"Up Close and Intimate": Catharsis, the Dark Side of Sexuality, and The Dresden Dolls

Abstract

The Dresden Dolls are a punk-cabaret band that use their music to delve into diverse and taboo subject matter including sexual assault, abortion, and trauma. Despite the morose and grotesque imagery invoked by their lyrics, this paper advocates for the therapeutic effects of catharsis as encouraged by The Dresden Dolls. This essay provides an overview of the applications of catharsis in the arts and psychotherapy, explores how the musical elements and performance contexts of punk-cabaret elicit catharsis, and develops a contemporary theory of catharsis as it pertains to the music of The Dresden Dolls. In considering manifestations of trauma and healing in the songs “Missed Me,” “Mandy Goes to Med School,” and “Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner,” this paper illustrates how, despite the potential challenges of confronting trauma through music, the approach of The Dresden Dolls is ultimately effective in cultivating catharsis and encouraging healing for their listeners.