You know what brings fiction into the real world more than most other things? Cosplay! And do you know what the sexiest form of cosplay is? Burlesque! Now if you could just get those two things together you’d have… Nerdlesque!
In honor of the Nerdlesque festivalin Kansas City (where our captain lives), the rest of us got together and compiled an assortment of burlesque scenes from books, movies, and TV. Maybe he has already seen/read them or maybe they would be a good intro for any burlesque virgins out there. No shame. It’s okay to try something new. And, dear reader, if you are near Kansas City, please sponsor Nerdlesque by attending some events. They are geeky, passionate, creative people. You know. Like us.
In any event, here are some favs in no particular order.
- Gypsy (featuring Natalie Woods!)
- Cabaret
- Moulin Rouge (go for the costumes, stay for the dancing)
- Burlesque (the movie, you know, with Cher and Christina Aguilera)
- Sin City (We had some debate on this because because technically Nancy is a stripper but apparently Jessica Alba used burlesque to inform her portrayal. Regardless, someone thinks it is worth watching, though we’re not naming names. (Jeff!))
- Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. (In the book there are stripteases that happen after the circus closes to the public.)
- Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries, Season 2, Episode 1. (Miss Fisher goes undercover as a fan dancer at a bordello.)
- Castle, Season 3, Episode 1. (Castle and Beckett’s murder investigation leads them to Kitty Canary’s nightclub, which Castle describes as “a circus… with alcohol!”)
- Star Trek 5. (You didn’t forget the dance Uhura does to cause a distraction, did you?)
So that should get you started. Enjoy, and get to Nerdlesque if you can!
Sincerely,
The Fictional Almanac Crew
Fictional Almanac 