So, last Saturday I went to the big burlesque event
Fräulein Frauke Presents at
Nalen. The theme this time was
Victorian Asylum, so I decided to skip the fake lashes, done up hair, red lipstick, jewelry and pretty dress I usually wear for these parties, simply throw on an old night gown from the 30s, and go as a lunatic! Here I have to make a note of the fact that one of my followers on social media got really upset that I used the word
lunatic to describe my character for this evening, because that's not a term you use for mentally ill persons anymore, and she asked me to "refrain from furthering harmful stereotypes". Of course I am fully aware of this, and I wouldn't actually call anyone a lunatic, but in my apology to her I explained that the theme for the night wasn't
2014 Psychiatric Hospital, but
Victorian Asylum. In Victorian days these places were actually called
Lunatic Asylums, and so I felt I had full right to use the term
lunatic when describing myself that night! In these days of Political Correctness you have to be able to separate "real" words, actually written to describe someone's truth about something, and word-play used to just describe fiction - without being harmful - to stay sane. Excuse the ramble, just didn't want to upset anyone else's feelings with the words used in this post. Because since these parties are like masquerades, and masquerades
are - infact - all about dressing up as stereotypes, and with the theme in mind there were
several lunatics there, and freaks, and evil doctors, and nurses, and lots of other weirdos! And it was
fabulous!!!
This is the 30s nightgown I wore. I got it from my grandma a long time ago. I tried to do a sickly-looking makeup, and people said I looked really scary, so I think I succeeded pretty well! Several people I went up to say "hi" to also said they didn't recognize me at first, so I guess this is a good incognito look for me. Haha!
Ziegfried was the evening's conférencière, and he looked very cute in his hospital gown...
Aurora Galore did two crazy acts. The energy of this girl is just incredible!
And then there was the mysterious
POP COB, who showed us how to make popcorn.
The performer who got the most sound out of the audience though (both sounds of horror, awe, and amusement), was
The Baron. He holds the
Guinness World Record of having the strongest nipples on Earth, and he really showed what he could do by hanging heavy weights not only from his nipples, but also from his earlobes and eyes. Yes -
eyes!!!
Watching the people in the audience at these events is a show in itself. And tonight there were all sorts of creatures fitting for a Victorian Asylum sharing the dance floors. These nurses were kind enough to give me some medicine! And here are a few more examples of what you could find a Nalen this evening...
Some people even had to be put in shackles...
Yours truly! I had no idea why people were looking at me so strangely on the subway...
And last, but certainly not least,
John Paul Bichard - co-producer (together with Fräulein Frauke) of this insane evening, and also the photographer behind all these amazing pictures! To see all the photos,
please go here!
