enculturating las vegas into the next millennium... art, dance, film, music, poetry, theater, history, nature and everything else that enriches the lives of those who live and visit southern nevada... Since 2003...

Sunday, February 01, 2004

News Flash: Live Nude Girls Come to Vegas

The topless review was one of the twin vices that the myth of decadent Vegas was built upon. And while gaming remains, the modern day topless choices are limited to the icky, sticky trappings of the strip club and the large scale professional reviews with talented, but unrecognizable dancers. Where are the Blaze Starrs, Chesty Morgans, Lili St. Cyrs, and Kitty West the Oyster Girls of today? If you are looking in Vegas, the Sin City Grind Kittens are a good place to start. Their site has pictures of their lovely ladies and blog notes on the troupe's current status and events.

If you wish to visit a museum dedicated to the burlesque arts and home to the yearly Ms. Exotic World competition, the Exotic World Burlesque Museum in Helendale, California is your place. Exotic World, registered with the California State Historical Society, has a large collection of burlesque-related memorabilia. Their website has info on the museum's history, a hall of fame with pictures of past legends, and a list of contemporary burlesque artists and troupes in their links section.

It's a shame that the Venus Lounge has moved away from its original retro fabulous look, as it would have made a great home for the Sin City Grind Kittens. But when Venus was in its finest form it often showed the Grindhouse Follies. While these movies are available from Something Weird Video, the original vintage burlesque and stag films themselves were never copyrighted, and can be legally downloaded from the Internet Archive. Most of the movies can be found by looking for "stripper" in the Prelinger Archives. Additionally, other gems include Sheree Tiger Dance, Peeping Tom's Paradise, and Malibu Mermaid.

posted by Mr. Kimberly at