Video of the Week

Happy Halloween!

All The News That's Fit To Strip

There's no Xzibit, but I am bedazzling book stores as I pimp my book. Actually, Jo Boobs is adding much of the dazzle as she's doing a great glove removal demo at my New York readings. If you're in the area and missed Monday's reading, head over to the Drama Book Shop Tuesday at 5 p.m. for Gilded Lili and Head Mistress Jo.

In other news ...

Bookgasm reviews Gilded Lili.

Margaret Cho's Sensuous Woman gets extended again.

Posh Spice tries pal Dita Von Teese's corset-training regime.

Things get saucy Down Under.

Burlesque dancer Amy Mathieson stars in film about a promiscuous bi-sexual's dream to become a glamorous show girl.

Celebrity-designed corsets raise money for The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation. And Dita's brings top dollar.

Who wears it better?

The secret to Dita's porcelain skin? Mineral powder.

The Candy Gram: Bloody Belle

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Bloody Belle, the B-Nudie Queen.

What is your hometown?
Cleveland, OH (no, it doesn't "rock" and yes, the river did catch on fire; vote Kucinich!)

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Well, I was choreographing little numbers for notable moments in my parents' lives, like returning home from grocery shopping or after-dinner wine-guzzling, from about age six. Favorite songs of the time were Words of Love sung by Mama Cass, Walk Like a Man, by The Four Seasons, and Copacabana by Barry Manilow. My little sister was in charge of lighting, which basically involved repeatedly turning the light switch on and off.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
In working condition? None. I bronze them like baby shoes after each performance.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
The Final Countdown, Goldfinger, and Love Buzz.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Rubbery face (a la Carol Burnett), legs (apologies if I've offended any legless performers out there), and my all-natural, amateur breasts.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
John Waters. Jim Henson is a close second. Unfortunately, they haven't directly influenced my "career" (which I place in quotation marks for a reason), but they've influenced my general aesthetic and moral compass.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Favorite high-profile perfomer: Julie Atlas Muz;
Favorite Chicago performer (all so overlooked): Clare de Lune
Favorite legend: Blaze Starr

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Period underwear. The grannier, the better.

What's the last movie you saw?
Hannah Takes the Stairs - a new feature in the ridiculously dubbed "Mumblecore" genre. (Spoiler: Hannah doesn't take the stairs.)

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Um…I really hate to admit this, but America's Next Top Model.

What book is on your nightstand?
I have a few—I'm currently reading The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind by Chuck Barris, and Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Over the edge of Niagara Falls in a barrel. Paradise!

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I'd like to have the power of attaining anyone's language by frenching them, and then using said language to learn their jokes. Why? I'd feel better about getting quizzical looks from people after delivering punchlines in, like, Tagalog.

Photos by Ted D'Ottavio and Tod Seelie

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Scarlet Letter, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

It's Bigger In Texas

The Texas Burlesque Festival premiered this past weekend. And it sounds like the Lone Star State really bumped it up a notch (yes, pun intended). Congrats to the winners:

Best Soloist - Cardinal Cyn
Best Ensemble - The Lollie Bombs
Most Original - Rouby Joule
Best Costume - Kitty Brown
Best Gender Bender - Shawngreelahtedah
Best Neo-Vaudeville and Miscellany - Schave and Riley
Best Emcee - Doryan and Adam
Best Dude in the Nude (Man Burlesque) - The Amazing Buffy West
Lone Stars & Garters Award (Chosen by the Audience)
Best in Show Saturday - The Southern Sirens
Best in Show Friday - Carousel Cabaret

Video of the Week

Who woulda thunk it? An animated burlesque routine.

In Full Bloom

It's been a week since Gilded Lili popped up on store shelves. So, with this shameless self-promotion alert, here's an update on all things Lili.

Readings:

For Washingtonians, I'll be at the Olsson's in Dupont Circle this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30, come visit me and Jo Boobs in New York. I'll be reading, answering questions and signing books. Jo, who runs the New York School of Burlesque, will do a glove-removal demonstration. Monday, you'll find me at the Barnes & Noble in the West Village at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, I'll be at the Drama Book Shop at 5 p.m.

In case you missed it:

I chatted with Bob Edwards and WTOP about Lili, the burlesque scene in the Fifties and why it's important to know about Lili St. Cyr.

The book launch party caused quite a stir.

I dished on my favorite foods, got hot and heavy between the covers with Daily Candy and took a Naked Approach with Page Six.

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Current polled readers on the sexiest cinematic stripteases. Jamie Lee Curtis' twirl in True Lies came in first. The top ten teases:

1. Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies
2. Kim Basinger in 9½ Weeks
3. Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn
4. Elisha Cuthbert in The Girl Next Door
5. Natalie Portman in Closer
6. Demi Moore in Striptease
7. Rebecca Romijn in Femme Fatale
8. Jessica Alba in Sin City
9. Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried in Mean Girls
10. Mia Kirshner in Exotica

I can't believe Littel Miss Sunshine didn't make the cut.

Hundreds of photos from Buffalo's burlesque heyday went on display at the George Eastman House in Rochester, uncovering many of the performers from the 1950's and 1960's at Buffalo's Palace Theatre. Hear more about it.

Joey Bishop, a comedian who got his start in burlesque, died.

The NY Press says Margaret Cho’s The Sensuous Woman "is worth every hoot and catcall, not only for her zinger-filled standup, but for the freewheeling sexual demagoguery of the whole enterprise."

The Candy Gram: Scarlett Letter

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to California's Scarlett Letter.

What is your hometown?
Wells, NV. I'm currently in the greater Los Angeles Metroplitan area, because LA is much bigger than LA.

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
About 13 years. It started with a school paper and a lack of information, and turned into a cumalative outlet for many different aspects of my personality

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
10 and counting

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Anything live, and whatever my newest routine is. Right now that is Love For Sale by Ella Fitzgerald.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Chopsticks, Stillettoes and glitter

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
My friend Monique Parent and the wonderful girls I work with now

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Lily Christine and Gypsy Rose Lee

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Stillettoe shoes

What's the last movie you saw?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the umpteenth time

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Dr. Who, M.A.S.H. reruns and Doby Gillis if anyone will ever air it

What book is on your nightstand?
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, American Gods by Neil Gaiman and the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Western Europe on a geneology quest

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Spin straw into gold, I don't mind working for my money, I just wish that I could earn it a llittle faster, and that it was worth more on the market, because what money can't fix, it can buy me the time to fix.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Celebrating Gilded Lili

Unfortunately, I have yet to befriend Bill Clinton. Thankfully, I have plenty of really fabulous friends who helped me celebrate the launch of Gilded Lili on Tuesday. Here's a snippet of what Bethanne Patrick at Publishers Weekly had to say:

"However, the real treat came at 7, when Miss Kitty Victorian carefully descended the stairs in heels, coif a marvel of curls and twists, to perform. After all, what would a book party for a book about one of the most celebrated burlesque performers ever be without... a burlesque performer?"

And U.S. News & World Report whispered about the potential for political scandal.

UPDATE: More photos will be coming soon, but a very talented photographer friend of mine Stacey Vaeth sent the one to the left.

Video of the Week

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Gilded Lili

Today's the release of my biography on Lili St. Cyr, Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique. I know this crowd doesn't need much convincing, but in case you weren't sold here are the top ten reasons to buy Gilded Lili.

10. There are 15 pages of salacious pictures. That’s 15 less than Alan Greenspan’s new book, but you actually want to see Lili without clothes.

9. Marilyn Monroe -- who modeled herself after Lili -- has nothing on this woman’s story.

8. Mike Wallace called his interview with Lili one of the most interesting ones of his career.

7. Sports fans will learn how Lili is connected to a Stanley Cup winner.

6. A picture is worth a thousand words ... but this book has several that will leave you speechless.

5. The Dems in the crowd will love that Susan Sarandon blessed Lili.

4. For the Republicans, well, Ronald Reagan was caught watching her take a bubble bath.

3. Want to know why Lili wouldn’t come out from backstage to meet Humphrey Bogart?

2. Madonna dressed herself up in Lili's love.

1. Did I mention the pictures?

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Considering her bootylicious videos and hip-shaking moves it's no surprise that Beyonce is crazy for burlesque.

So is Jessica Simpson.

Margaret Cho loves burlesque because she "was able to see women who were not the norm that we see in movies, TV and magazines"

Variety reviews Cho's "giddy, gaudy" show.

Burlesque welcomes "Ripped, sweaty, gorgeous men who can dance rings around anyone taking to the go-go box."

Fleshbot points out this sexy music video striptease.

Smooches to eBooks, which called the Gilded Lili trailer "the most creative book teaser ever."

Interested in starting your own burlesque blog? Check out Ministry of Burlesque's new site.

The Candy Gram: Clams Casino

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to New York's Clams Casino.

What is your hometown?
I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio, but I've been in NYC for 6 years.

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I've been into theater and dance since I was a kid and have a degree in Playwriting. I've been interested in burlesque since I saw a bathing suit spread with World Famous *BOB* in Bust Magazine when I was still in Ohio. I've been performing for 3 years now.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Hmmm. Active pairs? Probably 13 or 14, with a few pairs lost to wine baths/pie fights along the way.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Fortuntely, I perform to three of my very favorite songs in the world:
Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N Roses
Freedom '90 by George Michael
Jump by Van Halen

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Magna Tac, False Eyelashes and "Cherries in the Snow" Lipstick

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
I'm lucky to have gotten lots of love and support from my fellow performers, especially when I was just starting out...it's a long list but it starts with Jo Boobs, World Famous *BOB*, Little Brooklyn & Creamy Stevens.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Another hard question...I'm gonna say Dirty Martini, Tigger! and Satan's Angel...but really there are too many to mention.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
My Paradise City Panties

What's the last movie you saw?
Superbad I have 3 brothers, so I'm a big fan of frat boy humor. Sad, but true.

What's on your must-see-TV list?
I'm a huge fan of old game shows, especially What's My Line?, Three's Company and Flight of the Conchords.

What book is on your nightstand?
A stack of old New Yorkers, a book about the culture of marketing and I'm trying out Wuthering Heights for the first time.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
A road trip in a RV (or a Mustang convertible) with my husband and best friends driving around the country.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Teleportation, because I hate to fly, but I love Vegas!

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Tease-O-Rama Redux

If you missed Tease-O-Rama this year, you'll want to check out these reports. It's almost -- just almost -- as good as having witnessed the twirling tassels, shimmying hips and bumpin' dance moves in person.

Catherine D'Lish makes a splash with her props.

Sweet Sassafras was partial to Michelle L'Amour's fan dance, the dirty cheerleading of the Cock T's and Miss Delerium Tremens routine to Tom Waits’ Temptation.

Kitten DeVille is a whirling dervish of striptease.

Video of the Week

Our Metrocurean pal sent us Britney Spears new striptease-heavy music video. Brit's been borrowing from burlesque ever since she shed her school girl look. We think she should go back to taking cues from another pop singer who snags burlesque and striptease elements for her videos. We'll let you be the judge with several videos to compare.

Gilded Lili Book Trailer Winner

Not too long ago, The Candy Pitch announced the Gilded Lili Book Trailer contest. Today, we say congratulations to freelance producer Jason Dorn who created the winning trailer below. Enjoy!

The Candy Gram: Trixie Little

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Baltimore's Trixie Little, who is currently at circus camp with Evil Hate Monkey.

What is your hometown?
Baltimore

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Performing for 10 years. Burlesque for 5.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Presently 13

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Night Train - Alvino Rey
Tiny Bubbles - Don Ho

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
1. Rhinestones
2. Eyelashes
3. Urban Decay Tanning Stick (secret cleavage enhancer!)

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Pee Wee Herman

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Wild Cherry- total bad ass from 40's-50's New Orleans. She has the best stories of sass, surviving and life lessons- like making sure you get paid well for people to see what you've got.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
A bikini or a dirndl- hard to choose.

What’s the last movie you saw?
Hairspray! Love that Tracy Turnblad scene where she sings Good Morning Baltimore while feeding rats and driving to school atop a garbage truck! Great dance numbers and costumes too.

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
So You Think You Can Dance and Jackass/Wild Boyz reruns- I love those guys.

What book is on your nightstand?
Several- reading in bed is my favorite hobby! Striptease by Rachel Schteir, Kiss Me Like A Stranger by Gene Wilder, Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss and The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
India

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I have one- Irrepressible Cuteness. It serves me well in my mission to make the world mind-blowingly HAPPY!

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

A Burly Monster Bash

The other night I wandered over to one of my favorite local watering holes to listen to Eric Nuzum talk about his new book The Dead Travel Fast. In the course of researching and writing this history of pop culture vampires, Nuzum drank his own blood, worked at a haunted house and traveled with the actor formerly known as Eddie Munster. It was author-ly love at first bite if you will and I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into the book. (Sorry. I just couldn't resist.)

The whole thing reminded me of a Lili St. Cyr rumor that circulated about how she had performed in a Las Vegas revue with Bela Lugosi, the actor most famous for his role as Dracula. Well, after scouring Lugosi books, studying performance schedules and chatting with Rudy Grey, the man behind Nightmare of Ecstasy, I can put the rumor to rest. It was Lili's protege, Sharon Knight, who performed with Lugosi.

Here's another Lili-monster link. Actress Yvonne DeCarlo, pictured at left, is best known for her role as Lily Munster in the TV series The Munsters. But before she performed as a ghoulish mom, DeCarlo worked at the L.A. nightclub The Florentine Gardens with Lili St. Cyr. In true burlesque fashion, DeCarlo once said, "I never realized undies were so, ah, inhibiting."

Video of the Week

Musicology

Burlesque dancers certainly know how to make food and drink more fun. Now, inspired by the Candy Gram playlist, our pal at Sauce on the Side gets things cooking with a playlist that will have you drooling for more.

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Burlesque performer and designer muse Dita Von Teese chats with the San Jose Mercury Sun. Some highlights:

"I don't really care about Hollywood," she says of the industry's current taste for thin, blond, cookie-cutter starlets. "I always want to go against that tide."

Women often ask her how to be sexy, and she says her advice is to "play up what makes you unique" - a mantra that's taken her this far.

In other news ...

In her off-Broadway burlesque show, Sensuous Woman, Margaret Cho bares her LA Ink.

In more Cho-licious news, she tells the Philadelphia Gay News, "There’s a tremendous disrespect towards women and a disconnect when we’re talking about the female form. This show is really a tribute to how beautiful all women are and how different we are."

The Fleur de Tease Burlesque Revue is "not about the nudity; it's about the sexuality."

Robert Knox drummed up business at The Old Howard.

Chruch scholar by day teaches college girls how to twirl around a pole at night.

Burlesque is nerdy?

Shakespeare gets a burly makeover.

Slate's sex issue examines the history of butts including Pussycat Dolls Kim Kardashian, Bettie Page. The piece gets spanked by Feministing.