THE GREAT AMERICAN BELLYDANCE
By
A ""spoof of feminism""? So we're told. And indeed, with appearances by body painter Chin Lo-slung, politician Stella Babzug, and novelist Morman Failer, we're definitely, leadenly, in spoofland. But no matter how trendy and cartoon-y the action, one gets the queasy feeling that author Gioseffi--a bellydancer herself--isn't quite kidding as she takes just-divorced Dorissa Femfunelli, ""violated by the fickle Dick of fate,"" into belly-dancing classes (""It's about time I started having some fun with my body!""), into a hot lesbian affair with Delila (""expert muffdiver, an artist of cunnilingus, a master of nipples, a princess of the pubes. . .""), and up and onward to semi-stardom performing for NOW events and delighting Miami Beach's senior citizens with her ""ecstatic birth mime."" Along the way, there are orgies in Woodstock, a transvestite manager with lesbian tendencies (""I'd love to worship at the shrine of your Earth Mother's pubis""), bursting douche bags, and risible consciousness (""Now I wouldn't give up my magical clitoris for anything! Not even a glorious penis!""). And, just to make sure that nobody feels free to laugh at earthily liberated Doris, Gioseffi appends ""Two Psalms"" (""Read them as you roll your belly""), one of which is reprinted by permission of Ms. magazine. With any satirical possibilities thus utterly undermined, what remains is a gamey series of pop-comic-book gross-outs--one cut away from (not necessarily above) paperback porn.