Have you read of the Seattle strip clubs being shut down? Thanks to "Kat" and her blog I have. (http://katstories.tumblr.com/post/626717508). Personally I think it is sad when a society, group, or a person feel they have the right to judge another occupation as wrong. Never mind the fact these women may have goals outside of taking there clothes off for a living, or that most of them are smarter than most of the people putting them down. Just the idea that these woman of beauty, grace, and sex appeal aren't working as hard for their better paying job, and active social life in the same manner as those who are complaining. Shows how close minded, and ignorant the general public really is.
The life of a stripper is not, I say again, is not as easy as one would assume. One of the toughest things for them is not even the job it self, it is the perception of their job to the outside world. Many have to keep the fact they strip a secret from their children, parents, and other friends. This is very hard on the psyche of an individual. Keeping a secret about what you do for a living is a stressful thing. Especially, if one is inherently honest. Why? Why can't they talk about it you might ask, because society in America at large, has made it an embarrassing subject.
The first couple of weeks or so for a stripper is usually the scariest, but only in the sense of nerves, and being embarrassed about so many strangers seeing you naked, and the feeling of being judged. (Scarier things other than nerves, will come later, sadly). Being judged by owners, management, and the public can be so unnerving an exercise, that some take to drugs, and get totally wasted so they can detach from reality. Okay, granted drugs are a bad thing, and I personally do not like drugs, but I figure it is a persons choice, if they wish to damage their brain, and body in this way, it is NOT MY choice, or yours, to say yay or nay about the use of them. It is an illegal thing, so we as a society know it is wrong, but again it is an individuals choice. I don't judge you, not liking drugs is MY choice. Anyway, back on subject.
Once a stripper has started, (drug free, or not) her life as a stripper. Life, becomes a routine like any other job. You have good days and bad.
One of the toughest things one has to do, is to set up a re'pore with the clientele. You have to sell the fantasy, or the pleasure of your company in a date like setting.(rules differ from club to club on how far a fantasy you may bring to the customer) This is a hard sell sometimes, because dancers have to act like they are interested in client(s), and really like spending time with a customer when in reality they would rather be spending time with their children, or loved ones, or just curled up watching movies. See not so different from you or I, after all dancers are people too. Something to think about. Yes, of course, there are exceptions to the rule, some clients are a real pleasure to these women, they go out of their way to schedule time with said clients, but for the most part, the following statementis true. Clients are a means to an end. A dancer's money, to pay bills, no more, no less.
Problems, can come about in the execution of a dancer trying to make her money.
The problem of: A- "toe-stepping" on other girls. This is the act of taking a client away from another girl, in a sense stealing the money she was to earn from a client. Sometimes this is a deliberate slap in the face to another girl, but sometimes it is just a over site, or mistake that one girl took from another. Hey were human it happens. B- The perception a client believes he has the right to see a dancer outside the confines of the club. This is one of the more touchy problems a dancer faces, because most of the time she doesn't want to see you, but she wants to keep you as a paying customer. C- Scheduling time for clients, when they all seem to show at once. There are days girls don't make any money at all, no matter what they tell you it isn't a guarantee, that is why most girls try to book their nights full if possible. It is a strange business. A gamble if you will, it is a all or nothing most of the time. D- then you have the super jerk. The guys, who believe that because a dancer takes her clothes off, he has the right to do anything, or say anything to a dancer. Regardless of her feelings. This can be very upsetting, because once and awhile the person making the comment will hit on a dancers fears of inadequacy. Worst of all is when these comments come from someone you call(ed) friend. E- Diva's at the club. These are the girls who show and think they are better than the other girls, and look down their noses at you, like why are you even here? No one likes bullies, and Diva's kind of fit in that category. High school, all over again...sheeesh! D- Stress. Keeping subjects that are stressing you out (bills,relationships, periods, or feelings of anxiety),off of your face, and body language. Stress can really tare a person up, make you seem like a total bitch. Why, because these girls have no outlet to vent their frustrations, no one who is trusted enough to listen, and not judge. Stress effects attitude, which in turn effects attitudes around them.
Most of the time we as a people can deal with stress, or anything else if they can find a trusted person to talk with, but unfortunately most of the time, you have to pay a professional to listen to you, and you know going in "shrinks" don't care about you so much as getting paid. Kind of ironic for the dancers of this world, because they are often paid by clients to be a sounding board, which can be good and bad. Sometimes the rare client comes around who is also a listener in there own right, and the dancer will have a forum to release her pent up troubles, but most of the time she has to hold it all in. That is usually when you see the Bitch in clubs. stress is so much a part of her, no one can approach without caution. yet another problem other dancers have to contend with.
You see the job isn't really that easy. I didn't even go in the amount energy that is drained from mind, body, and spirit. The self conscious faults a dancer has about herself, and the feeling someone will comment about one of them. Dancers are not on display to be judged, by client, fellow dancer, or the public at large. They are there to perform a show for you. Some of the performers give a better performance than others, but that just speaks to the individuals standards, of doing the best she possibly can to make your time feel like a good one.
The life of a dancer is hard enough, in my opinion, without having to deal with being put out of work, by a close minded society. Stop, Think, Then act, before the action you start, starts something that can and will effect the lives of others. Including your own. Try and see the other side of something you don't like, open your mind to a different way of thinking. You maybe surprised at truth you will see in yourself, and who knows you may see that the people you are so much against are not that different than you and me.
Okay, I've tried to give an idea of the life of a stripper, from my point of view. Not being a stripper, or even female I may have gotten some things all wrong, but I try and see things with an open mind. So as always feel free to comment.
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