a striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. the person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or exotic dancer.
a few of the more notable strippers are mata hari, gypsy rose lee, sally rand and josephine baker who were legends in their own right. and of course, who could forget demi moore in the movie "striptease". well, i could because i've never seen the movie.
speaking of striptease, the secretaries at the lawfirm where i first worked when i came to toronto in 1988 would always organize a girls' night out. the first time i got invited to join, they said we were to see the chippendales, and did i have any objection to that, i was asked. well, chippendales, who doesn't love alvin with all his antics and adventures, the little so and so. i told the ladies, sure, i'd go. as the date neared, the ladies were really excited and for the love of me, i could not fathom why such grown up women were so agog over some cartoon character. but i thought i understood, they had children and grandchildren.
on the day we were to go, the ladies even changed clothes, all glittery, and bejeweled and even freshened up their make up. i was amused to no end at that show of excitement. finally at five o'clock, all twenty-five of us walked to the convention centre where the chippendales were to do the show but dinner was to be served at six and the show was for seven-thirty. holy mother of god, was i shocked when at the table i was handed a glossy program with photos of handsome men who were in various state of undress. not that i was or am a prude, great heavens, no! i was quite amused at my ignorance; that at my age (already 35 at the time), experience and smarts, there were still a lot of things i didn't know, and i never bothered to ask what the chippendales were all about. i just assumed it was alvin and the chipmunks! no one explained it to me either. hello, people, i'm a landed ignorant, i mean landed immigrant, come on!
so there i was, amidst a throng of middle aged women who were shrieking, shouting and cajoling the young men onstage as they took off their clothes. as good looking and handsome as the chippendales were, i was more interested in watching my co-workers as all decency and inhibitions seemed to have abandoned them. then there was a portion of the show, towards the end where one of the performers would sit by the edge of the stage and the women would line up to put their rolled up dollar bills inside the man's thong brief. some of them would even kiss the man on the lips, and it was quite disgusting especially that he had just smooched another woman. god, what an unsanitary exchange of saliva. may i say i was watching all these from the comfort of my seat at the table. the guy who served as emcee waved at me to come over but i waved him off.
later after the show, he saw me standing at the lobby as i waited for a few of my co-workers i was to take a taxi with. he asked why i didn't enjoy the show. i told him i enjoyed it but that i wasn't told what the show was about. we were having a small talk when the desperados came back from the washroom and gushed all over the guy.
-o0o-
this is for the five plus two's 'performance art' theme this week.
all the blings were borrowed from my young model who works in the office's mailroom.
oh, you gullible people, you didn't think i'd strip, did you?
Loved the story. This is one incredible portrait. I'd frame this one if I were you.
You made me think of Mata Hari !
Fav of course !