Burlesque dancers are strippers, pure and simple. Let's stop pretending otherwise

Ah, burlesque. Perusing the shows at Edinburgh Fringe over the last few days, I've been struck by its abundance and popularity. It seems that burlesque grows in popularity year on year; sometimes it's as though the whole city is waving its nipple tassels at you. And burlesque as a concept, along with its promises of female-run spaces where sexuality and eroticism are celebrated, must surely be a positive thing. It requires skill, timing and imagination, after all. It’s a place where, importantly, women can take their clothes off without being judged. And it's totally different from being “just” a stripper, right? Right?