Strip club
Encyclopedia
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease
or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub
or bar
style, but can also adopt a theatre
or cabaret
-style.
American-style strip clubs began to appear outside of North America
after World War II
, arriving in Asia
in the late 1940s and Europe in 1950, where they competed against the local English and French styles of striptease and erotic performances. As of 2005, the size of the global strip club industry
was estimated to be US$75 billion. In 2002, the size of the U.S. strip club industry was estimated to be US$3.1 billion, generating 19% of the total gross revenue in legal adult entertainment. SEC filing
s and state liquor control records available at that time indicated that there were at least 2,500 strip clubs in the United States, and since that time, the number of clubs in the U.S. has grown. Profitability of strip clubs, as with other service-oriented businesses, is largely driven by location and customer spending habits. The better appointed a club is, in terms of its quality of facilities, equipment, furniture, and other elements, the more likely customers are to encounter cover charges and fees for premium features such as VIP rooms. The popularity of a given club is an indicator of its quality, as is the word-of-mouth among customers who have visited a cross section of clubs in different regions.
The strip club as an outlet for salacious entertainment is a recurrent theme in popular culture
. In some media, these clubs are portrayed primarily as gathering places of vice
and ill repute
. Clubs themselves and various aspects of the business are highlighted in these references. "Top Strip Club" lists in some media have demonstrated that U.S.-style striptease is a global phenomenon and a culturally accepted form of entertainment, despite its scrutiny in legal circles and popular media. Popular internet sites for strip club enthusiasts also have lists calculated from the inputs of site visitors. The legal status of strip clubs has evolved over the course of time, with national and local laws becoming progressively more liberal on the issue around the world, although some countries (such as Iceland) have implemented strict limits and bans. Strip clubs are frequent targets of litigation around the world, and the sex industry, which includes strip clubs, is a hot button issue in popular culture and politics. Some clubs have been linked to organized crime
, which has been known to use legitimate business as fronts for its illegal operations.
The term 'striptease' was first recorded in 1938, though 'stripping', in the sense of women removing clothing to sexually excite men, seems to go back at least 400 years. For example, in Thomas Otway
's comedy The Soldier's Fortune (1681) a character says: "Be sure they be lewd, drunken, stripping whores". Its combination with music seems to be as old. A conclusive description and visualization can be found in the 1720 German translation of the French La Guerre D'Espagne (Cologne: Pierre Marteau, 1707), where a galant
party of high aristocrats and opera singers has resorted to a small château where they entertain themselves with hunting, play and music in a three day turn:
Other possible influences on modern stripping were the dances of the Ghawazee
"discovered" and seized upon by French colonists in nineteenth century North Africa and Egypt
. The erotic dance of the bee
, performed by a woman known as Kuchuk Hanem
, was witnessed and described by the French novelist Gustave Flaubert
. In this dance the performer disrobes as she searches for an imaginary bee trapped within her garments. It is likely that the women performing these dances did not do so in an indigenous context, but rather, responded to the commercial climate for this type of entertainment. Middle Eastern belly dance
, also known as oriental dancing, was popularized in the United States after its introduction on the Midway
at the 1893 World's Fair
in Chicago
by a dancer known as Little Egypt
.
and Folies Bergère were featuring attractive, scantily-clad, dancing women and tableaux vivants. In this environment, an act featuring a woman slowly removing her clothes in a vain search for a flea
crawling on her body was seen in 1895 and possibly filmed in 1897 by the first female director, Alice Guy. This routine, Le coucher d'Yvette, inspired "French acts" in theaters and brothels in other parts of the world, seen in the U.S. city of New York as early as 1878. The first public act of striptease in modern times is credited to Parisian theater in 1894. In 1905, Dutch dancer Mata Hari
, later shot as a spy by the French authorities during World War I, was an overnight success from the debut of her act at the Musée Guimet. The most celebrated segment of her act was her progressive shedding of clothing until she wore just a jeweled bra
and some ornaments over her arms and head. Another landmark performance was the appearance at the Moulin Rouge in 1907 of an actress called Germaine Aymos who entered dressed only in three very small shells. In the 1930s, the famous Josephine Baker
danced semi-nude in the danse sauvage at the Folies and other such performances were provided at the Tabarin
. These shows were notable for their sophisticated choreography and for often dressing the girls in glitzy sequins and feathers. By the 1960s "fully nude" shows were provided at such places as Le Crazy Horse Saloon
.
In Britain in the 1930s, Laura Henderson
began presenting nude shows at the Windmill Theatre
in London. At that time, British law prohibited naked girls from moving. To avoid the prohibition, the models appeared in stationary tableaux vivants. The Windmill girls also toured other London and provincial theatres, sometimes using ingenious devices such as rotating ropes to move their bodies round, though strictly speaking, staying within the letter of the law by not moving of their own volition. Another example of ways that the shows stayed within the law was the fan dance
, in which a naked dancer's body was concealed by her fans and those of her attendants, until the end of her act in when she posed naked for a brief interval whilst standing still.
In 1942 Phyllis Dixey
formed her own company of girls and rented the Whitehall Theatre in London to put on a review called The Whitehall Follies. By the 1950s touring striptease acts were used to attract audiences to the dying music halls. Paul Raymond started his touring shows in 1951 and later leased the Doric Ballroom in Soho; opening his private members club, the Raymond Revuebar
in 1958. This was the first of the private striptease members' clubs in Britain. Changes in the law in the 1960s brought about a boom of strip clubs in Soho
with 'fully nude' dancing and audience participation. Pubs were also used as venues, most particularly in the East End, with a concentration of such venues in the district of Shoreditch
. This pub striptease seems mainly to have evolved from topless go-go dancing. Though often a target of local authority harassment, some of these pubs survive to the present day. An interesting custom in these pubs is that the strippers walk 'round and collect money from customers in a beer jug before each individual performance. This custom appears to have originated in the late 1970s when topless go-go dancers first started collecting money from the audience as the fee for going "fully nude". Private dances of a more raunchy nature are sometimes available in a separate area of the pub.
In America, striptease started in traveling carnival
s and burlesque
theatres, and featured famous strippers such as Gypsy Rose Lee
and Sally Rand
. The vaudeville
trapeze artist, Charmion
, performed a "disrobing" act onstage as early as 1896, which was captured in the 1901 Edison
film, Trapeze Disrobing Act. Another milestone for modern American striptease was the possibly legendary show at Minsky's Burlesque
in April 1925: The Night They Raided Minsky's
. The Minsky brothers brought burlesque to New York's 42nd Street
. However, the burlesque theatres there were prohibited from having striptease performances in a legal ruling of 1937, leading to the later decline of these "grindhouse
s" (named after the bump 'n grind entertainment on offer) into venues for exploitation cinema. Widespread bans on striptease had a direct influence on the creation of the strip clip joint
and the exotic dancer as known today. Bans still exist; enforced now mostly at the local municipal level. American-style striptease began to appear outside of North America in the post-World War II era and is now practiced widely around the world.
The 1960s saw a revival of striptease in the form of topless go-go dancing
. Topless dancing was banned in certain parts of the country, similar to the bans on striptease, but it eventually merged with the older tradition of burlesque dancing. Carol Doda
of the Condor Night Club
in the North Beach
section of San Francisco is credited with being the first topless go-go dancer. The club opened in 1964 and Doda's première topless dance occurred on the evening of June 19 of that year. The large lit sign in front of the club featured a picture of her with red lights on her breasts. The club went "bottomless" on September 3, 1969; launching the trend of explicit "full nudity" in American striptease dancing. It was Doda's brand of dancing which is credited with the move from striptease to stripping. San Francisco is also the location of the notorious Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. Originally an X-rated
movie theater, this striptease club pioneered lap dancing in 1980, and was a major force in popularizing it in strip clubs on a nationwide and eventually worldwide basis.
perform, he started his own striptease revue in Tokyo's Shinjuku
neighborhood. Teitoza was the first club to open in Shinjuku, on 15 January 1947. The first act was titled "The Birth of Venus". Each performance lasted for fifteen seconds and was modest by modern standards, incorporating veils, panties and a bra which covered much of what would be shown today. The woman on stage stood in a stationary pose, similar to shows in Britain. The show ran until August 1948. Theaters in Asakusa had fully nude displays, also featuring no motion or stripping. As this style of theater spread, the removal of clothing on stage was integrated into the process.
Over time, as regulations were relaxed, a variety of acts developed with shows presenting a variety of movements such as taking a bath in an outdoor washtub. One of the most famous variants had audience members given magnifying glasses for close up views. During the 1950s, Japanese "strip shows" became more sexually explicit and less dance-oriented, until they were eventually simply live sex shows. The strip shows in Tokyo during this time remained low key, but Osaka and Kyoto
were pushing the art of striptease in Japan into new territory. In 1956, Osaka became the first city in Japan to have pubic hair on display during a strip show. Dotonbori is a well known red light district in Osaka, Japan that has featured entertainment theaters and prostitution for hundreds of years. The strip clubs of today are the latest incarnation of its temptations. Peeping clubs, which feature peeping rooms (nozokibeya), are businesses where a customer views a girl through a hole from his own private cubicle. The customer then pays to watch a girl strip, pose, and masturbate. Kabukichō, a red light district
in Tokyo, had 13 nozoki-beya in the early 1980s. The sex industry became so pervasive in Asia that by the 1990s that Kabukichō was described as a warren of peep shows, strip clubs, and massage parlors and Bangkok, Thailand had attained the reputation as the sex capital of the world.
s make up less than a third of the professional community. American-style strip clubs are often structured as nightclub
s or bars
. High-end establishments are commonly referred to as "gentlemen's clubs", complete with luxury
features and services. More down-market competitors can be known by various names, such as titty bars, rippers, peelers, skin bars, girly bars, nudie bars, bikini bars or go-go bars. Sometimes, they are referred to as men's clubs (not to be confused with working men's club
s).
Regardless of size, name, or location in the world, strip clubs can be full nude, topless or bikini. Where offered:
For any of the three types of clubs there are exceptions based on the individual dancer and management. The use of pasties
can alter the legal interpretation as to whether a performance is topless or not and whether a business is sexually oriented.
A club might also hire or broadcast forms of entertainment other than striptease (such as pay-per-view
events), for which it earns revenue via premium fees. Some clubs have also moved into providing chat and broadcast services via the internet, including live video feeds. Beyond this more passive entertainment, some clubs' dancers offer additional services, such as lap dance
s or trips to the champagne room, for a set fee rather than for tips. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a fixed amount of time. Lap dances may also be offered during lingerie modeling sessions. During a lap dance, the dancer rubs against the customer's crotch while he or she (typically he) remains clothed, in an attempt to arouse or bring the recipient to climax. Touching of strippers is not permitted in many localities, however, some dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. In some parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, and thus dancers must cover their nipples with pasties
to comply with those laws. Such clubs are known as pastie clubs.
Rules governing strip clubs and the overall adult entertainment industry vary around the world and formats sometimes are combined under a single roof or complex. In Bangkok
, Thailand, the Nana Entertainment Plaza in downtown Bangkok is a large, four-floor compound with over 40 bars. Most of the bars are go-go bars with dancers in various stages of nudity. They are not formal brothels, since customers must negotiate without an intermediary, directly with the dancers, for services up to and including sex. Zürich
, Switzerland has legalized prostitution and its strip clubs throughout the city offer sex among their services. Differing from Zurich brothels, sex services via the strip clubs are typically performed off site. Eastern European strip clubs have a similar model. A .34 square kilometer "sex zone" in Tokyo, Japan had approximately 3,500 sex facilities as of 1999. These included strip theaters, peep shows, "soaplands", "lover's banks", porno shops, telephone clubs, karaoke bars, clubs and more all offering adult entertainment services. In Dubai
, a nation governed by very strict cultural norms and laws, there are several Indian strip clubs offering at least partial nudity.
Dancers may tie their state of undress to the number of songs played. This could correspond to a bikini performance for song one and topless for the second. In a fully nude club, the sequence could be topless-to-nude over two songs, or any one of a number of other variations. In the United States clubs are classified based on typical performances, zoning
regulations, and advertised services. Zoning
regulations in the U.S. can prove a challenge, with clubs needing to be a certain distance away from schools and other areas where minor children are known to congregate. These restrictions are meant, ostensibly, to curb exposure to activities that could negatively impact social development of children and to protect nearby real estate properties not tied to the industry from devalueation. These are known as "secondary effects". The validity of secondary effects has been disputed, with the counterargument that clubs have been forced through zoning into "seedy neighborhoods". Elsewhere in North America, the Zona Norte
red light district in Tijuana, Mexico has a number of legal brothels which are modeled on strip clubs and feature U.S.-style striptease performed by its prostitutes.
s, or warehouses, or had industrial uses. The original layout of the building will affect the physical layout of a club. The more money that has been invested in a facility, the more it resembles a dedicated club. Regardless of the floorplan, as interactive theater, there are features every strip club will have. They include: performers (strippers), a floor area where the customers will congregate, and some form of staging for the striptease performance.
Higher-end gentlemen's clubs have features that cost millions of dollars to install and maintain.
All clubs are configured differently. A small club can have a single room, with an improvised stage for the striptease show. Many clubs have more than the basic amenities. Larger clubs have clearer designations of areas. The different areas within a club could be separated by a physical step, built-in railing, platforms and levels, doorways, distinct rooms, and entirely separate floors, and they can also be formed by different carpeting, placement of seating, or physical implements such as a rope or other physical marker.
Strip clubs are profit-oriented businesses like restaurant
s and other retail
establishments and dancers are their primary vehicle to entice customers to spend time and money in the establishment. The dancers continually interact with the customers in the club by walking around and attempting to solicit drinks and lap dances, usually scanning the floor of a club to find the most lucrative customer to greet. While clubs can generate revenue through means such as cover charges and the cost of drink, dancers make most of their profit from giving lap dance
s or VIP dances where regulations allow. Otherwise customer tips to dancers from a stage set are their primary form of payment per shift. The dancer qualifies a customer by sizing up his appearance
and personal characteristics. Once the dancer identifies her mark, she approaches and attempts to establish a social relationship with a customer. Customers can also make move first and engage a dancer directly.
, also known as a runway
stage, but the other major forms are also used regularly. Theatre in the round
is also a popular form of strip club staging for the main stage. During each set of one or more songs, the current performer will dance on stage in exchange for tips. Dancers collect tips from customers either while on stage, or after the dancer has finished a stage show and is mingling with the audience. A customary tip (where customers can do so at the stage) is a dollar bill folded lengthwise and placed in the dancer's garter
from the tip rail, referred to in slang as "ringside", "gynecology row", "pervert row" and other names. The area of the tip rail is equivalent to the apron
in traditional theatre.
Many stages will have actual railing built on or around the stage to function as the tip railing, in addition to indicating where a customer should position themselves relative to the performance
zone. Customers will take turns tipping the dancer, and sometimes form lines to tip popular performers. If physical railing is not present, the tip rail is the edge of stage or defined performance area. Other common tip methods are to insert the dollar into the stripper's cleavage
from the hand or mouth, to simply place it or toss it on stage, or more directly to crumple bills into a ball shape and throw them in the direction of the entertainer. Each club and dancer may have individual tolerance levels for customer interaction, including tipping. Some clubs have multiple stages on the premises. Tipping etiquette varies between countries and cultures. In Eastern European and Asian clubs it is customary to agree on payment upfront for a certain amount of time or dances, for stage performances and any private sessions.
, peep show
, and lingerie modeling clubs might only have satellite stages with pay to play
entertainment options on their premises.
Novelty acts (such as shower shows, fire shows, and oil wrestling) can be presented on dedicated stages, temporary staging on the floor, or on the main stage itself depending on the club. The main stage if used would need to be prepared and possibly covered to prevent damage, as accidents and injuries have been reported during these types of advanced striptease performances. When dangerous materials such as fire are used as props a permit
may be required to be compliant with local ordinance
s. Novelty acts are typically performed by feature dancers or by select house dancers during a featured performance. Shower shows require special equipment, so they are more likely to have a dedicated stage in the club with house dancers performing in the show. Optional staging can be present on the main floor or in dedicated rooms throughout larger clubs.
s. In many clubs the main bar is the second most dominant element on the floor after the main stage, and in some cases the main (or satellite) stage is built into the bar. Clubs can derive large percentages of their income from drink purchases. For both Rick's Cabaret and VCGH, Inc., service revenues were the single largest revenue source, with sales of alcoholic beverages second. VCGH earned 18% more and RICK 27.5% more in service revenue than alcohol sales. The amounts are closer when food and merchandise sales are considered, with RICK reporting a smaller gap between the two revenue sources relative to VCGH. Upscale clubs that offer food can have free-standing or built-in bars for buffet
service. Otherwise, food orders might be taken at the main bar or by waitstaff.
Consumption of alcohol is often facilitated via direct sales in strip clubs where such sales are legal, appropriately zoned
, and licensed
. Some clubs that are not licensed to serve alcohol will work around the restriction by implementing a bring your own beverage (BYOB)
policy and a juice bar. Juice bars have the appointments of full bars but only serve non-alcoholic beverages such as water, fruit juice, and flavored carbonated beverages. Such a bar could double as a service counter for the storage of BYOB material and offer ice and mixing services to create mixed drinks using the customer-purchased ingredients. Where waitstaff are present, they may serve as an extension of the bar service; providing and refreshing drinks while maintaining the cleanliness of the seating areas.
s are also a common feature of strip clubs. Arcade
and gambling
machines are popular features, as are pool tables. Some clubs also have dedicated areas of the main floor dedicated to performing private dance services.
Private dances in the main club zones most often take the form of table dance
s, lap and couch dances
, and bed dances among others. An air dance is a particular form of private dance where little-to-no contact between the dancer and customer occurs. This class of dance spans the different categories above and some dancers may perform air dances when more contact-heavy forms of dance were expected and paid for. Club management may set standard prices for the various dance services, but individual strippers, where permitted, will negotiate their own prices, which may be higher or lower than the advertised rate. Table dances are distinguished from other forms of dances in that they can be performed where the customer is seated, on the main floor. Table dance may also refer to a form of minimal-touch private dance where the performer is physically located on a small table in front of the customer(s). Table dances should not be confused with table stages, where the stripper is at or above eye level on a platform surrounded by chairs and usually enough table surface for customers to place drinks and tip money.
Where offered, lap dances are performed in all manner of locations and seating, ranging from plain stools and kitchen-grade chairs to plush leather armchairs. They can also be performed with the customer standing in these designated areas. A service provided by many clubs is for a customer to be placed on stage with one or more dancers for a public lap dance. Occasions for this type of performance are bachelor parties and birthdays, among others. Bed dance areas require more space because they are designed for the customer to be prone with the entertainer(s) positioned on top of them. Bed dances are the least common of the three, and in many clubs are a more expensive option than a lap dance because of the novelty and increased level of contact between customer and service provider.
s such as high rollers or persons of a wider popular celebrity, may receive complimentary services according to their notoriety with the club personnel.
VIP seating adjacent to the main floor is often more comfortable. For example, arm chairs or couches may be provided, and may include booths with service tables. The area typically has a clear line of sight to the main stage. Reserve seating gives a customer a sense of importance and demonstrates prestige. In higher-end clubs, VIP
seating might include balconies and other overlooks, which might also include smaller stages for a private dance if the customer wishes, at an additional fee. VIP seating can also act as lap dance booths, where a higher lap dance price would apply than in the general area.
VIP rooms are partitioned areas in a club that are typically enclosed by fixed walls and can have doors that close completely. For such rooms that do not offer solid doors, there is usually some type of blind system with stringed beads
, curtain
s, or other screening implements. Couch rooms, private dance rooms, and lounges are also forms of VIP zones. VIP rooms have seating that is more plush than the general admission zones and the VIP seating adjacent to the main floor. Often, purchase of access to the room includes customer time with the dancer(s) of their choice. Some rooms are outfitted with props and appliances, such as showers, hot tubs, and various types of bedding.
A champagne room (also called a champagne lounge, or champagne court) is a specialized VIP Room service offered by gentleman's clubs where a customer can purchase time (usually in half-hour increments) with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises. Depending on the quality of the club, these rooms, which are typically away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, are generally well decorated and usually appointed with a private bar. Clubs sell champagne by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer. Some clubs also offer a food and/or cigar
service. News media outlets have reported incidents of champagne room charges into the tens and hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars for a single visit.
and maintenance
typically have access restricted to staff and performers. These include (but are not limited to) management offices, employee booths, performer dressing rooms, and service areas, such as the kitchen and behind the bar. This business practice does not differ significantly from what is seen in other customer service businesses such as retail stores and restaurant
s. More frequently seen booths are entry booths, where security staff monitor customers entering and leaving the club and collect the cover charge
, and the DJ booth, where the DJ operates. The DJ booth contains sound, lighting, and other equipment which is used to "orchestrate the crowd" by adjusting the club environment, and is equivalent to a control room
in a traditional theater.
Dancers use dressing rooms to prepare for performances, rest between performances, and stow any of their belongings not secured by other means. It is customary for disputes between club personnel to be handled off the floor and out of sight of patrons. Dressing rooms are commonly used for performer-only mediation, though this could shift into other areas of discussion if management is involved. Clubs are experimenting with granting greater access to restricted areas via technology. The service includes a live view into part of the backstage dressing room and paid access enables the website user to interact live with dancers at the club. Security of club asset
s and personnel are a primary driver for limiting access to these zones. If surveillance equipment
for the club and grounds is present on site, the monitoring locations for the audio/video
feeds will be directed to management. In less frequent cases such feeds could also be accessed from off-site.
. By the 1980s, the pole dancing and highly explicit imagery associated with today's performers was widely accepted and frequently portrayed in film, television, and theater. House dancers work for a particular club or franchise
. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity
, touring a club circuit and making appearances. Porn stars will often become feature dancers to earn extra income and build their fan base. High profile adult film performers Jenna Haze
and Teagan Presley
, among others, have participated in feature shows through the USA, as did now-retired stars such as Jenna Jameson
.
is exposed, but whose genital areas remain obscured during a performance
, is said to be topless. Strippers who uncover the genital areas along with other clothing
during a performance
are said to be dancing fully nude. The fully nude practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers work around these constraint
s by selective uncovering of the vagina
, anus
, or both, for short periods of time, followed by immediate replacement of the clothing. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless or fully nude.
Strippers can sometimes be contracted for performances outside the strip club environment. Strippers with ready access to the Internet away from work have also adopted social media
and networks as a less intrusive way of maintaining direct connections with customers. Others use the internet to generate revenue by performing via webcam
, recording premium content, or running their own subscriber-based web site. Online
erotic content is pervasive and generally classified as pornography
. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they provide during private parties. Aside from advertising for striptease services outside of the club, an unknown percentage of strippers also work in other aspects of the sex industry
. This can include erotic and nude modeling, pornography
, escorting
, and in some cases prostitution
. Outside of the U.S., the use of strip clubs to facilitate sex-for-hire is much more common and stripping in those settings is viewed as advertising
for sexually-oriented services that will be performed in either private areas of the club or off-premises
.
" while in the club. Customers rarely, if ever, see the preparation of these props, since they are denied access to the backstage of a dancer's performance space by the layout of the club. A customer often wants a dancer to "drop the act", which makes him feel special and desired. This girlfriend experience
can involve increased intimacy up to and including sex acts. Dancers are commonly aware of this customer desire
for increased confidence, and may allow the impression that a customer is seeing their true selves. In reality, it is often just part of the act with little to no emotional attachment for the dancer.
Outside of the club, dancers are indistinguishable by appearance
from the general population and no more likely to be the targets of acts like violent crime
than are other women. Inside the club, personal boundaries are frequently crossed between strippers, customers, and other club staff. Research indicates that at some point every dancer has felt exploited
by customers, management, or other dancers. The most common complaint from dancers is being portrayed as an object or instrument, rather than as a person. While dancers feel this exploitation and are affected by it, they also admit that they exploit their customers. Dancers are entertaining the customers in exchange for money and employing all of the resources at their disposal to do so. They sell the fantasy of sex, but do not typically follow through with the act. Interviews with strippers have revealed that the customer
s are generally viewed as "suckers
" for giving the dancers money just for their physical attraction. Dancers, in an attempt to acquire a tip or monetary reward, may be selling more than just attractiveness and fantasy. They portray feelings of intimacy and emotional connectedness for their customers and most of the time these portrayals are overstated or false. The stage persona is different than who they are backstage, even if it does mirror aspects of their true personality.
clubs. In some localities bartenders are required to have an individual permit to serve alcohol. House mom
s monitor dancers on behalf of the management. A house mom can be particularly beneficial where staff is otherwise male, given her potential to relate to female dancers in a way that male members of staff may not be able to. Not every club will have a house mom.
Bouncers
are security personnel. They are typically relatively large and physically strong males, who enforce club policy and maintain order in and around the premises. In some cases, on-duty law enforcement may be on site if a club is viewed by authorities as a location with a high enough crime risk. More commonly, privately hired security (including off-duty police) are contracted to guard the premises. Bouncers can also double as doormen or Disc jockeys (DJs); serving as hosts and maintaining the flow of entertainment and even cuing music for the dance sets. Where a DJ is not present, music may be provided via either a jukebox
or sometimes live musicians.
working outside of the strip club will act as "hype men
" enticing people to enter and sample the show and services. The Block
in Baltimore
, Maryland
has aggressive doormen stationed at nearly every entrance, only feet apart in a highly concentrated area of clubs. Broadway
in San Francisco, California
has fewer clubs clustered together, but practices similar activities with their doormen.
Waitstaff are also employed to assist with providing drinks, and in some cases meals, to customers on the main floor and others areas of the club. Shooter girls are specialized waitstaff that carry pre-prepared drinks in shot glasses, that customers can conveniently purchase. Depending on the local ordinances, these shots may be arrive with some erotic part of the body of the shooter girl, typically her cleavage
, involved in the delivery. If a club has a policy of setting a drink minimum per visit or per hour, the floor staff also assists in enforcing those rules. Dancers may also be required to generate a certain number of drink purchases per shift and as part of their rounds, the waitstaff may ask customers if they would like to buy a drink for the dancer seated with them. If a kitchen
is present and if premium fare is offered, the club may also employ a chef
to prepare and cook food items.
Parking lot attendants can include people who simply coordinate where to park and how much to pay or they may also include formal valets who will park a vehicle and keep track of the driver's keys while he or she is in the club. Some clubs require paid or valet parking to be used if keeping cars on the premises, to generate revenue and help regulate patron behavior. Bathroom attendant
s monitor the restrooms on behalf of management; primarily watching for policy violations and potential liability concerns. In strip clubs, policy enforcement can range from watching for drug use, sex, fighting, and other activities the club would prefer to see done off the premises. The attendant will also attempt to keep the restroom area clean, assist with the washing of hands, and if available, provide by request an assortment of cologne, mints, and other disposable items.
, ballet
, jazz
and classical music
concerts combined. Some clubs have hundreds of entertainers appear on stage within a single year.
alone accounted for US$1 billion in revenue, and the total size of the global strip club industry
was estimated to be US$75 billion. Also, in 2005, an estimated 300,000 women worked as strippers in the U.S., across 3,000 clubs. An industry insider in 2008 estimated the U.S. strip club market at close to US$2 billion, basing that estimate on Adult Video News Media Network (AVN) statistics and highlighting both the methodological variances of different studies and the difficulties of providing reliable statistics on the industry.
Since then, the number of clubs in the U.S. has grown to approximately 4,000 by 2010.
In Britain the number of strip clubs rose over 1,000 percent between 1997 and 2010. In 2008 alone, a strip club opened there almost every week. One factor in the proliferation of British strip clubs is Britain's 2003 Licensing Act
, which introduced the one-size-fits-all premises licence, which meant that strip clubs in Britain no longer had to receive special permission for nudity. In 2005, revenues for the U.K. strip club industry, one of the fastest growing sectors of its leisure industry, were estimated to be UK£300 million. Revenues for 2006 in Scotland
alone accounted for UK£20 million of the UK total.
chain, has clubs located in the UK, Russia, and Australia, as well as the United States. In 2003, its London location reportedly made UK£3 per minute. Strip clubs offering American striptease and other adult entertainment services have been established on six of seven continents (all except Antarctica), and the demand for these types of business is soaring in economically developing nations. Most adult entertainment companies, which include strip clubs, are in privately held ownership.
Two strip club companies are publicly traded in U.S. financial markets and listed on NASDAQ
: VCG Holding Corp. (VCGH) and Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. (RICK). In February 2010, the two clubs agreed in principle to merge, with Rick's Cabaret
acquiring VCG Holding. The estimated purchase price, according to the statement of intent, was for the acquisition
using RICK stock to be at a value of US$2.20 to US$3.80 per share. The US$45 million deal fell through after the statement of intent expired on March 31, 2010, with Rick's Cabaret unable to enter into a definitive merger agreement to acquire all of VCG's outstanding stock. A third publicly traded company, Scores Holding Company, Inc. (SCRH), licenses its brand to strip club operators but does not own or operate any club properties itself. Publicly reported earning statements for U.S. companies operating strip clubs have not provided guidance on how they define their market segment, non-public competitors, or overall industry revenue.
The rapid expansion of the strip club industry observed in the 2000s occurred primarily in the Western world. Far from its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, Japan's sex industry has been in a protracted slump in the first decade of the 21st century, as the overall economy experienced a recession. Its hostess and strip bars (those which had not closed outright) felt the impact of dwindling corporate spending accounts
, leading to increased competition (and reduced boundaries) for remaining patrons. Profitability of strip clubs, as with other service-oriented businesses, is largely driven by location and customer spending habits. Clubs closely proximate to Wall Street
in New York, New York
are notorious for hosting meetings with financial industry power brokers, among other business heavyweights, which are frequently expensed
on company bankrolls. Since clubs located in urban areas or business centers have caused concerns over traffic and social issues, some club owners with common interests in close proximity have shared representation without consolidating their businesses. After numerous incidents during the 1990s with local and state government, Downtown Entertainment Inc. was formed in 2000 to represent the interests of business owners on The Block in Baltimore, Maryland.
Strip clubs which practice Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
typically report negative working capital
, where current liabilities exceed current assets. Clubs receive immediate cash
payment
for sales
, while inventories, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities normally carry longer payment terms
. The practice is believed to increase net cash
provided by operating activities
. Service revenues include entertainer payments to perform at clubs, customer admission fees, customer payments for tabs and tip charges, dance dollar payments, and suite rental fees. The economic downturn, which accelerated in 2008, impacted clubs at all levels, and even higher-end gentlemen's clubs in some parts of the U.S. and elsewhere adjusted their business practices to compensate for reduced revenues.
schedule
for their entertainers and staff. External factors, such as location and public perception, have some impact on business, but the essential draw of the strip club is the live entertainment. Because of negative perceptions of the adult entertainment industry, many clubs engage in public displays of charity to generate goodwill. VCGH clubs, in order to be good corporate citizens, actively sponsor and participate in local charitable events and contribute to local charities. Some clubs also register their business entities using benign names, so that they appear to be businesses unrelated to the sex industry on receipts and financial statements, and as a means of discretion. Cameras (including camera phones) and other recording devices are often banned from strip clubs to "protect the identity of the women working there and to spare the blushes of men caught on film attending the club".
Among clubs, there is a variety of different ways to deliver entertainment and fee structures commonly differ between clubs. A cover charge
(entry fee also known as a door charge) is customary at many clubs, the amount of which can vary by factors such as day of visit, time of day, gender
, and other factors. To make the charge more acceptable to customers, some clubs include bonus items in the admission price, such as drink tickets that can be redeemed once inside. Some clubs also have drink fees tied to interaction with performers. The bigger the drink, the longer the time permitted with the dancer. This practice is more common in European strip clubs and African or Asian hostess clubs. Champagne Room pricing (where time with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises can be purchased) is a variation on that same theme.
s. While a few smaller strip clubs may pay a weekly wage
, for the most part, all of a dancer's income is derived from tips and other fees they collect from customers. In most clubs, dancers have to pay a "stage fee" or "house fee" to work a given shift. In these cases, strippers receive payment in the form of tips and payment for specific services offered by the club (such as lap dances). Many clubs also take a percentage of fees charged for each private dance. It is customary—and often required in the United States—for dancers to also pay a "tip out", usually at the end of their shift, which is money (either a set fee or a percentage of money earned) paid to the supporting staff members of clubs, such as DJs, house mom
s, make-up artists, servers, bartender
s, and bouncer
s. For the customer, the fee
structure of a club is determined by management policy
.
In many smaller clubs the staff roles filled by the same person, such as a bartender and manager, and in extreme cases one person fills all the support functions within a club. Some clubs will hire attractive women onto the staff as bartenders and shot girls to complement the strippers, who can also double as stage and lap dance entertainers depending on the club. Paid staff are discretionary positions and turnover can be quite frequent, but standard employment laws do apply and have been enforced through the courts and other regulatory means. A highly publicized 2010 case in the United States concerned a pregnant bartender in New York who alleged that Cafe Royale in Farmingdale, New York
discriminated against her because she was "unsexy". Hiring of staff and performers in the United States is almost always voluntary on the part of the club and worker. Some strip clubs have hosted job fairs to address staffing needs. While not a common practice in the United States, globally, women are regularly compelled into working as strippers with the knowledge of club management.
U.S. company VCGH, Inc. uses a variety of highly targeted methods to reach its customers, including local radio, billboard trucks, internet, newspaper and magazine ads, and professional sporting events. Its advertising and marketing expenses decreased by approximately 3.9% to US$2,805,260 from US$2,921,327 over the year ended December 31, 2008. Advertising and marketing expenses were approximately 5.1% of their total revenues in 2009 and 2008. The decrease was attributed to a shift in advertising, including using billboard trucks for mobile advertising versus leasing fixed billboard signs. By contrast, in public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Rick's Cabaret International reported an increase in its advertising budget from US$2,231,005 in 2008 to US$8,091,745 in 2009, growing from 3.9% to 10.8% of total annual revenue.
In the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington
, its Major League Baseball
franchise, the Seattle Mariners
, initially sued in King County Superior Court
to try to prevent Dreamgirls cabaret from opening. The team's attorneys argued that the strip club's existence would adversely affect families that visit the stadium. The suit was dropped after the Mariners reached a compromise which included limits on outdoor advertising, window displays, and signs. The compromise specified that the clubs video screens would only show text on kids days at the stadium, and not images of strippers. In May 2010, there was public controversy because the club showed strippers on its large electronic display on "kids' day". Dreamgirls claimed it is the team's responsibility to tell them when such a display is to be prohibited.
Elite Cabaret, a Tempe
city strip club, filed suit in 2007 against the City of Tempe in federal court. In the settlement that was reached, the two sides ended the legal wrangle amidst a host of stipulations. One clause is aimed at preventing the racy image strip clubs promote. The club is not allowed to depict the human body on the exterior of its building. Signs cannot say "nude", "topless", "girls" or similar words. The sign can only have the bar's name and terms like "cabaret" or "gentlemen's club". Strip club advertising and its associated controversy are not limited to the United States. In South Africa, well-known strip club chain Teazers generated media coverage and official complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) over its suggestive billboards.
. In the media, clubs are portrayed primarily as gathering places of vice
and ill repute
. Both clubs themselves and various features of the business are highlighted in these references. Comedian Chris Rock
also pokes fun at the champagne room in his spoken word track, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
", on his 1999 album, Bigger & Blacker
. Wyclef Jean
later noted Rock's comment in his own reflection on exotic dancers, "Perfect Gentleman".
(1983), which told the story of blue-collar worker Alexandra (Alex) Owens (Jennifer Beals
), who works as an exotic dancer in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
bar at night and at a steel mill as a welder during the day. Blaze
(1989) features Lolita Davidovitch as notorious stripper Blaze Starr
. Starr herself appears in the film in a cameo role. Exotica
(1994), directed by Atom Egoyan
, is set in a Canadian lap-dance club, and portrays a man's (Bruce Greenwood
) obsession with a schoolgirl
stripper named Christina (Mia Kirshner
). Showgirls
(1995) was directed by Paul Verhoeven and starred Elizabeth Berkley
and Gina Gershon
. Striptease
(1996), was an adaptation of the novel starring Demi Moore
. The Players Club
(1998) starred LisaRaye as a girl who becomes a stripper to earn enough money to enter college and study journalism.
In Jekyll and Hyde
(1997), the character of Lucy Harris (originally portrayed by Linda Eder
) works as a prostitute and stripper in a small London club called The Red Rat, where she meets a multi-dimension man named Doctor Henry Jekyll, who turns into his evil persona Mr. Edward Hyde. Lucy performs the song ‘Bring on the Men’ during a show at the Red Rat (which was later replaced with ‘Good ‘n’ Evil’ in the Broadway production, some claiming ‘Bring on the Men’ was too ‘risqué’.). In Neighbours
(1985), the character of Daphne
is originally a stripper at Des's bucks party, and eventually goes on to marry him. Married... with Children
(1987–97) often featured Al Bundy
, Jefferson D'Arcy, and the NO MA'AM crew spending a night at the Nudie Bar. Business was often conducted at the Bada Bing
strip club during the six season run of The Sopranos
(1999–2007).
(2000) is a feature film starring Daryl Hannah
. The female cast of the film researched the film by dancing at strip clubs and created their parts and their storylines to be as realistic as possible. The Raymond Revuebar the Art of Striptease (2002) is a documentary, directed by Simon Weitzman. Los Debutantes
(2003) is a Chile
an film set in a strip-club in Santiago
. Portraits of a Naked Lady Dancer (2004) is a documentary, directed by Deborah Rowe. In Closer
(2004), Natalie Portman
plays Alice, a young stripper just arrived in London from America. Crazy Horse Le Show (2004) features dance routines from the Crazy Horse, Paris. I Know Who Killed Me
(2007) stars Lindsay Lohan
as Dakota Moss, an alluring stripper involved in the machinations of a serial killer, and features a long striptease sequence at a strip club. In 2009 a DVD called, "Crazy Horse Paris" featuring Dita Von Teese
was released. Barely Phyllis is a play on Phyllis Dixey
which was first staged at the Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
in 2009. Stripsearch
(2001-), an ongoing Australian reality television
show which centers around the training of male strippers. Degrassi: The Next Generation
(2007), In the two part season 6 finale titled Don't You Want Me, Alex Nunez
resorts to stripping after her mother and herself do not have enough money to pay the rent on their apartment.
. It was featured on the television show The Sopranos
. The club is actually a go-go bar, serving alcohol with dancers, and it does not offer nudity
. It is called "Satin Dolls" in real life, but is known more universally around the world and in the show as "The Bada Bing
". The Gold Club was an Atlanta, Georgia
adult entertainment club receiving national attention for the indictment of several of its owners, managers, and employees. The Gold Club trial received significant attention because numerous significant professional athletes were called to testify. The club was closed after the convictions of its owner, managers, and employees.
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club
in Las Vegas
has been billed as the world's largest strip club. In 2006 it sold at auction for US$80 million. Tampa, Florida
is well known for its strip clubs, including the famous Mons Venus
. Howard Stern
, a radio host and television personality, makes frequent mention of 'Rick's Cabaret' which operates in several cities. Bangkok
and Pattaya
in Thailand
are world famous for their go bars offering a variety of extra services.
portal posted a list of the top 10 strip clubs in the world. According to their criteria, which included aesthetics, quality of girls, services, and such, the top clubs at the time were:
U.S. style striptease remains a global phenomenon and culturally accepted form of entertainment, despite its scrutiny in legal circles and popular media. Over half of clubs still open from the list are located outside of the United States. Popular internet sites for strip club enthusiasts also have Top Club lists calculated from input from their online visitors. The Ultimate Strip Club List has a Top 100 Strip Clubs list, generated by analyzing the ratings for all of its clubs as entered by individual reviewers. Its list regularly includes strip clubs from outside of the U.S. and the site details clubs from countries across six continents. The Strip Club Network, owned by strip club conglomerate Deja Vu
, calculates its online Strip Club List: Top 100 Clubs, by the total number of views that each club information page has received on their website.
, which has been known to use legitimate business as fronts for its illegal operations.
of the U.S. based on common law
, motivations for law suits can range from legitimate legal grounds to cases filed with the intent of shaping case law
to favor the socio-political aims of special interest groups
. Clubs around the country have personnel and clientele that are purported to engage in not only sex acts on the premises, but also drug use and other criminalized activities. Incidents of such activity vary widely. Their prevalence is dependent on regional differences in the attitudes of management, entertainers, customers, and law enforcement. Strip clubs are obligated to enforce age limits for entry to the clubs and consumption of alcohol. If a club is found to have served a person under the age of 21 alcohol it can have its liquor license suspended or rescinded for repeated violations. Licenses can also be lost due to evidence of drug use in the club. Club owners have closed their businesses as a result of losing a liquor license.
A widely cited U.S. local ordinance is San Diego (California) Municipal Code 33.3610, specific and strict in response to allegations of corruption among local officials, which included contacts in the nude entertainment industry. Among its provisions is the "six foot rule", copied by other municipalities in requiring that dancers maintain a six foot distance from patrons while performing. Fully nude clubs may be subject to additional requirements, such as restrictions on alcohol sales and no-touch rules between customers and dancers. To circumvent these rules, two "separate" bars—one topless and one fully nude—may open adjacent to one another. In a small number of states and jurisdictions where it is legal for alcohol to be consumed but not sold, some clubs still allow customers to bring their own beverages
.
Still other rules forbid "full nudity" in certain districts, which can vary among different areas within the same town. Some parts of the USA have laws forbidding the exposure of female nipple
s or even areola
s, thus requiring female dancers to cover these with pasties
. These laws are not, however, known to be applied to the exposure of male nipples. Managers, dancers, and other club workers can be cited or arrested by local or federal authorities for violating nudity, drug, and other violations. In February 2010, the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan
banned fully exposed breasts in its strip clubs, following the example of Houston, Texas
, which began enforcing a similar ordinance in 2008. The Detroit city council has since softened the rules; eliminating the requirement for pasties but keeping other restrictions. Both municipalities were reputed to have suffered rampant occurrences of illicit activities, including prostitution
, all linked to striptease establishments within their cities' limits. Detroit has also drawn attention from the federal government for incidents of human trafficking
in its strip clubs. The state of Missouri recently passed a similar law to that of Houston and Detroit banning full nudity in strip clubs across the state.
Strip clubs have also received attention in the Americas outside of the United States. There have been annual attempts to amend the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
(IRPA), passed in 2001. The 2009 version of the bill (Bill C-45: An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) had specific provisions related to tightening the issuance of exotic dancer visas as a means to combat human trafficking
. In August 2009 one of Rio de Janeiro's most notorious clubs, the Help discothèque, was closed by the city in its bid to clean up the area before its hosting of the 2014 World Cup. The move was also seen as related to its ultimately successful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics
. Officials in Rio de Janeiro threatened in November 2009 to sue American comedian Robin Williams
for disparaging comments made on a late night talk show
. His comments on its Olympics bid, "Rio sent 50 strippers and a pound of blow. It wasn't really fair, you know?" was replayed several times on news shows in Brazil and prompted a public response from its mayor. The Olympic Committee for Rio had its lawyers investigate whether there were grounds for a law suit but no charges were filed.
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In 2009, the United Kingdom passed the Policing and Crime Act
following concerns about the expansion in the number of live sex entertainment venues across its territories. Any strip club where live entertainment takes place more than 11 times a year must now apply for a license from its local authorities. The Irish
government had, at one time, special visa categories for 'entertainers,' which enabled the trafficking of women for strip clubs and prostitution.
In 2001, the former immigration chief in Cyprus
was found guilty of accepting bribes to issue work permits to foreign women (in this case from Ukraine
), to work as strippers in clubs, with some forced into prostitution. Throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands, studies have shown that Russian individuals and organized crime groups are importing women from Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Central Europe into the Russian sex industry to work in stripping, prostitution, peep and show club services, and massage and escort services, among others.
In March 2010, Iceland
outlawed striptease. Johanna Sigurðardottir
, Iceland's prime minister, said: "The Nordic countries are leading the way on women's equality, recognizing women as equal citizens rather than commodities for sale." The politician behind the bill, Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir
, said: "It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."
) can be much more pronounced. Common incidents of strip club crime in Eastern Europe and Asia involve customers being quoted a price upon entering a club, only to find out later that management expects a much higher payment before customers are permitted to leave. Intimidation and possibly the threat of violence are used to compel customers to comply.
Similar to Canada and Ireland, the Japanese government had special visa categories for 'entertainers,' which enabled the trafficking of women for strip clubs and prostitution.
In South Africa there has been public controversy over incidents of prostitution and violence related to its strip clubs. 17 customers were arrested during a raid at a strip club in Cape Town
in June 2010 for committing unspecified illegal acts. 35 Eastern European dancers were also arrested for working at the club without the correct documents.
In 2008, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
in Sydney, Australia reported 1,600 people were charged with committing a range of 27 criminal offenses in the state's "places of worship". Oddly, the figures showed only 282 people were charged with the same offenses in premises classified as adult entertainment establishments. A breakdown of the statistical figures showed that 85 people were assaulted in places of worship, compared to 66 at adult entertainment locations. Incidents of both sexual assault and harassing and threatening behavior were also greater at places of worship. The report included churches, synagogues, monasteries, mosques, convents, cathedrals and chapels as places of worship. Premises listed as adult entertainment sites included strip clubs, sex shop
s, brothel
s, massage parlor
s, gay clubs, gaming houses
, and gambling
clubs. The bureau's interpretation was that people were just as likely to be assaulted or robbed in the sanctity of a church as they were in sex industry venues.
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
or bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
style, but can also adopt a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
or cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
-style.
American-style strip clubs began to appear outside of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, arriving in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in the late 1940s and Europe in 1950, where they competed against the local English and French styles of striptease and erotic performances. As of 2005, the size of the global strip club industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
was estimated to be US$75 billion. In 2002, the size of the U.S. strip club industry was estimated to be US$3.1 billion, generating 19% of the total gross revenue in legal adult entertainment. SEC filing
SEC filing
An SEC filing is a financial statement or other formal document submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . Public companies, certain insiders, and broker-dealers are required to make regular SEC filings. Investors and financial professionals rely on these filings for information...
s and state liquor control records available at that time indicated that there were at least 2,500 strip clubs in the United States, and since that time, the number of clubs in the U.S. has grown. Profitability of strip clubs, as with other service-oriented businesses, is largely driven by location and customer spending habits. The better appointed a club is, in terms of its quality of facilities, equipment, furniture, and other elements, the more likely customers are to encounter cover charges and fees for premium features such as VIP rooms. The popularity of a given club is an indicator of its quality, as is the word-of-mouth among customers who have visited a cross section of clubs in different regions.
The strip club as an outlet for salacious entertainment is a recurrent theme in popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. In some media, these clubs are portrayed primarily as gathering places of vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
and ill repute
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
. Clubs themselves and various aspects of the business are highlighted in these references. "Top Strip Club" lists in some media have demonstrated that U.S.-style striptease is a global phenomenon and a culturally accepted form of entertainment, despite its scrutiny in legal circles and popular media. Popular internet sites for strip club enthusiasts also have lists calculated from the inputs of site visitors. The legal status of strip clubs has evolved over the course of time, with national and local laws becoming progressively more liberal on the issue around the world, although some countries (such as Iceland) have implemented strict limits and bans. Strip clubs are frequent targets of litigation around the world, and the sex industry, which includes strip clubs, is a hot button issue in popular culture and politics. Some clubs have been linked to organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, which has been known to use legitimate business as fronts for its illegal operations.
History
Thomas Otway
Thomas Otway was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for Venice Preserv'd, or A Plot Discover'd .-Life:...
's comedy The Soldier's Fortune (1681) a character says: "Be sure they be lewd, drunken, stripping whores". Its combination with music seems to be as old. A conclusive description and visualization can be found in the 1720 German translation of the French La Guerre D'Espagne (Cologne: Pierre Marteau, 1707), where a galant
Galant
In music, Galant was a term referring to a style, principally occurring in the third quarter of the 18th century, which featured a return to classical simplicity after the complexity of the late Baroque era...
party of high aristocrats and opera singers has resorted to a small château where they entertain themselves with hunting, play and music in a three day turn:
Other possible influences on modern stripping were the dances of the Ghawazee
Ghawazee
The Ghawazi dancers of Egypt were a group of female traveling dancers of the Nawari people, a subgroup of the Dom people, sometimes referred to as "Gypsies"....
"discovered" and seized upon by French colonists in nineteenth century North Africa and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The erotic dance of the bee
Dance of the bee
For the honeybee dance, see Waggle dance.The dance of the bee or dance of the wasp was a provocative Egyptian dance, part of the repertoire of the dancing girls of the Ghawazee.It was perhaps not unlike the famous Dance of the seven veils....
, performed by a woman known as Kuchuk Hanem
Kuchuk Hanem
Kuchuk Hanem was a famed beauty and Ghawazee dancer of Esna, mentioned in two unrelated nineteenth-century accounts of travel to Egypt, the French novelist Gustave Flaubert and the American adventurer George William Curtis....
, was witnessed and described by the French novelist Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert was a French writer who is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary , and for his scrupulous devotion to his art and style.-Early life and education:Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen,...
. In this dance the performer disrobes as she searches for an imaginary bee trapped within her garments. It is likely that the women performing these dances did not do so in an indigenous context, but rather, responded to the commercial climate for this type of entertainment. Middle Eastern belly dance
Belly dance
Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
, also known as oriental dancing, was popularized in the United States after its introduction on the Midway
Midway (fair)
A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
at the 1893 World's Fair
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
by a dancer known as Little Egypt
Little Egypt (dancer)
Little Egypt was the stage name for three popular belly dancers. They had so many imitators, the name became synonymous with belly dancers generally.Farida Mazar Spyropoulos, Little Egypt was the stage name for three popular belly dancers. They had so many imitators, the name became synonymous with...
.
European tradition
In France during the late 19th century, Parisian shows such as the Moulin RougeMoulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
and Folies Bergère were featuring attractive, scantily-clad, dancing women and tableaux vivants. In this environment, an act featuring a woman slowly removing her clothes in a vain search for a flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
crawling on her body was seen in 1895 and possibly filmed in 1897 by the first female director, Alice Guy. This routine, Le coucher d'Yvette, inspired "French acts" in theaters and brothels in other parts of the world, seen in the U.S. city of New York as early as 1878. The first public act of striptease in modern times is credited to Parisian theater in 1894. In 1905, Dutch dancer Mata Hari
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
, later shot as a spy by the French authorities during World War I, was an overnight success from the debut of her act at the Musée Guimet. The most celebrated segment of her act was her progressive shedding of clothing until she wore just a jeweled bra
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
and some ornaments over her arms and head. Another landmark performance was the appearance at the Moulin Rouge in 1907 of an actress called Germaine Aymos who entered dressed only in three very small shells. In the 1930s, the famous Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
danced semi-nude in the danse sauvage at the Folies and other such performances were provided at the Tabarin
Tabarin
Tabarin was the street name assumed by the most famous of the Parisian street charlatans, Anthoine Girard , who amused his audiences in the Place Dauphine by farcical dialogue with his brother Philippe , with whom he reaped a golden harvest by the sale of quack medicines for several years after 1618...
. These shows were notable for their sophisticated choreography and for often dressing the girls in glitzy sequins and feathers. By the 1960s "fully nude" shows were provided at such places as Le Crazy Horse Saloon
Crazy Horse (cabaret)
Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show...
.
Laura Henderson
Laura Henderson rose to prominence in the 1930s when, as a wealthy and eccentric widow, she founded the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street in partnership with Vivian van Damm; they went on to turn it into a British institution, famed for its pioneering tableaux vivants of...
began presenting nude shows at the Windmill Theatre
Windmill Theatre
The Windmill Theatre, later The Windmill International, was a variety and revue theatre in Great Windmill Street, London. The theatre was famous for its nude tableaux vivants...
in London. At that time, British law prohibited naked girls from moving. To avoid the prohibition, the models appeared in stationary tableaux vivants. The Windmill girls also toured other London and provincial theatres, sometimes using ingenious devices such as rotating ropes to move their bodies round, though strictly speaking, staying within the letter of the law by not moving of their own volition. Another example of ways that the shows stayed within the law was the fan dance
Fan dance
A fan dance is a dance performed with one or more fans. This form has been adapted in various countries. The Korean fan dance, for example, evolved from Joseon Dynasty court dances and remains a popular form of traditional Korean dance. The Spanish or Portuguese flamenco makes dramatic use of fans...
, in which a naked dancer's body was concealed by her fans and those of her attendants, until the end of her act in when she posed naked for a brief interval whilst standing still.
In 1942 Phyllis Dixey
Phyllis Dixey
Phyllis Dixey was a British singer, dancer and impresario. Her earlier career was as a singer in variety shows in Britain. During World War II, she joined ENSA and entertained the British forces...
formed her own company of girls and rented the Whitehall Theatre in London to put on a review called The Whitehall Follies. By the 1950s touring striptease acts were used to attract audiences to the dying music halls. Paul Raymond started his touring shows in 1951 and later leased the Doric Ballroom in Soho; opening his private members club, the Raymond Revuebar
Raymond Revuebar
The Raymond Revuebar was a theater and strip club at 11 Walker's Court, now The Box Soho, in the heart of London's Soho district. For many years, it was the only venue in London that offered full-frontal, on-stage nudity of the sort commonly seen in other cities in Europe and North America...
in 1958. This was the first of the private striptease members' clubs in Britain. Changes in the law in the 1960s brought about a boom of strip clubs in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
with 'fully nude' dancing and audience participation. Pubs were also used as venues, most particularly in the East End, with a concentration of such venues in the district of Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
. This pub striptease seems mainly to have evolved from topless go-go dancing. Though often a target of local authority harassment, some of these pubs survive to the present day. An interesting custom in these pubs is that the strippers walk 'round and collect money from customers in a beer jug before each individual performance. This custom appears to have originated in the late 1970s when topless go-go dancers first started collecting money from the audience as the fee for going "fully nude". Private dances of a more raunchy nature are sometimes available in a separate area of the pub.
American tradition
Traveling carnival
A traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
s and burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
theatres, and featured famous strippers such as Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act. She was also an actress, author, and playwright whose 1957 memoir was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy.-Early life:...
and Sally Rand
Sally Rand
Sally Rand was a burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck.-Early life and career:...
. The vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
trapeze artist, Charmion
Charmion
Laverie Vallee née Cooper , best known by her stage name Charmion, was an American vaudeville trapeze artist and strongwoman whose well-publicized suggestive performance was captured on film in 1901....
, performed a "disrobing" act onstage as early as 1896, which was captured in the 1901 Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
film, Trapeze Disrobing Act. Another milestone for modern American striptease was the possibly legendary show at Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque refers to the brand of American burlesque presented by four sons of Louis and Ethel Minksy: Abraham 'Abe' Bennett Minsky , Michael William 'Billy' Minsky , Herbert Kay Minsky , and Morton Minsky . They started in 1912 and ended in 1937 in New York City...
in April 1925: The Night They Raided Minsky's
The Night They Raided Minsky's
The Night They Raided Minsky's is a 1968 musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. It is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky's Burlesque in 1925...
. The Minsky brothers brought burlesque to New York's 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
. However, the burlesque theatres there were prohibited from having striptease performances in a legal ruling of 1937, leading to the later decline of these "grindhouse
Grindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
s" (named after the bump 'n grind entertainment on offer) into venues for exploitation cinema. Widespread bans on striptease had a direct influence on the creation of the strip clip joint
Clip joint
A clip joint or fleshpot is an establishment, usually a strip club or entertainment bar, typically one claiming to offer adult entertainment or bottle service, in which customers are tricked into paying money and receive poor goods or services, or none, in return...
and the exotic dancer as known today. Bans still exist; enforced now mostly at the local municipal level. American-style striptease began to appear outside of North America in the post-World War II era and is now practiced widely around the world.
The 1960s saw a revival of striptease in the form of topless go-go dancing
Go-Go dancing
Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at a discotheque. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s when women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City began to get up on tables and dance the twist...
. Topless dancing was banned in certain parts of the country, similar to the bans on striptease, but it eventually merged with the older tradition of burlesque dancing. Carol Doda
Carol Doda
Carol Ann Doda was a topless stripper in San Francisco, California in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era....
of the Condor Night Club
Condor Club
The Condor Night Club is a striptease bar or topless bar in the North Beach section of San Francisco, in California, USA. The club opened in 1964....
in the North Beach
North Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Russian Hill. The neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy, and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. It still holds many Italian restaurants today, though...
section of San Francisco is credited with being the first topless go-go dancer. The club opened in 1964 and Doda's première topless dance occurred on the evening of June 19 of that year. The large lit sign in front of the club featured a picture of her with red lights on her breasts. The club went "bottomless" on September 3, 1969; launching the trend of explicit "full nudity" in American striptease dancing. It was Doda's brand of dancing which is credited with the move from striptease to stripping. San Francisco is also the location of the notorious Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. Originally an X-rated
X-rated
In some countries, X is or has been a motion picture rating reserved for the most explicit films. Films rated X are intended only for viewing by adults, usually legally defined as people over the age of 17.-United Kingdom:...
movie theater, this striptease club pioneered lap dancing in 1980, and was a major force in popularizing it in strip clubs on a nationwide and eventually worldwide basis.
Asian tradition
The Japanese term for strip club, nūdo gekijo, literally means "nude theater". An older term was "sutorippu gekijo". American-style striptease became popular in Japan during the U.S. occupation after the end of World War II (1945–1952). Some girls chose to strip in theaters as an alternative to prostitution. When entrepreneur Shigeo Ozaki saw Gypsy Rose LeeGypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act. She was also an actress, author, and playwright whose 1957 memoir was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy.-Early life:...
perform, he started his own striptease revue in Tokyo's Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
neighborhood. Teitoza was the first club to open in Shinjuku, on 15 January 1947. The first act was titled "The Birth of Venus". Each performance lasted for fifteen seconds and was modest by modern standards, incorporating veils, panties and a bra which covered much of what would be shown today. The woman on stage stood in a stationary pose, similar to shows in Britain. The show ran until August 1948. Theaters in Asakusa had fully nude displays, also featuring no motion or stripping. As this style of theater spread, the removal of clothing on stage was integrated into the process.
Over time, as regulations were relaxed, a variety of acts developed with shows presenting a variety of movements such as taking a bath in an outdoor washtub. One of the most famous variants had audience members given magnifying glasses for close up views. During the 1950s, Japanese "strip shows" became more sexually explicit and less dance-oriented, until they were eventually simply live sex shows. The strip shows in Tokyo during this time remained low key, but Osaka and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
were pushing the art of striptease in Japan into new territory. In 1956, Osaka became the first city in Japan to have pubic hair on display during a strip show. Dotonbori is a well known red light district in Osaka, Japan that has featured entertainment theaters and prostitution for hundreds of years. The strip clubs of today are the latest incarnation of its temptations. Peeping clubs, which feature peeping rooms (nozokibeya), are businesses where a customer views a girl through a hole from his own private cubicle. The customer then pays to watch a girl strip, pose, and masturbate. Kabukichō, a red light district
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
in Tokyo, had 13 nozoki-beya in the early 1980s. The sex industry became so pervasive in Asia that by the 1990s that Kabukichō was described as a warren of peep shows, strip clubs, and massage parlors and Bangkok, Thailand had attained the reputation as the sex capital of the world.
Types
Stripping is typically associated with female performers; male stripperMale stripper
Until the 1970s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences. Since then, male strippers, performing to female audiences, have also become common. Male and female strippers also perform for gay and lesbian audiences respectively, as well as for both...
s make up less than a third of the professional community. American-style strip clubs are often structured as nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s or bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. High-end establishments are commonly referred to as "gentlemen's clubs", complete with luxury
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
features and services. More down-market competitors can be known by various names, such as titty bars, rippers, peelers, skin bars, girly bars, nudie bars, bikini bars or go-go bars. Sometimes, they are referred to as men's clubs (not to be confused with working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s).
Regardless of size, name, or location in the world, strip clubs can be full nude, topless or bikini. Where offered:
- Full nude – The male or female performer is fully nude by the end of the performance.
- Topless – The female performer's upper body is exposed but the genital area remains covered during a performance.
- BikiniBikiniThe bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
– The female performer's breasts and genital area remains covered. Or the male's genital area remains covered. Go go bars are bikini establishments.
For any of the three types of clubs there are exceptions based on the individual dancer and management. The use of pasties
Pasties
Pasties are adhesive coverings applied to cover a woman's nipples and areolae. Though pasties are commonly associated with burlesque and erotic entertainment, they are also at times worn as an undergarment and occasionally as beachwear.Some women wear pasties when wearing a strapless or backless...
can alter the legal interpretation as to whether a performance is topless or not and whether a business is sexually oriented.
Stripteases and lapdancing
Unlike in burlesque theater, the modern popular form of strip theater can minimize the interaction of customer and dancer, reducing the importance of tease in the performance in favor of speed to undress. Most clubs have a dancer rotation where each dancer in turn will perform for one or more songs in a fixed sequence which repeats during a shift. Less formal clubs will have dancers take turns when a stage becomes empty or have a free flow of entertainers where the stage has any number of entertainers who wander off and on at will. Featured entertainers are not usually part of the rotation and they generally have set times when they will perform that are advertised throughout the shift. If a DJ is present, he or she will emcee the rotation and typically announce the current dancer(s) on stage and possibly who to expect in future sets. In peep shows, done with a customer seated in a private booth separated from a dancer by glass or plastic, there may be no music playing during a performance. In clubs which offer lingerie modeling shows, which are peep shows where a dancer privately dances and strips for a customer, typically without a barrier, performances can also be done with or without a formal stage or music.A club might also hire or broadcast forms of entertainment other than striptease (such as pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
events), for which it earns revenue via premium fees. Some clubs have also moved into providing chat and broadcast services via the internet, including live video feeds. Beyond this more passive entertainment, some clubs' dancers offer additional services, such as lap dance
Lap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
s or trips to the champagne room, for a set fee rather than for tips. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a fixed amount of time. Lap dances may also be offered during lingerie modeling sessions. During a lap dance, the dancer rubs against the customer's crotch while he or she (typically he) remains clothed, in an attempt to arouse or bring the recipient to climax. Touching of strippers is not permitted in many localities, however, some dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. In some parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, and thus dancers must cover their nipples with pasties
Pasties
Pasties are adhesive coverings applied to cover a woman's nipples and areolae. Though pasties are commonly associated with burlesque and erotic entertainment, they are also at times worn as an undergarment and occasionally as beachwear.Some women wear pasties when wearing a strapless or backless...
to comply with those laws. Such clubs are known as pastie clubs.
Cultural norms and policies
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand, the Nana Entertainment Plaza in downtown Bangkok is a large, four-floor compound with over 40 bars. Most of the bars are go-go bars with dancers in various stages of nudity. They are not formal brothels, since customers must negotiate without an intermediary, directly with the dancers, for services up to and including sex. Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland has legalized prostitution and its strip clubs throughout the city offer sex among their services. Differing from Zurich brothels, sex services via the strip clubs are typically performed off site. Eastern European strip clubs have a similar model. A .34 square kilometer "sex zone" in Tokyo, Japan had approximately 3,500 sex facilities as of 1999. These included strip theaters, peep shows, "soaplands", "lover's banks", porno shops, telephone clubs, karaoke bars, clubs and more all offering adult entertainment services. In Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, a nation governed by very strict cultural norms and laws, there are several Indian strip clubs offering at least partial nudity.
Dancers may tie their state of undress to the number of songs played. This could correspond to a bikini performance for song one and topless for the second. In a fully nude club, the sequence could be topless-to-nude over two songs, or any one of a number of other variations. In the United States clubs are classified based on typical performances, zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
regulations, and advertised services. Zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
regulations in the U.S. can prove a challenge, with clubs needing to be a certain distance away from schools and other areas where minor children are known to congregate. These restrictions are meant, ostensibly, to curb exposure to activities that could negatively impact social development of children and to protect nearby real estate properties not tied to the industry from devalueation. These are known as "secondary effects". The validity of secondary effects has been disputed, with the counterargument that clubs have been forced through zoning into "seedy neighborhoods". Elsewhere in North America, the Zona Norte
Zona Norte (Tijuana)
Zona Norte is a red light district located in Tijuana, Mexico. It is known for its brothels, street prostitution, and illicit drug sales. Due to its proximity to San Diego, California, it is frequented by US citizens as well as locals...
red light district in Tijuana, Mexico has a number of legal brothels which are modeled on strip clubs and feature U.S.-style striptease performed by its prostitutes.
Facilities, features and services
Most strip clubs are located in buildings that are converted bars, restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, or warehouses, or had industrial uses. The original layout of the building will affect the physical layout of a club. The more money that has been invested in a facility, the more it resembles a dedicated club. Regardless of the floorplan, as interactive theater, there are features every strip club will have. They include: performers (strippers), a floor area where the customers will congregate, and some form of staging for the striptease performance.
Higher-end gentlemen's clubs have features that cost millions of dollars to install and maintain.
General admission areas
The floor area is open for general admission. A customer is free to wander around the club, except for employee areas and premium lounges. To access premium lounges (sometimes called VIP, champagne, other lounges), a customer would normally be charged a fee above the cover charge. In some cases, the employee and premium lounges are dual use. For example, a manager's office might also double as the VIP room.All clubs are configured differently. A small club can have a single room, with an improvised stage for the striptease show. Many clubs have more than the basic amenities. Larger clubs have clearer designations of areas. The different areas within a club could be separated by a physical step, built-in railing, platforms and levels, doorways, distinct rooms, and entirely separate floors, and they can also be formed by different carpeting, placement of seating, or physical implements such as a rope or other physical marker.
Floor and seating
Most entertainment takes place in the main floor area, and this is where performers and staff can interact with patrons. Customers get comfortable in this area and from their observations, they decide which club services they will use. The main stage is visible from the main floor, and the main bar is accessible, if one is present. Patrons can usually select from open seating and some clubs will have staff to assist with seating. If premium seating is provided, club staff will usually manage access to those areas. Depending on the day, time and staffing levels, accessibility of the general admission areas may vary. Larger clubs will rope off or otherwise close sections of the club to customers unless the size of the crowd warrants use of the space. Larger clubs could have multiple floor, bar, seating, and staging areas which are managed in a similar manner.Strip clubs are profit-oriented businesses like restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and other retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
establishments and dancers are their primary vehicle to entice customers to spend time and money in the establishment. The dancers continually interact with the customers in the club by walking around and attempting to solicit drinks and lap dances, usually scanning the floor of a club to find the most lucrative customer to greet. While clubs can generate revenue through means such as cover charges and the cost of drink, dancers make most of their profit from giving lap dance
Lap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
s or VIP dances where regulations allow. Otherwise customer tips to dancers from a stage set are their primary form of payment per shift. The dancer qualifies a customer by sizing up his appearance
Human physical appearance
Human physical appearance refers to the outward phenotype or look of human beings. There are infinite variations in human phenotypes, though society reduces the variability to distinct categories...
and personal characteristics. Once the dancer identifies her mark, she approaches and attempts to establish a social relationship with a customer. Customers can also make move first and engage a dancer directly.
Main stage
A main stage is where a featured performer will dance as part of a rotation. In most clubs the main stage is a dominant feature of the layout and the center of activity. A common type of strip club main stage is the thrust stageThrust stage
In theatre, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area...
, also known as a runway
Runway (fashion)
Runway or catwalk describes a narrow, usually flat platform that runs into an auditorium, used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show In fashion jargon, "what's on the catwalk" or similar phrasing can refer to whatever is new and popular in fashion.- Exclusive...
stage, but the other major forms are also used regularly. Theatre in the round
Theatre in the round
Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
is also a popular form of strip club staging for the main stage. During each set of one or more songs, the current performer will dance on stage in exchange for tips. Dancers collect tips from customers either while on stage, or after the dancer has finished a stage show and is mingling with the audience. A customary tip (where customers can do so at the stage) is a dollar bill folded lengthwise and placed in the dancer's garter
Garter (stockings)
Garters are articles of clothing: narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg, used to keep up stockings, and sometimes socks. Normally just a few inches in width, they are usually made of leather or heavy cloth, and adorned with small bells and/or ribbons...
from the tip rail, referred to in slang as "ringside", "gynecology row", "pervert row" and other names. The area of the tip rail is equivalent to the apron
Apron stage
The apron is any part of the stage that extends past the proscenium arch and into the audience or seating area. The Elizabethan stage, which was a raised platform with the audience on three sides, is the outstanding example....
in traditional theatre.
Many stages will have actual railing built on or around the stage to function as the tip railing, in addition to indicating where a customer should position themselves relative to the performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
zone. Customers will take turns tipping the dancer, and sometimes form lines to tip popular performers. If physical railing is not present, the tip rail is the edge of stage or defined performance area. Other common tip methods are to insert the dollar into the stripper's cleavage
Cleavage (breasts)
Cleavage, anatomically known as the intramammary cleft, is the space between a woman's breasts lying over the sternum. Cleavage is exposed by a garment with a low neckline, such as ball gowns, evening gowns, swimwear, casual tops and other garments....
from the hand or mouth, to simply place it or toss it on stage, or more directly to crumple bills into a ball shape and throw them in the direction of the entertainer. Each club and dancer may have individual tolerance levels for customer interaction, including tipping. Some clubs have multiple stages on the premises. Tipping etiquette varies between countries and cultures. In Eastern European and Asian clubs it is customary to agree on payment upfront for a certain amount of time or dances, for stage performances and any private sessions.
Optional staging
Satellite staging includes one or more areas where a stripper can perform other than a main stage and private dances. Larger clubs can have elaborate staging layouts with multiple stage areas distributed around a club and multiple dancers rotating between them per song. Some strip clubs consider ad-hoc performances on satellite stages, paid for by a customer on a per song basis, a form of private dance. Rules at the satellite stages on the main floor tend to be the same as the main stage. In some cases, the layout is significantly different allowing more or less access to the customer. If a satellite stage is located in a premium access zone, access to the dancer could be considerably greater since the higher level of service can include a less restrictive policy than enforced on the main floor. Lap danceLap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
, peep show
Peep show
A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. Though historically a peep show was a form of entertainment provided by wandering showmen, nowadays it more commonly refers a presentation of a sex show or pornographic film...
, and lingerie modeling clubs might only have satellite stages with pay to play
Pay to Play
Pay to play, sometimes pay for play, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities...
entertainment options on their premises.
Novelty acts (such as shower shows, fire shows, and oil wrestling) can be presented on dedicated stages, temporary staging on the floor, or on the main stage itself depending on the club. The main stage if used would need to be prepared and possibly covered to prevent damage, as accidents and injuries have been reported during these types of advanced striptease performances. When dangerous materials such as fire are used as props a permit
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
may be required to be compliant with local ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
s. Novelty acts are typically performed by feature dancers or by select house dancers during a featured performance. Shower shows require special equipment, so they are more likely to have a dedicated stage in the club with house dancers performing in the show. Optional staging can be present on the main floor or in dedicated rooms throughout larger clubs.
Bars and counters
A full bar is the primary service mechanism for clubs that offer alcoholic beverageAlcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s. In many clubs the main bar is the second most dominant element on the floor after the main stage, and in some cases the main (or satellite) stage is built into the bar. Clubs can derive large percentages of their income from drink purchases. For both Rick's Cabaret and VCGH, Inc., service revenues were the single largest revenue source, with sales of alcoholic beverages second. VCGH earned 18% more and RICK 27.5% more in service revenue than alcohol sales. The amounts are closer when food and merchandise sales are considered, with RICK reporting a smaller gap between the two revenue sources relative to VCGH. Upscale clubs that offer food can have free-standing or built-in bars for buffet
Buffet
A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
service. Otherwise, food orders might be taken at the main bar or by waitstaff.
Consumption of alcohol is often facilitated via direct sales in strip clubs where such sales are legal, appropriately zoned
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, and licensed
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
. Some clubs that are not licensed to serve alcohol will work around the restriction by implementing a bring your own beverage (BYOB)
BYOB
BYOB is an acronym most commonly meant to stand for "bring your own bottle", "bring your own booze" "bring your own bucket" or "bring your own beer"....
policy and a juice bar. Juice bars have the appointments of full bars but only serve non-alcoholic beverages such as water, fruit juice, and flavored carbonated beverages. Such a bar could double as a service counter for the storage of BYOB material and offer ice and mixing services to create mixed drinks using the customer-purchased ingredients. Where waitstaff are present, they may serve as an extension of the bar service; providing and refreshing drinks while maintaining the cleanliness of the seating areas.
Other floor areas
Many clubs have a lobby area where the cover charge, if any, is collected by a doorman or doorwoman and security personnel can do a quick check of prospective customers as they enter the facility. GameGame
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s are also a common feature of strip clubs. Arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
and gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
machines are popular features, as are pool tables. Some clubs also have dedicated areas of the main floor dedicated to performing private dance services.
Private dances in the main club zones most often take the form of table dance
Table dance
Table dance, or bartop dancing, is typically an erotic dance performed at a patron's table, as opposed to on a stage. In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a lap dance, due to laws preventing exotic dancers from making contact with customers...
s, lap and couch dances
Lap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
, and bed dances among others. An air dance is a particular form of private dance where little-to-no contact between the dancer and customer occurs. This class of dance spans the different categories above and some dancers may perform air dances when more contact-heavy forms of dance were expected and paid for. Club management may set standard prices for the various dance services, but individual strippers, where permitted, will negotiate their own prices, which may be higher or lower than the advertised rate. Table dances are distinguished from other forms of dances in that they can be performed where the customer is seated, on the main floor. Table dance may also refer to a form of minimal-touch private dance where the performer is physically located on a small table in front of the customer(s). Table dances should not be confused with table stages, where the stripper is at or above eye level on a platform surrounded by chairs and usually enough table surface for customers to place drinks and tip money.
Where offered, lap dances are performed in all manner of locations and seating, ranging from plain stools and kitchen-grade chairs to plush leather armchairs. They can also be performed with the customer standing in these designated areas. A service provided by many clubs is for a customer to be placed on stage with one or more dancers for a public lap dance. Occasions for this type of performance are bachelor parties and birthdays, among others. Bed dance areas require more space because they are designed for the customer to be prone with the entertainer(s) positioned on top of them. Bed dances are the least common of the three, and in many clubs are a more expensive option than a lap dance because of the novelty and increased level of contact between customer and service provider.
Premium access zones
Access to certain parts of a strip club can require payment of an additional fee, or can be by invitation. These areas offer features that are not present in the general admission areas. This approach might allow a club to offer different types and standards of services in the various areas, or to comply with local laws. In this setting, VIPVery Important Person
A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
s such as high rollers or persons of a wider popular celebrity, may receive complimentary services according to their notoriety with the club personnel.
VIP seating adjacent to the main floor is often more comfortable. For example, arm chairs or couches may be provided, and may include booths with service tables. The area typically has a clear line of sight to the main stage. Reserve seating gives a customer a sense of importance and demonstrates prestige. In higher-end clubs, VIP
VIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
seating might include balconies and other overlooks, which might also include smaller stages for a private dance if the customer wishes, at an additional fee. VIP seating can also act as lap dance booths, where a higher lap dance price would apply than in the general area.
VIP rooms are partitioned areas in a club that are typically enclosed by fixed walls and can have doors that close completely. For such rooms that do not offer solid doors, there is usually some type of blind system with stringed beads
Bead stringing
Bead stringing is the putting of beads on string.It can range from simply sliding a single bead onto any thread-like medium to complex creations that have multiple strands or interwoven levels...
, curtain
Curtain
A curtain is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or water in the case of a shower curtain. Curtains hung over a doorway are known as portières...
s, or other screening implements. Couch rooms, private dance rooms, and lounges are also forms of VIP zones. VIP rooms have seating that is more plush than the general admission zones and the VIP seating adjacent to the main floor. Often, purchase of access to the room includes customer time with the dancer(s) of their choice. Some rooms are outfitted with props and appliances, such as showers, hot tubs, and various types of bedding.
A champagne room (also called a champagne lounge, or champagne court) is a specialized VIP Room service offered by gentleman's clubs where a customer can purchase time (usually in half-hour increments) with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises. Depending on the quality of the club, these rooms, which are typically away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, are generally well decorated and usually appointed with a private bar. Clubs sell champagne by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer. Some clubs also offer a food and/or cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
service. News media outlets have reported incidents of champagne room charges into the tens and hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars for a single visit.
Limited access zones
Portions of the club used only for the operationBusiness operations
Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders...
and maintenance
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
typically have access restricted to staff and performers. These include (but are not limited to) management offices, employee booths, performer dressing rooms, and service areas, such as the kitchen and behind the bar. This business practice does not differ significantly from what is seen in other customer service businesses such as retail stores and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s. More frequently seen booths are entry booths, where security staff monitor customers entering and leaving the club and collect the cover charge
Cover charge
At bars and nightclubs, or restaurants with live entertainment a flat fee for entry, sometimes known as a cover charge, is made, in addition to payment for food and drink...
, and the DJ booth, where the DJ operates. The DJ booth contains sound, lighting, and other equipment which is used to "orchestrate the crowd" by adjusting the club environment, and is equivalent to a control room
Control room
A control room is a room serving as an operations centre where a facility or service can be monitored and controlled. Examples include:*in television production, the master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations, television networks...
in a traditional theater.
Dancers use dressing rooms to prepare for performances, rest between performances, and stow any of their belongings not secured by other means. It is customary for disputes between club personnel to be handled off the floor and out of sight of patrons. Dressing rooms are commonly used for performer-only mediation, though this could shift into other areas of discussion if management is involved. Clubs are experimenting with granting greater access to restricted areas via technology. The service includes a live view into part of the backstage dressing room and paid access enables the website user to interact live with dancers at the club. Security of club asset
Asset
In financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset...
s and personnel are a primary driver for limiting access to these zones. If surveillance equipment
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
for the club and grounds is present on site, the monitoring locations for the audio/video
Audio-visual
The term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
feeds will be directed to management. In less frequent cases such feeds could also be accessed from off-site.
Performers
Performers are called strippers, exotic dancers, just dancers, or entertainers. Strippers are the primary draw for any club. Dancers effectively entertaining customers are the key to generating revenue by keeping customers on site and enticing them to be repeat visitors. The image of strippers (as known today) evolved through the late 1960's and 1970's in the U.S. and international cultures that embraced Americanized striptease; introduced into popular culture by the genre-defining performances of Carol DodaCarol Doda
Carol Ann Doda was a topless stripper in San Francisco, California in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era....
. By the 1980s, the pole dancing and highly explicit imagery associated with today's performers was widely accepted and frequently portrayed in film, television, and theater. House dancers work for a particular club or franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, touring a club circuit and making appearances. Porn stars will often become feature dancers to earn extra income and build their fan base. High profile adult film performers Jenna Haze
Jenna Haze
Jenna Haze is an American pornographic actress. She entered the adult film industry in 2001 at the age of 19. Between 2002 and 2005, she was a contract girl for the film company Jill Kelly Productions. During most of her time at the company, she performed exclusively with women, out of loyalty to...
and Teagan Presley
Teagan Presley
Teagan Presley is an American pornographic actress. Her stage name in part comes from her parents initially wanting to call her "Teagan" and in part as an homage to Lisa Marie Presley.- Career :...
, among others, have participated in feature shows through the USA, as did now-retired stars such as Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
.
Work environments
In some localities strippers are required to obtain permits to work in adult entertainment. During a bikini performance, both breasts and genital areas typically remain covered by revealing attire, while dancers provide services and entertainment. Go-go dancers will retain their tops and bottoms for the duration of their performance. A female stripper whose upper bodyTorso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
is exposed, but whose genital areas remain obscured during a performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, is said to be topless. Strippers who uncover the genital areas along with other clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
during a performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
are said to be dancing fully nude. The fully nude practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers work around these constraint
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
s by selective uncovering of the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
, anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
, or both, for short periods of time, followed by immediate replacement of the clothing. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless or fully nude.
Strippers can sometimes be contracted for performances outside the strip club environment. Strippers with ready access to the Internet away from work have also adopted social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
and networks as a less intrusive way of maintaining direct connections with customers. Others use the internet to generate revenue by performing via webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
, recording premium content, or running their own subscriber-based web site. Online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
erotic content is pervasive and generally classified as pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they provide during private parties. Aside from advertising for striptease services outside of the club, an unknown percentage of strippers also work in other aspects of the sex industry
Sex industry
The sex industry consists of businesses which either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment...
. This can include erotic and nude modeling, pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, escorting
Escort agency
Escort agencies are companies that provide escorts for the agency's clients. The agency typically arranges a meeting between one of its escorts and the client at the customer's house or hotel room , or at the escort's residence . Some agencies also provide escorts for longer durations, who may stay...
, and in some cases prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. Outside of the U.S., the use of strip clubs to facilitate sex-for-hire is much more common and stripping in those settings is viewed as advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for sexually-oriented services that will be performed in either private areas of the club or off-premises
Premises
Premises are land and buildings together considered as a property. This usage arose from property owners finding the word in their title deeds, where it originally correctly meant "the aforementioned; what this document is about", from Latin prae-missus = "placed before".In this sense, the word is...
.
Social interaction
Research suggests that exotic dancing can pay well, but often at significant cost to the stripper. One reason for this is the negative stigma associated with exotic dancing. Not all dancers are affected equally. Some dancers manage this stigma by dividing "the social world" and only revealing part of their identity. By revealing only a part of themselves, strippers may avoid being characterized by the stigmatizing attributes associated with exotic dancing. Within the context of the strip club, dancers might sometimes give the impression that they are revealing private (or backstage) information to customers in order to play a confidence game for increased profit. Dancers use props such as make-up, clothing, costumes, and appealing fragrances to complete their character and maintain their "frontPersona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
" while in the club. Customers rarely, if ever, see the preparation of these props, since they are denied access to the backstage of a dancer's performance space by the layout of the club. A customer often wants a dancer to "drop the act", which makes him feel special and desired. This girlfriend experience
Girlfriend experience
The girlfriend experience is a type of service a female sex worker offers which includes acting like a girlfriend to the client.If the service provider is male, the service is called boyfriend experience....
can involve increased intimacy up to and including sex acts. Dancers are commonly aware of this customer desire
Desire (emotion)
Desire is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. Desire is the fire that sets action aflame. The same sense is expressed by emotions such as "craving" or "hankering". When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the...
for increased confidence, and may allow the impression that a customer is seeing their true selves. In reality, it is often just part of the act with little to no emotional attachment for the dancer.
Outside of the club, dancers are indistinguishable by appearance
Human physical appearance
Human physical appearance refers to the outward phenotype or look of human beings. There are infinite variations in human phenotypes, though society reduces the variability to distinct categories...
from the general population and no more likely to be the targets of acts like violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
than are other women. Inside the club, personal boundaries are frequently crossed between strippers, customers, and other club staff. Research indicates that at some point every dancer has felt exploited
Exploitation
This article discusses the term exploitation in the meaning of using something in an unjust or cruel manner.- As unjust benefit :In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for...
by customers, management, or other dancers. The most common complaint from dancers is being portrayed as an object or instrument, rather than as a person. While dancers feel this exploitation and are affected by it, they also admit that they exploit their customers. Dancers are entertaining the customers in exchange for money and employing all of the resources at their disposal to do so. They sell the fantasy of sex, but do not typically follow through with the act. Interviews with strippers have revealed that the customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
s are generally viewed as "suckers
Gullibility
Gullibility is a failure of social intelligence in which a person is easily tricked or manipulated into an ill-advised course of action. It is closely related to credulity, which is the tendency to believe unlikely propositions that are unsupported by evidence....
" for giving the dancers money just for their physical attraction. Dancers, in an attempt to acquire a tip or monetary reward, may be selling more than just attractiveness and fantasy. They portray feelings of intimacy and emotional connectedness for their customers and most of the time these portrayals are overstated or false. The stage persona is different than who they are backstage, even if it does mirror aspects of their true personality.
Primary staff
Additional club staff almost always includes a club manager, as dancer-run clubs are rare. One or more managers are responsible for day-to-day operations on behalf of the club owner. Managerial responsibilities include money handling, inventory, and hiring and firing of employee staff and contractors. The manager role can be split between a general manager and one or more floor managers. If a bar is present, one or more dedicated bartenders might be employed to assist customers by preparing their drinks or by storing drinks that customers bring into BYOBBYOB
BYOB is an acronym most commonly meant to stand for "bring your own bottle", "bring your own booze" "bring your own bucket" or "bring your own beer"....
clubs. In some localities bartenders are required to have an individual permit to serve alcohol. House mom
House mom
A house mom can be a paid staging coordinator in a strip club or gentleman's club. The term was used more commonly, especially in pre-1970s writing, for a woman who supervised a fraternity, sorority or dormitory at a college .In the adult entertainment context, the house mother...
s monitor dancers on behalf of the management. A house mom can be particularly beneficial where staff is otherwise male, given her potential to relate to female dancers in a way that male members of staff may not be able to. Not every club will have a house mom.
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
are security personnel. They are typically relatively large and physically strong males, who enforce club policy and maintain order in and around the premises. In some cases, on-duty law enforcement may be on site if a club is viewed by authorities as a location with a high enough crime risk. More commonly, privately hired security (including off-duty police) are contracted to guard the premises. Bouncers can also double as doormen or Disc jockeys (DJs); serving as hosts and maintaining the flow of entertainment and even cuing music for the dance sets. Where a DJ is not present, music may be provided via either a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
or sometimes live musicians.
Ancillary staff
Strip clubs have a variety of configurations and staffing needs. Some clubs employ a host to emcee the show, in addition to a DJ. Hosts are more common in busier clubs or shifts, and during special ,such as amateur night and featured acts. If the club charges a fee for entry, specialized personnel may work the door to collect the cover. A common practice is to employ young women, which are known in the industry as door girls, for this function. In certain areas, doormenDoorman (profession)
A doorman is an individual hired to provide courtesy and security services at a residential building or hotel. They are particularly common in urban luxury highrises. At a residential building, a doorman is responsible for opening doors and screening visitors and deliveries...
working outside of the strip club will act as "hype men
Hype man
A hype man in hip hop music and rapping is a “backup rapper/singer who is also responsible for increasing an audience's excitement with call-and-response chants” according to The Hilltop and author Grant Barrett....
" enticing people to enter and sample the show and services. The Block
The Block (Baltimore)
Baltimore's The Block is a stretch on the 400 block of East Baltimore Street in Baltimore, Maryland containing several strip clubs, sex shops, and other adult entertainment merchants. In the first half of the 20th century, it was famous for its burlesque houses...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
has aggressive doormen stationed at nearly every entrance, only feet apart in a highly concentrated area of clubs. Broadway
Broadway Street (San Francisco)
Broadway is an east-west street in San Francisco that runs from The Embarcadero to the Cow Hollow district. The neon-lined stretch of Broadway through North Beach is the city's red-light district, home to strip clubs and other adult businesses, as well as many nightclubs and bars, and has been...
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
has fewer clubs clustered together, but practices similar activities with their doormen.
Waitstaff are also employed to assist with providing drinks, and in some cases meals, to customers on the main floor and others areas of the club. Shooter girls are specialized waitstaff that carry pre-prepared drinks in shot glasses, that customers can conveniently purchase. Depending on the local ordinances, these shots may be arrive with some erotic part of the body of the shooter girl, typically her cleavage
Cleavage (breasts)
Cleavage, anatomically known as the intramammary cleft, is the space between a woman's breasts lying over the sternum. Cleavage is exposed by a garment with a low neckline, such as ball gowns, evening gowns, swimwear, casual tops and other garments....
, involved in the delivery. If a club has a policy of setting a drink minimum per visit or per hour, the floor staff also assists in enforcing those rules. Dancers may also be required to generate a certain number of drink purchases per shift and as part of their rounds, the waitstaff may ask customers if they would like to buy a drink for the dancer seated with them. If a kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
is present and if premium fare is offered, the club may also employ a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
to prepare and cook food items.
Parking lot attendants can include people who simply coordinate where to park and how much to pay or they may also include formal valets who will park a vehicle and keep track of the driver's keys while he or she is in the club. Some clubs require paid or valet parking to be used if keeping cars on the premises, to generate revenue and help regulate patron behavior. Bathroom attendant
Bathroom attendant
A washroom attendant, restroom attendant or bathroom attendant, is a Janitor for a public toilet. They maintain and clean the facilities, ensuring that toilet paper, soap, paper towels, and other necessary items are kept stocked...
s monitor the restrooms on behalf of management; primarily watching for policy violations and potential liability concerns. In strip clubs, policy enforcement can range from watching for drug use, sex, fighting, and other activities the club would prefer to see done off the premises. The attendant will also attempt to keep the restroom area clean, assist with the washing of hands, and if available, provide by request an assortment of cologne, mints, and other disposable items.
Business and operations
As a global industry, strip clubs are booming. As of 2009, there were between 3,500 and 4,000 strip clubs in the United States alone. More money is spent in the U.S. in strip clubs than is spent on theater, operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
concerts combined. Some clubs have hundreds of entertainers appear on stage within a single year.
Global industry
The U.S. and international markets for clubs offering Americanized striptease are not well defined and published revenue figures are estimates. In 2002, the size of the U.S. industry was estimated to be US$3.1 billion, spanning 2,500 clubs and generating 19% of the total gross in legal adult entertainment revenue. The U.S. market for strip clubs was estimated to be as large as US$15 billion in 2005. That same year the U.S. state of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
alone accounted for US$1 billion in revenue, and the total size of the global strip club industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
was estimated to be US$75 billion. Also, in 2005, an estimated 300,000 women worked as strippers in the U.S., across 3,000 clubs. An industry insider in 2008 estimated the U.S. strip club market at close to US$2 billion, basing that estimate on Adult Video News Media Network (AVN) statistics and highlighting both the methodological variances of different studies and the difficulties of providing reliable statistics on the industry.
Since then, the number of clubs in the U.S. has grown to approximately 4,000 by 2010.
In Britain the number of strip clubs rose over 1,000 percent between 1997 and 2010. In 2008 alone, a strip club opened there almost every week. One factor in the proliferation of British strip clubs is Britain's 2003 Licensing Act
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
, which introduced the one-size-fits-all premises licence, which meant that strip clubs in Britain no longer had to receive special permission for nudity. In 2005, revenues for the U.K. strip club industry, one of the fastest growing sectors of its leisure industry, were estimated to be UK£300 million. Revenues for 2006 in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
alone accounted for UK£20 million of the UK total.
Markets and ownership
American-style striptease, closely associated with contemporary clubs around the world, began to appear outside of North America in the post-World War II era, emerging in Asian performances during the late 1940s and in European theaters by 1950. A contemporary example, the American Spearmint RhinoSpearmint Rhino
Spearmint Rhino is a chain of strip clubs that operates venues throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Central Europe, Russia and Australia. The club opened in 1989 as a supplement to the existing Peppermint Elephant Restaurant. This first Spearmint Rhino was located in Upland,...
chain, has clubs located in the UK, Russia, and Australia, as well as the United States. In 2003, its London location reportedly made UK£3 per minute. Strip clubs offering American striptease and other adult entertainment services have been established on six of seven continents (all except Antarctica), and the demand for these types of business is soaring in economically developing nations. Most adult entertainment companies, which include strip clubs, are in privately held ownership.
Two strip club companies are publicly traded in U.S. financial markets and listed on NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
: VCG Holding Corp. (VCGH) and Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. (RICK). In February 2010, the two clubs agreed in principle to merge, with Rick's Cabaret
Rick's Cabaret
Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. is an American operator of strip clubs, nightclubs, and adult entertainment websites.Based in Houston, Texas, Rick's operates clubs under the names Rick's Cabaret,...
acquiring VCG Holding. The estimated purchase price, according to the statement of intent, was for the acquisition
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
using RICK stock to be at a value of US$2.20 to US$3.80 per share. The US$45 million deal fell through after the statement of intent expired on March 31, 2010, with Rick's Cabaret unable to enter into a definitive merger agreement to acquire all of VCG's outstanding stock. A third publicly traded company, Scores Holding Company, Inc. (SCRH), licenses its brand to strip club operators but does not own or operate any club properties itself. Publicly reported earning statements for U.S. companies operating strip clubs have not provided guidance on how they define their market segment, non-public competitors, or overall industry revenue.
Financial trends
Expense Account
An expense account is the right to reimbursement of money spent by employees for work-related purposes.-US tax treatment of expense accounts:...
, leading to increased competition (and reduced boundaries) for remaining patrons. Profitability of strip clubs, as with other service-oriented businesses, is largely driven by location and customer spending habits. Clubs closely proximate to Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
in New York, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
are notorious for hosting meetings with financial industry power brokers, among other business heavyweights, which are frequently expensed
Expense Account
An expense account is the right to reimbursement of money spent by employees for work-related purposes.-US tax treatment of expense accounts:...
on company bankrolls. Since clubs located in urban areas or business centers have caused concerns over traffic and social issues, some club owners with common interests in close proximity have shared representation without consolidating their businesses. After numerous incidents during the 1990s with local and state government, Downtown Entertainment Inc. was formed in 2000 to represent the interests of business owners on The Block in Baltimore, Maryland.
Strip clubs which practice Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting used in any given jurisdiction; generally known as accounting standards...
typically report negative working capital
Working capital
Working capital is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other entity, including governmental entity. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is considered a part of operating capital. Net working capital is...
, where current liabilities exceed current assets. Clubs receive immediate cash
Cash
In common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
payment
Payment
A payment is the transfer of wealth from one party to another. A payment is usually made in exchange for the provision of goods, services or both, or to fulfill a legal obligation....
for sales
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
, while inventories, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities normally carry longer payment terms
Payment schedule
The payment schedule of financial instruments defines the dates at which payments are made by one party to another on for example a bond or derivative...
. The practice is believed to increase net cash
Net profit
Net profit or net revenue is a measure of the profitability of a venture after accounting for all costs. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 91 percent responded that they found the "net profit" metric very useful...
provided by operating activities
Business operations
Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders...
. Service revenues include entertainer payments to perform at clubs, customer admission fees, customer payments for tabs and tip charges, dance dollar payments, and suite rental fees. The economic downturn, which accelerated in 2008, impacted clubs at all levels, and even higher-end gentlemen's clubs in some parts of the U.S. and elsewhere adjusted their business practices to compensate for reduced revenues.
Business practices
Strip clubs can operate at all hours, depending on regulations and revenue. It is a common business practice to have a reduced door charge or no entry fee at all during daytime. Clubs that are open for more than just the nighttime hours may incorporate a staggered or shift workShift work
Shift work is an employment practice designed to make use of the 24 hours of the clock. The term "shift work" includes both long-term night shifts and work schedules in which employees change or rotate shifts....
schedule
Schedule (workplace)
A schedule, often called a rota, is a list of employees who are working on any given day, week, or month in a workplace. A schedule is necessary for the day-to-day operation of any retail store or manufacturing facility. The process of creating a schedule is called scheduling...
for their entertainers and staff. External factors, such as location and public perception, have some impact on business, but the essential draw of the strip club is the live entertainment. Because of negative perceptions of the adult entertainment industry, many clubs engage in public displays of charity to generate goodwill. VCGH clubs, in order to be good corporate citizens, actively sponsor and participate in local charitable events and contribute to local charities. Some clubs also register their business entities using benign names, so that they appear to be businesses unrelated to the sex industry on receipts and financial statements, and as a means of discretion. Cameras (including camera phones) and other recording devices are often banned from strip clubs to "protect the identity of the women working there and to spare the blushes of men caught on film attending the club".
Among clubs, there is a variety of different ways to deliver entertainment and fee structures commonly differ between clubs. A cover charge
Cover charge
At bars and nightclubs, or restaurants with live entertainment a flat fee for entry, sometimes known as a cover charge, is made, in addition to payment for food and drink...
(entry fee also known as a door charge) is customary at many clubs, the amount of which can vary by factors such as day of visit, time of day, gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, and other factors. To make the charge more acceptable to customers, some clubs include bonus items in the admission price, such as drink tickets that can be redeemed once inside. Some clubs also have drink fees tied to interaction with performers. The bigger the drink, the longer the time permitted with the dancer. This practice is more common in European strip clubs and African or Asian hostess clubs. Champagne Room pricing (where time with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises can be purchased) is a variation on that same theme.
Operations
In the U.S., striptease dancers are generally classified as independent contractorIndependent contractor
An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer but works as and when...
s. While a few smaller strip clubs may pay a weekly wage
Wage
A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
, for the most part, all of a dancer's income is derived from tips and other fees they collect from customers. In most clubs, dancers have to pay a "stage fee" or "house fee" to work a given shift. In these cases, strippers receive payment in the form of tips and payment for specific services offered by the club (such as lap dances). Many clubs also take a percentage of fees charged for each private dance. It is customary—and often required in the United States—for dancers to also pay a "tip out", usually at the end of their shift, which is money (either a set fee or a percentage of money earned) paid to the supporting staff members of clubs, such as DJs, house mom
House mom
A house mom can be a paid staging coordinator in a strip club or gentleman's club. The term was used more commonly, especially in pre-1970s writing, for a woman who supervised a fraternity, sorority or dormitory at a college .In the adult entertainment context, the house mother...
s, make-up artists, servers, bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
s, and bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
s. For the customer, the fee
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
structure of a club is determined by management policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
.
In many smaller clubs the staff roles filled by the same person, such as a bartender and manager, and in extreme cases one person fills all the support functions within a club. Some clubs will hire attractive women onto the staff as bartenders and shot girls to complement the strippers, who can also double as stage and lap dance entertainers depending on the club. Paid staff are discretionary positions and turnover can be quite frequent, but standard employment laws do apply and have been enforced through the courts and other regulatory means. A highly publicized 2010 case in the United States concerned a pregnant bartender in New York who alleged that Cafe Royale in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
discriminated against her because she was "unsexy". Hiring of staff and performers in the United States is almost always voluntary on the part of the club and worker. Some strip clubs have hosted job fairs to address staffing needs. While not a common practice in the United States, globally, women are regularly compelled into working as strippers with the knowledge of club management.
Marketing
The ability to attract first-time patrons is critical to a nightclub's success. As such, promotions, advertising, and special offers are the typical means to market a nightclub. Marketing strategies for strip clubs include attracting new customers, increasing the frequency of visits by existing customers, and establishing a higher level of name recognition. Target markets can include the business-convention traveler, local professionals, and business people. Advertising for strip clubs is essential, but can be a challenge due to local regulations and public reaction. For this reason, clubs around the world leverage internet marketing via the World Wide Web by including value-added content such as discount passes, virtual club tours, and dancer schedules.U.S. company VCGH, Inc. uses a variety of highly targeted methods to reach its customers, including local radio, billboard trucks, internet, newspaper and magazine ads, and professional sporting events. Its advertising and marketing expenses decreased by approximately 3.9% to US$2,805,260 from US$2,921,327 over the year ended December 31, 2008. Advertising and marketing expenses were approximately 5.1% of their total revenues in 2009 and 2008. The decrease was attributed to a shift in advertising, including using billboard trucks for mobile advertising versus leasing fixed billboard signs. By contrast, in public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Rick's Cabaret International reported an increase in its advertising budget from US$2,231,005 in 2008 to US$8,091,745 in 2009, growing from 3.9% to 10.8% of total annual revenue.
In the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, its Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
franchise, the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, initially sued in King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court, the largest trial court in Washington state, is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It also operates a juvenile facility and a Regional Justice Center in Kent, southeast of Seattle....
to try to prevent Dreamgirls cabaret from opening. The team's attorneys argued that the strip club's existence would adversely affect families that visit the stadium. The suit was dropped after the Mariners reached a compromise which included limits on outdoor advertising, window displays, and signs. The compromise specified that the clubs video screens would only show text on kids days at the stadium, and not images of strippers. In May 2010, there was public controversy because the club showed strippers on its large electronic display on "kids' day". Dreamgirls claimed it is the team's responsibility to tell them when such a display is to be prohibited.
Elite Cabaret, a Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
city strip club, filed suit in 2007 against the City of Tempe in federal court. In the settlement that was reached, the two sides ended the legal wrangle amidst a host of stipulations. One clause is aimed at preventing the racy image strip clubs promote. The club is not allowed to depict the human body on the exterior of its building. Signs cannot say "nude", "topless", "girls" or similar words. The sign can only have the bar's name and terms like "cabaret" or "gentlemen's club". Strip club advertising and its associated controversy are not limited to the United States. In South Africa, well-known strip club chain Teazers generated media coverage and official complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) over its suggestive billboards.
Cultural influence and impact
The strip club as an outlet for salacious entertainment is a recurrent theme in popular culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. In the media, clubs are portrayed primarily as gathering places of vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
and ill repute
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
. Both clubs themselves and various features of the business are highlighted in these references. Comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
also pokes fun at the champagne room in his spoken word track, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
"No Sex " is a comedic spoken word track released by Chris Rock on his 1999 album, Bigger & Blacker, with a background chorus sung by Gerald Levert...
", on his 1999 album, Bigger & Blacker
Bigger & Blacker
Bigger & Blacker is an album by Chris Rock, originally released on July 13, 1999, on the Dreamworks label. The album features live stand-up comedy tracks recorded for an HBO special at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and studio-recorded comic sketches, featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, Biz Markie, Gerald...
. Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
later noted Rock's comment in his own reflection on exotic dancers, "Perfect Gentleman".
Film, television, and theater
The image of strippers as known today evolved through the late 1960's and 1970's in the U.S. and international cultures which embraced American striptease. By the 1980s, the pole dancing and highly explicit imagery associated with today's performers was widely accepted and frequently portrayed in film, television, and theater.1980s-1990s
In addition to lesser-known videos such as A Night at the Revuebar (1983), the 1980s also featured mainstream films involving strippers and their work as part of the central narrative. These included FlashdanceFlashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
(1983), which told the story of blue-collar worker Alexandra (Alex) Owens (Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former...
), who works as an exotic dancer in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
bar at night and at a steel mill as a welder during the day. Blaze
Blaze (film)
Blaze is a 1989 film written and directed by Ron Shelton. Based on the 1974 memoir Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry by Blaze Starr and Huey Perry, the film stars Paul Newman as Earl Long and Lolita Davidovich as Blaze Starr, with Starr herself appearing in a cameo.-Plot:The movie tells...
(1989) features Lolita Davidovitch as notorious stripper Blaze Starr
Blaze Starr
Blaze Starr is an American former stripper and American burlesque star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque"...
. Starr herself appears in the film in a cameo role. Exotica
Exotica (film)
Exotica is a 1994 Canadian film set primarily in and around the Exotica strip club in Toronto, Canada. It was written and directed by Atom Egoyan. Music used includes "Montagues and Capulets".-Synopsis:...
(1994), directed by Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
, is set in a Canadian lap-dance club, and portrays a man's (Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
) obsession with a schoolgirl
Schoolgirl
A schoolgirl is a girl attending either primary or secondary school, generally aged between four and eighteen years old.-Academic performance:This has led in some countries to calls for greater equality for education in the school system...
stripper named Christina (Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner is a Canadian actress and social activist who works in movies and television series. She is best known for her portrayal of Jenny Schecter on The L Word and for her role in the 2006 crime film The Black Dahlia as Elizabeth Short.- Early life :Kirshner was born in Toronto, Ontario,...
). Showgirls
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
(1995) was directed by Paul Verhoeven and starred Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley is an American television, film, and theatre actress. Berkley's most notable roles were in the television series Saved by the Bell, as brainy feminist Jessie Spano, and the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls, as exotic dancer Nomi Malone.-Early life:Berkley was born and raised...
and Gina Gershon
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
. Striptease
Striptease (film)
-Release:Striptease was distributed by Sony and was finally released in the United States on June 28, 1996, after a June 23 premiere in New York City. It opened in Australia, France and Germany in August, and Argentina, Italy, Bolivia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan in...
(1996), was an adaptation of the novel starring Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
. The Players Club
The Players Club
The Players Club is a 1998 comedy/drama thriller film from New Line Cinema starring Bernie Mac, LisaRaye, and Jamie Foxx. Ice Cube, who has a small role in the film, wrote and made his directorial debut. The movie made $5,894,607 in its opening week...
(1998) starred LisaRaye as a girl who becomes a stripper to earn enough money to enter college and study journalism.
In Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde (musical)
Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
(1997), the character of Lucy Harris (originally portrayed by Linda Eder
Linda Eder
Linda Eder is an American singer and actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical Jekyll & Hyde, for which she received 1997 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Nominations, as well as the Theatre World Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
) works as a prostitute and stripper in a small London club called The Red Rat, where she meets a multi-dimension man named Doctor Henry Jekyll, who turns into his evil persona Mr. Edward Hyde. Lucy performs the song ‘Bring on the Men’ during a show at the Red Rat (which was later replaced with ‘Good ‘n’ Evil’ in the Broadway production, some claiming ‘Bring on the Men’ was too ‘risqué’.). In Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
(1985), the character of Daphne
Daphne Clarke
Daphne Rose Clarke is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Elaine Smith. She made her first on-screen appearance in the serial's first episode on 18 March 1985. Daphne a stripper hired for Des Clarke's bucks party and she moved in him. She and Des fell in love...
is originally a stripper at Des's bucks party, and eventually goes on to marry him. Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
(1987–97) often featured Al Bundy
Al Bundy
Al Bundy is a fictional character from the U.S. television series Married... with Children. He was played by Ed O'Neill.-Character history:...
, Jefferson D'Arcy, and the NO MA'AM crew spending a night at the Nudie Bar. Business was often conducted at the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...
strip club during the six season run of The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
(1999–2007).
2000s-present
By the 2000s, visits to strip clubs by characters in action movies were a common occurrence. Dancing at the Blue IguanaDancing at the Blue Iguana
Dancing at the Blue Iguana is an American drama film, released in 2000, directed by Michael Radford about the lives of strippers in an adult club...
(2000) is a feature film starring Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s, notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and Kill Bill.-Early life:Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Susan...
. The female cast of the film researched the film by dancing at strip clubs and created their parts and their storylines to be as realistic as possible. The Raymond Revuebar the Art of Striptease (2002) is a documentary, directed by Simon Weitzman. Los Debutantes
Los Debutantes
Los Debutantes is a 2003 Chilean film directed by Andres Waissbluth and starring Antonella Rios and Alejandro Trejo. It tells the story of two brothers from a small town, played by Nestor Castillana and Juan Pablo Miranda, who move to Santiago and visit a nightclub to celebrate the younger...
(2003) is a Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an film set in a strip-club in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. Portraits of a Naked Lady Dancer (2004) is a documentary, directed by Deborah Rowe. In Closer
Closer (film)
Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols and stars Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen...
(2004), Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
plays Alice, a young stripper just arrived in London from America. Crazy Horse Le Show (2004) features dance routines from the Crazy Horse, Paris. I Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me is a 2007 American horror-thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson and starring Lindsay Lohan.-Plot:The quiet suburb of New Salem is being terrorized by a serial killer who abducts and tortures young women, holding them captive for weeks before murdering them...
(2007) stars Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
as Dakota Moss, an alluring stripper involved in the machinations of a serial killer, and features a long striptease sequence at a strip club. In 2009 a DVD called, "Crazy Horse Paris" featuring Dita Von Teese
Dita Von Teese
Dita Von Teese is an American burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, author and actress.-Early life:...
was released. Barely Phyllis is a play on Phyllis Dixey
Phyllis Dixey
Phyllis Dixey was a British singer, dancer and impresario. Her earlier career was as a singer in variety shows in Britain. During World War II, she joined ENSA and entertained the British forces...
which was first staged at the Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
in 2009. Stripsearch
Strip Search (TV series)
Strip Search is a reality television series, first broadcast in 2001.The series follows the search for a new troupe of male strippers from audition to the final live show...
(2001-), an ongoing Australian reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show which centers around the training of male strippers. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
(2007), In the two part season 6 finale titled Don't You Want Me, Alex Nunez
Alex Nuñez
Alexandra "Alex" Nuñez is a fictional character on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is portrayed by Deanna Casaluce....
resorts to stripping after her mother and herself do not have enough money to pay the rent on their apartment.
Notable locations
One of the most famous strip clubs in the U.S. is on Route 17 in Lodi, New JerseyLodi, New Jersey
Lodi is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 24,136. The borough of Lodi is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi...
. It was featured on the television show The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. The club is actually a go-go bar, serving alcohol with dancers, and it does not offer nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
. It is called "Satin Dolls" in real life, but is known more universally around the world and in the show as "The Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...
". The Gold Club was an Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
adult entertainment club receiving national attention for the indictment of several of its owners, managers, and employees. The Gold Club trial received significant attention because numerous significant professional athletes were called to testify. The club was closed after the convictions of its owner, managers, and employees.
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club
- Las Vegas :The Las Vegas club is located in Winchester, Nevada, United States, a part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The enterprise includes 10 VIP sky boxes and three lounges, and is billed as the world's largest nightclub...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
has been billed as the world's largest strip club. In 2006 it sold at auction for US$80 million. Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
is well known for its strip clubs, including the famous Mons Venus
Mons Venus
Mons Venus is a nude lap dancing strip club in Tampa, Florida.The club and its owner, Joe Redner, have frequently been engaged in legal battles with the Tampa City Council, which has tried to place restrictions on the industry for 25 years. Redner's advocacy group Voice of Freedom was originally...
. Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, a radio host and television personality, makes frequent mention of 'Rick's Cabaret' which operates in several cities. Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
are world famous for their go bars offering a variety of extra services.
Top clubs
Given the variety of club formats and laws governing the operation of strip clubs around the world, a definitive and objective list of top clubs is not practical. The popularity of a given club is an indicator of its quality, as is the word of mouth among customers who have visited a cross section of clubs in different regions. A 2008 article published by the AskMen.comAskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
portal posted a list of the top 10 strip clubs in the world. According to their criteria, which included aesthetics, quality of girls, services, and such, the top clubs at the time were:
U.S. style striptease remains a global phenomenon and culturally accepted form of entertainment, despite its scrutiny in legal circles and popular media. Over half of clubs still open from the list are located outside of the United States. Popular internet sites for strip club enthusiasts also have Top Club lists calculated from input from their online visitors. The Ultimate Strip Club List has a Top 100 Strip Clubs list, generated by analyzing the ratings for all of its clubs as entered by individual reviewers. Its list regularly includes strip clubs from outside of the U.S. and the site details clubs from countries across six continents. The Strip Club Network, owned by strip club conglomerate Deja Vu
Déjà Vu (company)
Déjà Vu Consulting, Inc. is a U.S. company which owns about 75 strip clubs in 16 U.S. states, as well as one club in Toronto and one in Paris....
, calculates its online Strip Club List: Top 100 Clubs, by the total number of views that each club information page has received on their website.
Law and politics
The legal status of strip clubs has evolved over the course of time, with national and local laws becoming progressively more liberal on the issue around the world, although some countries (such as Iceland) have implemented strict limits and bans. Strip clubs are frequent targets of litigation around the world, and the sex industry, which includes strip clubs, is a hot button issue in popular culture and politics. Some clubs have been linked to organized crimeOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, which has been known to use legitimate business as fronts for its illegal operations.
United States and the Americas
With the legal systemLaw of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
of the U.S. based on common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
, motivations for law suits can range from legitimate legal grounds to cases filed with the intent of shaping case law
Case law
In law, case law is the set of reported judicial decisions of selected appellate courts and other courts of first instance which make new interpretations of the law and, therefore, can be cited as precedents in a process known as stare decisis...
to favor the socio-political aims of special interest groups
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
. Clubs around the country have personnel and clientele that are purported to engage in not only sex acts on the premises, but also drug use and other criminalized activities. Incidents of such activity vary widely. Their prevalence is dependent on regional differences in the attitudes of management, entertainers, customers, and law enforcement. Strip clubs are obligated to enforce age limits for entry to the clubs and consumption of alcohol. If a club is found to have served a person under the age of 21 alcohol it can have its liquor license suspended or rescinded for repeated violations. Licenses can also be lost due to evidence of drug use in the club. Club owners have closed their businesses as a result of losing a liquor license.
A widely cited U.S. local ordinance is San Diego (California) Municipal Code 33.3610, specific and strict in response to allegations of corruption among local officials, which included contacts in the nude entertainment industry. Among its provisions is the "six foot rule", copied by other municipalities in requiring that dancers maintain a six foot distance from patrons while performing. Fully nude clubs may be subject to additional requirements, such as restrictions on alcohol sales and no-touch rules between customers and dancers. To circumvent these rules, two "separate" bars—one topless and one fully nude—may open adjacent to one another. In a small number of states and jurisdictions where it is legal for alcohol to be consumed but not sold, some clubs still allow customers to bring their own beverages
BYOB
BYOB is an acronym most commonly meant to stand for "bring your own bottle", "bring your own booze" "bring your own bucket" or "bring your own beer"....
.
Still other rules forbid "full nudity" in certain districts, which can vary among different areas within the same town. Some parts of the USA have laws forbidding the exposure of female nipple
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
s or even areola
Areola
This article is about the breast tissue. For the entomology term, see the glossary of Lepidopteran terms. For an artistic cloud motif, see aureola. For the cactus feature, see Areole....
s, thus requiring female dancers to cover these with pasties
Pasties
Pasties are adhesive coverings applied to cover a woman's nipples and areolae. Though pasties are commonly associated with burlesque and erotic entertainment, they are also at times worn as an undergarment and occasionally as beachwear.Some women wear pasties when wearing a strapless or backless...
. These laws are not, however, known to be applied to the exposure of male nipples. Managers, dancers, and other club workers can be cited or arrested by local or federal authorities for violating nudity, drug, and other violations. In February 2010, the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
banned fully exposed breasts in its strip clubs, following the example of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, which began enforcing a similar ordinance in 2008. The Detroit city council has since softened the rules; eliminating the requirement for pasties but keeping other restrictions. Both municipalities were reputed to have suffered rampant occurrences of illicit activities, including prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, all linked to striptease establishments within their cities' limits. Detroit has also drawn attention from the federal government for incidents of human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
in its strip clubs. The state of Missouri recently passed a similar law to that of Houston and Detroit banning full nudity in strip clubs across the state.
Strip clubs have also received attention in the Americas outside of the United States. There have been annual attempts to amend the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act is an Act of the Parliament of Canada, passed in 2001 as Bill C-11, which replaced the Immigration Act of 1976 as the primary federal legislation regulating Immigration to Canada....
(IRPA), passed in 2001. The 2009 version of the bill (Bill C-45: An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) had specific provisions related to tightening the issuance of exotic dancer visas as a means to combat human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. In August 2009 one of Rio de Janeiro's most notorious clubs, the Help discothèque, was closed by the city in its bid to clean up the area before its hosting of the 2014 World Cup. The move was also seen as related to its ultimately successful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
. Officials in Rio de Janeiro threatened in November 2009 to sue American comedian Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
for disparaging comments made on a late night talk show
Late-night talk show
In American television, the late-night talk show is a specific kind of comedy-oriented talk and variety show that airs late at night. Characteristics of the genre include topical monologues in which the host makes fun of the day's news, comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances...
. His comments on its Olympics bid, "Rio sent 50 strippers and a pound of blow. It wasn't really fair, you know?" was replayed several times on news shows in Brazil and prompted a public response from its mayor. The Olympic Committee for Rio had its lawyers investigate whether there were grounds for a law suit but no charges were filed.
United Kingdom and Europe
Policing and Crime Act 2009
The Policing and Crime Act 2009 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes provision about police reform, prostitutes, sex offenders, sex establishments and certain other premises...
following concerns about the expansion in the number of live sex entertainment venues across its territories. Any strip club where live entertainment takes place more than 11 times a year must now apply for a license from its local authorities. The Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
government had, at one time, special visa categories for 'entertainers,' which enabled the trafficking of women for strip clubs and prostitution.
In 2001, the former immigration chief in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
was found guilty of accepting bribes to issue work permits to foreign women (in this case from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), to work as strippers in clubs, with some forced into prostitution. Throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands, studies have shown that Russian individuals and organized crime groups are importing women from Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Central Europe into the Russian sex industry to work in stripping, prostitution, peep and show club services, and massage and escort services, among others.
In March 2010, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
outlawed striptease. Johanna Sigurðardottir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir , , is the Prime Minister of Iceland. Many years a politician, she was previously Iceland's Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security from 1987–1994 and 2007–2009. She has been a member of the Althing for Reykjavík constituencies since 1978, winning re-election on eight...
, Iceland's prime minister, said: "The Nordic countries are leading the way on women's equality, recognizing women as equal citizens rather than commodities for sale." The politician behind the bill, Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir
Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir
Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir is an Icelandic politician with the Left-Green Movement. She has been a member of the Althing for Reykjavík constituencies since 1999. She is currently Minister for the Environment and Minister for Nordic Cooperation, having assumed office 1 February 2009.- External links :*...
, said: "It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."
Rest of the world
Outside of the United States, views on strip clubs and sexuality in general can be much more liberal. American striptease, though present, can be treated much differently. Activities which are not legal in most parts of the United States or its territories may be permitted in other parts of the world, and ties to criminal elements (as defined by international lawInternational law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
) can be much more pronounced. Common incidents of strip club crime in Eastern Europe and Asia involve customers being quoted a price upon entering a club, only to find out later that management expects a much higher payment before customers are permitted to leave. Intimidation and possibly the threat of violence are used to compel customers to comply.
Similar to Canada and Ireland, the Japanese government had special visa categories for 'entertainers,' which enabled the trafficking of women for strip clubs and prostitution.
In South Africa there has been public controversy over incidents of prostitution and violence related to its strip clubs. 17 customers were arrested during a raid at a strip club in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in June 2010 for committing unspecified illegal acts. 35 Eastern European dancers were also arrested for working at the club without the correct documents.
In 2008, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research is a statistical and research agency within the New South Wales Attorney General's Department, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1969.The director of the bureau is Dr...
in Sydney, Australia reported 1,600 people were charged with committing a range of 27 criminal offenses in the state's "places of worship". Oddly, the figures showed only 282 people were charged with the same offenses in premises classified as adult entertainment establishments. A breakdown of the statistical figures showed that 85 people were assaulted in places of worship, compared to 66 at adult entertainment locations. Incidents of both sexual assault and harassing and threatening behavior were also greater at places of worship. The report included churches, synagogues, monasteries, mosques, convents, cathedrals and chapels as places of worship. Premises listed as adult entertainment sites included strip clubs, sex shop
Sex shop
A sex shop, erotic shop is a shop that sells products related to adult sexual or erotic entertainment, such as sex toys, lingerie, clothing, pornography, and other related products...
s, brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s, massage parlor
Massage parlor
A massage parlor is a business where customers can receive a massage. Sometimes the term is synonymous with brothel as the term "massage" may be used as a euphemism for paid sexual favours....
s, gay clubs, gaming houses
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, and gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
clubs. The bureau's interpretation was that people were just as likely to be assaulted or robbed in the sanctity of a church as they were in sex industry venues.
See also
- American burlesqueAmerican burlesqueAmerican Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
- Bar fine
- BargirlBargirlA bargirl is a woman who works as a hostess or dancer in bars to provide company or sexual services to patrons; the exact nature of services and varieties of bar varying by country/region. In most cases, these cater mostly to male clients, although in some cases women are also clients...
- CabaretCabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
- Cage dancingCage dancingA cage dance is a specific type of erotic dance, performed inside a cage, usually at a night club or dance hall. The activity originated in the 1960s and rose in popularity with the advent of disco music...
- CamgirlCamgirlCamgirl or Cam-girl or chat model is an Internet term for women who are featured on webcams. A portmanteau of "camera" and "girl", the word is used for women who operate their own webcams, such as Jennifer Ringley and Ana Voog. The term is also used to describe women or girls who broadcast...
- Clip jointClip jointA clip joint or fleshpot is an establishment, usually a strip club or entertainment bar, typically one claiming to offer adult entertainment or bottle service, in which customers are tricked into paying money and receive poor goods or services, or none, in return...
- Cocktail waitressCocktail waitressA cocktail waitress is a type of server who specializes in bringing drinks to patrons of bars, casinos, comedy clubs, live music venues and other drinking establishments and often wears revealing clothing in order to get more tips...
- Dance barDance barThe term dance bar is used in India to refer to bars in which adult entertainment in the form of dances by relatively well-covered women are performed for male patrons in exchange for cash. Though dance bars were banned in the Maharashtra state, in August 2005, with the passing of the Police Bill,...
- Girl-girl
- Hostess club
- Peep showPeep showA peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. Though historically a peep show was a form of entertainment provided by wandering showmen, nowadays it more commonly refers a presentation of a sex show or pornographic film...
- Pole dancing
- Sex clubSex clubSex clubs are either groups that organize sex related activities or an establishment where patrons can engage in sex acts with other patrons. A sex club differs from a brothel in that, while sex club patrons typically pay a fee to enter the club, they have sex with other patrons rather than with...
- Sex showSex showA sex show is a form of live performance that features one or more performers engaging in some form of sexual activity on stage for the entertainment or sexual gratification of spectators. Performers are paid either by the spectators or by the organisers of the show. A performance would involve an...
- Table dancing