More Than A Tease: Burlesque Film Series 'The Cans' Showcases History, Culture

More Than A Tease: Burlesque Film Series 'The Cans' Showcases History, CulturePhoto: Lady Monster/Facebook 
David-Elijah Nahmod
Published on March 30, 2017

When local burlesque dancer Lady Monster first saw Gypsythe 1962 musical about the life of the famed exotic dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, she knew she had found her calling. 

"I would perform a striptease to my stuffed animals on my bed, getting into my pajamas," the San Francisco resident recalls. "This happens to so many women. They see Gypsy, and then start stripping in their bedrooms, wishing to be her—though I didn't start stripping until 2005, when I was 36."   

Gypsy Rose Lee, 1940s. | Photo: Flickr

Tonight, Lady Monster is coming full circle, hosting a screening of Gypsy at the Center For Sex and Culture. It's part of The Cans, her new monthly film series about the history and culture of burlesque.

On the last Thursday of every month, The Cans will showcase a burlesque-related film, alongside a panel discussion and a live burlesque performance. 

In keeping with the genre's nature, the name is "a tongue-in-cheek, double entendre as an American version of The Cannes and 'Come to The Cans!' since her boobs are film cans."

The Cans logo. | Image: Scooter Harris

Lady Monster has been passionate about the intersection of burlesque and film for many years, and even tried to get the first international burlesque film festival off the ground in 2009.  

Though many are attracted to burlesque because of its risqué nature, she notes that it can also have a social and political impact.

"Burlesque was created to parody and satire the current political climate," she explains, noting that strip clubs used to host a mix of exotic dancers, singers, and comedians. "By 1930s and '40s standards, Saturday Night Live would be considered burlesque."

Burlesque artist Rasa Vitalia.

With a list of over 30 feature-length films about burlesque, Lady Monster has plenty of options for the series. In April, she'll showcase The Velvet Hammer Burlesque Show, a documentary by Penny Starr, Jr. about a popular 1990s neo-burlesque troupe from Los Angeles. 

"For Pride in June, it'll be an all-queer show," she said. "I'm screening Satan's Angel: Queen of the Fire Tassels, a documentary about a lesbian legend of burlesque and the trail she blazed." July's edition will spotlight positive body image, with a film yet to be announced. 

"You can see a burlesque show in San Francisco any day of the week," Lady Monster says. "I want to provide a different way to see it, so people can learn more about it."