Strip bar- how would you react...Another view

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

I have been following the "Strip bar- how would you react??" thread with much interest. I just HAVE to comment and toss in my 2 cents and generally put my long winded and random thought down somewhere for everyone or no one to read. In my rambling I will be talking about clubs that are typically designed to cater to straight men.

For starters...in my travels I have been to numerous strip clubs. The purpose of the trip was often for business entertainment. When I worked for a magazine company in New York my boss, who was a very ‘proper’ woman would give me a couple hundred in $1s and tell me to make sure our clients went out and had a good time. Here in Phoenix I have a group of lawyers (both male and female) whom I join when they take clients out (both male and female) for a night on the town.

For business deals here in the US there has become a ‘norm’ that tends to be expected. When a client or clients come to town it is normal to go golfing and talk business, then head to the office for a bit and talk business, then go to dinner and talk business, then head out for the evening to play. Sometimes that includes a strip club and sometimes not. When it does it really is all in fun. Everyone ends up having a good time.

When I was attending the University of Illinois in 1993 I had 2 friends who work in strip clubs in Chicago. They would work one weekend a month (Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night) and would come home with $2000.00. That was enough for them to pay for their car, their apartment, their food, their utilities, and their University education. AND they had a lot of fun doing it. Now the trade off was they had to work out all of the time to keep their bodies in the shape required to do what they do on the pole…but is that really a bad thing?

My mother did something similar to put herself through University in Ottawa, Canada. She was a nude model, both for art and for men’s entertainment magazines. Her attitude was and still is, “I was 18, 19, 20, I had a GREAT body, and I was not about to let that go to waste if there was a market for it.” In 1960-something the money she was making was WAY more then any other woman she knew (including her OWN mother). Plus she knew that her marketability in that field of work was going to be short. She had to act while she was still a ‘hot’ commodity and then use the money to educate herself for the next career move. In many ways she was ahead of her time. The best part about it is that she has pictures that she still pulls out from time-to-time where she can look and say, “Damn I was hot,” with no regrets.

Now I do have to say my experience here in the US with strip clubs has been WAY more positive then in other countries. The US seems to have an idea that this is for fun. No body really takes it seriously. There is a sexual element, but it isn't about SEX. The focus tends to be on fun (Australia, Canada, and Britain have the same kind of mentality in my experience). I have been in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan where the clubs DO tend to focus more on sex. In my opinion that is yucky. I went to one place in Ukraine (before I met my wife) were I was offered sex for money and I could see the needle marks on this woman's arm...I was out of that place quick...Just not my style. And I know that is common in MANY countries. This is especially true in areas where women do not have a whole lot of financial opportunities outside of the sex trade.

There also tends to be a cultural thing towards strip clubs (and sex in general) in many countries. I am going to generalize here based on my own experience. Those countries that were settled by the British and ended up with a population that is/was predominantly European in descent tend to be more open about sex. These areas don’t treat sex as ‘dirty,’ but rather as fun, multifaceted, and something to be explored. Therefore, in my experience, the clubs in these parts of the world tend to have a mixed clientele (both men and women) and are open and honest about the fun atmosphere provided.

Anyways…that is the end of my ramblings. I would be interested to see what other think, feel, have experienced.

Joel

[gimygirl 0]

and how come this couldn't go in the other thread that was already dedicated to this very topic!?!?

Edited July 10, 2006 by gimygirl

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

Because it is stated very plainly..."ladies only please."

Joel

[gimygirl 0]

Because it is stated very plainly..."ladies only please."

Joel

we never follow directions!!

[*Robert* 2]

No kidding... just pretend you didn't read that part... I did!!!

Besides, better to ask for forgivness than ask for permission!!!

You should cut and past your post into the other thread... well said!

[aussiewench 9]

There also tends to be a cultural thing towards strip clubs (and sex in general) in many countries. I am going to generalize here based on my own experience. Those countries that were settled by the British and ended up with a population that is/was predominantly European in descent tend to be more open about sex. These areas don’t treat sex as ‘dirty,’ but rather as fun, multifaceted, and something to be explored. Therefore, in my experience, the clubs in these parts of the world tend to have a mixed clientele (both men and women) and are open and honest about the fun atmosphere provided.

I would agree in the most part but I still think/believe that americans in general lag behind others and in some areas are going backwards. I get scared sometimes because of my openess on how I could be percieved at times.....this wench don't look good in stripes, pink underwear or orange.

Now for the strip shows. I was awestruck when I went to my first strip show with my first husband. I really appreciated the artistic side to it and what they did on that pole and how flexible those gals where I wish I had their talent.....I'm sure my pirate may too hahahaha

[*Robert* 2]

hahahahahahah Ah Wenchie!!! Only you could say it so well!!!

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

Hmm...A pirate themed strip club...now THAT would be something.

Joel

[YnaYeBa0808 0]

arrrrrrrrrrrrr.... hihihihi....

[aussiewench 9]

Out here we have pole dancing and striptease exercise classes and home parties for the average woman to learn. I told hubby ages ago that I was thinking of doing it and his response was 'you dont need to go anywhere to learn that, you can practice with me'. I do know that he was being reactional in that he found this not acceptable for his wife to be learning openly hahahaha my poor baby is often in shock with me. It is also a part of me that he loves.

[YnaYeBa0808 0]

i think thats totally cool though... that have an open communication in your relationship aussie. i think in any relationship you shuldnt lose yourself in it, idealistic but i think both should grow individually, and for sure accept each other openly... strip tease classes, my fiance's sister just asked me to join her when i was there for a vacation. its funny i looked at my fiance to see if he was okay with it and he said GOOOOOOOOOOOO! like he got more excited than me... im like i cant dance for CHIT! hahahahha...

[aussiewench 9]

i think thats totally cool though... that have an open communication in your relationship aussie. i think in any relationship you shuldnt lose yourself in it, idealistic but i think both should grow individually, and for sure accept each other openly... strip tease classes, my fiance's sister just asked me to join her when i was there for a vacation. its funny i looked at my fiance to see if he was okay with it and he said GOOOOOOOOOOOO! like he got more excited than me... im like i cant dance for CHIT! hahahahha...

I hear ya on the dancing hahahaha. Did you go?? I think it would be so much fun ....Think I would have to get all the others to go first so I could judge how my performance was going to compare lol

[gwenneh 7]

Strip-tease and pole dancing classes are the best fun a woman can have at the gym legally! As I said in the thread titled "The S Factor", do NOT attempt them unless you are in *fantastic* shape-they are a HELL of a workout! Your abs will hurt like fire for the first couple of days; stripping moves are all about core stability. I'd recommend them as a fun way to get fit, and if it helps someone feel more sexy because they have a repetiore of "moves"; well, then, so much the better!

[Anyta Holland 1]

I went to "Cardio Strip Tease" classes and enjoyed it sooooooo much!!! And it was the most popular in the Gym!!!

[Jaylen Brit 0]

I have to take issue (slightly - and yes I know this wasn't actually part of his point but I like to veer Off subject ) with the OP for part of the post..that americans are lumped in with Europeans and Brits as to their view of nudity.

Try going topless on most American beaches and see what reaction you get. Going topless on a beach isnt about sex in ANY way - yet when I was in US last time (for more than a couple weeks) and was hanging with some German and Swedish (and Brit) pals and we went to a beach, and stripped off, we were told we would 'get raped'

We weren't on the 'main beach' either - we found a secluded area, amid sand dunes, so we were at least semi-privtae but still this woman, who had kids, and announced that she was 'a mother' to the group of us, said her kids 'didn't need to see that'

Huh?

Her kids are unaware women have breasts? And their primary function is to FEED CHILDREN? I found her attitude offensive, and my German friends just laughed.

They went off into the sea (again not clsoe to anyone else, and still topless) but I stayed hidden in dunes (cos I just felt so self-concious by then and I didn't want to cover up either - so I fell asleep in the sun).

Later my German friends told me that 'some guys' who'd been walking down the beach had stopped and 'videoed me' *shakes head*

You can be stark naked on some Euro beaches and no-one bats an eye.

I have no idea why our cultures are so different in that regard.

So I'm not sure tha many US men see strip bars as fun and not sex (per se) cos they sure seem to view topless sunbathing (which involves no provocative moves) as 'sexual'.