I Am So Popular: I Heart Boobs!

Editor’s note: The views expressed in I Am So Popular are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the outlook or beliefs of anyone else in the IST network.

Not long after I hooked up with Warren, my young hot boyfriend, he introduced me to the lovely, talented Audrey Maker. Audrey puts together burlesque shows around town. Which is how I wound up, last fall, as a volunteer at the Texas Burlesque Fest, a sold-out, over the topless, two-night celebration of boobs. I got to work the Undressing Room, hanging out with beautiful women (and some men) in various states of undress, asking them if they needed anything.

Warren had the more exciting job of Panty Catcher. Outfitted in a Super Hero costume enhanced with a big, bright pink, crocheted cock, he served a function similar to that of the ball boys and girls at Wimbledon. Each time an act finished, Warren dashed onstage to retrieve thongs, gloves, corsets, fishnets, etc. to clear the way for the next act.

I was especially impressed at his skills catching for this woman who did a number involving an enormous martini glass. Though she was throwing her stuff directly to Warren, who was crouched waiting like a baseball catcher out in the crowd, they managed to make it seem like she was just randomly throwing her stuff out there. Talk about professional teamwork! (I was also thrilled when, after leaving me for a moment to “check on something,” Warren suddenly appeared onstage dancing in nothing but a thong and some really nice pumps. I wanted a big neon sign over my head announcing, Ladies, He’s Mine!)

Since then, I’ve seen some other burlesque shows, and I just love love love watching hot women take just about all of it off while dancing up a storm. Which is why tonight I’ll be at the Emo’s Lounge to see Kitty Kitty Bang Bang perform their I Heart the 80’s show. (Doors 9 p.m., show 10 p.m., $10 cover which includes a post-show dance party.)

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang

I caught up with Stacey Breakall, aka Tijuana Trixie, who created Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, Texas Burlesque six years ago, to ask her what life’s like as a burlesque dancer.

SG: How did you, personally, get involved in burlesque?

SB: My interest in burlesque all started with my mom. She, when I was in high school, insisted I watch Gypsy with her. I had no idea what burlesque was. She told me I would love it because there was wonderful costuming and dancing. I did love it, and it stuck with me. Cut to me about to graduate college, I was fascinated by retro-culture, pin-ups, Frank Sinatra, etc. and in a spot where I really wanted to actively participate in burlesque. I envisioned opening a club that would hosts burlesque and other acts that resembled those from vaudeville and the Hollywood Glam era. I stumbled across a few groups online: New Orleans’ Shim Shammettes, Los Angeles’ Velvet Hammer, New York’s Pontani Sisters, and Vancouver’s FluffGirls Burlesque Society. It blew me away—people were doing this now! I was so inspired and knew Austin would embrace something like this.

SG: Sometimes, when I'm at a burlesque show, I wonder if this is how the parents of these performers envisioned it would go, back when they were taking them as little girls to dance class. Any feedback from any of y'all's parents-- do any of you lead secret double lives in which your folks have no idea about the burlesque?

SB: Actually, we do have one secret double agent in the troupe. It really varies from girl to girl. Most of the parents are pretty supportive, Lucky St. James’ parents even to the point of building our props and sewing our “nasty suits”!

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang

SG: What's so great about boobs?

SB: Yay! I love this question! Everyone loves boobs….who isn’t a proud boob owner and/or enthusiast?

SG: Pasties-- good or bad? They do lend a little element of mystery, but should they be required by law? They are required, right?

SB: Pasties are great! What is more fun than a glammed-up nipple? They do lend an element of mystery. They are the big payoff and the ultimate tease at the same time. They are required by law in the venues where we perform and I, personally, think that sucks! I think each performer should have the choice to get completely topless. People who pay cash money to see a burlesque show aren’t going to be shocked or offended to see a little nipple, right?

SG: Recently in NYT, Dita Von Teese said that the biggest misconception about burlesque is that "it's about dancing around in hot pants with feather boas. Burlesque was about the striptease. The stars of burlesque took their
clothes off, end of story, period." Any comment on that statement?

SB: I am a huge Dita fan, but I don’t fully agree with her on that statement. Yes, burlesque stars did, and do take their clothes off, and that is a big part of it. But, another very important element of burlesque is humor! Classic burlesque was born in vaudeville and often had an element of satire beyond the tease. Classic burlesque, before it branched out into what would eventually become the modern strip club, was a production that involved a lot of imagination and creativity devoted to the tease element. As us kitties like to say, striptease is more about the tease, and less about the strip.

SG: I love watching the show but the thought of doing what y'all do, even if I had what I considered a body made for the trade, well, I couldn't do it. It probably took me nine years before I could get changed in the aisles at the Y. Are you born without that overly modest gene? Tell me about this TAKING IT ALL OFF thing.

SB: Modesty varies even within the troupe. When I started the troupe, I didn’t think, hmmm…which of these gals auditioning is willing to take off the most? I wanted, mainly, women who could have a strong and memorable stage presence that worked within the realm of burlesque. I did bring in performers who were talented and sexy but didn’t even know if they were willing to strip down to a bra. Their comfort levels changed, I think maybe it is because ultimately, burlesque really offers such a wonderful forum for expressing sexuality –there is more room for expressing different interpretations of what is sexy than the mainstream offers. To get onstage and celebrate NOT being a size two and your own idea of what can be sexy, and that being embraced by an audience, is extremely empowering and gratifying.

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang

SG: I was in your husband's office not long ago-- he's a radio professional (as you no doubt know). And he's a pretty dignified looking guy. Then I notice he's got gold glitter on. Not purposefully applied. But here, there and
everywhere. So I pointed it out to him. He said that’s part of living with a burlesque dancer. What other shenanigans must he put up with? Is he down with so many men and women checking you out and being like, oo la la!

SB: Mike puts up with so much insanity! He is wonderfully supportive and helps anywhere he can. He is a funny guy and has a pretty lighthearted approach to other people watching me onstage; he says he feels proud when people enjoy my piece, but there have also been a time or two when he feels more like “Hey, buddy, you are enjoying that piece just a little too much.”

SG: What else?

SB: We like to stay involved doing cool things around Austin. Last year, we partnered up with Audrey to produce the first-ever Texas Burlesque Fest. It was great to have all us Texas burly-q gals all together performing under one roof. Marmalade Sky motion pictures has a feature film in the works called The Legend of Kitty Kitty Bang Bang. We are also partnering up with the fine folks at Alamo Drafthouse for a project called Thrill Across the World—which is, basically, a mission to join in with other groups around the world to create a worldwide, record-breaking, simultaneous performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. (You can stay posted at www.texaskitties.com)

The fabulously popular Spike Gillespie gave birth fully dressed. She blogs for LaunchPad Coworking and at www.spikeg.com. You can catch her defending Punks as part of the Dionysium debate: The Beats vs. The Punks, Tuesday, May 6th, at The Alamo Drafthouse downtown at 7 p.m.