Submitted by Lucy Buttons, Sep 12, 2007 17:38

I am a working burlesque performer in NYC, and have danced for Ivan at another club in the city, and clearly the opposed parties have never been to a modern day burlesque show, nor seen footage from classic burlesque performers, or clearly understand the meaning of burlesque. Its roots are in comedy and vaudeville, which was family entertainment. It also stems from early modern dancers, the can-can, and tableau viviants, none of which are vulgar by today's standards. The neo-burlesque movement has been making waves all over the world and can even be found in small towns across the US. There are clubs that house far more risque burlesque shows, then Forty Deuce will have, all over the city. Also their club had a mini-series on Bravo and the standards for decency on television are much more strict then what you might see at any regular bar in NYC on any night. Forty Deuce is sexy entertainment but certainly not the same as a strip club. Most modern burlesque would borderline on performance art, and it is considered an american art form. It is not about the amount of clothes removed, but rather the way you remove them, and it is just as much about the dancing, showmanship, and costuming. Many Burlesque performers are also dancers, actors, singers, hosts, producers and business people trying to carve a niche for themselves in the entertainment business. Though modern day strippers would not have ever existed if it were not for the gals that did burlesque back in the day, to compare the two today you would find that burlesque is PG13. It is tongue-and-cheek and is appropriate for family members and your boss to see.

A well known business such as Forty Deuce would be beneficial for the neighborhood, in the celebrity obsessed world we live in today, you can be certain it will bring more big spenders to the neighborhood, and positive publicity. If you are going to grant only one more liquor license, in a city full of useless bars with cocaine addicts as regulars, you would be sadly mistaken not to give it to the Forty Deuce Franchise, where there security is tight, and clearly so is their business sense. They have looked at locations all over the city, and have finally decided on your community, when many others would have welcomed them. I urge you to reconsider your stance, and also to do your research on any topic before making an uninformed closed minded decision.

Lucy Buttons=)~

myspace.com/lucybuttons

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