A day in the life...of a stripper
Stephanie Whitfield, Contributing Writer
Issue date: 5/2/06 Section: Lifestyles
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A stripper has to reveal the parts of the body that one may only be comfortable exposing right before one gets into the shower. Along with wearing pasties and thongs, the stripping profession has held social stigmas in the United States for centuries. How does the stigma of being a stripper affect their roles in their daily lives? Do they enjoy the work, or is it simply for money?
In an article in the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, the authors explained why such stigmas might exist.
"The setting of a dance club is prone to deviant activity, such as prostitution and illegal drug use; therefore, the profession of exotic dancing is generally considered deviant," the authors said.
"Stormy," a skinny 21-year-old in white lingerie, had only been working at the Platinum Cabaret strip club for a couple of weeks, and she said that the job offer was easy for her to take. Stormy said she was working on getting a divorce, and had nowhere else to go.
"I didn't have a hard time deciding to do the job," she said. "I wish I would have started when I was 18."
The entrance to the club was blacked out with paint or cardboard, and there was a warning to all the patrons who entered: "No touching the girls."
Inside, the music and smoke took over the entire room. The carpet was made specifically for black lighting, which tried to enhance the colors in the carpet, but was defeated by the wear and tear. After a dancer finished, the emcee would announce that midget strippers would be there that weekend.
The dancers writhed and slapped their high heels on the stage under flashing colors of light while the men held dollar bills in their outstretched hands, enticing the dancers to come closer.
If a dancer chose to get closer, the men's faces would contort between excitement and sheer ecstasy.
Stormy said she has had offers for sex outside of the club, but had turned all of them down. She said one man called her a bitch for declining the offer, but the men do not bother her in general.
In an article in the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, the authors explained why such stigmas might exist.
"The setting of a dance club is prone to deviant activity, such as prostitution and illegal drug use; therefore, the profession of exotic dancing is generally considered deviant," the authors said.
"Stormy," a skinny 21-year-old in white lingerie, had only been working at the Platinum Cabaret strip club for a couple of weeks, and she said that the job offer was easy for her to take. Stormy said she was working on getting a divorce, and had nowhere else to go.
"I didn't have a hard time deciding to do the job," she said. "I wish I would have started when I was 18."
The entrance to the club was blacked out with paint or cardboard, and there was a warning to all the patrons who entered: "No touching the girls."
Inside, the music and smoke took over the entire room. The carpet was made specifically for black lighting, which tried to enhance the colors in the carpet, but was defeated by the wear and tear. After a dancer finished, the emcee would announce that midget strippers would be there that weekend.
The dancers writhed and slapped their high heels on the stage under flashing colors of light while the men held dollar bills in their outstretched hands, enticing the dancers to come closer.
If a dancer chose to get closer, the men's faces would contort between excitement and sheer ecstasy.
Stormy said she has had offers for sex outside of the club, but had turned all of them down. She said one man called her a bitch for declining the offer, but the men do not bother her in general.
