A literary, dramatic, or musical form that achieves comic effect through exaggerated imitation of serious works or styles. In performance, it often involves theatrical parody, striptease, and vaudeville elements.
From Italian 'burlesco,' derived from 'burla' meaning 'joke' or 'mockery.' Originally a literary term for comic imitation in 17th-century poetry, it evolved through theatrical parody to become associated with variety entertainment and striptease in 19th-century America.
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