Burlesque was originally a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social attitudes of the upper classes. It was often ridiculous in that it imitated several styles, and combined imitations of authors and artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term was often used interchangeably with "pastiche," "parody," and, at the turn of the 18th century, "mock-heroic." Possibly due to historical social tensions between the upper classes and lower classes of society, much of the humor and entertainment focused on lowbrow and ribald subjects.

In literary criticism, burlesque is often used as a generic term to describe any imitative work that derives humor from an incongruous contrast between style and subject. In this usage, forms of satire such as parody and travesty are types of burlesque (Abrams, 1999). High burlesque refers to a burlesque imitation where a serious style is applied to commonplace or comically inappropriate subject matter — as, for example, in the literary parody and the mock-heroic. Low burlesque applies an irreverent, mocking style to a serious subject; an example is Samuel Butler's Hudibras, which describes the misadventures of a Puritan knight in satiric doggerel verse, using a colloquial idiom.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, burlesque has come to be a genre of adult entertainment, focusing on aspects of humor, satire and sexual tantalization.

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At Logans already!!! Come out for free awesomeness for @Veronykas bday! My solo burlesque at 12!!!
monchere (Chere Raquel) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:57:52 -0000
At Logans already!!! Come out for free awesomeness for @Veronykas bday! My solo burlesque at 12!!!
@RedrumCollab That's awesome! I really like that shot of PXE. I see a burlesque girlie on that page, as well.
Queen_April (April LeQueen) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:33:12 -0000
@RedrumCollab That's awesome! I really like that shot of PXE. I see a burlesque girlie on that page, as well.
I.F. Stone (24 Dec 1907 – 18 Jun 1989) - The difference between burlesque and the newspapers is that the former (cont) http://tl.gd/1bhn7
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