1. Nostalgia Is Bringing Pin-Up and Burlesque Back
In a world where entertainment is constantly trying to push the envelope of going one step further than the next guy, being edgy is often more profitable than playing it safe. However, it leads to a society where cringe is almost a genre of its own. In horror, we can barely watch what we see in the gruesome scenes. And in romance, now even S&M is acceptable to watch in the likes of Fifty Shades of Grey.
For a few decades, pin-up artwork was seen as being very dated, but by the 2000’s, people began to feel nostalgic for times when the definition of “sexy” was actually very innocent in comparison to what is expected in today’s world. For years, men were the #1 fans of pin-up, and now, women are embracing it more than ever. There are several clubs and organizations as well as conventions that celebrate women’s love of pin-up, and there are opportunities for women who want to model in the vintage style. Even today, women like Dita von Teese are becoming famous as a modern version of a burlesque model and performer.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture. Maria Elena Buszek. Duke University Press. 2006.
50 Years of US Pinups. The Week. 2008.
Toulouse-Lautrec’s pin-ups: Original stars of the Moulin Rouge. BBC. 2018.
How nose art and pin-ups boosted WWII USAAF troops’ morale. Martin Barber. BBC. 2012.
Pin-up Girl History. Priscilla Frank. The Huffington Post. 2014.
The Lost Art of American Pin-Up. Jake Wallis Simons. CNN. 2014.
Our History. Barbie/Mattel.
Pin-Up Model. Wikipedia.
Marilyn Monroe. Wikipedia.