Insight into women's experience of stripping

[AmandaAtkinson]

Hi there,

I am a UK based university researcher and artist currently planning an exhibition exploring women's experience of stripping and pole dancing in nightlife locations and treatment by clients.

I'd be most grateful to hear about your experiences of the industry. If anyone is willing to help out, please provide a few words on the following:

1) A short description regarding what working in the industry means to you, how it makes you feel (e.g. empowering, exhausting, lucrative)
2) Examples of words that clients have called you/labelled you.
3) Examples of words that you have been labelled by others due to your work (non-clients)
4) Words you would use to describe your clients


I am taking an objective approach and would like the work to be led by the community.

Best wishes,

Amanda

[Selina M]

Bye Felicia.

(We don't like "researchers" or people trying to do school projects on us).

[Brandi_Lynn]

Why not give it a try yourself? Diablo Cody seems to have made a book out her short little masquerade. It's not like our career was been water downed enough anymore & made non profitable because of this shit.

[kaninchen]

Instead of filtering our experiences through your lens by taking our words and reformatting them for your purpose, consider how poorly we as a stigmatized group are served by being represented through an outsider's pet project. You say you're objective? About what? Are you a 19th century anthropologist observing primitives?

It sounds like you think you have good intentions, which is nice, but if you really want this work to be led by the community, you would listen to us when we say to just stop. Don't.

But if you're hellbent on pursuing it, then hand over your resources and audience to actual strippers and let the subaltern speak.

[AmandaAtkinson]

Hi all. Completely understood and your response is more than understandable. The purpose of the request was to debunk societies stereotyping and myth making around your industry, and the responses were not to be reformatted, just to be presented as they were provided.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read.

Best wishes,

Amanda

[milarky]

Hi Amanda,

We don't like you. We are bitter towards people like you. Why didn't you take the time to get to know this community before asking us to perform for you and answer your questions like we were some sort of desperate dancing monkey? You come here like you had a day pass at the zoo.

Your ilk is awful While you call yourselves intellectuals you have little respect for the truth. You do a disservice to the truth. You look at sex workers as a great way to score some street cred with your class, while making sure you keep yourselves at a distance because you look down on us. And when push comes to shove, you lie through your teeth about everything that matters to us. Your kind goes out of their way to call us victims, as sex slaves, like we didn't choose this industry, like we didn't live like fucking goddesses, you portray our clients as sad, pathetic, or violent men, you make us look like drug addicts and crack whores just to make yourself look good. So I will pass.

Here is my recommendation. Why don't you watch these programs? I am sure they will be right up your alley.

Check out what CNN's Lisa Ling has to say about us in prime time: http://www.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2...road-strip.cnn (it aint pretty)

Or why don't you take a look at what progressive icon and fellow artist Rashida Jones of Parks & Rec fame thinks of our job: http://www.hotgirlswantedmovie.com/theteam.php click on the trailer button, you won't want to miss it. The full movie is available on Netflix, in case you can afford it with your student debt and all.

[AmandaAtkinson]

I did not intend on offending. As said, I aimed to debunk the exact myths you label my field, media and wider society, as creating and reinforcing.

I have no agenda and was taking an open minded approach, which as you say many in my field have failed to do. I do not know the truth and certainly do not look down on you in anyway what so ever.

I have and would never label or aim to insult you, and it is not fair to generalise my work and insult and stereotype me in return. In the same way as I know nothing about your life, you know nothing about mine. There are also myths about my world to be debunked.

I realise I have offended and for that I can only apologise and learn.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

[littlelizard]

I think you should try stripping for a few months and write about your own experiences. Get the first hand experience.

[Aurora_Sunset]

I'm going to move this thread to the Surveys section of The Lounge, since it is basically a survey. Anybody who wants to participate can do so, but you may not get many responses.

[AmandaAtkinson]

Thank you

[audritwo]

Please stop trying to normalize sex work. The more underground sex work is, more $$$. We don't need saving.

[hometeam-showgirl]

Please stop trying to normalize sex work. The more underground sex work is, more $$$. We don't need saving.

I personally disagree with this. As a long-time sex worker who's worked in many different fields, I wish it were much more normalized. That being said, I agree that the movement and activism should come primarily from within the community and not outside.
To each her own I suppose.

[slowpoke]

Depends, do you want it on a Wal*Mart - McDonalds high volume type basis or a Boutique - Brennan's basis. Maybe there is a market for both.

[slowpoke]

I think you should try stripping for a few months and write about your own experiences. Get the first hand experience.

Judging from her picture online, she might do pretty well.

[whirlerz]

Pokey the Perv, weighs in

[audritwo]

I personally disagree with this. As a long-time sex worker who's worked in many different files, I wish it were much more normalized. That being said, I agree that the movement and activism should come primarily from within the community and not outside.
To each her own I suppose.

Of course. There is nothing wrong with being an ally, but without the personal experience, they may never get the true grasp.

I'm all for fighting for sexworker rights. I feel like would-be activists should advocate for the sex-trafficking victims.

[Dancer_maria]

Hi there,

I am a UK based university researcher and artist currently planning an exhibition exploring women's experience of stripping and pole dancing in nightlife locations and treatment by clients.

I'd be most grateful to hear about your experiences of the industry. If anyone is willing to help out, please provide a few words on the following:

1) A short description regarding what working in the industry means to you, how it makes you feel (e.g. empowering, exhausting, lucrative)
2) Examples of words that clients have called you/labelled you.
3) Examples of words that you have been labelled by others due to your work (non-clients)
4) Words you would use to describe your clients


I am taking an objective approach and would like the work to be led by the community.

Best wishes,

Amanda

I will bite, and I am very objective, and a businesswoman, as Most Strippers are if you get down to the bottom of it all. Businesswomen, ARE Professionals.
Answers.. 1) What it means, It means money, it means chances to meet some ( bot not many) interesting people, chance to steal ideas on outfits, make up and hair, and perfume! How Do I feel? I feel like Achieved something, as I view my work as a goal. I have narrowed my niche some so I am in my comfort zone with type of men I deal with. It can be exhausting, but knowing I made it through is slightly empowering as I doze off to sleep.
2.) "Words" I have been called ..."Slut", "Skank", "Whore" , "Sexy", Slutty" Skinny" , Homely", nasty" Intelligent", Average" , Cute" , Titless" ( All in NO particular order, and NOT always to my FACE, or I would be in jail for assault!)
3.) "Words from co workers or mangers" , HMM.. ALL of the above and I will add "good tipper"""Smart", "Not Stage Eye candy" " Lower rating" ,"Extras girl" ( Don't hate on me if you read this and your are Gorgeous)
4) Words to describe clients.. I am almost Always polite. I have used "nice Shirt, nice beard, nice hair, nice watch. To myself or others, I may call some "slow to catch on", Greedy", slob, "salespuke" Cheap", "WAG"( wants a GF). Some, after a table dance, IF they pay me to sit, which mangers hate, I will tell them my "therapy rates" right to their face hehe.
For me, I know what I am in this business, and that is an Object that possibly men want to at least look at. IF you think you are more than that, men will want more than just to look or somehow benefit from you. I find Blue collar workers, bikers and construction men, and some military Know what they want and and dont get emotional, and I dont either. This works out best for everyone. I am the product and they are the buyers.. I cant do the tease out every damn cent from a wallet, but I work it.
This doesn't mean I have Low self worth, quite the opposite actually, I am happy and confident, but much less drama than many other girls. I can and do wear a Engagement ring sometimes, and have a couple times told men I am involved with a manger or owner, just to get out of a bind. Its all about knowing your own Niche, the men will constantly COMPARE the women, as will the Staff and owners, its Going to happen, its natural...I just have moved way past that and get in my own 'Zone" Any good Dancer knows her 'Zone" ..

[AmandaAtkinson]

Hi Maria,

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond and provide this very rich account. I'm touched that you were willing to share this as I know I may have not gone the best way around introducing myself to the community (again, apologies for that). Much appreciated. Thanks again, Amanda

[arielbriel]

1) A short description regarding what working in the industry means to you, how it makes you feel (e.g. empowering, exhausting, lucrative)

Money, not having to kill myself working a 9-5. It's very lucrative. It gives me time to go to school and if I have to take off a night because of studying, I can do it without calling and telling someone. Nobody is in control of me but myself. That in itself is empowering.

2) Examples of words that clients have called you/labelled you.
"not a good girl"

3) Examples of words that you have been labelled by others due to your work (non-clients)
They don't say anything to my face so IDK.

4) Words you would use to describe your clients
annyoing, pathetic, idiot, douchebag, asshole, "good".

[AmandaAtkinson]

Thanks for this, I really appreciate you sharing your experiences, which I value very much. Best wishes, Amanda

[Fatima88]

Hi there,

I am a UK based university researcher and artist currently planning an exhibition exploring women's experience of stripping and pole dancing in nightlife locations and treatment by clients.

I'd be most grateful to hear about your experiences of the industry. If anyone is willing to help out, please provide a few words on the following:

1) A short description regarding what working in the industry means to you, how it makes you feel (e.g. empowering, exhausting, lucrative)
2) Examples of words that clients have called you/labelled you.
3) Examples of words that you have been labelled by others due to your work (non-clients)
4) Words you would use to describe your clients


I am taking an objective approach and would like the work to be led by the community.

Best wishes,

Amanda

Bye Felicia.