WEBurlesque Podcast Network

"Oh, there was always a fight or two in the dressing room, someone getting her hair pulled. But most of us were fucking each other, so we got along pretty well."

Madame E. tells all the best stories from the debauchery and fun (and serious work!) of stripping in Honolulu, Guam, and beyond before the neoburlesque boom of the late 80s and 90s. Recognized rightfully as a burlesque legend, Madame E has returned to the stage in her 70s, soon to feature at Fat-lesque in Seattle come January 2024, and was recently seen at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in June of this year, peeling it off to a medley of Moody Blues and Billy Idol. But his rock chick has soulful roots in the burlesque scene, largely dancing to the blues for the likes of Pee Wee Herman, Rod Stewart, and Bill Cosby! We could only cover so much in this brief storytime but you'll be enchanted by every word, and we'll bring her back soon to tell us even more dish we couldn't cover. But we did manage to include a few tidbits on her peers in the legends circle, from Toni Elling to Bambi Jones to Bic Carroll to Dixie Evans. Viktor Devonne has, since this recording, been adopted as a burlesque child of this firecracker, and he doesn't know how he got so lucky. AND YES, we talk about the sailor party (iykyk and you will). (this conversation was recorded October 1, 2023)

• Instagram: @madame_e1000
• more info of Fatlesque/FatCon: https://www.fatcon.org/guests/#madamee
• learn more about https://www.burlycares.com and https://burlesquehall.com/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 204 call hook by El Toro. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"I'm wearing platform heels but it still gives off masculine energy... People especially in the gay community, people either want you very masc or very fem... I feel it's whatever mood I'm in."

Dance instructor and ooky-spooky boylesquer Kevin Honey-Bunz of Arkansas' True Grit and Grind joins Viktor Devonne for a seasonally appropriate talk on Halloween costumes and burlesque from voguing as a werewolf to reigning over the vampires as Lestat. (this conversation was recorded September 26, 2023)

• Instagram: @kevinhoneybunztgg @truegritandgrind
• True Grit and Grind Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZluxZCWMGT-mVHpMFDHUhg/videos
• More Kevin Honey-Bunz on the pod: https://weburlesque.wordpress.com/?s=kevin+honeybunz

Footnotes: the Penny Slayne Tik-Tok re: blue laws; https://www.tiktok.com/@pennyslayne/video/7270372412779269418?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7002239414986900997

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 203 call hook by Moxie Blue. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"It got me out of a really deep depression spell; I still live with depression. I tell people even when I'm smiling happy, and I have great days, I still live with depression. But I can say for sure that since I've consistently been performing, the days that have been bad have been few and farther between. Burlesque hs really opened that part of my life up for me, in the healing component of things. I didn't realize I needed dance as therapy too. Sitting in an office or on a zoom call twice a week is important, but I wasn't releasing anything out of my physical body. I was talking a lot of the feelings out, but to dance them out is a whole different thing."

Dancer, model, and makeup artist Harlem Nyte delights Viktor Devonne while chatting about the road that led to beginning burlesque 2 years ago. Just off the Ohio Burlesque Festival stage, this shaker from Chicago is regularly seen with Body Confidence for Queens. We talk early dance, bodies on stage, being mouthy, and going to where one is celebrated. (this conversation was recorded September 26, 2023)

footnotes: the Black Burlesque Performer Directory mentioned during the episode is: https://www.itspochop.com/black-burlesque-directory

the post Harlem refers to re: the body positive movement can be seen at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxayoLoLYBc/

• Instagram: @missharlemnyte
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@harlem.nyte

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 202 call hook by Pat Smear. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

Viktor Devonne talks about the last 17 years of WEBurlesque (est. September 29, 2006) and 200 episodes (est. January 23, 2018). from its convention circuit, theme shows, performers, podcast transition, and also shares answers to audience questions.

(this conversation was recorded September 25, 2023)

• Instagram: @viktordevonne @weburlesque

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 201 call hook by Blanche Bourgeois. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"Winning is perspective. Marinka is the one that taught me that. What did you win; you won connections. What did you win; you won a standing ovation. What did you win; you won friendships. You won fans. There's so many ways to look at winning, and I'll tell you, I have won in more in more ways than one."

Miss Brawling Beauty is a fantastic multitalented force of nature living in Las Vegas. We talk coming from Utah, blue laws (yes, they're still very real!), stripping in the 90s, gaining the title Princess at The Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, disability advocacy, sideshow arts and clowning in the family, producing the Salty Desert Burlesque Festival, and her close friendship with the burlesque legend Dee Milo. Miss Brawling Beauty won the distinction of Cirque du So Great at the Silver Tusk Awards in 2023.(this conversation was recorded September 12, 2023)

• Instagram: @brawlingbeauty
• https://www.missbrawlingbeauty.com/
• the Dee Milo footage referred to in the pod: https://www.youtube.com/@brawlingbeauty/videos

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 200 call hook by Veronica Viper. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"Ultimately, a lot of what I do, a lot of the burlesque and boylesque work that I do is really based around lampooning male archetypes and deconstructing masculinity. So oddly enough, even though I'm non-binary I kind of find the performance style, the focus of it is still kind of pushing towards that. So in that vein, a lot of the things I do are decidedly 'boylesque' in terms of like what the content is deconstructing, and with the tropes I'm using; obviously they blend and meld into each other in many ways."

Uruguayan-Torontonian El Toro shares thoughts on their field of burlesque, music, and film. Regularly seen with Boylesque TO, this self-proclaimed Latinx lover charms and delights in conversation with Viktor Devonne that spans exploration on gender and sexuality, stylistic choices, the word 'boylesque,' good lighting, being followed by documentary camera, and the mysterious land of Canada. (this conversation was recorded August 15, 2023)

• Instagram: @eltoroburlesque
• https://www.boylesqueto.com/members

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: – patreon.com/weburlesque – venmo: @viktor-devonne – paypal: [email protected] – cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8×10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 199 call hook by Jadynn Starr. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"When I moved to Seattle, I joined some different dance companies and it was always just too pushy; like, I'm doing this for fun. And that's what I think why, when we joined burlesque-- because it is fun and I can create that story; what does this song mean to me, what is the song telling me, how do I want to express that to others. And I think that's what's so much fun about creating your persona and growing into your persona, is being able to hear a song and say 'Here's what that sounds like to me,' but to somebody else, they would take in a completely different direction." -- Moxie Blue

"Sometimes burlesque is covering yourself in fake blood, in my case covering yourself in lipstick. It's not as polished; I definitely feel like when I tell people that I do burlesque they're like. 'ooh Dita Von Teese doo-doo' and I'm like, oh no, it gets very weird on stage. I don't think that I will ever be as polished ask Christina [Aguilera] and I think that's okay. The movie [Burlesque] itself I do; I enjoy it; it's fun, it's silly. I wish there was less of that one random man that Christina lives with and more of Cher." -- Pat Smear

Seattle's Moxie Blue and Pat Smear are a delightful pair of wits and and style, both together on stage and in their solo work. Starting in burlesque together, as mother and child, Moxie and Pat are a surprise in their ability to seamlessly work together and explore their disparate individual styles. We talk personas, adjusting mindsets, generational gaps, activism, and how it went performing in front of dad/husband. (this conversation was recorded July 20, 2023)

• Instagram: @pat___smear @moxiebluebq
• www.moxieblueburlesque.com https://www.facebook.com/moxieblueburlesque/
• https://linktr.ee/patsmear https://www.facebook.com/patsmear.burlesque

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: - patreon.com/weburlesque - venmo: @viktor-devonne - paypal: [email protected] - cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8x10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 198 call hook by Harley Foxx. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"I'm a very type a person in general; I think it's easier to be the decision-maker... it saves me time to not go back and forth... The job of producer isn't a really sexy, glamorous creative job a lot of the time. The funnest part is the creative part but a lot of it is updating our website, making our ticketing page, making copies of line-up of the show, promoting the show and sending out press releases and trying to get on calendar. That back office stuff is most of the job. To have a successful show, you can't just show up with a great, creative show; you have to show up with an audience."

Devilish and delightful Blanche Bourgeois is based in Los Angeles, heading Hollywood Jane Revue. From Rocky Horror roots to their passion for the music industry, she and Viktor talk shop, including nerdlesque, pole, production, favorite fandoms, and more! To Absent Friends: In Memory of Georgia O'Queef. (this conversation was recorded July 16, 2023)

• Instagram: @blancheburlesque @hollywood_jane_revue @catsandyandollie
• https://linktr.ee/blancheburlesque

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: - patreon.com/weburlesque - venmo: @viktor-devonne - paypal: [email protected] - cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8x10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 197 call hook by Luminous Pariah. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"We're still very much on our own; the closest we come is the festival circuit... not regulated, not unified, and boy do they vary. Everybody has a different idea... I had never been to a burlesque festival when I helped produce my first one; we'd have these meetings and people were like 'Well, traditionally in different places, blah blah blah--' and I'm like, 'Why, what, how... Can't we just...?'"

Person of all the trades, Rebecca Mm Davis may be most recognized as co-producer of What The Funk Fest (winner of Favorite Festival for Silver Tusk Awards 2023) in Seattle, and emcee for multiple shows in the area. Also an actress, show producer, notary public(!), and wedding officient, Rebecca shares with Viktor some tales from all these fields and more, including or favorite broads, reclaiming eras, hosting tips, and more! (this conversation was recorded July 18, 2023)

• Instagram: @stayuplateshow
• https://www.rebeccamdavis.com/
• https://www.whatthefunkfest.com

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: - patreon.com/weburlesque - venmo: @viktor-devonne - paypal: [email protected] - cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8x10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 196 call hook by Coco Lamarr. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

"I love performing, I love burlesque, I love these fucking weirdos."

Veronica Viper mixes the glam and gutter for a sensational form of burlesque. As a trans woman in the field, she has a specific viewpoint working in the scene, and working regularly in New York City. She and Viktor and Viktor talk the scene, the secret administrative side of burlesque, whether there truly is an underground scene, and more. (this conversation was recorded July 12, 2023)

• Instagram: @veronicaviper3
• https://www.veronicaviper.com/
• The Document article (nsfw): https://www.documentjournal.com/2023/06/chelsea-hotel-portraits-queer-nightlife-performers-drag-burlesque-pride/
• The NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/nyregion/nightlife-burlesque-nyc.html

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: - patreon.com/weburlesque - venmo: @viktor-devonne - paypal: [email protected] - cashapp: $weburlesque All donations at $25 or above will get a signed 8x10 of Viktor Devonne, covered in flour.

— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 195 call hook by Shimmy LaRoux. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, "On a 45" by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.