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Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
Founded by dance choreographer Robin Antin in 1995, the Pussycat Dolls were doing burlesque around the clubs of Los Angeles long before it was made po
"I think gay men appreciate us more because weââ¬â¢re about fashion and glamour and exuding sexuality about woman. Itââ¬â¢s about self expression so that makes it fabulous."
What makes the Pussycat Dolls different from other girl groups?
Nicole: I think that’s what makes us different is the fact that this pop group has a history and isn’t fabricated group. With us there’s someone for each person to relate to within the group as far as ethnicity, type and what we’re serving, our style, our flavour and then the music is good so how can you hate on me? We’re encouraging woman to be full out and be hot and feel sexy and get glammed, get dolled up you know, Doll domination!
Jessica: With a group like the Spice Girls, they were a girl band that had worldwide success and made lots of money. It was a time and a place and that was hot and they were covering the whole spectrum.
Were you aware that ‘Don’t Cha’ is a huge transsexual anthem?
Nicole: Absolutely. When we did gay pride for the first time in New York on the pier it was insane! We sang ‘Don’t cha wish your boyfriend was hot like me’ that went over real well! Everyone was chanting, it was so hot!
Jessica: I got interviewed by a transsexual in Miami that dressed up as you [Nicole] I was like, ‘Who are you dressed up as?’ and he said ‘Nicole’ (laughs). He was like ‘I’m the hottest’ and I was like, ‘Well you should have dressed up as me!’
Do straight men love Pussycat Dolls as much as gay men?
Nicole: I think they do but probably more for the visual factor. If they do buy the CD it’ll be like they’re buying it for their girlfriends. I think gay men appreciate us more because we’re about fashion and glamour and exuding sexuality about woman. It’s about self expression so that makes it fabulous.
Jessica: And it’s also risqué, it’s sexy and hot and that’s what we’re trying to attract.
So how risqué would you go?
Nicole: There’s a fine line between classy and raunchy. There’s definitely a fine line and we’re all respectable woman and we have to uphold that. The early stuff was only risqué in the sense that people would call the costumes risqué because it was burlesque inspired with the bras and garters and corsets but that’s stylised, its from an era, you know the burlesque was from an era where we were doing Bob Fossie choreography and so if you take it back to the movies cabaret it takes it back to an era.
Jessica: And the truth is we had so many layers of clothes on. I feel like I was more dressed then what I have now. I mean you would have full on like five Posen’s on and like each number you would like take a piece. But it was so much fun to do
Nicole: Dita Von Teese did our show and part of her act is true burlesque, because burlesque used to be nudity and she goes down to pasties and things like that and she does like the numbers that she does come down from reigning burlesque queens so she’s like keeping the legend alive. As far as our burlesque thing goes we were never nude and we were always fully clothed.
Does being a Pussycat Doll mean it’s easy to get dates?
Jessica: Sometimes it is not a pro being a celebrity or a Pussycat Doll. It’s a little intimidating to men sometimes. I’ve found that straight women don’t get the good man, only the gay man! My ex-boyfriend has just got married - and I thought he was gay! The good things are that we get to perform around the world and we have amazing fans and an amazing gay following which makes it even more fun.
So what do the Pussycat Dolls do on a night off?
Melody: We’ll go out and get a table and dance with each other and stay up really late. We’re party animals, but at the moment it’s all like no work and no play, which is boo!
Nicole: Dance on the table, and dance on the couches. It’s all fun. It’s like a balance of everything, and right now we’re on this fast-paced train so you gotta make sure you balance and save some because my voice is the first thing to go when we party and the next day I can’t speak.
How do woman react to you - do you think they’re intimidated by you?
Jessica: Women have been really supportive, and woman can be hard some time because they can be catty and judgemental sometimes, but I mean a big part of our audiences are women and gay men.
Nicole: I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad encounter with woman. No bitch slaps (laughs), they can make you feel amazing and really make you feel like your getting your message across. I suppose they can be one of two things they can either embrace you or feel that you are emancipated woman or they can be catty and really jealous. And they’ve gone for the former. If people are hating on that then too bad, but our message is about female empowerment and we fully express that.
The new album by the Pussycat Dolls, Doll Domination is out now.
