By Steven Stone, co-owner of Smooches and Science Presents, former staff member for GeekGirlCon
Let’s talk video games, shall we? I have been a gamer all of my life. It’s hard to remember a time when I didn’t have a controller or keyboard in my hands. From the NES to the Genesis to the PSX to the Xbox 360, I’ve been all over the map of types and builds of consoles. Another thing I’ve been a proponent of over the past couple of years has been burlesque. I’ve been everything from a host to a prop.
Last year, I, alongside former GeekGirlCon staff member Kelly Clark, was able to help put together a burlesque show based on our love of gaming. It was called JOYstick! It was a fundraiser for GeekGirlCon, and it was a dream come true. We had a Samus Aran constructing her armor, a Psycho Mantis controlling the minds of audience members, and, most importantly, Link dancing to a Ke$ha song. Link’s act was fun, goofy, and held a special place in my heart. The Legend of Zelda has always captured my time and attention and has usually been the game series I employ to introduce friends to gaming in general. It’s able to be an innovator graphically and gameplay-wise despite always seeming to deliver a similar story. With the Link act, the audience was allowed to have fun in the moment, connecting with Link in ways they didn’t even know was possible. Something though, was missing.
Fosse Jack as Link in the original JOYstick! (Photo by Jackie Kingsbury)
Thinking back on The Legend of Zelda, the story has never been about Link, really. I mean, he’s not even worthy enough to be given space in the title! Zelda has always been the through line to me. She was the one who split the triforce apart to protect it from Ganon in the original game. She was the one who helped teenaged Link through the tougher dungeons through her alter-ego Sheik. She was the young pirate who helped Link out on the high seas when he needed it most.
To me, Zelda has always represented a different side of the helpless princess. Unlike Princess Peach, Zelda always seemed to have an understanding of what was about to occur and planned appropriately. She represented the crafty princess, aiding and, in some cases becoming, the hero when the time and circumstances called for it. Unfortunately, as Anita Sarkeesian points out, Zelda’s role eventually does revert back to being a damsel in distress, traditionally being kidnapped to begin the final act of the game she is in.
How does this relate back to burlesque? As a feminist artform, burlesque represents to me that moment when a woman (or man) is given the chance to take the main stage and capture the audience through their physical qualities and abilities. For JOYstick! Level 2, we hope to challenge some notions of the video game world. We want to showcase the heroine that Zelda is and the important part of video game lore that she represents. Princess Zelda will be given a starring role in a solo act by the ever talented Olatsa Assassin. She takes Zelda from damsel to hero in a very specific way…and you’ll just have to attend the show to find out how!
JOYstick! Level 2 is the second show dedicated to the the world of video games from producers Smooches and Science Presents. This year, beyond featuring Zelda, we hope to have fun and challenge norms. From characters that represent the misogynistic side of video games (through the jerk that is Duke Nukem) to games that we love simply because they involve rolling things onto a ball, we aim to have it all. We hope to blow minds and earn achievements.
Smooches and Science Presents will be showcasing JOYstick! Level 2 at the Columbia City Theatre on September 20 and 21. Tickets are $20 and can be found on Brown Paper Tickets.
But some of you might still be wondering what this burlesque thing is all about. You could be thinking, “will I feel comfortable attending?” “how can it be empowering to take off one’s clothes?” or “how nerdy can it actually be?”
Here’s what I tell a lot of people confused about burlesque: the performer has the power in burlesque performance; they get to create and tell their own story. You’ll see some seriously artistic and nuanced performances, and when it comes to nerdlesque, joyously geeky. But don’t take it from me, take it from the experts!
Steven Stone, GeekGirlCon hospitality coordinator and organizer of the video game-themed burlesque show, JOYstick! (next week on July 20th & 21st), talks with burlesque organizers and performers about Seattle’s “Summer of Nerdlesque,” the history of burlesque and neo burlesque, upcoming nerdlesque shows, and why they see burlesque as empowering for women.
Today, we are kicking off a new GeekGirlCon blog series titled “Fact or Fiction.” In these posts, we hope to dissect some of the stereotypes or assumptions made about female geeks. You know, assumptions like “Geek girls don’t exist.”
To pay tribute to GeekGirlCon’s burlesque show, JOYstick!, today’s “Fact or Fiction” will focus on video games. (P.S. Tickets are going fast for JOYstick! Get your tickets now.)
Tell me, is the following statement fact or fiction: Barely any girls or women are gamers. What do you think?
Let’s take a look at some of the facts:
• According to the Entertainment Software Association, 42 percent of all game players are women. • Women age 18 and older represent a significantly greater portion of game players (37 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (13 percent). • Men & women are playing online PC games in almost equal numbers: 130 million women and 140 million men!
Ok, you might read these stats and think: Well, girls play more social games like Bejeweled and Farmville. Some women certainly do, but here’s another interesting fact:
Nearly 40 percent of all World of Warcraft players are women.
Wow! Women and girls certainly are gamers. Many of GeekGirlCon’s staff members rushed home to play Diablo III the day it came out. And we know a ton of you feel the same way.
Not only are women and girls avid gamers, they make games too! That is why we are so excited to have video game experts like Corrinne Yu, principle engine architect for Microsoft’s Halo video game, at GeekGirlCon ‘12.
We will also have a whole floor dedicated to gaming, where convention guests can play some amazing console games, which are brought to you by EA and PopCap games. On top of that, con-goers will be able to participate in Magic: The Gathering tournaments, try out board games with friends and family, test out their own game design skills at our Mystery Box Game Design Challenge, and join some amazing LARPing workshops.
We hope to you’ll come to our convention (buy your passes here!) and help confirm the fact that women are definitely gamers. In the meantime, tell us: What’s your favorite video game?
Seattle is home to many nerds and geeks. The Seattle Times recently dedicated an article to the growing geek community, GeekWire gives us in-depth coverage on the startup and technology community, and, of course, Seattle has GeekGirlCon (have we mentioned you should get your passes now?). We are also home to tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, engineering masters like Boeing, and global health innovators like PATH, Seattle BioMed, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Yes, the nerds are taking over Seattle. And this summer, they’re also taking over Seattle’s burlesque scene.
That’s why we’re calling this the “Summer of Nerdlesque.” So far, we counted four — yes, four — nerdlesque shows in Seattle this summer.
Starting at the end of June, geeks can enjoy Behind the Blue Door: A Doctor Who-inspired Cabaret. This will be a tribute to everyone’s favorite Time Lord, his TARDIS, and his companions! From their website: “With eleven Doctors, multiple companions, several spin-off shows, and an entire universe to explore, anything can happen!”
Behind the Blue Door When: Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. Where:Annex Theatre, 1100 E Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122 Cost: $16 Advance / $20 At the door Who: 18+, Must have valid ID
Game of Thrones fans can enjoy Stark Naked in mid-July, presented by FAUXDUST. It might be summer by then, but Winter is Coming to Seattle’s Theater Off Jackson. From their event page: “Stark Naked features a burlesque khalasar, singer-songwriters of Ice and Fire, actors, and dancers from all over the Seven Kingdoms — Seattle, Olympia, and Portland!”
Stark Naked When: Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. Where:Theatre Off Jackson, 409 7th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104 Cost: $20 Advance / $25 At the door Who: 21+, Must have valid ID
The following week, GeekGirlCon hosts a nerdlesque tribute to the world of video games. Whether you like modern-day MMORPGs or old-school NES games, JOYstick! will have an act for every gamer! One of the best things about JOYstick! is that it was created by gamers, for gamers — every performer is a video game aficionado. All proceeds benefit GeekGirlCon, so get your tickets to help ensure we can keep hosting our convention and other special events and nerdlesque shows throughout the year. (Keep an eye on our website for a TV Dinner at Central Cinema featuring video game-themed TV shows, where you can catch a sneak peak of some JOYstick! acts.)
JOYstick! When: Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21 at 8:00 p.m. Where:Theatre Off Jackson, 409 7th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104 Cost: $20 Advance / $25 At the door / Click here to buy tickets! Who: 21+, Must have valid ID to enter
Finally, combine the world of Joss Whedon with burlesque, and you get Whedonesque Burlesque. In late August and September, show-goers can enjoy acts inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers, Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog, Dollhouse, Angel, and maybe even Cabin in the Woods. Tickets went on sale last Friday, and they are almost completely sold out. Didn’t snag a ticket? Keep an eye on the Facebook event page to see if additional tickets go on sale.
Whedonesque Burlesque When: Friday, August 24 and Saturday, August 25 at 8:00 p.m.; Friday, August 31 and Saturday, September 1 at 8:00 p.m. Where:Theatre Off Jackson, 409 7th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104 Cost: $20 Advance (Premium and VIP tickets also available) Who: 21+, Must have valid ID to enter
As if these four events weren’t enough, our neighbors north of the border are putting on an event that will make most GeekGirlCon fans squeal out loud: Geeks After Dark is hosting a Firefly-themed burlesque show this August in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Wow, that’s a lot of nerdlesque for one summer. And we’ve probably missed some. Which shows do you plan on attending? Which ones did we skip over? Let us know in the comments!