A Stripper is Born

by Lani

Because I am mildly interested in any movie which contains musical numbers, it was only a matter of time before I would see Burlesque. Starring Christina Aguilera and Cher as a hungry up-and-comer and a jaded veteran of the stage, respectively, Burlesque looked like a combination of Chicago and Showgirls...encrusted with rhinestones and sequins and wearing a feather headdress. The anticipation was palpable.

It has been awhile since I saw a decent modern musical film. I'm not asking for something that stands up to Singin in the Rain, I just want something fun with catchy music and dancing. The big musical of 2009, Nine, ultimately took itself too seriously to be fun; but Burlesque could not possibly take itself too seriously because it stars Cher, who doesn't even take herself seriously. Furthermore, Nine was cast to the gills with Oscar-winners who are not also singers, but here Cher has the upper-hand again because she is both.

Well, Burlesque is now on video and I have seen it. I wouldn't suggest that anyone seek it out, but if you, too, feel unable to resist the lure of this movie then, by all means, watch it. However, I suggest you also listen to episode #1 of the How Did This Get Made? podcast which delves into the many ridiculous and problematic elements of Burlesque - including Tony award-winner Alan Cumming's appearance as a glorified extra, Stanley Tucci playing literally the same character he played in The Devil Wears Prada, and an excessive use of wigs. Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Burlesque is the lack of consensus about what "burlesque" actually is. Is it, as Cher explains in the one number, the seemingly counterproductive process of showing "a little more" then showing "a little less"? Is it go-go dancing? Is it lip-syncing to Megan Mullaly CDs? (It is none of these.)

For a more definitive portrayal of the art of the striptease, I suggest you look to Gypsy (1962), the classic musical biopic of famed burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee. More specifically, watch the "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" number in which three experienced performers explain the finer points of their profession to young Rose. Sure, it isn't exactly realistic, but at least this film acknowledges that burlesque dancers are supposed to take their clothes off.

I think my favorite burlesque-themed film would have to be She's Working Her Way Through College (1952) starring Virginia Mayo and Ronald Reagan. As you may have guessed from the title, Mayo is working her way through college by stripping at the burly-q. With the encouragement of her teacher, played by Reagan, she brings her talents to the school's struggling drama department. In the end, the students put on a lavish musical which, like all musical productions put on by film characters, has no plot and no songs that relate to each other in any way.

But under all the wigs, Burlesque follows a tried-and-true formula: the nobody who goes out on stage and comes back a star. In this case, Aguilera achieves stardom as a singer in a burlesque club, so the pinnacle of her success is getting her photo in the weekend section of the newspaper. Though it wasn't the first film to use the formula, A Star is Born has become the archetype for this type of showbiz story. In both the 1937 version and its 1954 musical remake, little Vicki Lester becomes a movie star almost overnight, even going on to win an Oscar. Unfortunately, her husband is a drunk and he can't handle her success in the face of his own professional failures.

A Star is Born doesn't have much in common with Burlesque; however, one could argue that both films deserve to be remade. A Star is Born has been made three times (and a fourth version may be coming soon) because it is an affecting story that can be adapted to any decade and appeals to a wide audience; Burlesque should be remade because it's terrible.