Vintage

The 21st Century Pinups blog has a good interview of Dita Von Teese just posted. The author, Holli-Mae, asks a lot of questions that mainstream media wouldn't think to ask. The interview was done in late 2008 but hasn't been posted until recently.

Speaking of how she became so famous Dita says "Listen, I was a girl working in rave clubs and a strip club in the early 90's, and in my mind, I was a just a girl having fun, enjoying an elaborate game of "dress up and put on a show."

When asked if she sees herself as being an ambassador of burlesque or as being responsible for the resurgence of burlesque, Dita responds: "I don't see myself as being "responsible" for it, because I wasn't the only one who was performing burlesque back before it was cool. Maybe some people give me credit for it, because I have had a lot of mainstream press in the past eight years...."

I realise that not everyone in burlesque is happy about me being the "figurehead," and they might not agree with what I say, or do, or whatever. But, you know, I do my best, and I'm true to myself, and I'm very knowledgeable about the history of classic American burlesque, and I try to be diplomatic about the questions I'm asked; I am sure to consider all kinds of strippers, from us burlesque dancers, to pole dancers. I try to think things through carefully before I say them, and hey, what if the figureheads of burlesque were The Pussycat Dolls?! That's what you were going to get!

You can read the compete interview on the 21st Century Pinups blog.