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• 1 media/Bettie_Page_Klaw_21.jpg 2015-11-23T02:29:28-08:00 Second-Hand Pleasure: Bettie Page's Bondage Films 17 plain 2015-12-07T09:37:02-08:00  Erotic films are also a major facet of the Burlesque umbrella.  These films bring up ideas and questions about second-hand pleasure; pleasure that is captured on camera for later “usage.” Audre Lorde argues that the erotic cannot be felt second hand, and that the use of the erotic, without the consent of the used is abuse (Lorde 59). In addition to Lorde’s statement about the illegitimacy of second-hand eroticism, Nadine Strossin, in her essay, "The Feminist Critique of 'the' Feminist Critique of Pornography," articulates how the Dworkin-Mackinnon ideology surround pornography suggests that women are inherently incapable of “giving truly voluntary, informed consent to pose for sexually explicit pictures” (Strossin 1137) because of the nature of our patriarchal society. But this ideology epitomizes the patronizing misogyny that it seeks to critique, stripping women of the possible desire to engage in such actions involving and exposing their sexuality.  Bettie Page and her brand of erotic films (bondage), most often directed by film maker Irving Klaw, exemplify eroticism that is intended to be felt second hand, (similar to pornography). 
   
  While Lorde’s claim that eroticism cannot be felt second-hand, and the Dworkin-Mackinnon ideology claim that women inherently cannot consent to pose explicitly would label Bettie Page’s work in Klaw’s Bondage films as degrading abuse, Page’s performance of bondage and masochism exposes a sexuality that challenges the policing of women’s sexual and erotic potential.  Similarly, Nadine Strossin articulates that the “subversive quality of “pornography” challenges the entire status quo, including social structures that inhibit women’s freedom” (Strossin 1133).  Bettie Page’s bondage films portray women, including herself, wearing highly sexualized outfits, (leather and lacey undergarments, high heels, and stockings).  They tie each other up, spank each other, trap each other, roll around and fight on the floor.  These violent yet sexual acts performed for the camera may appear to be degrading to some.  But as Strossin explains, what “one woman views as misogynistic may be viewed by another as reaffirming her desires and her equality” (1130).  Denying Page’s pleasure in her bondage performance, and denying that women could be empowered by this portrayal of dominance and sexuality, limits the extent of women’s desires.  The sexual dominance that Page’s performance exhibits broadens the scope of female sexuality to the public eye.

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  Works Cited:

  Bettie Page Reveals All. Dir. Mark Mori. Writ. Douglass Miller. Single Spark Pictures. 2012. Film.

  Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Sister Outsider. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 2007. 53-59. Print.

  Strossen, Nadine. “A Feminist Critique of "the" Feminist Critique of Pornography.” Virginia Law Review 79.5 (1993): 1099–1190. Web. 21 October 2015.

• 1 media/lily-st-cyr.jpg 2015-11-30T13:38:52-08:00 Lili St. Cyr and Dita Von Teese: A Comparison Across Time and Genre 5 gallery 2015-12-02T07:21:32-08:00
  This module focuses on the careers of burlesque legends Lili St. Cyr and Dita Von Teese. Both of these performers have a legacy of their own, but the eras in which they lived have had a significant impact on their lives, views and careers. Burlesque and pin-up have both stood the test of time and are affected by the political and social culture in which they are practiced. In this vein, Dita and Lili had much different experiences throughout their careers. In this module, biographical information is given on both Lili and Dita, along with a synopsis and analysis of how the social and political atmospheres of the time impacted their careers.
  Bettie Page, a famous pin-up and fetish star, was active during the same era as Lili St. Cyr, but in a different way. Bettie was a significant figure in the emerging underground fetish scene emerging during the 1940s and 1950s in America.
  Burlesque, pin-up, and fetish culture are all aspects seen in the neo-burlesque movement we are currently experiencing, and all of these forms are present in Dita's career, as a neo-burlesque performer. She was heavily inspired by both Lili and Bettie, and gained popularity in part because of this.
  In the following sections, a more in depth look will be taken in regard to these performers and their art.