#copa girls

[s0r3wach1gauy0]

The Goddamn Copacabana Essay

Ok so does anyone remember when Copacabana randomly got popular this year? Well for me that's when this mess started. I saw on instagram this one edit. It's not important, but it's how I became curious bc Barry can sing man, and tell a good story. Also it showed up really high on my wrapped so I think now is a funny time to talk about it.

Song History

So while people were treating it like a meme, I decided to study this song. Obviously, it released in 1977 and it was at a good time with disco music, etc. etc. What the average zoomer like me might not know is that there was a made for TV movie released in 1985.

This is cool and a good thing for a few reasons. Firstly, Barry Manilow, y'know, the guy who made this song, plays the protagonist, the Tony if you will. There are numerous versions of Copacabana, there's an 80's mix that I especially like that shows up in the movie. The plot is like, that song but extended, like it shows how Tony and Lola meet and fall in love, how Rico gets tangled in there, etc. I will say as the only spoiler, they do cut away from the uh shooting which kinda sucks bc I was really curious if Barry would answer that question. The only issue is that this movie is close to lost media, like I watched it once on a very sketchy website that probably got my data or something. It sucks because I genuinely liked it and I missed my chance in August to personally ask Mr. Manilow to get it on streaming for everyone. I got this gif as a consolation prize tho of Lola.

It also got turned into a musical in 1992 that follows the story of the TV movie, which I still want to find a bootleg of because that sounds like a good watch. Yes I listened to Manilow sing it now, and I'm not adding it to my Every Single Version of Copacabana playlist for peace and mankind reasons. So yeah aside from tikton picking it up, I think I covered everything---

Location History

Oh you thought Copacabana was fake? A place dreamed up by a disco artist in the '70's? Absolutely not. While the whole murder thing from what I could glean is not based on a real event, there was a real Copacabana, and for a time showgirls did perform there.

It's been closed and reopened several times, but it first opened on November 10th, 1940. When it first opened, it was run by Monte Proser, but it was also in partnership with Frank Costello, a mob boss. Monte Proser was well connected though, as he was a press agent for the likes of Walt Disney, and a bunch of people I personally don't recognize. Anyways, Frank put one of his guys to be there to protect mob interests, Jules Podell. Jules had a police record though, and the club got investigated for racketeering and tax evasion in 1944. By 1948 though, the pressure went down, and it was basically mob controlled with Jules being the sole owner.

I did have a couple things I wanted to shoehorn in, so lemme talk about them quickly. First off, the vibes were kinda wack because it's y'know Brazilian decor and Latin American music, costume, and dance, so someone might guess Tex-Mex because white people run the place. Nope, Chinese food. Secondly, the place was racially segregated until the '50's. I'm not surprised by given it's pre-segregation, but I am a little disappointed. However, many black performers did really well there, like Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr., Sam Cooke, and The Supremes debuted there.

Like I said, it moved a few times and closed and reopened a few more times than that. You can visit the club now, and it seems like the original salsa theme is still going. But that's less fun. I've been saving the best for last.

Showgirl History

I should start by being honest in that, this part isn't finished yet. Well, not in the way I consider finished. I want to interview show girls from the 50's specifically so I can truly hear thier experiences from the club at the time. Or if you're a descendant of one and you remember her talking about that time in her life, that also is good. If you have any contact info you are okay with sharing, please message me.

From what I can glean, all girls were hand selected by Jack Entratter, the show producer for the Copacabana and basically the guy who invented the Vegas showgirl later on. He also knew Frank Sinatra from this time period, which is a fun sidenote. The girls he chose also had, and I will say, I do think this is a little creepy, a formula. The formula is simple, "5’4” in height; 116 lbs. Bust 32-34, waist 24, hips 34. Face: small features, the American girl look, oval rather than round face." He didn't care if the girl could dance at all, simply if she was beautiful similar to Ziegfield's French shows of the '20's. The Copa Show didn't necessarily have hard steps, as the focus was on the beauty of the showgirl and her costume.

The costumes of course, were often very elaborate and told the story. I have heard good things, the pay was good, and from what little online prescence the NYC Copa Girls have, it seems happy, if a little nerve wracked. The pictures I've found are very pretty, so I bet it was fun.

I'm honestly not sure how to end this except to say this was a journey, and I hope if you take anything away it's that real people worked and laughed there, and sometimes art imitates life, not perfectly, but it does imitate it. Oh and if this ever leaves Tumblr and reaches Barry, I'm begging you to put the made for TV movie on streaming or something I beg of you.

[microfeelings]

I don't like the vibes in the cancha tonight

[justonecindy]

Him and I

[heyoshw]

icons brasil para as olimpíadas! Paris 2024

[shakaprio]

watching the argentina game for the plot

(julian alvarez)

[kaiserin-erzsebet]

What I say: My schedule is just so full right now.

What I mean: The Euros and the Copa America are happening at the same time.

[bellcza]

trauma at san mamés last week (men’s team) to therapy at san mamés this week (femení wins)

[vampyroracle]

QUE ES ESTO???? I'm crying I don't wanna be perceived by usamericans anymore, don't know how México does it but please go back to pretending we don't exist 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Imagine calling a country jobless because they were celebrating and not searching for a job at 3am

also is the second tweet abt what happened with doja in Paraguay?? a different country? or did something else happened??

putting this next to the French world cup article.

[respectthepetty]

My Mean Girl has advanced

France has been eliminated

Now get that crown!

[doux-amer]

I can't believe the girls are back. I always dreamed of them reuniting because the way they broke up was so unfair to them and out of their hands. None of them wanted it to happen and now look at them get their flowers! Everyone screaming their heads off, singing the lyrics to every song, going wild like it's a festival, not a concert. Celebs of all sorts showing up, music acts from different generations giving their messages of love and gratitude, etc. People of all genders in the audience (what girl group gets so many guys yelling/screaming girl anthem songs like this especially in Korea? You know 2NE1 and BB were the special groups where they had more of a gender balance amongst their base than any other group)??!?!?! The girls belting out everything live and just. HIT AFTER HIT AFTER HIT AFTER HIT. Their discography is amazing.

Most of all, I love seeing them together, having fun. I teared up watching how emotional they were, with Minji crying and Chaerin trying SO hard not to cry. Bommie just....so much happier than we've seen her in a long time and soaking up the love we have for her. Dara having her dreams come true because there's no bigger Blackjack in the world than her. Them jumping around the stage together.

There's never been a girl group like them before, and there's never been a girl group like them since. Irreplaceable and impossible to imitate. No one has the charisma, the charm, the everything.

[saltyfilmmajor]

NOt the Uruguay NT fighting fans in the stadium...

[messfc]

anyways i hope the delullu usmnt fans calm down cuz before this tournament they were saying they could beat Uruguay😂.

they were so sure theyd top the group too but on the bright side we dont have to see them for the rest of the tournament <3

[heyoshw]

icons brasil para as olimpíadas!

[iconsrequestsworld]

like or reblog if you save. ♡

[idon-twannabeperceived]

y los periodistas haciendo entrevistas preguntando x como se posiciona la selección de cara al mundial o no se q huevada READ THE ROOM

[corpsepartyfan113]

IT IS FINALLY DONE

EVERY VOCAL TRACK I COULD FIND COMPILED INTO ONE VIDEO (WITH TIMESTAMPS AND CHAPTERS)

PLEASE ENJOY