James & The Giant Pasty - Lady Liberty

James & The Giant Pasty as Lady Liberty from Benjamin Paley on Vimeo.

Quite a few burlesque performers stay away from acts that are overtly political, though most have an understanding that the very choice of being onstage and semi-nude besides is a political act in itself.  Others have no problem utilizing performance as a method of critique and call to action, though blending social justice concerns with a concept that can still be entertaining to an audience is a tricky balancing act. That said, the origins of burlesque and vaudeville are rooted in poking sticks at dominant power structures and satirizing individuals who abuse their authority, including politicians, so anyone who argues that politics don't belong on a burlesque stage clearly hasn't been paying attention.

That's a long way to go to say that "Lady Liberty" is a great burlesque act, but I'm feeling loquacious today.

I've seen "half-and-half" acts utilizing monsters, gorillas, and other animals, and the narrative is usually harrassment-based, with one character stripping the other. These numbers usually end with the two characters smitten with each other, which could be considered problematic, but that's simply the way it normally works. This act uses that dynamic as a strength, utilizing an admitted harasser as the antagonist and a feminine symbol of the ideal of freedom as the victorious protagonist.  James sells the whole thing with a narrative push and pull and some fantastic facial expressions, and the resolution provides exactly what one hopes for from their evening of entertainment: a feeling of happiness and hopefulness.

A burlesque act probably won't change the world or the result of an election, but freedom to criticize and lampoon could not be more American, or more burlesque.


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