Chapters
Shownotes Transcript
When I think of summer smells, I think of sunscreen, salty beach air, barbecue on the grill, and unfortunately, body odor. Well, not this summer. Thanks to Lume, whole body deodorant, BO will no longer be an unwelcome guest at my summer plans. Their pH optimized formula is clinically proven to block odor all year long.
all day and it's not just for underarms it's for everywhere we get odor pits privates feet under boobs you name it so no matter how hot it gets you can still smell fresh and feel confident from head to freaking toe baby ready to make this your freshest summer ever as a special offer new customers get 15% off
all Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code bunnyxo at lume deodorant.com. That's l-u-m-e-d-e-o-d-o-r-a-n-t.com. You guys already know I'm a Lume girl. I have to have it, especially when we're on tour, high paced shows, back to back, running around, armpits, sweating,
butthole marinating, just piddle juice pouring from all the holes. You guys already know that Lume is my go-to. Lume's starter pack is perfection for new customers. It comes with a solid stick deodorant, cream tube deodorant, two free products of your choice like mini body wash and deodorant wipes, and free shipping. Again, as a special offer for listeners, new customers get 15% off all
all Lume products with our exclusive code. And if you combine the 15% off with the already discounted starter pack, that equals 40% off their starter pack. Use code BUNNYXO for 15% off your first purchase at lumedeodorant.com. That's code BUNNYXO at L-U-M-E-D-E-O-D-O-R-A-N-T.com. I love a great deal as much as the next gal, but...
I'm not going to crawl through a bed of hot coals just to save a few bucks. It has to be easy. No hoops, no BS. So when Mint Mobile said it was easy to get wireless for $15 a month with purchase of a three month plan, I called them on it. Turns out it really is that easy to get wireless for $15 a month. The longest part of the process was the time I spent on hold waiting to break up with my old provider. Other than
that, going with Mint Mobile was easy purchase, easy activation, and easy use website, baby. To get started, go to mintmobile.com slash bunny, B-U-N-N-I-E. There, you'll see that right now, all three month plans are only $15 a month, including the unlimited plan. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's
largest 5G network. You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your phone number along with all your existing contacts. To get this new customer offer and your new three-month premium wireless plan for just 15 buckaroos a month, go to mintmobile.com slash bunny, B-U-N-N-I-E. That's mintmobile.com slash bunny, B-U-N-N-I-E. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month and
at mintmobile.com slash bunny. $45 upfront payment required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customers on first three-month plan only. Speeds slower above 40 gigabytes on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. Hey guys, I need to ask you a question.
I wanna know why in the hell are you not on Patreon? I don't think you guys even realize how much content we have on Patreon. Let me break it down for you. We have the Bunny XO Show, we have Meet the D-Fords, we have Popaganda, we have more shows that we're adding
And not to mention, we have the visuals of the podcast. Not only that, we have four tiers that caters to everybody's budget and everybody gets the podcast. There's no more excuses. Head over to www.patreon.com backslash dumb blonde podcast and sign up. Stop missing out. We have built a huge community over there, guys. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of people over there. We even have
Live chats, live chats that I actually am talking in every single night. Last but not least, we give away gifts every freaking month. I'm talking like signed stuff from Jay and I, lives. You just never know what kind of surprise you're gonna get. It's like a Cracker Jack box. I love the community that we've built over there at Patreon. If you are already a Patreon member,
I freaking love you, dude. Thank you so much. You guys are my babies for life, my writers. If I could, I would literally make out with each and every one of you. I love you guys so much. And that's a lot of kisses, actually. Gotta go back. Is this thing on? Bonnie, who used to be a former sex worker, now hosts the podcast, Dumb Blonde. Most little girls grow up wanting to be doctors and lawyers and shit. And I was like, I want to be super hot, make a lot of fucking money, and be a rock star's wife. That was my goal as a child. And here we are. Let's do that.
What's up, you sexy motherfuckers? Welcome to another episode of Dumb Blonde. Today, we have the burlesque queen. Our burlesque mother is in the house, baby, Dita Von Teese. How are you? I'm good. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited to have you here. Like, I just growing up in Vegas, the whole, you know, showgirls, burlesque, all that, and
I've always admired you because you have always been in your own lane and nobody can fuck with you, man. Like it's crazy. You have just, you've literally made a lifetime of just iconicness and
Thank you. You're welcome. It's just really good to have you here. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, for sure. So what are you doing in Vegas? Well, I have a show here on The Strip. Very exciting. It's kind of like a dream manifestation. I was on tour with my Glamonatrix show about a year ago, like, you know, from 2020, and
I was on tour, one of the people that had to reschedule tours like crazy. And I'd gotten lots of offers about doing shows in Vegas, but the offers would come and it would be like, "Yeah, we have this lounge." And I'm like, "But that's not what I do. "Have you seen my show?" What I do is not a typical burlesque show. I play really big stages like my last tour.
Um, when finally Caesars and Live Nation came out to see my show, I had sold out the Chicago theater, which is like 3800 people. And they're like, Oh, I this is different than we thought it was. I said, Yeah, I decided to take burlesque to another level. So
I finally got the offer I wanted about doing Vegas and they came to me and said we think we have like the perfect stage for you it's called the Jubilee Theater and I was like okay Jubilee was my favorite and the only thing I did when I'd come to Vegas at Bally's yes yes and the showgirls it was my favorite show yeah and it was always like Liberace Museum and Jubilee show yeah so I
I flew out to look at the theater and it's a big, big theater. Like the stage is half the size of a football field. And I kind of had a moment where I was like, oh, it's really big. I don't even know if I can like fill this stage. And so I said, hey, what happened to all the Jubilee costumes, all that Bob Mackie stuff?
And they're like, oh, it's just locked up downstairs. We don't know what we're going to do with it. And I said, I have an idea of what we're going to do with it. Yes. And I basically said, if I can use all the costumes from Jubilee, I'll do the show here. If I can't, I won't. That is amazing. And it works. And so we're using all of that. And it is interesting because when I came in there, they had already started like destroying the sets and everything because they have to. They're huge. And like every show...
I love reusing things and preservation. I collect vintage clothes, vintage things from flea markets. And I love that. But every theater has to at one point get rid of stuff. So they had started chopping the staircase up and all of this. And I said, stop. Stop.
Stop doing that. And I repurposed a lot of the sets and use them in the show now. So we're using all that beautiful Bob Mackie and all the showgirl costumes in a new way with just as many guys in the show as girls and obviously using like, you know, putting my spin on things. And it's, you know, the best of all of my shows, all my burlesque shows brought into the
like emerging with the, the spirit of the show girl. I love that. I love that. Not only are you just this beautiful, glamorous woman, you are literally just a boss. Like you are a great business woman. You have somehow managed to keep yourself relevant for decades.
gone like over a decade now, right? 20 years. Yeah. Like 20 years now, like it's been wild to watch and just see it all unfold. And to be able to get a residency here in Vegas is not easy to sell 3,800, you know, even 4,000 tickets just alone anywhere by yourself is not an easy feat. And I don't think people realize that. So that's just a testament to the fan base that you have. Yeah. I mean, I think, I think, you know, I've,
I started in the early 90s. I just always like I grew up watching old movies and I loved glamour from another time and I didn't feel like I had role models of beauty growing up in the 80s that I could be like so I look to the past.
And in the early 90s, I had the first ever pinup website. And so there was a lot of things, you know, I was like kind of the modern Betty Page from like 1992. I was obsessed with Betty Page. Yeah, me too. And so, yeah, I just kind of kept on my path. And, you know, I've never...
had really any interest in anything else except for what I do. Do you feel like you were born in the wrong era? No, because we say vintage...
vintage style, not vintage values. There's a lot of really great things about now that I think there's a lot of, you know, all you have to do is turn on a 1940s movie and you'll see all kinds of problematic things that you're like, I'm glad that's not around anymore. You know, so you do have to like, I'm always like recommending movies that I love because people ask me and I say, but when you watch this, you just have to remember. Yeah.
There's going to be some things in it that gratefully are put to bed now and don't happen anymore, but you're still going to have to watch it or fast forward it. So, yeah, there's, I think it's a great time to live in now. And also I've always liked doing something that's different and being a burlesque star in the 90s and now, you know, watching it become like something
Some people say the golden age of burlesque was in the 1940s, but I would argue that it's now because we've, you know, there's such a...
it's become a place for inclusion and diversity and celebrating all types of bodies. I just think it's much more meaningful for people to see a burlesque show or to engage in performing a burlesque act, whether it's on stage or at home. I think it's just like there's a different kind of importance because people forget that like the burlesque show of the 30s and 40s was kind of like
going to a strip club. You know, it was your normal working class guys, entertainment. More like a bar type? No, they were in theaters. Okay. But,
You know, it was like comedy with a lot of like jokes about sex and innuendo and dancing girls and even singers. But the stars became striptease stars. So it was, you know, but you were retired by the time you were, you know, 30. Right.
Right. Right. Doesn't ageism plays in burlesque a lot now? Or do you feel like it's a little bit better? I think that it was definitely worse before and I've watched it unfold in a way that that I feel like it's
coming around. I mean, it's, you know, ageism is going to be everywhere and everything and then there's going to be places where, you know, listen, I'm still the most known burlesque star that fills the most seats and I'm 51. And you're flawless. I just go like, okay. I mean, what I love is, you know, of course, someone can feel free to come take away my crown whenever they want. Keep working. Keep trying.
But I love having a platform and a show where I can hire dancers of all ages and genders and skin colors and, you know, people that I think can change people's minds about what a stereotypical burlesque performer is, which I guess is I'm probably pretty stereotypical at this point, you know, because it's like... You've set the bar for sure. I'm just me, you know, but I can't be...
Yeah. So I like to have a platform where I can present a show that makes people more accepting of lots of different types of people and seeing sensuality and beauty in all forms. Absolutely. And all...
stages of life. I love that because I'm 44. So and I'm always fighting against age, ageism online, you know, people think that you have to hang it up as soon as you turn 40. And I'm like, I am just getting started, baby. Yeah. And if I could look like Dita Von Teese at 51, I'll be even happier. It's also like the ultimate insult for people. It's like the last like thing they try to insult you with. So I think that's what people have to remember.
Of course there's ageism in the workforce, like in all, like not just entertainment, I think. But I do think people use age because it's like the final, like a great, like an insult. Right.
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Yeah, it's like an easy, a cheap shot. Exactly. So let's take it back because, you know, I'm sure some people know your story, but I'm also sure that some people don't. And I want to know, like, you know, your childhood, where you came from. You grew up in Michigan and how you got into burlesque and just take me on that journey. Okay. Oh, boy. Okay.
Yeah, I was born in, it's so weird to like talk about like, well, I was born, I was born in Rochester, Michigan, but then I grew up in a town called West Branch, which I like to say it now because sometimes people go, oh, wow, I know where that is. It really is a small town. Like I recently visited it again for a documentary. And I was like, wow, there really is one stoplight and like a few thousand people. That's wild. It's really small.
So I had this like picturesque childhood and my mother's best friend had an antique shop, which is kind of where my love of like old things comes from. And my mother loved to watch old movies. So that really had an imprint on me. I moved from, well, I should say, because sometimes I read in the press, like she comes from the ballet world and I'm like,
Girl, I took a ballet class in a rinky-dink ballet studio in a farming town in Michigan. And I cleaned toilets in exchange for ballet classes. You know, like I remember my parents wouldn't pay for it. So I remember going to the, you know, must have been like 10 years old saying, can I clean in exchange for ballet? And they kindly let me. That's a strong work ethic even at 10 years old, though. Oh, yeah. I've always been very like independent and...
I think because my parents were very young parents, they fought a lot, they were like, you know, like typical. What do you do when you're 22 years old and you already have three children? It's pretty complicated, right? And my dad was out of work a lot, so I always had this kind of like
or conscientiousness about money, especially. So I was always trying to find jobs. - My parents fought about money all the time, and that's--
literally driven me my entire life to never have to ever have those arguments. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I remember like my mom being very like buying something and hiding the purchases from my dad. And I was like, that's never happening to me. Right. I'm going to, I'm going to earn my own money and buy whatever I want. Yeah. They gave you examples of what you don't want to be. Yes, absolutely. Um, so then when I was like 12, my parents moved us all out. I'm one of three girls. We
we moved out to Orange County, California, to a place called Irvine. Some people know that, but people think of the OC. I know there's like some connotations, but for me growing up in Orange County was like,
growing up um you know in the heart of the rockabilly swing dance scene like after you know in the early 90s it was really like happening yeah I went to school with a bunch of rockabillies in Vegas so it was very like happening there in the in the early 90s um
So yeah, I went to high school in Orange County and lived there until about 2000 and then moved to LA. When did your love for burlesque start? Because I know you said you love vintage things, but how did the vintage love transfer over to burlesque?
Sun exposure ages your skin and increases risk of skin cancer. You already knew this. What you may not know is UV rays can deplete collagen, leaving your skin paper thin and potentially susceptible to skin cancer. So while doctors recommend sunblock to protect top layers of the skin, it is essential to protect your collagen. And a great way to do this is with a new super collagen booster called Radiance. While
others offer only one type of collagen, Radiance is clinically advanced with five types of collagens. And five different types of collagens is how Radiance can guarantee younger looking skin, fewer lines and wrinkles, as well as stronger hair and nails. Or you get your money
back. It's a win-win situation. Bottom line, enjoy your summer. But remember, your sunscreen and super boost your collagen with radiance. Get 15% off your first order at BrickHouseNutrition.com. Promo code BUNNY, B-U-N-N-I-E. That's BrickHouseNutrition.com. Promo code BUNNY, B-U-N-N-I-E. When I think of summer smells, I think of sunscreen, salty beach air, barbecue on the grill, and...
Unfortunately, body odor. Well, not this summer. Thanks to Lume, whole body deodorant, BO will no longer be an unwelcome guest at my summer plans. Their pH optimized formula is clinically proven to block odor all year.
all day and it's not just for underarms it's for everywhere we get odor pits privates feet under boobs you name it so no matter how hot it gets you can still smell fresh and feel confident from head to freaking toe baby ready to make this your freshest summer ever as a special offer new customers get 15% off
all Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code bunnyxo at lumedeodorant.com. That's L-U-M-E-D-E-O-D-O-R-A-N-T.com. You guys already know I'm a Lume girl. I have to have it, especially when we're on tour, high paced shows, back to back, running around, armpits, sweating,
butthole marinating, just piddle juice pouring from all the holes. You guys already know that Lume is my go-to. Lume's starter pack is perfection for new customers. It comes with a solid stick deodorant, cream tube deodorant, two free products of your choice like mini body wash and deodorant wipes, and free shipping. Again, as a special offer for listeners, new customers get 15% off all
all Lume products with our exclusive code and if you combine the 15% off with the already discounted starter pack that equals 40% off their starter pack use code bunnyxo for 15% off your first purchase at lumedeodorant.com that's code bunnyxo at l-u-m-e-d-e-o-d-o-r-a-n-t.com yeah um
Well, I worked in a lingerie store when I was in high school. Which one? It was called Lady Ruby's and it was in Irvine. It was very fancy. It was around the corner from the nail salon that my mother worked in because my mom was a manicurist. So I loved lingerie and there was something about lingerie that was very like symbolic of womanhood and femininity. And I was like very intrigued with lingerie from a young age. Like
Not like, oh, that's sexy. But like, what is this thing my mom has in her drawers that my... You know, you have to be a certain age. What is this frilly thing? I was really like strangely fascinated when I was little. And so I...
You know, I obviously couldn't wait till I was old enough to wear a bra and all that stuff. But I started working in this lingerie store first, like, you know, cleaning and like doing putting tags on things and stuff. And then I worked as a sales girl. And that kind of like set the tone for a lot of what I did because I loved lingerie. I started learning about vintage lingerie.
bullet bras, corsets, and like how women wore different types of lingerie over the years. And so when I graduated from high school, I kind of, I went to my first
rave party in 1990 and I met all these drag queens and club kids and it was like this whole other world for me um let's rewind it back I'm gonna stop you right there before we get into that story your dad did not take a liking to you liking lingerie though can we talk about that and would you like a pillow behind you or another pillow are you good are you comfortable okay I think okay we can put a pillow behind you too if you need okay okay
Yes. Okay. Yeah. So I'm working. I'm, my parents are, I'm like 16 years old. My parents are getting a divorce. I'm going back and forth, like staying with my mom, then staying with my dad. And at the time I was staying with my dad and his new girlfriend. Right. And I'm working my little job in the lingerie store, like just minding my own business, but washing my little things in the sink.
hanging them up to dry as you should instead of putting them in the dryer. And my dad got really disturbed by that. And he kicked me out of the house.
And, you know, I'm 16 and I'm just like, first of all, I've had a job, you know, I have my own credit cards, I have my own car. I'm like, whatever. You've always just been so responsible. Really responsible, like, and just fiercely independent. Where do you think that stems from? Just growing up in a chaotic household? Yeah, I really think it's kind of like,
the feeling of never having like enough or being worried about what I ask my parents for. I don't know, but that's what I think it probably is. So yeah, my dad kicks me out the house and it was really interesting. I just revisited this a few years ago. I have a lingerie collection now that I've had for like 14 years.
And a few years ago, this company called Destination Maternity asked me to make pretty maternity bras, like to adapt my designs. And I was like, okay, well, I don't know anything about maternity bras, but let's adapt the designs. It sounds great. And there was like such a, there was a huge like conversation around it. Like some women that were like, why are you telling me to be sexy after I have a baby? And me, and I went,
Oh, interesting. So you think that lingerie is about being sexy for your man. And then there's other people that think they like it for them. They enjoy having something pretty. Like I've always had that relationship with it. And, um,
Then there was like a lot of people that came to my defense of course like new mothers that were like little listen You know you wear the nursing bra and then at one point you want to wear something beautiful like, you know months in or whatever So anyway, I thought about this so much like about my dad and like his what his thoughts about lingerie being symbolic of like sex or Sluttiness, you know like all of these things and I thought wow
Wow, it's so weird how like that, but I remember going that, you know, that's his problem. Right. And I still feel that way. To be able to decipher that at such a young age is awesome though too. It just was very like a weird thing. And especially because I did have this, I do have this relationship with lingerie where it's not for me about putting it on for someone. It's something that I do. For you.
because I enjoy it. Yeah. It's crazy how there's such a sexual stigma to lingerie because when you think about it, you think about like Playboy or like, you know, just nudity in general, but really,
It's just like if you wake up in the morning and you want to feel good and you want to be pretty and you know you have it on, nobody has to see what you have on. - Yeah, it's like a secret or it's like you can have any personality you want under your clothes and I love opening a drawer and having all these colors and matching my things. It's just like fun. Like why not have a little moment of
pleasure and beauty that doesn't take extra time. That's the way I think of it. And that doesn't have a sexual connotation. Right. Certainly I know the power of it as a grown woman. Um, but yeah. So moving on from dad kicking you out, where does this put you? Do you move back in with mom? I believe I moved back in with mom. Um, it's this hazy timeline because I was like, you know,
Yeah, I think I moved back in with my mom. And then as soon as I was like 18, I was out of there. Tell me about Captain Creams. Yes. Okay. I love that you studied. I did. So do you know anything about Captain Creams? I don't. I heard what you have said about it, though, and it sounds pretty iconic. It was like this. It had the terrible name.
That's not even the full name. The full name is Captain Cream's Tussling Tootsies, by the way. That was the full name. Now, when I went to work there...
with my fake ID. I think I was... I think we all had fake IDs back then. Yeah, totally. They were like rampant. If you didn't have one, you weren't one of the cool kids. I didn't even have a fake one. I had a real one. Right, me too. Mine was like Maria and I was like 31, but I was really like 17. No, I'll tell you what. I went to the DMV with my sister's
like social security card and I got my picture on her ID. So I had a real ID that I had more than once handed over to a police officer that was like, sorry to bother you miss. And I was like, that's amazing. I was like 19, just like, Oh God. I think 18. Um, so this club was in, uh, Lake forest, which is in orange County. And it was legendary. Um,
Um, it was like legendary for having like all the Playboy playmates and penthouse girls working there. It was really hard to get a job there. And it was kind of like a hole in the wall place. But like when I tell you it was really like...
like a legendary strip club. And there was tons of like money flowing. It was so much fun. That's kind of how Crazy Horse used to be out here. It was like a hole in the wall, but like everybody that was iconic ever worked there. And this place, you were hired like as an employee. So you got a paycheck, like a minimum wage paycheck. Yeah.
Which didn't mean much to me anyway because I had my other job working in the lingerie store and then in a department store working selling cosmetics. So I had all these... I always had lots of jobs. A lot of energy. A lot of jobs. So it was really like this...
great, this wonderful time, I think, in strip clubs, like before when they used to pay you to work there instead of taking your money. Instead of you having to pay a house fee. Yes, I lived through that shift and I was not into it. So, yeah, I had a lot of fun working there. And at that same time was when I started like, well,
So I should rewind a little bit. So I'm working. I'm in this L.A. rave scene, right? And my boyfriend is one of the big rave promoters. And I'm go-go dancing, of course. So he takes me to this strip club. He takes me to Captain Cream's. It's always a man who introduces us to strip clubs. And I was like...
wow, these and it was a bikini club. It was not even topless or anything. You had to wear like full underwear and you had to wear a full bra. So I was very like, these girls are wearing like more clothes than what I wear when I'm go go dancing. So I thought I'd try working there as an experiment. And that's kind of when I started like, you know, I already dressed in vintage style. So I was like, well, I'm going to strip in vintage style. And I remember they were like,
there was nobody like me there at that time yeah at all the black you already had your look yeah back then yeah so you're a natural blonde for everybody who wants who's wondering I did see some pictures and so you color your hair black yeah so you when did you start doing that when was the first time you looked in the mirror and you were like okay I don't want to be a blonde um well first it was red like I had red hair beautiful I mean you're beautiful now but red would be
I went from blonde to red. It was like the, you know, the natural thing to do. And then I kept like a lot of people that play with red hair color for the first time. You start adding more and more red and you're like, it's not red enough. It's not red enough. And then it was suddenly like burgundy. And then one day I was like, you know what? I'm going to dye it black. And I wore it like in a black, like Louise Brooks 20s hairstyle for a little while. So it kind of started there. That's awesome. How old are you? Um,
I must have been like 22. Okay, gotcha. Did you ever just set out to like change your look to look like somebody or did you know you just wanted to kind of like have a signature style? No, I just always liked feeling different. Like I had like little obsessions like I liked...
You know there I'd go through different periods like I'd see a vintage film and I'd be like, oh I love that hair I'm gonna do that hair for a while or I always wore the cat eye because it was like a 50s thing and there was like a famous photo on the cover of a Vogue with a cat eye and just the red lips and nothing else and that image like was the thing that made me do the cat eye. Yeah, I
So I kind of mixed all these things together, like 1940s style hair with, you know, the 50s cat eye. So it kind of just became like a thing where it was a mixture. But I went through periods over the years where I, you know, everything was 30s, then everything was 40s, like,
Then it was 50s. I liked studying the eras and dressing exactly like those eras. Which era is your favorite? The 40s. The 40s. What is it about the 40s? Just the... The bouffant hairdos. Yeah, the bouffant hairdos. The clothes are really chic from that time. Like it was a great time for like hats, like whimsical hats with a sense of humor. And...
Yeah, and I love the films of that era. I got a lot of inspiration. Like if you look closely at my show, you'll see like the inspirations were from 1940s films. And I was like, what if that was like a strip tease? So yeah, I love that. We'll have to go see Dio's show. Yeah, you're welcome. I think it'll be amazing. So moving on, back to Crispy,
Captain Creams. Sorry, I was going to say Krispy Kremes. Captain Creams. What was it like the first time that you danced? Were you shy or were you already just so in tune with your body that you were like, here I am, bitches? I feel like, well, again, it was just a bikini bar and, you know, I was already like go-go dancing in the rave scene. So I don't know. I don't remember ever having a problem. And I think also growing up like,
in like dancing and ballet or used to like, you know, wearing not much and being, you know, checking out your body in the mirror. So I think, um, I don't remember ever. I remember, uh, there was one day I came into the club and they're like, we're going to be a topless club now. And I remember going like, Hmm,
And they said, now the rule is you're either a topless girl or not topless girl. You can't negotiate for money for your top to come off. You make the decision now that you're going to be a topless girl or you're going to be a non-topless girl. Like they gave girls that were working there a long time the choice. And I was like, I don't care. I'm taking my top off. It's fun to me. You know, it was like a...
just boobs, you know? I feel like money back then too was different. Like strip clubs were so different back then. Like when I first started dancing too, I started dancing in 2001. It was like,
I don't want to say this like in a derogatory way, but it was more selective and like it was more taboo and like, you know, not just anybody could dance and the clubs were filled with like gorgeous women. And it was just like, I don't know, it was a different time. It wasn't like how dancing is now. Yeah. I mean, imagine what it was like in the 90s. Yeah. It was amazing. Oh, I bet. And think too, like also please remember that like all of that,
you know, the iconic like Sunset Boulevard strip clubs in the 80s, Flashdance. That was real. Okay, there's a great documentary if you've never seen it, you have to watch it. It's called Stripper. And it's about this big competition where the strippers from all over like Canada and the US come to Las Vegas to compete for a $25,000 prize, which by the way, $25,000 in the 80s is a lot of money. Wow.
And it's a documentary and it's amazing. And you really go, oh, the body shop on Sunset was amazing. Like girls that were Playboy models doing like backflips naked on stage. Like really like they put on a show. Yeah. And Seventh Veil, right? Or what was it called? Yeah. I mean, I never, I don't know as much about the history of Seventh Veil, but the body shop was really famous and had like, you know, all the video vixen girls. So, yeah.
It definitely, you know, strip clubs evolved. I just feel like it's,
I didn't like when it evolved to where they were taking advantage of girls and you couldn't like I had health insurance in the 90s working as in a strip club and a paycheck they need to bring that back they will never bring it back bring it back we need strippers need insurance too yeah and that's crazy I never knew that yeah that's awesome though what a little tidbit of history um so moving forward from dancing when did it start turning into like more of like a burlesque show for you or was it always like that
- So like, I'd say like around '94, I was kind of like already known as being a pinup girl. And I was pretty famous like amongst like the fetish crowd like all over the world, like in London and Germany.
I was the most famous fetish model in the world in the early 90s. So and then I... Toot your own horn, baby. You deserve it. I know. It's just weird to say because it's like... No, but you built that. And so then I posed for Playboy for this book of lingerie. They had these newsstand specials and I became a newsstand special girl. And then I got... I was the only one that looked like me. And they're wearing corsets and like styling myself like a pinup girl. And...
And so I started headlining strip clubs all over the country. So I would travel to different clubs that would pay me like to be there for the week and be on their marquee or whatever. So it kind of started then. I think when I left the Captain Creams, which probably left there in like 94, I remember kind of like dipping out and in and just like not really liking the vibe anymore and headlining strip clubs. And so I had to make more of a show.
so it started really there yeah where did the name dita vontees come from that came from captain cream sitting on a bar stool one night when i got the call that i was going to be in playboy and they said and i was already going by dita like i don't know i i don't i think i'd seen like a movie with an actress called dita parla like a 20s movie and remember i had this like 20s haircut um
And anyway, I knew I got the like that I'd been accepted to shoot for Playboy. And they said, well, you need a last name. And I was like, why? Like Madonna, Adida, Cher. Like, why do I have to have a last name? And they're like, you just do. And so I had I always remember sitting there with my friend.
Cisco on the bar. Oh, not the Cisco, the red one. I puked it up so many times. I think it was purple. Oh, like grape or something. Anyway, it's gross. Yeah. Just but I loved it. Or it could have been a gold schlugger. I can't do gold schlugger. So I pulled out the phone book.
for those of you who don't know, there's a thing called the phone book. It was really big. And I'm sitting there drinking, going, let's, I'm going to look up Vons. People with like a Von in their name are very cool. And people already like where I worked, like I would pretend I didn't speak English a lot of times because I had this look and the corsets and the long black gloves and boots. And I just like to pretend I couldn't talk to anybody because I didn't want to talk to anyone. So I'd just be like, I just want to be beautiful.
So yeah, I just didn't want to do the hustle with like, I was never good at like hustling people. Work smarter, not harder. Yeah.
So I looked up Vons and I found this name, Von Treece. And I was like, I'm gonna be Dita Von Treece, sounds good. So I called up Playboy and told them what I was going to be. And they're like, yeah, fine. And then like a month later, I go to the, get the magazine, I open it up and it says Dita Von Teese. And I was like, that's not it. So I called them and like, I'm not thinking at all, like strip tease, tease, like I'm not thinking that at all.
didn't even register in my brain that it was a good idea. I called them again and said it was wrong and they're like, "We'll correct it." And then they just never did. And I was like, whatever. To me, I was never like, it was a moment in time, you know, I'm like 20 something years old.
I think, you know, I'm at the pinnacle of my career, by the way. You know, I think that that's it. You know, I'm on a truck stop in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin for the strip club I'm performing at. I'm in Playboy and I'm on the cover of Skin 2, you know, in Fetish magazine.
To me, that was like, that's it. You know, I'm going to get I'm going to be I'm going to be 30 in a few years and that's going to be a wrap on my career. So I better enjoy it. But I didn't you know, so there was no like planning a career. It was just like that was it. I think that's how it happens, too, is when you don't plan something, it just organically grows. It's almost like the universe grabs it and just rolls with it. Totally. I'm
Don't get me started on manifesting things. Because I really believe that. I really think like, you know, a lot of people will ask me like, what does it take to get where you are? And I'm like, well, first of all, stop thinking of where you want to go and start enjoying where you are. Because if you can appreciate the now and what's happening right now,
- Absolutely. - And when people ask me what my goal is right now, I'm like, I don't have a goal. I never had a goal. I just was quietly delighted at all the little milestones and enjoying that moment and working with integrity and gratitude and that's the key. I don't think if you're always looking for the next best thing or the thing that's gonna make you
I don't think it works like that. That's so real. And I think a lot of people, including myself, need to hear something like that because I'm always like on to the next goal. And sometimes I forget that this is a journey, not a destination. So that was very beautifully said. I heard you say that you love Insight Timer. I'm not sponsored by them at all, but I am a huge Insight Timer person. I love meditating. I love all that stuff. So when I heard you say that in a podcast, I was like, this is my girl.
I know. Do you have your favorite people? Like I have my, my insight timer crushes, like the people whose voices I'm like, I love the women I have. I'm still, I'm trying to get into the men, but I love the women that have accents like the Australian accents or like, you know, just something like fluid and just like so pretty and whimsical. Right. You know, I love that. It just helps me to meditate. What are your favorites? Um, my, my two favorites are,
I guess I have a few. One is this guy named David Gandelman. I totally have a crush on him. And he's like, tells stupid jokes. Do you know who I'm talking about over there? You do? I totally love him. I got her turned on. He has a thing called the Grounded Sleep Podcast. And I swear that puts me to sleep. Not because he's boring, but just because it's like having my friend on there, you know? And then there's this gal named Sarah Blondin, who I can just listen to all day. Like she's kind of more of like a poetess, you know? Yeah.
So I really like her. And then...
there's, there's a couple other people. Like there's this guy with a Scottish accent that sounds like he's got this really deep, like Scottish. Do you know what's that guy's name? Do you know who I'm talking about? Oh, he just literally gets me. She said he gets me. Yeah. Like he'll be like, okay, I can't imitate, but he's like, there's nowhere else to be right now. Like that, like deep low. And I was like, yeah, there's nowhere else to be. Yeah.
Do their voices match their faces when you see them? Sometimes I always go and like try to look at their profile picture because I'm like their voice is like so, you know, like you try to visualize what they look like and then they don't look like the person that you would visualize, you know? I think they do. It's also a really funny journey when you're looking for somebody new and you put it on and you're like, okay, okay. And then you listen to it and you're like, their voice comes on or this poor sound quality and you're like, oh no. No, I do that too. Like it's so like,
I'm pickier about looking for man, like, um, meditations than I am for looking for porn. Like literally, like I don't even know where to look for porn. I'm just like, what kind of porn are you into? I mean, I don't know. I mean, I, I like, I like to see what's going on in the world. I like to, I'm, I don't know.
I don't have anything particular. Is it like vintage porn or anything like that? Oh, I mean, you know, I was a huge Andrew Blake fan, of course. And if you're around in the 90s, like the highest, glossiest porn ever made. Yes. But that's not what I really go looking for. I was just like a fan that somebody was doing this like beautiful shot on film porn. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Just something that's pretty, like pretty porn. Yeah.
Yeah, but I like to see like great feats of sexual excellence. Like how is she doing that? Like she's an acrobat. What's really going on? Yeah. Being an adult has its high points. Like you can eat ice cream for dinner anytime or if you want to stay up all night, you can. But it's not always fun. You also have to do your taxes and figure out what's for dinner every freaking night.
I hate it. And make doctor's appointments. And for that one, there is ZocDoc, the healthcare app that makes adulting that much easier. ZocDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in-network doctors. Choose the right one for your needs and click to enter.
instantly book an appointment. That's amazing. We're talking about in-network appointments with more than 100,000 healthcare providers across every specialty at your fingertips. From mental health to dental health, eye care to skin care, and much more. Plus, ZocDoc appointments happen immediately.
fast typically within just 24 to 72 hours of booking you can even score same-day appointments you guys know I absolutely hate going to the doctor so if I can get a tele doctor I'm all for it I use them you should too you guys know I have anxiety so I absolutely love the comfort of being able to be in my own home and do it from an app it's absolutely seamless
So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to ZocDoc.com slash bunny, B-U-N-N-I-E, to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash bunny. ZocDoc.com slash bunny. Hey, Prime members. Have you heard? You can listen to your favorite podcast ad-free.
Good news! With Amazon Music, you have access to the largest catalog of ad-free top podcasts included with your Prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to amazon.com slash adfreepodcast. That's amazon.com slash adfreepodcast to catch up on the latest episodes.
without the ads. So let's, can we dive into a couple of your relationships? How did you meet Marilyn Manson? Gosh, when I think about it, it was in 2000. So I know like some people,
Like they always go, you were only married for a year. And I'm like, I know, but this is a seven year long relationship. So like, and even longer if you consider the fallout of like what it's like to be married and divorced to someone and how long you're connected to them after the fact. Especially in the public eye. Yeah. So, you know, it was a very like inspiring time. Like when we met, he was very, uh,
different person, I think, than what he was when I left. Yeah, it was like a very interesting evolution of a person to see.
What can I say? Yeah, yeah. It was like I... He went to rehab once when we were together with the like, I want to be a better man for you. And that was just like a little bit of like cocaine and booze, right? And then...
He came out of rehab way worse with all these pills. Like everyone was doing, everyone in Hollywood was doing all this Oxycontin and stuff, like snorting it. And I was just, he came out worse. And that was kind of like the turn was like first, like three years were great. And then four years were just like, Oh God. So when you met him, was he, he wasn't sober when you met him? No, but definitely like, um, was it more of like, very like more reeled in. Like I remember him being like, you know,
you know, like sleeping every night, you know, like sleeping every night. Right. That's the only way to put it to like not sleeping. Right. Gotcha. At all. You have said something about your guys' wedding day that I found interesting. He was sober on your wedding day or he wasn't?
I mean, who knows? I think so. He slept most of the wedding day. So how did that work for you? Did that hurt your feelings that he slept most of the day? Or were you just kind of happy that he was? Listen, I shouldn't have been getting married. And I think I knew it. But there was so much pressure at that time. Like, we'd been together for all of that time. And
you know, Vogue was covering the wedding, like US Vogue is there with a journalist. I felt like an immense amount of pressure. And I just felt like, okay, like I'm not calling this off, right? You know? - Yeah. And you guys had already been through six years. - We've been together for a long time. So it just like made sense and-- - To happen. - Yeah, yeah.
But it was like, yeah, it was even more pressure than ever. You know, like more being married was hard. I had read this. I'm not sure if I read or I heard you say that you are kind of privy to the idea of open relationships. Can you elaborate on that a little bit? I think like I've never been an open relationships type person, but I also feel like.
There's a point and I know some people don't like want to hear this but I feel like when you become like an adult and enough experience with relationships you need to kind of like grow up and think about what is a relationship about. Like it's not a fairy tale. I love that you said fairy tales don't exist in this life. Yeah. That really struck me like because I believe the same thing and I am I believe in
freedom in a relationship of you know everybody has their own terms of monogamy and I just think that sometimes monogamy can be a jail and I just think that some people deserve freedom not saying that go fuck everybody but you know open communication with your partner I think it's one of the like when I look at um like I I love all these like
young cool like therapists and like people like communicating in a different way than when I was growing up you know and um I think it's interesting people that have like open relationships or they have ways of you know understanding that like people are people and they make mistakes and it's like it's it's more complicated than just like oh that person like
cheated or whatever. It's like you have, if you get to the reasons, like why, if you didn't want it, if you are not trying to be in an open relationship, I don't know. I just think it's, people are complicated. And if you're in like a longterm relationship, like each situation is different. Yeah, totally. Like I, I feel like I've, I, I,
my all of my relationships from when I was I had like the perfect long-term boyfriend in high school like this great romance but like after that it got real like every long-term boyfriend I had or every boyfriend I had cheated on me and I was kind of like going well I don't understand what's happening you know like what can I do and what am I not doing and um yeah it's just kind of like
But you know, I don't know. I don't think like cheating is everything, but you grow up thinking that you're supposed to be faithful and you fall in love and that's what like falling in love is, is being faithful to each other.
There's so much more complicated than that. It's so much more than that. Yeah. I, when I heard you say that, I was like, yes, like I got what you were, you were saying. And I just really wanted to talk about that with you because it not too many people, especially of your stature really bring that to the forefront. And I talk about it all the time and people think I'm crazy. They're like, you know, the marriage is a sacred union and you're like, yeah, it can still be sacred. It just seems like a lot of pressure to put on yourself. Like,
the communication is what's most important. And a lot of people like fall in love and they never really, you fall in love and you never really talk about what the rules of your relationship are. And I think even people that are non-monogamous,
talk about what the rules are. And the problem though, is like people like to break the rules no matter what. So like, I know people who are like polyamorous and they're, they're still like, you'll still break the rule. If you, if somebody says your rule is like, you're not going to have sex with somebody else in our bed, guess what? The first thing they're going to do is, is like, it's just like people's nature to like, if you tell them not to do something, they'll do it. Totally. So yeah, I don't know. I think it's just more complicated than like,
loyalty and faithful there's different kinds of loyalty I don't know I we just went to the church of Dita no I'm just like rambling I'm not a relationship expert by any means but it's real many many times and continue to fail in relationships like you know I well you're not failing now though aren't you in like a long term relationship I am but you know I'm not great all the time you know like I know what my downfalls are I'm always like
We love a humble queen. I'm not easy. I know I'm not an easy woman to be with. I know that. What does it take to make Dita Von Teese happy in a relationship? Well, I'm a bit of a size queen. Yeah. I love that. Admittedly. I feel like I can say that here. Yeah, of course. No, I mean, joking aside. I guess I just... I love doing what I do. I love working. I love... You know, I always have so many projects. I think what I...
I love being independent. I don't like being like, I'm somebody's woman. I keep my relationships like now after like experiencing that, like, you know, I'm still talking about my ex-husband that I met in 2000. That's 24 years ago. I'm still talking about that. So I think like after that, I was very like, I don't want to date any more famous men. Yeah. Yeah.
Because I don't, I get very uncomfortable talking about my relationships, you know, like it's just, so I don't know. I just love my work. I love my job.
I love my friends. I love my like relationships, but I just, to me, it's all like spread across the board. Like when I was younger, it was like, I put so much importance on romance. Right. And I just am like, okay. Yeah. As you get older, you're just like, no, it's like, yeah, I always tell my husband, I'm like, we've been together almost a decade. I'm like, if, if this does not work out, which it will, um,
I could never just get into another relationship again, especially with a public person. And also just having to get to know somebody on that level again of intimacy and just being joined at the hip with somebody is just, it's a lot. It's a lot to have to try to work through again. Do you ever have a down day like where you wear sweats and a T-shirt? Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I mean, I'll go to my Pilates and live in my athleisure for the day. How do we never have a picture of you in like, out like, like active wear? Okay, well, there are there are Yeah, me like Google Images, D Devante's Pilates, I'm definitely coming out of Pilates studios, but I have my little tricks I do. It's like sunglasses, red lipstick. It's not hard. It takes like a few seconds to put on red lipstick. Yeah. Um,
I don't know. I just have my like codes, you know, I put on my, my, uh, what are they called? Lululemon pants. I put them on, you know, and I'll put a jacket over it, you know, or a fifties skirt over it. I kind of just, I don't really like, I'm pretty aware, like aware, but I liked, it's not even to do with somebody taking a picture of me or I think, oh, I don't want to run into that person and seeing me not looking put together. But I also just feel like I like, um,
What I think about confidence a lot and what are the things I can do to control my confidence levels? And one of those things is like feeling like I took a few minutes to put myself together. Yeah, I love that I used to always be dolled up I would you wouldn't catch me in sandals ever I used to always have heels on I hated being flat-footed and I think I
when I moved to Nashville is when I finally just kind of like took it all off and was just like, I just need a break from all this. And now I can't come back from it. I get dressed up for like concerts and like appearances and stuff like that. But like, yeah, I just, I love, there's nothing, no better feeling at night than ripping these eyelashes off and putting on sweats. So you're 51, your skin is flawless. What is your skincare routine?
sunscreen sunscreen just tons of sunscreen sleeping on your back okay if I wish I know no one wants to hear this but I'm sorry I wish somebody would have told me when I was young like how good it is for you to sleep on your back and I the last like
four years I taught myself to sleep on my back and it has worked miracles. Like if you think about it, when you look on, if you're a side sleeper, I know where my like one wrinkle came from. Cause if I go like this, where the pillow is like, Oh, there's that line. That's where that came from. It's from sleeping with your face on the pillow. So I taught myself everything.
Insight timer helped me with that. But on that meditation, I lay there like a zombie and just close my eyes, sleep with my palms up so it puts my shoulders back and I'm like, okay, everything's fine. So yeah. - How do you not move throughout the night though?
Sometimes I do but I catch myself. Yeah, I'm like a light sleeper I can totally catch myself when I'm in a like don't do that and I've actually gotten good if I feel like I have to sleep on my side I've gotten good at like putting the pillow kind of up here. So my face is still yeah not being squished by the pillow like listen, you know, it's not it's all fun and games until you're like you start realizing the collagen is really going and You're like, oh
oh, those marks on my face from my sunglasses, which I know are on my face now. I have them for my glasses. They'll stay all day. They'll stay all day. Have you had any work done at all? I've only had Botox. In fact, all of my Botox is currently worn off. It looks great. Because I like to let it wear off. Because the last time I got Botox, they were like,
what do you think you know because I was like so into somebody new and he was like what do you think we put some on your chin because you know your chin's wrinkling up a little bit and my first thought was like I gotta worry about my chin now but I let him do it and then one day I was like sitting there and my boyfriend's like your smile is different I'm like what are you talking about he's like your smile is different and I was like
are you serious and i started noticing i was like it really is so then i was like i'm letting all of the botox go away before i mean you need to hit the reset button because i'm all for it it's like you know like but you do have to be careful with the botox freeze like your bottom lip yeah kind of and i felt like it like i don't know it made my smile different you just felt that it was off yeah and i was like that's not okay oh my goodness yeah
Do you waist train still or no? No, I never did. The thing is I always liked the aesthetics of corsets and I've always used them in my show even when I was working in the strip clubs. I was the girl with the corset on and people used to pool their money together to see what I looked like underneath it, which I love. It was my favorite game. I was like, no, not enough yet. I'd come back around and be like, all right.
And I take it off because I thought it was there was rumors I had like a birthmark or something or something I was hiding. And I'm like, no, I just love the look of it. So I never like deliberately waist trained. I would say the closest I ever came to that was like.
A few times when I walked for Jean Paul Gaultier under the Mr. Pearl making the corsetry, I remember he would write me a note and be like, at this hour you can eat half of an apple.
In this hour, you can eat the other half. Like, he was very strict. And that's the only time I've ever been like, okay, I'm going to, like, pay attention to what he's saying just because we have this, like, runway moment. And, yeah, like, you can't, like, haul off and eat a cheeseburger before you're about to, like, wear the ultimate corset, you know? Yeah.
But he's a very strict person. Jean-Paul Gaultier didn't care what I ate or what I... He was... But Mr. Pearl is a very particular person, the greatest corset maker of...
Absolutely.
This podcast is brought to you by eHarmony. The
the dating app to find someone you can be yourself with. Why doesn't eHarmony allow copy and paste in first messages? Because you are unique, and your conversations should reflect that. eHarmony wants you to find someone who will get you. How are you going to know who gets you if people send you the same generic conversation starters they message everyone else? Conversations that actually help you get to know each other. Imagine that. Get who gets you on eHarmony.
Sign up today. When you look back on all the things that you've accomplished and that you've done in this life, what is your proudest moment? I think I'm pretty, I get excited about how big burlesque has come. Like how it's like an industry now. And like even in this town, like burlesque is like, and I see the things that are exactly like
derived from um like what the things that I did a long time ago and it's kind of cool because I just think like oh it's so great that there's this space which is you know oftentimes celebratory of bodies and like I was saying before it's it is a place of like
and diversity and beauty. And I think it's important. Like, I think it's important for people to come to my show and see me or people of different ages and different sizes and skin colors, like being beautiful and not just like the show girl mystique of like you had to be five foot 10 to be a show girl and weigh like, you know, a certain amount. I think I'm proud that this has become a thing and I can even see that
even in Vegas, because it's becoming the thing. And I'm going, oh, people are now taking a look at how they're casting and that's meaningful. I love that. Do you feel like you don't get your flowers as much as you should? Like people give their nod to you? I don't know. I mean, I kind of think about some of the people around me that, like my friend Catherine Delish, who she and I created all these things together, like our...
you know, she did things for me in costuming that had never been done in burlesque before that is now taken for like the, you know, people don't even know that it, it was invented by her, like the first made for her, you know, by her for me. And so I mostly, mostly think of her like in her genius and her getting her recognition. Um,
I can roll my eyes all the time at things that I'm like, oh, you know. It's like, you know, people, burlesque dancers in the 1930s and 40s didn't wear corsets to strip out of. That comes from me working for a corset company in the 90s and being like, I'm gonna wear a corset and do a striptease. But you're not gonna find a famous burlesque star from the 30s anywhere doing a striptease on stage. So there's things like that that I'm like, oh yeah, yeah.
I did that. I made it like a thing, a thing that it is. So, but you know, but mostly I'm just like, I'm glad I get to do this still. And that, you know, that people want to come see me still. Cause like if I, if burlesque weren't so popular and so big, like,
I wouldn't be doing this big Vegas show. Yeah. Which, how long is this Vegas show running for? We have dates until June 15th. Okay. It's a big show. It's very, it's definitely the biggest project I've ever done. It's definitely the biggest burlesque show that's ever been made in the history of ever. Yes. Okay.
The only thing that I could say is bigger was as far as burlesque shows, well, there wouldn't be anything. It would be like if you said Ziegfeld Follies was, but that would be kind of like a showgirl review. But as far as striptease and burlesque, it's definitely the biggest one. - What can people expect when they come see your show? What is your show all about? Are you allowed to talk about it? - Yeah, yeah. Well, it's in the historic Jubilee Theater, which again, it's this incredible room.
that like the Rat Pack played in. It's amazing. It's like a time capsule. And these incredible costumes combined with my shows, like all of my things, like I don't just have my one martini glass on stage. I've got five of them. There's things that come up out of the ceilings, out of the floor. It's extravagance. It's opulence and striptease. And there's, again, like just as many hot guys in the show as there are women. So...
It's like an hour and 20 minutes long. What else can I say about it?
The costumes, yeah. The costumes, okay. So Jubilee's costumes were incredible. The costume budget in the late 70s when they made these things with Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee, the costume budget was like $4 million. So if you think about how much that would be now, nobody would ever spend $4 million on... That's like $12 million today. That's crazy. Can you imagine? There's 3,200 tons of feathers that were brought over from Paris for this show. So it's really like...
You can only see things like this in museums now. This is the very last showgirl review. The only other showgirl review in the whole world would be Moulin Rouge in Paris. But there's no other showgirl review in Vegas. And even the shows that are kind of like showgirl-ish...
none of them is using the authentic costumes. And that's what we have in this show. And the only other place you could see these costumes is like on display at the UNLV Museum, I believe.
And I would venture to say this is going to be the last time you'll see them on stage and they're really something. It's really... So you guys have to get out to see the show. Yeah, it's really special. I'm very proud of this show. How hands-on were you with the show? Like as far as like set designing, of course the costumes and then like just even...
like the entire show. Yeah. I'm a bit of a micromanager. Um, cause I've always been hard to believe. Do it yourself. Um, but yeah, I mean, I curated all the costumes and decided what was going to go in the show and with each dancer picked what their look was. Um,
We chose props that we refurbished for the show. Like you'll see some original Jubilee props that have gotten a makeover because they were going to the trash, so I saved them. But yeah, I worked with a team. I worked with a great choreography team and director, and they basically looked at my life's work and we put it as much as we could into one show. - Yeah. I keep hearing you refer to a documentary. What is this about?
- We started filming a documentary in 2019. So it's like really like long game, which is great 'cause we got like my big tours before the pandemic, then we got to film the pandemic and then when things finally opened after the pandemic, which was very exciting, I was one of the first shows to like go up in big theaters. It was very exciting and then, you know,
Vegas is the cherry on the cake. I have another show that I'm working on though in London that opens up in October as well. - Amazing, so you'll finish here and then you'll go to London and do a run out there? - I think so. I'm not sure what, how, I'm still working on if I'm gonna add any dates or, I'm not sure yet. I'm still trying to make all those decisions, trying to figure out how I can be everywhere all at once. - When do you think the documentary will drop?
I still have more that I want to film. I didn't get to film here in Vegas yet. And so that's like my last hurdle. I'm in like a very like the most like, like the oldest, hardest union room in the city. So it's really hard to like film things like that. So I'm trying to wrestle up that last money to like film it here. But we have a great director and from New York and
I'll get there. Slow and steady wins the race. I love that. And then what can we expect from you for the rest of 2024? Like, do you have other projects besides Vegas and London that you're going to be doing that we can look forward to? Well, besides Vegas, I have my London show that I'm working on with a gal named Tosca. It's a really cool concept show for the West End in London. So I'm excited about that.
I have a lingerie line. I'm still working on that. Gosh, just like I always later go, oh, yeah, you have this project. I always forget. I always forget those are like the most important things. Show business is always the top of my list. I kind of want to do my annual New Year's Eve gala that I do in Los Angeles. You know, I kind of want to do that again. I skipped last year.
So what do you do for fun besides work? Cause you sound like me. Like everybody asks me all the time. They're like, what do you do for fun? And I'm like, I work. Yeah. That's what I do. Um, well I've been, you know, I go home between the shows like, uh, like for two days and I, I cook, I hang out with my animals. I organize my stuff. I wear no makeup. Are you a good cook? Yeah. Yay. What's your favorite dish to make? Um,
I make this like vegetarian pot pie everyone talks about. I love that. Are you a vegan? Vegetarian? No, I'm kind of like flexitarian, especially being in Vegas. It's kind of hard. Yeah, for sure. It's definitely hard. They have such good food out here. Why have you never came to Nashville? Oh, hold on. I have to take, I have to get my throat ready for this one.
So I've done several world tours and several U.S. tours. And every time I plan a tour, which I'm already like plotting, planning for this conversation, I try to go to Nashville and Memphis, but actually like just Tennessee in general. Like I know I have a big fan base there. And I
I get told no because of the blue laws there. I think they're called blue laws. When there's alcohol, there's a lot of policing over women's bodies, which I understand. But like I have performed in China, okay? Right. I've performed in places where it's like really, you know, very conservative. So...
I know how to like, you know, I can wear tights, I can wear like a 50s brief and, you know, a full bra and not take it off. Like I've been performing at like private events for brands all over the world and like Kazakhstan, okay, like crazy places where it's like very conservative. So anyway, I get on the phone. This is not my last tour, but even the tour before that. And we're like talking about bringing the show to Nashville. Yeah.
And I get on the phone with like the only big theater that's suitable and
And we get on the phone and have like this conference call about how we can do it. And I say, okay, just tell me what the rules are. Like what do we have to wear? Because there is a burlesque scene there, you know? And they said, well, okay, you know, obviously you have to cover up. You can only have like an inch of cleavage. And I'm like, okay, you can't show any side boob. And I'm like, okay. So got it, got it. Okay, you can't show your butt at all. And I was like, okay, can you wear like,
like a couple pairs of tights and like a 50s, like a full brief, like a bathing suit. And they're like, no, you can't show like where your butt cheek and your thigh meets like that line. You cannot show that ever. So they said, well, you have to wear kind of like a bike shorts to cover up that line where you're, you know,
butt meets your thighs, right? And I'm like, okay. And then so I'm going through all of this, taking notes. And then I say, okay, we have just as many guys in the show as girls. So what about the guys? Oh, there's no rules for them. There's nothing on the books. They can't show their penis, you know, but like everything else is okay. I was like, you mean they can even wear a G-string? They're like, yeah.
This is real life. What? I wish I'd been recording the conversation. Nashville, we have to get it together because we need the queen to grace our city. This is crazy. Fast forward to then, my last tour, I was like, let's ask again. And they actually told me to stand down and don't ask again. And meanwhile, don't forget that like,
Now they have their own set of problems and they started looking to them too. But at that time, I had lent my martini glass to Violet Chachki to do like, you know, tribute to me. And like that was okay. 'Cause it's like, it's not a woman's body. - But how do they have a strip club that serves alcohol? - Yeah, the rules are all about the alcohol. You can be totally naked and you can be 18 year old and you can spread your legs wide for your audience.
with no alcohol. But as soon as there's alcohol, that's where everything gets. Don't we have strip clubs that have? Oh, it's BYOB. What is this fucking? And then the thing is, you know, none of these big theaters that can actually house my show want to house a show because if they can't serve booze, because I said, well, what if we do a dry show? Yeah. And they're like, they don't won't make money. So they don't want to do it.
- That is insane to me. We have got to figure out a loophole to get you into Nashville because I feel like it would be a moneymaker for them. - I know, I really wanna do it. I wanted to wear the bike shorts 'cause I thought for my documentary, wouldn't it be great? Me like making the rhinestone bike shorts and like I got my bike shorts on so no one gets hurt.
That's hilarious. Yeah, it's just funny. And since then, I remember at the time being really upset because I thought like, why can Drag Race, Work the World go to that theater and I can't? But then now they have been forbidden as well, I think, since. Yeah, hopefully this podcast dropping will kind of bring some attention to that. I don't think so. Man, that's crazy. I don't think so. Nashville, we got to get together, baby. Because it's not like the people are, you know, the fans will come. It's just...
the rules. I mean, maybe I should just make the bike shorts outfit and be like, this is what I'm prepared to wear. Yeah. Don't give up. If they told you to stand down, keep going. The first time I said, no, I'm not wearing a rhinestone bike shorts. Um,
And then after that, I was like, oh, actually, I want to try this because it's funny. Now it's like a challenge. You're like challenge accepted. Yeah. Dita, thank you so much for coming on the pod, baby. It's been such a great hour sitting here with you. Yeah, thanks for asking me about my...
what I think is a boring life thanks for taking an interest I think your life is amazing and I think it's a great you bring class back you know and just everything about you the way you present yourself you're so eloquent and I feel like that's what the world is missing and that's what we need more of and I'm glad that women have somebody like you that they can look up to and you know to be doing what you're doing at your age still is
amazing and that gives me hope and like I don't want to quit you know you don't want to quit so let's just keep being trailblazers we don't have to
- No, thanks for a great interview. I'll say the same for you. It's great that you're, I've been interviewed by a lot of journalists that didn't study up or didn't ask interesting questions like you did, so. - I appreciate you so much. Do you wanna shout out where people can find you, where they can see your show, your socials? - Yeah, my socials are the best place. It's just @deedavantese, but remember the T's is spelled T-E-E-S-E. Thank you Playboy for the,
The iconic moniker. Thank you. Yeah, but I'm at the Horseshoe, which is on the Strip. It used to be Bally's and it's a big, beautiful theater and we have dates on and off. I have shows through the weekend, but this is probably not playing on right now. Yeah.
Yeah, the shows are kind of just like it's a residency. So there's pick and choose our weeks. Absolutely. I can't wait. We're going to go. We're going to pick a date to come and see you before June for sure. Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate you. And thank you guys for tuning in to another episode of Dumb Blonde. I will see you guys next week. Bye.
