"Putting the ‘cis’ into ‘sissy’": Humour, Sexuality and Contemporary Cabaret

Abstract

This paper discusses the ways in which two cabaret performers - Dusty Limits and Meow Meow - use humour to communicate ideas about sexuality, or as a means of challenging commonly-held attitudes. By combining humour and social commentary and forming a bridge between older styles of performance like vaudeville or Weimar-era cabaret and contemporary popular culture, Dusty and Meow encourage audiences to not only think critically, but to laugh at themselves and to recognise the ridiculousness in situations around sex and sexuality.