We thought Valentine’s Day would be the perfect time to launch our first two Battle Of The Sexes articles.

What better way to explore and tackle the gender stereotypes across the globe than a good old challenge between the girls and the guys? Each month will be posting two articles which will explore different opinions on topics that are relevant to our “Let’s Talk About Sex” campaign and we want YOU the audience to vote on who wins your vote.

This month we will tackling the much debated issue of burlesque dancing. We sent two of our favorite UK bloggers Claire Shropshall, and Dwain Lucktung along to a burlesque night at The Volupte Lounge in Central London, UK for a romantic dinner and performance and asked:

Do you feel Burlesque dancing is empowering for women? Or objectifying?

Check out what Claire and Dwain had to say below – and don’t forget to vote for who you feel put across the best argument…

Claire’s View: Female Empowerment? There’s A Bit More To It Than That…

When asked if I thought burlesque was empowering for women, or degrading, my gut reaction went with the latter. After all, how could getting your kit off for money be anything but shameful?

With no prior experience of the art of striptease, I expected an evening of voluptuous, corseted women hiding behind feather boas and winking suggestively, while a gaggle of seedy looking men leered on as they disrobed. I was wrong.

Yes there were a couple of seedy men, and yes there was winking and nipple tassles, but what we were presented with didn’t at any point seem sleazy or degrading to the women performing. The homage to Chinese New Year included a tale of riches to rags, bright, glamorous costumes, a generous sprinkling of glitter and an even bigger dose of cheeky humour. It was a frivolous occasion clearly intended not to be taken too seriously, and instead of the crowd of lusty men I’d expected, there were actually quite a few females enjoying the show.

This is where I have a problem with the empowerment vs female objectification burlesque debate.  I just don’t think it’s that black and white.  At no point during the show did I feel uncomfortable, voyeuristic or that it would be appropriate for anyone to throw money at the performers, however I didn’t think the women performing were making any kind of Beyonce style statement about their sexuality.

Gone are the days when onstage flesh flashing had the potential to really shock and challenge. In the 1920s – a period that burlesque icon Dita Von Teese identified as ‘a time of national undress’ – burlesque was used to thrill and scandalise, breaking down prudish conventions of the era. Back then it could be said that women became empowered to dress more like their showgirl idols, and hemlines were rising across the nation. But what does burlesque mean for today’s society?

I don’t think, in England at least, we really have a problem with moral dress codes. Where I live in East London, you can more or less get away with anything on a night out – from trainers to stockings and a top hat. We’re not afraid to show a bit of skin, as anyone who’s spent a Saturday night in Liverpool city centre will know.

Our host for the night, Marianne Cheesecake, certainly doesn’t seem to view her career choice as a vehicle for driving forward a sexual empowerment agenda. For her, burlesque is all about creativity. Empowerment comes from being able to plan and perform something that’s entirely her own, not from proving a point about her body. ‘It keeps me alive because you’re always creating,’ she said, referring to the constant evolution of the burlesque renaissance.

And burlesque isn’t just for the ladies – there’s a whole ‘Boylesque’ male movement. So for those wanting to pidegeonhole burlesque into a female empowerment movement, I implore you to think outside the box a bit. Isn’t there just a little more to it?

Dwain’s View: Voluptuous Empowerment

Dita Von Teeses, tassels, and skin… perhaps what a first-timer would expect from a burlesque spectacle. On February 3, at central London’s Volupté burlesque cabaret club I got no Von Teese, but expectations were ultimately blown out the glittery water…

The lights dimmed, and out came three vibrant, show-stopping acts; Chinese New Year themed performances, “vintage cabaret with an Asian fusion”. The lush food provided by Volupté took a place on the sidelines as I was fully engaged (and completely distracted) by the traditional Chinese dance styles, attire and belly dancing; gyration so close to our table in the intimate venue that they practically shook our wine glasses.

Make room for Marianne Cheesecake (no, not our dessert, but headlining compare for the night). Therein laid the flip to any preconceptions, as Marianne gave up some time after her stunning solo piece to speak of her love for the beautiful and empowering entity that is burlesque.

Passionate and professional pretty much sums up the starlet; having studied in acting, improvisation, clowning and other arts in Toronto before skipping to the UK in 2004 to focus on a job she finds “fun, fulfilling and refreshing”. Is burlesque empowering I asked: “Yes, in all aspects; from the hair style to the make up, costumes and choreography, it’s my choice, my own… I have the creative control.”

What about the ‘sleaze’ perception I hear some naysayers say. The audience in Volupte was respectful no doubt, with a mixture of male and females in applause, including the odd drunk-head shouting “Arriba Arriba!” (Chinese New Year guys, not Mexico Independence Day). But on any occasion a heckler wastes their time to objectify and suppress these women (very, very rare in Volupte), as my friend Jacqueline Campbell (feminist, activist and writer) says, “There has to be some middle ground between suppressing sexuality completely and exploitation, allowing both men and women free choices to indulge in whatever practices they find fulfilling…”

And with men and women in the audience, and on stage in other shows (male burlesque performance being called boy-lesque by Marianne), it seems gender empowerment doesn’t even need to be the issue if the presence of respect and fulfilment is reciprocal. “Come see a show. Don’t misinterpret, or stereotype it” Ms Cheesecake says. “Burlesque is an evolving, always expanding art that keeps me and the audience alive.”

What did you think of these posts? More importantly – whose do you think was better?

Dwain – Who thought the show was the perfect balance between indulgence and empowerment.

Or

Claire – Who argued that in today’s environment – while pleasant enough to watch, there was no real empowering message/statement attached to the art form.

Vote for whose article you preferred below, or on our Facebook Fanpage.