Barbie Girls Cabaret: An Introduction

Abstract

A lesbian cabaret would be an extraordinary phenomenon anywhere; it is all the more so in Poland, where public expressions of the LGBT movement - let alone lesbian culture - are rare. Most male and female artists who might be included in the category of LGBT culture claim to be independent and avoid identifying with the movement. By contrast, Barbie Girls Cabaret overtly defines itself as lesbian. The group mainly jokes about lesbian lives, but it also performs skits on other queer folk. Established in 2005, the group initially appeared very seldom, but it has lately been performing more regularly at gay and lesbian clubs and LGBT culture festivals. Within the past year, it has also been spotlighted in the mainstream press and television. Poles love the cabaret - it is one of the most popular stage genres in our country. In addition to performing at a number of cabaret festivals and meets, groups tour the country with new programs. Significantly, the cabaret in Poland is male-dominated, with men frequently playing women's roles; women are a minority on the cabaret stage. Meanwhile, Barbie Girls is an all-women's group, though as yet an amateur one, and it is the women who play male roles. Allegedly, feminists have a poor sense of humor, and lesbians have none at all. Barbie Girls belies this stereotype. One of its numbers is a series of sketches titled "From the Diary of Maria Konopnicka".