Funeral stripper
Funeral strippers are exotic dancers, usually young women, who sing and dance and remove clothes at a funeral or in a procession to a funeral as a way to celebrate the life of the deceased and to attract mourners.[1][2]
Background
As a rite of passage, funerals around the world often have singing and dancing to mark the occasion, although the practice of stripping naked is rare. In Taiwan, one custom has been to hire professional entertainers to perform at funerals, such as a professional mourner, to assist a family with setting a proper mood, particularly when relatives were distant or had trouble attending the funeral. The practice of hiring funeral strippers may have grown out of this practice. According to BBC News, hiring professionals to assist with funerals is undergoing change.[3]
Description
The purpose of the strippers is not only to attract crowds but to "appease wandering spirits" as well as give the deceased "one last hurrah". What happens in a performance can vary considerably, and may include climbing poles, sound systems, professional musicians, electric "flower carts", neon-lit stages, fireworks. and gas-driven fire flames. One report found that in rural parts of China, there were a dozen "funeral performance troupes" which put on shows regularly, sometimes twenty in a month, and were paid roughly 2,000 yuan (about $322) for each performance.[4]
Sometimes dancers remove bras or panties in front of young children, which can cause consternation.[2] In some Asian cultures, particularly in Taiwan, the impetus for exotic dancing is that the family members want to have a well-attended funeral "to ensure that the deceased travels well into the afterlife"; in addition, like having a well-attended wedding, having many people at a funeral is a mark of prestige, and bringing entertainment to a funeral is one way to accomplish this.[2]
The practice is controversial in places such as China, where authorities have taken steps to discourage mourners from hiring erotic entertainment.[2] Videos of exotic dancing at funerals have been distributed to media-sharing sites such as YouTube, causing some embarrassment to officials when the videos are seen around the world.[2] The practice often occurs in rural areas; in some cases, authorities have meted out punishments to try to deter the activity.[1]
References
- ^ a b April 24, 2015, BBC News, China: Funeral strippers in authorities' sights: The Chinese authorities say they will push to end the rural practice of having strippers perform at funerals, Retrieved April 24, 2015, "In both cases, both organisers and performers have been punished, it said, adding that it will work with police to stamp out the practice"
- ^ a b c d e Sam Thielman, 23 April 2015, The Guardian, Party's over: China authorities crack down on funeral stripping: Ministry of culture said it will work with police to prevent people from hiring erotic entertainment meant to celebrate the deceased and attract mourners, Retrieved April 24, 2015, "In China, the bereaved often put on elaborate entertainment to send the departed off in style and draw more mourners to the ceremony"
- ^ Allie Jaynes, BBC World Service, Taipei, 26 February 2013, BBC News, Taiwan's most famous professional mourner, Retrieved April 24, 2015, "Traditional Taiwanese funerals are elaborate, combining sombre mourning with louder, up-tempo entertainment to fire up grieving spirits"
- ^ April 23, 2015, Wall Street Journal, China Says Please Stop Hiring Funeral Strippers, Retrieved April 24, 2015, "In China, friends and family of the deceased may have to do without a special form of funereal entertainment: strippers ... a dozen funeral performance troupes offering such services in every village in the county, putting on as many as 20 shows a month at a rate of 2,000 yuan ($322)"