Stripping Gypsy: The Life of Gypsy Rose Lee

Noralee Frankel

May 2009 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Whenever stripper Gypsy Rose Lee encountered public criticism, she spoke frankly in her own defense. "Thousands have seen me at my--ah--best; and thousands have made no objections." Noralee Frankel's lively biography, Stripping Gypsy, the first ever published about the highly mythologized Gypsy, examines the struggles Lee faced in making a lucrative and unconventional career for herself while maintaining a sense of dignity and social value. Frankel shows that the famous Miss Lee was an enigma, clearly struggling with her choices and her desire to be respected and legitimized. Those who know Gypsy Rose Lee only from the musical and film based on her rise to stardom will be surprised by what they uncover in Stripping Gypsy. In all ways, Lee trafficked in the incongruous: she was at once sex object, intellectual, and activist. In addition to her highly successful strip-tease act and film career, she published two mystery novels and a memoir, wrote two plays, and showed her original artwork in famed Modern Art-impresario Peggy Guggenheim's gallery. Lee also gained notoriety for her participation in liberal politics. As photographer Arnold Newman said, "She was a lady, a brilliant, bright woman who was the friend of many writers and intellectuals." Though she wasn't above using her femininity to full advantage, Lee aspired to much more than admiration for her physical beauty. Frankel places Lee's life in social and political context while detailing a fascinating entertainment career, in which Lee created and recreated her own identity to fit changing times. Frankel's biography transcends the sensationalism of stripping and asks the public to see the woman beneath the costume, a woman who always kept a little of herself shrouded in mystery.

Ratings and reviews

Move over Madonna! I no longer think you are the most self-created woman in show business. Not only did Gypsy create herself from scratch (less than scratch, really), she did so in an era that was totally unforgiving to women at many levels. And Mom!? Whatever you THOUGHT you knew about Gypsy's "stage mother," hold onto your hat. I don't want to give too much away, but can you say, "psychopath?!" Frankel's extensive research strips this fascinating woman down barer than her own act ever did, but leaves her dignity and accomplishments intact. The list of "did you know's" (Did you know Gypsy was a published author? Did you know Gypsy was a union champion?) goes on and on! I came away from this book MORE impressed by Gypsy's perseverance against all odds (if not her mothering skills), quirky sense of humor, and quick intelligence. Frankel goes beyond the facts of Gypsy's life to present her in the context of her times. Don't worry that this is "History 101," but you will walk away with greater insight into the dynamics of our country from Prohibition to the Cold War. Gypsy's liberal leanings (pro-union, anti-Fascist) make her life a great lens to view the growth of Hollywood, popular culture and political witch-hunts. Gypsy never seemed to lose her sense of humor, and Frankel's prose suits her subject! A worthy read....

About the author

Noralee Frankel is the Assistant Director, Women, Minorities, and Teaching at the American Historical Association. Her books include Freedom's Women: Black Women and Families in Civil War Era Mississippi and Break Those Chains at Last: African Americans, 1860-1880 (OUP, 1996). She lives in the Washington, D.C, area.