"Refreshing Oldies-4"
- For those too young to remember exactly why TV is so terrible and bloated with commercials.....

The Last Burlesque Show

Talking pictures on a screen dug a hole for it,
then television threw dirt on top of
America's live on-stage variety shows
"Burlesque" is a fine French word describing
the comic or derisive side of life,
but in the US it meant bad jokes, smut,
and scantily clad dancing girls
enjoyed by rowdy cheering men
For many, we lost a lot when the last one folded.
Burlesque shows were fun and harmless outlets
condemned by churches women's groups,
and united do-gooders
In its day each troop employed a lot of persons,
developed and discovered top talent, some
going on to become famous and wealthy performers.
Low admission cost to "Burly" shows gave relief to
overworked factory workers of long hours,
the out-of-work, the homeless, life’s drop-outs.
Where today is there a refuge for souls needing a lift,
a song, a borderline joke, dancing girls?
Burlesque reflected the best of America, and was
a slice of each of us before we became
sophisticated and
too pompous to enjoy raw humor and belly-laughs.


2007 F William Broome