldest people.
With her passing, Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia, regains her title as the world's oldest. She was bested by Valentim in May when officials were able to verify the Brazilian woman's age. Cooper is 114 years and 229 days, according to Guinness World Records.
Valentim married Joao Valentim in 1913 and was widowed in 1946. They had one son together, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren, Guinness World Records said.
She credited her long life to a healthy diet, which included coffee, bread, fruit, milk with linseed and an occasional glass of wine.
Guinness World Records said Valentim was Brazil's first supercentenarian to get official recognition. A supercentenarian is anyone over the age of 110. There are fewer than 90 such people confirmed living in the world right now.
The oldest person to have ever lived, according to Guinness World Records, was Jeanne Louise Calment. She passed away in southern France in 1997 at the age of 122.
Betty White’s Nude Photos Are Frankly Adorable
Betty White’s Nude Photos Are Frankly Adorable
Betty White is… Naked? [Yeeeah]
Crystal Harris on Hugh Hefner's Strict Rules and Curfew at Playboy Mansion
Crystal Harris says there were several reasons she decided to break off her engagement to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner just days before the planned wedding on June 18. But in this second installment of her interview with ET's Chris Jacobs, the 25-year-old Playmate admits that one major factor was her lack of freedom and the strict rules enforced inside the iconic Playboy Mansion.
Harris met Hefner, 85, at a Halloween party in 2008 and she moved into the Playboy Mansion just two weeks later. While she now concedes there were many things over the years that she liked about living there, Harris said Hefner's mandatory agenda of activities, strict 9 p.m. curfews and denied permission to leave town to visit friends and family eventually led to the feeling that her world was "closing in."
"My relationship with Hef was not a typical relationship. It was... be here, this time. You know, I couldn't do certain things. The first year I was there I went on a vacation with my friends to snowboard in Colorado and then in the summer I went for four days to Idaho to visit my sister. The second year, I asked if I could go with my friends again and see my family and I got told no. I just felt my world just kind of closing in on me. And that's when I just started realizing it wasn't for me. And with Hef, it's Hef's way, you know, or no way."
"The mansion schedule is so strict -- you know, movie night, home by 6 o'clock, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for movie nights." Harris said that because of her regimented routine with Hefner, she doesn't really know how to act with her newfound freedom. "I have no idea. I'm just going day by day -- day by day. I don't even know what I'm going to do tomorrow."
The Playmate explains that another reason for her breakup with the publishing magnate was that she knew she would always have to share Hefner with other women. "I can honestly say I was not the only woman in Hef's life. And I didn't feel comfortable in my heart knowing that, and being able to get married to him. Because a marriage is between two people and that's not what our relationship was." In addition, she said she just felt overwhelmed and stressed recently by endless meetings with lawyers about a prenuptial agreement, television contracts, etc.
But Harris also has fond memories of Hefner, whom she says she still loves and hopes to stay friends with for years to come. "We had fun, we laughed. I mean, he's a man that doesn't like change, so it would be fun to get him to do things he wouldn't normally do. Try food that he usually wouldn't try. He eats the same thing every day... we had fun. It was more of like friends, really good friends. He's been wonderful to me. He's the kindest person I've ever met."
Harris revealed that she still has the three-plus carat diamond engagement ring given to her by Hefner, but is not sure what will become of it. "If Hef wants me to return the ring, I'll gladly return it to him," she said.
Be sure to catch Harris on the cover of the July issue of Playboy, where she is introduced as Mrs. Crystal Hefner. Since the cover couldn't be changed to reflect the canceled wedding, Hefner showed he still has a sense of humor about the situation by announcing that some of the July editions will include a sticker on the cover that reads: "Runaway bride in this issue!"
Watch the video for more candid revelations and to hear Harris describe her fabulous wedding gown!
Attorney Lawrence Walters Defending Kimberly Kupps
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Photos of Burlesque Hall Of Fame Performances 2011 Now Available!
Hello Everyone!
I wanted to let you know that I've uploaded my shots of all performances from the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend this year! What an amazing weekend...
Please feel free to use them for social networking media, etc...if you are interested in them for print purposes or publication in any way, just drop me a line!
http://www.flickr. com/photos/ lulubrooks/ collections/ 7215762694344094 2/
Enjoy!
xo
Diane
diane@zeldamag. com
I wanted to let you know that I've uploaded my shots of all performances from the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend this year! What an amazing weekend...
Please feel free to use them for social networking media, etc...if you are interested in them for print purposes or publication in any way, just drop me a line!
http://www.flickr. com/photos/ lulubrooks/ collections/ 7215762694344094 2/
Enjoy!
xo
Diane
diane@zeldamag. com
Introducing Dustin Wax and the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum
Hello everyone!
I wanted to write and introduce myself to everyone, after following the list
for quite a while now. I’m one of the people that runs the Burlesque Hall of
Fame museum -- I’ve met quite a few of you, either at this year or last
year’s reunion weekends or at the museum itself, but I wanted to take a
moment to really talk about who I am and what I do at the museum -- and,
indeed, what the museum itself is doing. The reason I’ve waited so long is
that to really address what the museum is and needs to become, I’ll have to
say some things about the split between BHoF and “the other show” and I
didn’t want to seem like I was trying to undermine the other show or
influence anyone’s choices. Now that the glitter is settling, I figure
nobody can accuse me of saying anything just to hurt the show at the Plaza.
Before I get into that, though, let me tell you a little bit about myself.
So I’m Dustin. I’m an anthropologist by training, a part-time women’s
studies professor and full-time museum guy (I manage the collection at the
UNLV Barrick Museum) by vocation, and a volunteer this past year at the BHoF
by choice. In addition to curating and writing the new exhibit at BHoF (with
a lot of help from Laura in picking material to display), I’ve done a lot of
work on the burlesquehall. com website, acted as part of the selection
committee for this year’s Miss Exotic World pageant, and staffed the museum
itself just about every Saturday since we opened last June.
I should say, like everyone else associated with BHoF, I do this as a
volunteer. In fact, in putting the new exhibit together, I even used almost
10 days of my vacation time from my day job. I mention this not to show how
awesome I am but because I want people to understand that I and the rest of
the BHoF team do what we do not for our personal enrichment but out of our
personal commitment to the realization and preservation of the vision that
Jennie Lee and Dixie Evans pursued in Helendale.
That vision almost died last year. As most of you understand, the continued
existence of the museum depends on the funds raised during the reunion
weekend every June, and last year, the museum did not receive the funds it
was supposed to receive after the June show. I don’t know what story Littel
and Apcar tell themselves -- maybe the show was poorly run and didn’t make
enough profit, maybe they didn’t feel that the museum was a priority, maybe
they lined their pockets, I honestly don’t know and I don’t care. What I
*do* care about is that just as the museum finally found a new home, just as
we were finally able to start rebuilding at least something like the
experience Dixie had created at the old Exotic World, the funds dried up.
I don’t know how Laura managed to pull us through -- I strongly suspect she
reached into her own pocket to cover expenses, but those of you who know her
know that’s not something she’d take credit for -- but somehow we kept
things together and this year’s show seems likely to put us back on track to
at least maintain our little space and keep the collection safe. I’ve talked
with a lot of you who came to the museum over the reunion weekend and you
have no idea how gratified I was that you found in our little space at least
an echo of the museum in Helendale. I could see how important it is to the
whole burlesque community that we be there and that this collection be held
in trust for the burlesque performers and fans of today AND tomorrow to
learn from.
Which brings me to the “other show”, Littell and Apcar’s “Dixie Evans
Burlesque Show”. It was, of course, no accident that the show was scheduled
on the same weekend as the reunion. After being removed from the board last
year and not asked back to produce this year’s show, Littell and Apcar made
an ill-advised power play, reserving space in the Plaza apparently in the
hopes that if they controlled the space, BHoF would have to give them back
the show. Where the money came from, I don’t know -- if it was part of the
proceeds of last year’s show, it seems like it should have gone to the
museum. But I honestly don’t know.
When that didn’t pan out, they had a choice: to try to split the burlesque
community and compete with the BHoF show, or to bow out. I suppose it would
have stung to give up whatever deposit they’d put down at the Plaza, but I
would think it would sting more to actively work to undermine the museum --
Dixie’s life’s work and a resource of, by, and for the entire burlesque
community. That is, however, the choice they made, and it’s a choice that
they dragged Dixie herself into.
I want to say, I don’t have anything against most of the people who took
part in that show, whether as performers or audience members. For legends
like Tempest Storm, they offered a paycheck, something that, as a benefit
show, the BHoF weekend can’t do. Satan’s Angel had an opportunity to develop
her film, and other performers had an opportunity to share a stage with
Dixie, Tempest, and Angel,, and who can begrudge them that. Likewise for the
audience -- people come to Vegas in June to do several things: see the best
in burlesque, honor the legends, and see Dixie Evans. And to do the last,
they had to go to the Plaza.
That said, the Plaza show existed with the sole intention of undermining the
Burlesque Hall of Fame, and that means undermining not just this thing that
I like doing in my spare time but the whole history that you all are
inheritors of and participants in. That Littell and Apcar put Dixie in a
position where her actions would actively hurt the institution that she
built is, in my opinion, unforgivable -- although I certainly hope they’ll
be making a sizable contribution to the museum as at least part of their
penance. And while I’ve always liked Dixie as a person and have tried to
live up, as much as possible, to her vision, of what the museum could be, I
have a hard time understanding her making the choice she made to side
against it. It saddens me profoundly, and I only hope that whatever led her
to make that choice does not lead to a lasting split with the museum. I know
I’ve missed seeing her hold court in our little space, bringing the museum’s
visitors into the history that she’s worked so hard to preserve.
The good news is, the hard part is behind us. The reunion weekend was
AMAZING this year, and there’s been such an outpouring for support for the
museum and for the community as a whole that I know we’ll be able to reclaim
the ground we lost -- the ground pulled out from under us -- last year.
And good thing, too, because there’s a lot still to do to give the
collection and the community its due. So far, the museum has been a labor of
love for us, but it’s clear that we have to professionalize. We have a
collection that has spent decades in the desert heat and often in the hands
(and on the bodies) of thousands of visitors to Helendale. I know a lot of
you have asked me about things you remember seeing, touching, and holding at
Exotic World -- Sally Rand’s fans, Gypsy Rose Lee’s travelling trunk, Jane
Mansfield’s couch, and so on. And we want to show those things, but our
first priority now has to be to make sure that they do not continue to decay
with age and that they can be displayed in the safest possible manner, so
that 10, 20, and 50 years from now the Burlesque Hall of Fame still has
something to show.
We need to catalog the collection, restore what can be restored and conserve
the rest, and provide appropriate storage facilities. We need to begin
acquiring new material, fleshing out parts of our collection that are
underdeveloped and keeping pace with the history that you, the burlesque
community, are spinning out behind you. We need to encourage and enable new
research, so that the stories of not just the Lili St Cyrs and Tempest
Storms but of the thousands of performers who worked all over the country
and around the world can be told. And, of course, we need more space, and
staff to organize exhibitions, create programming, and guide visitors in
that space.
This isn’t going to happen today or tomorrow, but I have to say, after
meeting so many of you this past weekend and talking with you about the
show, about Red Tremmel’s film, about your own histories at Exotic World,
and about the museum, and after seeing how close this community can be and
how much you honor your own history, I have no doubt that it WILL happen.
And I hope very much that I will remain a part of it, and a part of this
community that you have created and kept alive. Thank you so much for
letting me play a role in the telling of your story.
--Dustin
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Dustin M. Wax
Registrar, UNLV Barrick Museum
Part-Time Instructor, UNLV and CSN
dustin@dwax. org | www.dwax.org
I wanted to write and introduce myself to everyone, after following the list
for quite a while now. I’m one of the people that runs the Burlesque Hall of
Fame museum -- I’ve met quite a few of you, either at this year or last
year’s reunion weekends or at the museum itself, but I wanted to take a
moment to really talk about who I am and what I do at the museum -- and,
indeed, what the museum itself is doing. The reason I’ve waited so long is
that to really address what the museum is and needs to become, I’ll have to
say some things about the split between BHoF and “the other show” and I
didn’t want to seem like I was trying to undermine the other show or
influence anyone’s choices. Now that the glitter is settling, I figure
nobody can accuse me of saying anything just to hurt the show at the Plaza.
Before I get into that, though, let me tell you a little bit about myself.
So I’m Dustin. I’m an anthropologist by training, a part-time women’s
studies professor and full-time museum guy (I manage the collection at the
UNLV Barrick Museum) by vocation, and a volunteer this past year at the BHoF
by choice. In addition to curating and writing the new exhibit at BHoF (with
a lot of help from Laura in picking material to display), I’ve done a lot of
work on the burlesquehall. com website, acted as part of the selection
committee for this year’s Miss Exotic World pageant, and staffed the museum
itself just about every Saturday since we opened last June.
I should say, like everyone else associated with BHoF, I do this as a
volunteer. In fact, in putting the new exhibit together, I even used almost
10 days of my vacation time from my day job. I mention this not to show how
awesome I am but because I want people to understand that I and the rest of
the BHoF team do what we do not for our personal enrichment but out of our
personal commitment to the realization and preservation of the vision that
Jennie Lee and Dixie Evans pursued in Helendale.
That vision almost died last year. As most of you understand, the continued
existence of the museum depends on the funds raised during the reunion
weekend every June, and last year, the museum did not receive the funds it
was supposed to receive after the June show. I don’t know what story Littel
and Apcar tell themselves -- maybe the show was poorly run and didn’t make
enough profit, maybe they didn’t feel that the museum was a priority, maybe
they lined their pockets, I honestly don’t know and I don’t care. What I
*do* care about is that just as the museum finally found a new home, just as
we were finally able to start rebuilding at least something like the
experience Dixie had created at the old Exotic World, the funds dried up.
I don’t know how Laura managed to pull us through -- I strongly suspect she
reached into her own pocket to cover expenses, but those of you who know her
know that’s not something she’d take credit for -- but somehow we kept
things together and this year’s show seems likely to put us back on track to
at least maintain our little space and keep the collection safe. I’ve talked
with a lot of you who came to the museum over the reunion weekend and you
have no idea how gratified I was that you found in our little space at least
an echo of the museum in Helendale. I could see how important it is to the
whole burlesque community that we be there and that this collection be held
in trust for the burlesque performers and fans of today AND tomorrow to
learn from.
Which brings me to the “other show”, Littell and Apcar’s “Dixie Evans
Burlesque Show”. It was, of course, no accident that the show was scheduled
on the same weekend as the reunion. After being removed from the board last
year and not asked back to produce this year’s show, Littell and Apcar made
an ill-advised power play, reserving space in the Plaza apparently in the
hopes that if they controlled the space, BHoF would have to give them back
the show. Where the money came from, I don’t know -- if it was part of the
proceeds of last year’s show, it seems like it should have gone to the
museum. But I honestly don’t know.
When that didn’t pan out, they had a choice: to try to split the burlesque
community and compete with the BHoF show, or to bow out. I suppose it would
have stung to give up whatever deposit they’d put down at the Plaza, but I
would think it would sting more to actively work to undermine the museum --
Dixie’s life’s work and a resource of, by, and for the entire burlesque
community. That is, however, the choice they made, and it’s a choice that
they dragged Dixie herself into.
I want to say, I don’t have anything against most of the people who took
part in that show, whether as performers or audience members. For legends
like Tempest Storm, they offered a paycheck, something that, as a benefit
show, the BHoF weekend can’t do. Satan’s Angel had an opportunity to develop
her film, and other performers had an opportunity to share a stage with
Dixie, Tempest, and Angel,, and who can begrudge them that. Likewise for the
audience -- people come to Vegas in June to do several things: see the best
in burlesque, honor the legends, and see Dixie Evans. And to do the last,
they had to go to the Plaza.
That said, the Plaza show existed with the sole intention of undermining the
Burlesque Hall of Fame, and that means undermining not just this thing that
I like doing in my spare time but the whole history that you all are
inheritors of and participants in. That Littell and Apcar put Dixie in a
position where her actions would actively hurt the institution that she
built is, in my opinion, unforgivable -- although I certainly hope they’ll
be making a sizable contribution to the museum as at least part of their
penance. And while I’ve always liked Dixie as a person and have tried to
live up, as much as possible, to her vision, of what the museum could be, I
have a hard time understanding her making the choice she made to side
against it. It saddens me profoundly, and I only hope that whatever led her
to make that choice does not lead to a lasting split with the museum. I know
I’ve missed seeing her hold court in our little space, bringing the museum’s
visitors into the history that she’s worked so hard to preserve.
The good news is, the hard part is behind us. The reunion weekend was
AMAZING this year, and there’s been such an outpouring for support for the
museum and for the community as a whole that I know we’ll be able to reclaim
the ground we lost -- the ground pulled out from under us -- last year.
And good thing, too, because there’s a lot still to do to give the
collection and the community its due. So far, the museum has been a labor of
love for us, but it’s clear that we have to professionalize. We have a
collection that has spent decades in the desert heat and often in the hands
(and on the bodies) of thousands of visitors to Helendale. I know a lot of
you have asked me about things you remember seeing, touching, and holding at
Exotic World -- Sally Rand’s fans, Gypsy Rose Lee’s travelling trunk, Jane
Mansfield’s couch, and so on. And we want to show those things, but our
first priority now has to be to make sure that they do not continue to decay
with age and that they can be displayed in the safest possible manner, so
that 10, 20, and 50 years from now the Burlesque Hall of Fame still has
something to show.
We need to catalog the collection, restore what can be restored and conserve
the rest, and provide appropriate storage facilities. We need to begin
acquiring new material, fleshing out parts of our collection that are
underdeveloped and keeping pace with the history that you, the burlesque
community, are spinning out behind you. We need to encourage and enable new
research, so that the stories of not just the Lili St Cyrs and Tempest
Storms but of the thousands of performers who worked all over the country
and around the world can be told. And, of course, we need more space, and
staff to organize exhibitions, create programming, and guide visitors in
that space.
This isn’t going to happen today or tomorrow, but I have to say, after
meeting so many of you this past weekend and talking with you about the
show, about Red Tremmel’s film, about your own histories at Exotic World,
and about the museum, and after seeing how close this community can be and
how much you honor your own history, I have no doubt that it WILL happen.
And I hope very much that I will remain a part of it, and a part of this
community that you have created and kept alive. Thank you so much for
letting me play a role in the telling of your story.
--Dustin
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Dustin M. Wax
Registrar, UNLV Barrick Museum
Part-Time Instructor, UNLV and CSN
dustin@dwax. org | www.dwax.org
DITA COLLABORATES WITH SWAROVSKI ON HER MOST SPECTACULAR GLASS EVER, THE "SWAROVSKI MARTINI," FEATURING OVER 250,000 CRYSTALS
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