Stripper
Encyclopedia
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease
at strip club
establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque
, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer, reducing the importance of tease in the performance in favor of speed to undress. Not every stripper will end her performance completely nude, though full nudity is common where not prohibited by law. The integration of the stripper pole as a nearly ubiquitous prop has also shifted the emphasis in the performance toward a more acrobatic, explicit
expression versus the slow-developing burlesque. Stripping is typically associated with female performers; male stripper
s make up less than a third of the professional community. Strippers, when working, are typically found at strip clubs. House dancers work for a particular club or franchise
. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity
, touring a club circuit making appearances. Entertainers (dancers) are often not actual employees of the club itself but allowed to perform as independent contractors.
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 Americanized striptease, introduced into popular culture by the genre-defining performances of Carol Doda
. 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. In 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 stripper whose upper body
is exposed but the genital areas remain obscured during a performance
is said to be topless. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless. Strippers who uncover the genital areas along with other clothing
during a performance
are said to be dancing full nude. The practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers will work around the constraint
s but selectively uncovering her vulva
, anus
, or both for short periods of time then replacing the clothing. As with topless dancing, not all strippers are comfortable dancing full nude.
Touching of strippers is not permitted in many localities. However, some dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. If permitted, during a lap dance the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he or she (typically he) remains clothed in an attempt to arouse or bring the recipient to climax. In parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, which have to be covered by pasties
by the dancer. Research suggests that exotic dancing can pay well, but often at a significant cost to the stripper. The reason for this is because of the negative stigma associated with exotic dancing. Dancers use props such as make-up, clothing, costumes, and appealing fragrances to complete their character and maintain their "front
". Research on linkages between lesbianism and stripping, still classified as deviant behavior in conservative social climates, has asserted that "some exotic dancers become lesbians because of their isolation from effective social relationships and their overall dissatisfaction with males". Though the experience as a stripper has been documented in journalistic and academic research to have lasting negative impacts on practitioners, being a stripper does not preclude a balanced life while in the business or a personally satisfying future.
, exotic dancer
s or just dancers, or entertainers. Another name for a stripper is an ecdysiastic dancer or simply an ecdysiast. Many reasons have been cited as to why women become exotic dancers; however, the overriding motivation is to make money. The more attractive the dancer, the more business she generates. Therefore, beauty and sexuality act as the currency in this profession. There are no job prerequisites to become an exotic dancer. Formal training is minimal, primarily on the job and provided by more senior dancers. Dancers learn a set of rules, such as: never leave money unattended; never leave the club with a customer; and never refuse a table dance. As long as she can “sell” herself, she is capable of becoming an exotic dancer.
. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity
, touring a club circuit 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
. Entertainers (dancers) are often not actual employees of the club itself but allowed to perform as independent contractors for predetermined house fee.
During each set of one or more songs, the current performer will dance on stage in exchange for tips. Where legal (or legal restrictions are ignored), dancers may offer additional services such as lap dance
s or a trip to the champagne room for a set fee rather than a tip. Strippers can be contracted for performances outside of the strip club
environment. Some strippers will only strip for private engagements and do not have a regular affiliation with a strip club. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they will provide during a private party. 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 is viewed in those settings as advertising
for sexually-oriented services performed in private areas of the club or off premises
.
In the U.S., striptease dancers are generally classified as independent contractor
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 addition, most clubs take a percentage of each private dance. It is customary—and often required in the United States—for dancers to also pay a "tip out", which is money (either a set fee or a percentage of money earned) paid to staff members of clubs, such as DJs, house mom
s, make-up artists, servers, bartender
s, and bouncer
s, at the end of their shift.
from the tip rail. 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. Tipping during a stage performance is prohibited by some clubs due to restrictions in local ordinance or past incidents on the premises. Each club and dancer will have individual tolerance levels for customer interaction including tipping. Some clubs will have multiple stages on the premises that dancers will move between, but typically the dancer would collect for her time on the main stage during a rotation. Tips can also be collected during private dances.
s or a trip to the champagne room for a set fee rather than a tip. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a set amount of time. Private dances in the main club areas 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 can perform air dances when more contact heavy forms of dance were expected and paid for.
Table dance
s are distinguished from other forms of dances in that they can be performed where the customer is seated on the main floor. Table dances also refer to a form of minimal touch private dance where the performer is physical 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. These stages are configured for close viewing of the striptease and are known for dancers lowering themselves from the stage onto customers during their set.
Lap dances can be (and are) performed in all manner of 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 in the club among others. Bed dances are designed for the customer to be lying down 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.
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, the room, which is away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, is well decorated and usually has its own bar. Clubs sell champagne by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer. Strippers who have multiple trips to VIP in a given shift
will often give their portion of the alcohol to other dancers or customers to reduce the amount they are drinking themselves.
environment. Some strippers will only strip for private engagements and do not have a regular affiliation with a strip club.
may involve activities beyond the usual party and social gathering ingredients (often drinking alcohol
and gambling
), such as going to a strip club
or hiring a stripper to perform in a private setting like a home
or hotel
. In some traditions more hazing
-like tests and pranks at the future groom's expense, which shows the whole thing is also a rite of passage
from bachelorhood (associated with an adolescent lifestyle, often in the common past of most participants, e.g. in their student years) to "more responsible" marital life. These pranks can involve a stripper if the entertainer is willing. Increasingly, bachelor parties have come to symbolize the last time when the groom is free of the influence of his new wife. It has also become common for a similar party to be held for the bride-to-be. This is known as a bachelorette party or Hen party. Some also chose instead to hold a so-called Stag and Doe
party in the US or a hag party or hag do in the UK ("hag" being a combination of the words "hen" and "stag"), in which both the bride and groom attend. The female equivalent of a stag party in Canada is often known as a "stagette", "doe" or "bachelorette".
businesses that have strippers contracted for private performances. Some of these companies have a national presence, with strippers contracted in multiple states and some who work regionally over a multi-state area. Strippers will also do side work and handle their own agreement
s and payment
arrangements. Written agreements are atypical in this type of transaction unless a formal, registered business is involved. They could also travel over significant (i.e. flight required) distances for private events and appointments, most of the time passing the cost of travel and accommodation
s onto the customer. Patrons at the clubs in which the strippers work are a primary source of customer
s for their work outside of the club. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they will provide during a private party.
. This can include erotic and nude modeling, pornography
, escorting
, and in some cases prostitution
(which is now illegal in all states other than Nevada within the U.S.). These activities are not mutually exclusive
, meaning that a stripper who models on the side would be a stripper and model.
Adult industry trade shows often have strippers working, though many of them are affiliated with individual companies and not necessarily freelancers. More traditional industries have made use of go-go dancers to provide entertainment
and act as hostess
es. The lack of explicit nudity
makes go-go dancers more socially acceptable than topless and nude performers in public areas.
There are also exhibitions, festivals, and competitions where independent strippers are more likely to be perform
ing. Nudes-A-Poppin
is a popular festival scheduled annually which features both female and male dancers competing in erotic dance. Outside of the U.S. the use of strip clubs to facilitate sex for hire is much more common, and stripping is viewed in those settings as advertising
for sexually-oriented services performed in private areas of the club or off premises
.
, shoes, age, and race to make decisions customers more appealing for those they do not already know. Dancers and owners are always in agreement on the objective of making money. Strip clubs are profit-oriented businesses like restaurants and other retail
establishments and dancers are their primary enabler to encourage them to spend time in their 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 target.
While clubs can generate revenue through means such as cover charges and drink fees, 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 create a false social relationship with her customer using tactical interactions and manipulations toward a result of monetary gain. Customers can make the first move and engage the dancer directly, but more experienced dancers will have seen most of their tactics already. Published research
indicates that dancers generally avoid interaction with female patrons by passing them over or possibly confiding in them rather than recognizing them as viable lap dance customers. Strippers appeal to masculine
desires, and need to feel comfortable they can adapt to fit the needs of female patron to view them as a customer by default. Adapting the experience to the customer
is an integral part of exotic dancing.
dancer from other types of performers is the degree to which her body is exposed. Some restaurant
s offer attractive waitstaff in revealing outfits, but the uniform may not reveal the midriff
or expose the back
. They would also have more coverage in the pelvic area than you would see on a typical go-go performer.
The stripper, in the case of a bikini performance, may begin with layers
of clothing
over top of the bikini which then would be removed during the course of the dance set. When a bikini performance is being performed, many dancers will forgo a garter
because they can accept tips at various points in their outfit (typically above the thigh
or over their ribcage). A bikini performance is far more likely to be performed by a female than a male given social norms throughout the world. It has been debated whether or not bikini clubs and performances should count as striptease
, but there is little contention over its classification as exotic dance. The phrase Go-Go was adopted by bars in the 1960s in Tokyo
, Japan
. It was of lesser reputation until it was appropriated by burlesque
and striptease
establishments, which in turn became known as go-go bars and the women working there known as Go-Go dancers.
In many clubs, while a stripper is walking the floor she will be required to wear her full bikini top and bottom. When a stripper performs personal services (such as lap
or bed dances) where she comes into contact with a customer
, she would also be required to remain in her bikini in more restrictive club environments. Private dances in particular are scrutinized to ensure that no club policies or local ordinances are being violated during the performance
. The additional clothing also acts as a deterrent to prevent a customer from exceeding the boundaries
set by a particular dancer. On 19 June 1964, Carol Doda
began go-go dancing topless
at the Condor Club
on Broadway and Columbus in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. She became the world
's most famous go-go dancer, and a prototype for the modern stripper, while dancing at the Condor for 22 years.
. A stripper whose upper body
is exposed but the genital areas remain obscured during a performance
is said to be topless. Topless entertainment may also include competitions such as wet T-shirt contest
s in which women display their breasts through translucent wet fabric—and may end up removing their T-shirts before the audience. Strippers can engage in these alternate topless activities at sanctioned times inside the club or as independent contractors at outside venues. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless. In areas where choice in formats exist, exotic dancers express concern that the more they offer in their performance (nudity
included) the more they stand to profit.
Even the dancers that will go topless have been known to stay covered during a dance during slow periods in the club with few customers. This is particularly true if the customers do not appear to be engaged or actively tipping because they are not being compensated
for their time on stage. The practice of topless dancing is banned in many jurisdiction
s, but strippers have been known to work around the constraints
but selectively uncovering her breasts "peek-a-boo" style for short periods of time then replacing the clothing. For a male dancer
, a bare chest is not considered in the same light and does not face the same legal restriction
s. During a show where customer tipping is permitted, most strip clubs limit contact with a dancer's breasts to one way from the dancer to customer. Many clubs do not allow any breast contact, and some go so far as to place markers on stage that a dancer is not permitted to cross while nude. This physical
separation enforces compliance
with the no touch policy
.
.jpg)
Strippers who uncover the genital areas along with other clothing
during a performance
are said to be dancing full nude. The practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers will work around the constraint
s but selectively uncovering her vulva
, anus
, or both for short periods of time then replacing the clothing. For a male dancer, exposing the penis
or anus is equivalent. Many dancers prefer to leave their clothing on their bodies once they have shifted them from their private areas. In some cases this disguises blemish
es or areas of their figure they are not comfortable with, or could simply be to prevent those parts of the outfit from being misplaced.
Not all strippers are comfortable dancing full nude. If viewed as a continuum
, fewer dancers will dance topless than go-go and fewer still would dance fully nude. It has been reported when in direct competition with more conservative offerings, fully nude formats are seen by customers as a superior enough substitute for them to switch clubs. In areas where choice in formats exist, exotic dancers express concern that the more they offer in their performance (nudity
included) the more they stand to profit
. Still, strippers have been known to dance only at topless clubs because of their desire not to strip completely nude. Some clubs permit both nude stage dancing and fully nude lap dances. Where nude private dances are allowed with contact, some dancers choose to place some type of barrier (cloth or occasionally plastic
) over the customer's lap
as a precautionary measure.
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 Americanized striptease, introduced into popular culture by the genre-defining performances of Carol Doda
at the Condor Club
on Broadway
in San Francisco, California
.
(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. In The Sopranos
(1999–2007) business was often conducted at the Bada Bing
strip club.
(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 Australia
n 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 she and her mother do not have enough money to pay the rent on their apartment.
Partial list of contemporary books on strippers:
", was a No. 1 hit on the U.S. pop singles charts for David Rose and His Orchestra
in 1962. That song pre-dated the opening of what is considered to be the first modern strip club
, Condor Club
on Broadway
in the U.S. city of San Francisco, California
. "Private Dancer
" by Tina Turner
was an international hit and her second highest charting single reaching No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart. "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Motley Crue
and "Panama
" by Van Halen
were also Top 20 hits for their respective groups on the U.S. charts. As with many entertainment genres, as the years have progressed references to strippers and stripping themes have become more explicit in lyrics.
T-Pain
had a No. 5 hit on the Billboard chats with "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" in 2006. Hip hop artist Flo-Rida had two No. 1 hits in the U.S. in the 2000s with "Right Round
" and "Low
". For both hip-hop artists, the depictions of strippers and expressions of lust are far more explicit than in songs released in earlier music eras. This is not limited to hip-hop, with contemporary songs in other styles of music sharing similar traits. "Worked Up So Sexual" by The Faint
is graphic in its depiction of dancer rivalry (older dancers gag at what new talent seems to mean, smaller tits and younger limbs) and customers longing to bed them. Public acceptance of the music has not faltered, and many dancers perform to these and other songs depicting women in subjectively negative ways while on stage.
2001 Odyssey in Tampa
, Florida
has a paid webcam subscription service available on the Internet. 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. There are many web-based forums available online where strippers are able to share information about their trade and commiserate. The most notable of these is the Stripper Web Exotic Dancer Community. The "pink" site is primarily focused on dancers. Non-dancers are given access, but are generally not given much latitude in their interactions with strippers on the forums. The "blue" site was established specifically for customers to have a forum to discuss their perspectives where dancers are likely to look.
Major strip club directories and portals online also have forums features built in for individual clubs and general discussion. Since strippers are the primary draw to strip clubs, the majority of the conversations gravitate toward dancers and dancer-related issues. The Ultimate Strip Club List is the most comprehensive independent strip club directory, and has individual strip club forums and general forums for discussions about and with dancers. Strip Club List is the largest industry-affiliated site, with club specific forums open to the public as part of its Strip Club Network. It also has a separate site for general forums. Both of these customer-oriented sites have entertainer participation in the forums. Strippers with ready access to the Internet
away from work have also adopted social media
and networks as a less intrusive way of maintaining connections with customers directly. Others have used the Internet to generate revenue by performing via web cam, recording premium content, or running their own subscriber-based web site. Online
erotic content is generally classified as pornography
, whether or not sex act is portrayed.
Distinguished among Web entrepreneurs is Danni Ashe
, former stripper and CEO of Danni's Hard Drive, a pioneering adult web site which generated millions of U.S. dollars in the early days of online pornography
. By 2001, the website had made a profit of $6.5 million the previous year and was estimated to be worth 30 million dollars. Ashe was considered the most downloaded woman on the internet with her image being downloaded a billion times. She is the only woman in the world who appeared on the cover of both the Wall Street Journal and Juggs
magazine. Ashe's business grew, allowing her to hire staff and models. By 2003, she had 50 full-time employees, a studio in Los Angeles (16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²)), and an archive containing hundreds of thousands of photos, and thousands of hours of video. That year, Arena
magazine ranked her fourth among the "50 Most Powerful People in Porn" list.
. There is, however, an archetypal commonality in their presentation and the experience performers face on the job. The impact of these experiences are far reaching, and can continue to affect how the stripper approaches aspects of her life long after her days of actively stripping have concluded. Research on strippers has examined erotic dancing as a type of sex work in larger sociocultural context, gender, sex roles, and perceived appropriateness of behavior. Findings include that while both men and women prefer sex in a relationship, men are more accepting of casual intimacy and sex than women. The male sexual desire being more likely to allow for causal sex makes men more susceptible to the fantasy intimacy that exotic dancers sell than a female audience. Women tend to fantasize about partners and relationships, while men are more commonly contented through lust and physical gratification that strippers can offer through personal attention or possibly private dances.
A customer often wants a dancer to "drop the act," which makes him feel special and desired. Dancers are aware of this customer desire
for increased confidence, and a dancer therefore will give off the impression that a customer is seeing her true self, when in reality it is just part of her act. Dancers also maintain their "front
" by creating a carefully crafted illusion of attractiveness and sexual appeal for customers in the club. Dancers use props such as make-up, clothing, costumes, and appealing fragrances to complete their character. Customers rarely if ever see the preparation of these props; they are denied access to the backstage of a dancer's performance through the layout of the club. Though the experience as a stripper has been documented in journalistic and academic research to have lasting negative impacts on practitioners, being a stripper does not preclude a balanced life while in the business or personally satisfying future.
from the general population and no more likely to be the targets of acts like violent crime
than similar females. Inside the club personal boundaries are frequently crossed between strippers, customers, and other club staff. Research indicates that at some point a 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 a person. While dancers feel this exploitation, and are affected by it, they also admit to exploiting their customers. The dancers are using the customers for money, 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 reveled 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, will sell more than attractiveness and fantasy. They portray feelings of intimacy and emotional connectedness for their customers, and most of the time they are overstated or false. This stage persona is different than who they are backstage, even if it incorporates aspects which mirror their true personality.
Ethnographic research has observed that strippers, regardless of sexual preference, have a tendency to treat female customers differently than males. Because of the non-physical motivations ascribed to female intimacy, dancers select women to approach who are smiling and sitting comfortably with open body language such as uncrossed arms, actively participating with the crowd, laughing and engaging with fellow customers, and applauding for dancers at the main stage also increase the likelihood they will be approached. Dancers tend to avoid women with unfriendly facial expressions or visibly hostile body language, again regardless of sexual preference. In order to become approached, men must indicate financial potential through their appearance. Women must actively demonstrate their good attitude and willingness to participate in club activities. At that point, a woman's perceived profitability is also a factor in a dancer's decision to approach a female patron. The presence of male companionship has been cited in research as an indicator used by dancers to gauge the profitability of a female once she is perceived to be a customer.
has been considered a form of public nudity
and subject to legal and cultural prohibitions on moral
and decency
grounds. Many U.S. jurisdictions have specific laws on the books related to striptease, with more being added increasing both complexity of enforcement and impact. For example, the classification of dancers as independent contractors has been challenged in court, successfully in Massachusetts in July 2009. One of the more notorious local ordinances is San Diego 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 while performing.
Touching of strippers is illegal in many U.S. states. However, some dancers and some clubs condone touching of dancers during private dances. This touching often includes the fondling of breasts, buttocks, and in rare cases the vaginal region. In some locales, dancers may give a customer a "lap dance
", whereby the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he is fully clothed in an attempt to arouse him or bring him to climax. Other rules forbid "full nudity". In some parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, which have thus to be covered by pasties
by the dancer (though not applied to the exposure of male nipples). In early 2010, the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan banned fully exposed breasts in its strip clubs, following the example of Houston, Texas who began enforcing a similar ordinance in 2008. The Detroit city council has since softened the rules eliminating the requirement for pasties but kept other restrictions. Both municipalities were reputed to have rampant occurrences of illicit activity including prostitution
linked to its striptease establishments within their city limits.
In Britain in the 1930s, when the Windmill Theatre
, London, began to present nude shows, British law prohibited performers moving whilst in a state of nudity. To get around that rule, models appeared naked in stationary tableaux vivants
. To keep within the law, sometimes devices were used which rotated the models without them moving themselves. Fan dance
s were another device used to keep performances within the law. These allowed a naked dancer's body to be concealed by her fans or those of her attendants, until the end of an act, when she posed naked for a brief interval whilst standing stock still, and the lights went out or the curtain dropped to allow her to leave the stage. In 2010, Iceland
outlawed striptease. Johanna Sigurðardottir
, Iceland's prime minister, who is an open lesbian
, 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."
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...
at strip club
Strip club
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....
establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in 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...
, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer, reducing the importance of tease in the performance in favor of speed to undress. Not every stripper will end her performance completely nude, though full nudity is common where not prohibited by law. The integration of the stripper pole as a nearly ubiquitous prop has also shifted the emphasis in the performance toward a more acrobatic, explicit
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,...
expression versus the slow-developing burlesque. Stripping is typically associated with female performers; male stripper
Male 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. Strippers, when working, are typically found at strip clubs. 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 making appearances. Entertainers (dancers) are often not actual employees of the club itself but allowed to perform as independent contractors.
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 Americanized striptease, introduced into popular culture by the genre-defining performances of 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....
. 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. In 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 stripper whose upper body
Torso
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 the 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. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing 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 full nude. The practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers will work around the 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 but selectively uncovering her vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
, 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 then replacing the clothing. As with topless dancing, not all strippers are comfortable dancing full nude.
Touching of strippers is not permitted in many localities. However, some dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. If permitted, during a lap dance the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he or she (typically he) remains clothed in an attempt to arouse or bring the recipient to climax. In parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, which have to be covered by 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...
by the dancer. Research suggests that exotic dancing can pay well, but often at a significant cost to the stripper. The reason for this is because of the negative stigma associated with exotic dancing. Dancers use props such as make-up, clothing, costumes, and appealing fragrances to complete their character and maintain their "front
Persona
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...
". Research on linkages between lesbianism and stripping, still classified as deviant behavior in conservative social climates, has asserted that "some exotic dancers become lesbians because of their isolation from effective social relationships and their overall dissatisfaction with males". Though the experience as a stripper has been documented in journalistic and academic research to have lasting negative impacts on practitioners, being a stripper does not preclude a balanced life while in the business or a personally satisfying future.
Work environment
Performers are called strippersStriptease
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...
, exotic dancer
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
s or just dancers, or entertainers. Another name for a stripper is an ecdysiastic dancer or simply an ecdysiast. Many reasons have been cited as to why women become exotic dancers; however, the overriding motivation is to make money. The more attractive the dancer, the more business she generates. Therefore, beauty and sexuality act as the currency in this profession. There are no job prerequisites to become an exotic dancer. Formal training is minimal, primarily on the job and provided by more senior dancers. Dancers learn a set of rules, such as: never leave money unattended; never leave the club with a customer; and never refuse a table dance. As long as she can “sell” herself, she is capable of becoming an exotic dancer.
Inside the club
Strippers, when working, are most likely to be found at strip clubs. An essential draw of the strip club is the live entertainment, which the vast majority of the time are the strippers. Dancers effectively entertaining customers are the key to generating revenue by keeping the customers on site and enticing them to be repeat visitors. House dancers work for a particular club or franchiseFranchising
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 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."...
. Entertainers (dancers) are often not actual employees of the club itself but allowed to perform as independent contractors for predetermined house fee.
During each set of one or more songs, the current performer will dance on stage in exchange for tips. Where legal (or legal restrictions are ignored), dancers may 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 a trip to the champagne room for a set fee rather than a tip. Strippers can be contracted for performances outside of the strip club
Strip club
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....
environment. Some strippers will only strip for private engagements and do not have a regular affiliation with a strip club. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they will provide during a private party. 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 is viewed in those settings 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 performed in 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...
.
In the U.S., striptease dancers are generally classified as independent contractor
Independent 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, 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 addition, most clubs take a percentage of each private dance. It is customary—and often required in the United States—for dancers to also pay a "tip out", which is money (either a set fee or a percentage of money earned) paid to 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, at the end of their shift.
Stage performance
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. More informal 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. Feature entertainers are not usually part of the rotation, and have set times where 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.Tip collection
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 garterGarter (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. 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. Tipping during a stage performance is prohibited by some clubs due to restrictions in local ordinance or past incidents on the premises. Each club and dancer will have individual tolerance levels for customer interaction including tipping. Some clubs will have multiple stages on the premises that dancers will move between, but typically the dancer would collect for her time on the main stage during a rotation. Tips can also be collected during private dances.
Private dance
Where legal (or legal restrictions are ignored), dancers may offer additional services such as 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...
s or a trip to the champagne room for a set fee rather than a tip. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a set amount of time. Private dances in the main club areas 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 can perform air dances when more contact heavy forms of dance were expected and paid for.
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 are distinguished from other forms of dances in that they can be performed where the customer is seated on the main floor. Table dances also refer to a form of minimal touch private dance where the performer is physical 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. These stages are configured for close viewing of the striptease and are known for dancers lowering themselves from the stage onto customers during their set.
Lap dances can be (and are) performed in all manner of 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 in the club among others. Bed dances are designed for the customer to be lying down 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.
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
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
in a private room on the premises. Depending on the quality of the club, the room, which is away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, is well decorated and usually has its own bar. Clubs sell champagne by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer. Strippers who have multiple trips to VIP in a given shift
Shift 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....
will often give their portion of the alcohol to other dancers or customers to reduce the amount they are drinking themselves.
Outside of the club
Strippers can be contracted for performances outside of the strip clubStrip club
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....
environment. Some strippers will only strip for private engagements and do not have a regular affiliation with a strip club.
Bachelor parties
A bachelor partyBachelor party
A bachelor party , also known as a stag party, stag night or stag do , a bull's party , or a buck's party or buck's night , is a party held for a man shortly before he enters marriage, to celebrate his "last night of freedom" or merely to spend...
may involve activities beyond the usual party and social gathering ingredients (often drinking alcohol
Alcoholic 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...
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...
), such as going to a strip club
Strip club
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....
or hiring a stripper to perform in a private setting like a home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
or hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. In some traditions more hazing
Hazing
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
-like tests and pranks at the future groom's expense, which shows the whole thing is also a rite of passage
Rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
from bachelorhood (associated with an adolescent lifestyle, often in the common past of most participants, e.g. in their student years) to "more responsible" marital life. These pranks can involve a stripper if the entertainer is willing. Increasingly, bachelor parties have come to symbolize the last time when the groom is free of the influence of his new wife. It has also become common for a similar party to be held for the bride-to-be. This is known as a bachelorette party or Hen party. Some also chose instead to hold a so-called Stag and Doe
Stag and doe
A stag and doe party, stag and drag party, hen and stag party, buck and doe party, or a jack and jill party is a party and fundraiser for an engaged couple.-Canada:...
party in the US or a hag party or hag do in the UK ("hag" being a combination of the words "hen" and "stag"), in which both the bride and groom attend. The female equivalent of a stag party in Canada is often known as a "stagette", "doe" or "bachelorette".
Private parties
Private parties are popular events for which to hire strippers. There are many entertainmentEntertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
businesses that have strippers contracted for private performances. Some of these companies have a national presence, with strippers contracted in multiple states and some who work regionally over a multi-state area. Strippers will also do side work and handle their own agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
s and 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....
arrangements. Written agreements are atypical in this type of transaction unless a formal, registered business is involved. They could also travel over significant (i.e. flight required) distances for private events and appointments, most of the time passing the cost of travel and accommodation
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
s onto the customer. Patrons at the clubs in which the strippers work are a primary source of 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 for their work outside of the club. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they will provide during a private party.
Other activities
Aside from advertising for striptease services outside of the club, an unknown percentage of strippers also work in other aspects of the sex industrySex 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...
(which is now illegal in all states other than Nevada within the U.S.). These activities are not mutually exclusive
Mutually exclusive
In layman's terms, two events are mutually exclusive if they cannot occur at the same time. An example is tossing a coin once, which can result in either heads or tails, but not both....
, meaning that a stripper who models on the side would be a stripper and model.
Adult industry trade shows often have strippers working, though many of them are affiliated with individual companies and not necessarily freelancers. More traditional industries have made use of go-go dancers to provide entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
and act as hostess
Bargirl
A 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...
es. The lack of explicit 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...
makes go-go dancers more socially acceptable than topless and nude performers in public areas.
There are also exhibitions, festivals, and competitions where independent strippers are more likely to be perform
PerForm
PerForm and PerForm PRO were electronic form programs, initially designed to work under GEM in DOS. Later versions were designed to work in Windows 3.1, at which point it was succeeded by FormFlow....
ing. Nudes-A-Poppin
Nudes-A-Poppin
Nudes-A-Poppin is an annual pageant for nude males and females competing in erotic dance. The pageant has been held annually since the 1970s by Ponderosa Sun Club, Roselawn, Indiana, USA and attracts over 5,000 spectators each year.-External links:***...
is a popular festival scheduled annually which features both female and male dancers competing in erotic dance. Outside of the U.S. the use of strip clubs to facilitate sex for hire is much more common, and stripping is viewed in those settings 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 performed in 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...
.
Customer interaction
Strippers are focused on making money from customers. How dancers go about maximizing revenue varies, but every customer who walks into a club is potentially a mark. Dancers use factors such as clothingClothing
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...
, shoes, age, and race to make decisions customers more appealing for those they do not already know. Dancers and owners are always in agreement on the objective of making money. Strip clubs are profit-oriented businesses like restaurants 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 enabler to encourage them to spend time in their 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 target.
While clubs can generate revenue through means such as cover charges and drink fees, 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 create a false social relationship with her customer using tactical interactions and manipulations toward a result of monetary gain. Customers can make the first move and engage the dancer directly, but more experienced dancers will have seen most of their tactics already. Published research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
indicates that dancers generally avoid interaction with female patrons by passing them over or possibly confiding in them rather than recognizing them as viable lap dance customers. Strippers appeal to masculine
Masculine
Masculine or masculinity, normally refer to qualities positively associated with men.Masculine may also refer to:*Masculine , a grammatical gender*Masculine cadence, a final chord occurring on a strong beat in music...
desires, and need to feel comfortable they can adapt to fit the needs of female patron to view them as a customer by default. Adapting the experience to 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...
is an integral part of exotic dancing.
Performance
While working a stripper is not necessarily required to remove all of his or her clothing. For any of the three types of clubs there are exceptions based on the individual dancer and management, and clubs are classified based on typical performances, zoning, and advertised services.Bikini (Go-Go)
In a bikini performance, both breasts and genital areas typically remain covered by revealing attire while providing services and entertainment. Go-go dancers will retain their tops and bottoms for the duration of their performance. What differentiates a bikiniBikini
The 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...
dancer from other types of performers is the degree to which her body is exposed. Some 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 offer attractive waitstaff in revealing outfits, but the uniform may not reveal the midriff
Midriff
Midriff is a particular term to denominate the section of the human body between the thorax/chest and the pelvis/hips. It is used as a genteel avoidance of synonymous belly ; as a synonym for waist; and as a name for the area around the diaphragm Midriff is a particular term to denominate the...
or expose the back
Back
- People :* Adam Back, British cryptographer* Charles Back, South African winemaker* Chris Back , Australian politician* Ernst Emil Alexander Back , German physicist* Frédéric Back , Canadian animator...
. They would also have more coverage in the pelvic area than you would see on a typical go-go performer.
The stripper, in the case of a bikini performance, may begin with layers
Layered clothing
Layered clothing is a manner of dressing using multiple garments that are worn on top of each other. Some of the layers have different, largely non-overlapping, functions. Using more or fewer layers, or replacing one layer but not others, allows for flexible clothing to match the needs of each...
of 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...
over top of the bikini which then would be removed during the course of the dance set. When a bikini performance is being performed, many dancers will forgo a 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...
because they can accept tips at various points in their outfit (typically above the thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
or over their ribcage). A bikini performance is far more likely to be performed by a female than a male given social norms throughout the world. It has been debated whether or not bikini clubs and performances should count as striptease
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...
, but there is little contention over its classification as exotic dance. The phrase Go-Go was adopted by bars in the 1960s in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was of lesser reputation until it was appropriated by 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...
and striptease
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...
establishments, which in turn became known as go-go bars and the women working there known as Go-Go dancers.
In many clubs, while a stripper is walking the floor she will be required to wear her full bikini top and bottom. When a stripper performs personal services (such as lap
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...
or bed dances) where she comes into contact with a 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...
, she would also be required to remain in her bikini in more restrictive club environments. Private dances in particular are scrutinized to ensure that no club policies or local ordinances are being violated during 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...
. The additional clothing also acts as a deterrent to prevent a customer from exceeding the boundaries
Personal boundaries
Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify for him- or herself what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around him or her and how he or she will respond when someone steps outside those limits.'Personal boundaries define...
set by a particular dancer. On 19 June 1964, 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....
began go-go dancing topless
Toplessness
Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...
at the Condor 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....
on Broadway and Columbus in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. She became the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
's most famous go-go dancer, and a prototype for the modern stripper, while dancing at the Condor for 22 years.
Topless
Women are at times employed in adult-only venues to perform or pose topless in forms of commercial erotic entertainment. Such venues can range from downmarket strip clubs to upmarket cabarets, 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...
. A stripper whose upper body
Torso
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 the 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. Topless entertainment may also include competitions such as wet T-shirt contest
Wet T-shirt contest
A wet T-shirt contest is an exhibitionistic beauty contest that typically features young women performing at a nightclub, bar, or resort. They have traditionally been a staple of college spring break celebrations at locations such as Daytona Beach and Cancún.Contest participants generally wear...
s in which women display their breasts through translucent wet fabric—and may end up removing their T-shirts before the audience. Strippers can engage in these alternate topless activities at sanctioned times inside the club or as independent contractors at outside venues. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless. In areas where choice in formats exist, exotic dancers express concern that the more they offer in their performance (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...
included) the more they stand to profit.
Even the dancers that will go topless have been known to stay covered during a dance during slow periods in the club with few customers. This is particularly true if the customers do not appear to be engaged or actively tipping because they are not being compensated
Remuneration
Remuneration is the total compensation that an employee receives in exchange for the service they perform for their employer. Typically, this consists of monetary rewards, also referred to as wage or salary...
for their time on stage. The practice of topless dancing is banned in many jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
s, but strippers have been known to work around the constraints
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...
but selectively uncovering her breasts "peek-a-boo" style for short periods of time then replacing the clothing. For a male dancer
Male 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...
, a bare chest is not considered in the same light and does not face the same legal restriction
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. During a show where customer tipping is permitted, most strip clubs limit contact with a dancer's breasts to one way from the dancer to customer. Many clubs do not allow any breast contact, and some go so far as to place markers on stage that a dancer is not permitted to cross while nude. This physical
Physical property
A physical property is any property that is measurable whose value describes a physical system's state. The changes in the physical properties of a system can be used to describe its transformations ....
separation enforces compliance
Regulatory compliance
In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and...
with the no touch 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...
.
Full nudity
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 full nude. The practice is banned in many jurisdictions, but many dancers will work around the 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 but selectively uncovering her vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
, 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 then replacing the clothing. For a male dancer, exposing the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
or anus is equivalent. Many dancers prefer to leave their clothing on their bodies once they have shifted them from their private areas. In some cases this disguises blemish
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
es or areas of their figure they are not comfortable with, or could simply be to prevent those parts of the outfit from being misplaced.
Not all strippers are comfortable dancing full nude. If viewed as a continuum
Continuum (theory)
Continuum theories or models explain variation as involving a gradual quantitative transition without abrupt changes or discontinuities. It can be contrasted with 'categorical' models which propose qualitatively different states.-In physics:...
, fewer dancers will dance topless than go-go and fewer still would dance fully nude. It has been reported when in direct competition with more conservative offerings, fully nude formats are seen by customers as a superior enough substitute for them to switch clubs. In areas where choice in formats exist, exotic dancers express concern that the more they offer in their performance (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...
included) the more they stand to profit
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
. Still, strippers have been known to dance only at topless clubs because of their desire not to strip completely nude. Some clubs permit both nude stage dancing and fully nude lap dances. Where nude private dances are allowed with contact, some dancers choose to place some type of barrier (cloth or occasionally plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
) over the customer's lap
Lap
A lap is a surface created between the knee and hips of a bipedal being when it is in a seated or lying down position.-Consumer products for laps:...
as a precautionary measure.
Popular culture and media
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....
at the Condor 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....
on 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...
.
Film, television, and theater
By the 1980s, the pole dancing and highly sexual 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
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
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. In 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) 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.
2000s–present
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
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...
(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
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
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 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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 she and her mother do not have enough money to pay the rent on their apartment.
Books and printed media
Several books have been written about strippers and their work, including personal accounts and even academic studies by strippers themselves. References to strippers as characters or plot devices are too numerous to name.Partial list of contemporary books on strippers:
- Burlesque: Legendary Stars of the Stage by Jane Briggeman (2004), ISBN 9781888054941
- Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, by Diablo Cody (2006), ISBN 9781592402731
- Get Naked: Stripping 101, by Tom McCarthy (2010), ISBN 9780615365855
- The Gold Club: The Jacklyn "Diva" Bush Story: How I Went from Gold Room to Court Room, by Jacklyn Bush (2003), ISBN 9780972594127
- Ivy League Stripper, by Heidi Mattson (2005), ISBN 9781559707701
- Naked in the Promised Land: A Memoir, by Dr. Lillian Faderman (2003), ISBN 9780618128754
- Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America, by Lily Burana (2003), ISBN 9780786886753
- Stripping Gypsy: The Life of Gypsy Rose Lee, by Noralee Frankel (2009), ISBN 9780195368031
- Stripping, Sex, and Popular Culture, by Catherine M. Roach (2008), ISBN 9781845201296
Music and spoken word
Strippers have been the inspiration for a number of musical artists, with several of the songs resulting in hit singles. An instrumental, "The StripperThe Stripper
"The Stripper" is an instrumental composed by David Rose and recorded in 1962. It evinces a jazz influence with especially prominent trombone lines, and evokes the feel of music used to accompany striptease artists....
", was a No. 1 hit on the U.S. pop singles charts for David Rose and His Orchestra
David Rose
David Rose was a British-born American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist, and orchestra leader. His most famous compositions were "The Stripper", "Holiday for Strings", and "Calypso Melody"...
in 1962. That song pre-dated the opening of what is considered to be the first modern strip club
Strip club
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....
, Condor 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....
on 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 the U.S. city of 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...
. "Private Dancer
Private Dancer (song)
"Private Dancer" is a hit song recorded by Tina Turner, and written by Mark Knopfler. It is the title track of Tina Turner's most successful album, Private Dancer. The song is viewed from the prospective of a high-class prostitute, and it reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number...
" by Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
was an international hit and her second highest charting single reaching No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and "Panama
Panama (song)
"Panama" is a song from Van Halen's album 1984. It was the third single released from that record and is one of their most recognized songs.-Background:...
" by Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
were also Top 20 hits for their respective groups on the U.S. charts. As with many entertainment genres, as the years have progressed references to strippers and stripping themes have become more explicit in lyrics.
T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
had a No. 5 hit on the Billboard chats with "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" in 2006. Hip hop artist Flo-Rida had two No. 1 hits in the U.S. in the 2000s with "Right Round
Right Round
“Right Round” is a song performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring pop singer Kesha from R.O.O.T.S., his second studio album. It was released to radio as the album's lead single on January 27, 2009 and was digitally released on February 10 by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records...
" and "Low
Low (Flo Rida song)
"Low" is the debut single by American rapper Flo Rida, featured on his debut album Mail On Sunday and also featured on the soundtrack to the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets. The song features T-Pain and was co-written with T-Pain. There is also a remix in which the hook is sung by Flo Rida rather...
". For both hip-hop artists, the depictions of strippers and expressions of lust are far more explicit than in songs released in earlier music eras. This is not limited to hip-hop, with contemporary songs in other styles of music sharing similar traits. "Worked Up So Sexual" by The Faint
The Faint
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Jacob Thiele, Dapose, Joel Petersen and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst...
is graphic in its depiction of dancer rivalry (older dancers gag at what new talent seems to mean, smaller tits and younger limbs) and customers longing to bed them. Public acceptance of the music has not faltered, and many dancers perform to these and other songs depicting women in subjectively negative ways while on stage.
Online services and forums
U.S. strip clubStrip club
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....
2001 Odyssey in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
has a paid webcam subscription service available on the Internet. 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. There are many web-based forums available online where strippers are able to share information about their trade and commiserate. The most notable of these is the Stripper Web Exotic Dancer Community. The "pink" site is primarily focused on dancers. Non-dancers are given access, but are generally not given much latitude in their interactions with strippers on the forums. The "blue" site was established specifically for customers to have a forum to discuss their perspectives where dancers are likely to look.
Major strip club directories and portals online also have forums features built in for individual clubs and general discussion. Since strippers are the primary draw to strip clubs, the majority of the conversations gravitate toward dancers and dancer-related issues. The Ultimate Strip Club List is the most comprehensive independent strip club directory, and has individual strip club forums and general forums for discussions about and with dancers. Strip Club List is the largest industry-affiliated site, with club specific forums open to the public as part of its Strip Club Network. It also has a separate site for general forums. Both of these customer-oriented sites have entertainer participation in the forums. Strippers with ready access to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
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 connections with customers directly. Others have used the Internet to generate revenue by performing via web cam, 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 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,...
, whether or not sex act is portrayed.
Danni Ashe
Danni Ashe is the pseudonym of an American nude model and former stripper, who was the founder and former CEO of Danni's Hard Drive, a pioneering adult web site. Danni started her site in 1995 and it went on to become one of the leading adult internet sites.-Biography:Ashe was born in Beaufort,...
, former stripper and CEO of Danni's Hard Drive, a pioneering adult web site which generated millions of U.S. dollars in the early days of online 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,...
. By 2001, the website had made a profit of $6.5 million the previous year and was estimated to be worth 30 million dollars. Ashe was considered the most downloaded woman on the internet with her image being downloaded a billion times. She is the only woman in the world who appeared on the cover of both the Wall Street Journal and Juggs
Juggs
Juggs is a softcore pornography adult magazine published in the United States which specializes in photographs of women with extremely large breasts. It has been called "the magazine of choice for breast men."...
magazine. Ashe's business grew, allowing her to hire staff and models. By 2003, she had 50 full-time employees, a studio in Los Angeles (16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²)), and an archive containing hundreds of thousands of photos, and thousands of hours of video. That year, Arena
Arena (magazine)
Arena was a British monthly men's magazine. The magazine was created in 1986 by Nick Logan, who had started The Face in 1980, to focus on trends in fashion and entertainment. British graphic designer Neville Brody, who had designed The Face, designed Arena's launch appearance.The magazine featured...
magazine ranked her fourth among the "50 Most Powerful People in Porn" list.
Social factors
There is no one "stripper lifestyle" where all striptease practitioners fit neatly into a single stereotypeStereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
. There is, however, an archetypal commonality in their presentation and the experience performers face on the job. The impact of these experiences are far reaching, and can continue to affect how the stripper approaches aspects of her life long after her days of actively stripping have concluded. Research on strippers has examined erotic dancing as a type of sex work in larger sociocultural context, gender, sex roles, and perceived appropriateness of behavior. Findings include that while both men and women prefer sex in a relationship, men are more accepting of casual intimacy and sex than women. The male sexual desire being more likely to allow for causal sex makes men more susceptible to the fantasy intimacy that exotic dancers sell than a female audience. Women tend to fantasize about partners and relationships, while men are more commonly contented through lust and physical gratification that strippers can offer through personal attention or possibly private dances.
Work-life balance
Research suggests that exotic dancing can pay well, but often at a significant cost to the stripper. The reason for this is because of the negative stigma associated with exotic dancing. When revealing one’s occupation, a person may be seeking immediate social acceptance from others. However, when an occupation is considered illegal, immoral, or improper, social acceptance is not granted. Dancers manage this stigma by “divid[ing] the social world” by only revealing part of their identity. By revealing only a part of their identity, strippers attempt to avoid being characterized by the stigmatizing attributes associated with exotic dancing. Within the context of the strip club, dancers sometimes give the impression that they are revealing private information, or backstage information to a customer in order to play the confidence game for increased profit.A customer often wants a dancer to "drop the act," which makes him feel special and desired. Dancers are 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 a dancer therefore will give off the impression that a customer is seeing her true self, when in reality it is just part of her act. Dancers also maintain their "front
Persona
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...
" by creating a carefully crafted illusion of attractiveness and sexual appeal for customers in the club. Dancers use props such as make-up, clothing, costumes, and appealing fragrances to complete their character. Customers rarely if ever see the preparation of these props; they are denied access to the backstage of a dancer's performance through the layout of the club. Though the experience as a stripper has been documented in journalistic and academic research to have lasting negative impacts on practitioners, being a stripper does not preclude a balanced life while in the business or personally satisfying future.
Boundaries and etiquette
Outside of the club, dancers are indistinguishable by appearanceHuman 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 similar females. Inside the club personal boundaries are frequently crossed between strippers, customers, and other club staff. Research indicates that at some point a 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
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, or other dancers. The most common complaint
Complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties In...
from dancers is being portrayed as an object or instrument rather than a person. While dancers feel this exploitation, and are affected by it, they also admit to exploiting their customers. The dancers are using the customers for money, 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 reveled 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, will sell more than attractiveness and fantasy. They portray feelings of intimacy and emotional connectedness for their customers, and most of the time they are overstated or false. This stage persona is different than who they are backstage, even if it incorporates aspects which mirror their true personality.
Sexuality and gender bias
Strip clubs have a reputation for deviant activity, such as illegal drug use and prostitution. By association exotic dancing is generally considered deviant as well. Research on linkages between lesbianism and stripping, still classified as deviant behavior in conservative social climates, has asserted that "some exotic dancers become lesbians because of their isolation from effective social relationships and their overall dissatisfaction with males". Women enhance and broaden their sexual activities through lesbian relationships, then carry those attributes into their workplace personas. Female exotic dancers are continually exploited in the club, if not outside as well by men. As a result they may develop hostile and frigid attitudes towards men, potentially finding greater sexual fulfillment in lesbian relationships.Ethnographic research has observed that strippers, regardless of sexual preference, have a tendency to treat female customers differently than males. Because of the non-physical motivations ascribed to female intimacy, dancers select women to approach who are smiling and sitting comfortably with open body language such as uncrossed arms, actively participating with the crowd, laughing and engaging with fellow customers, and applauding for dancers at the main stage also increase the likelihood they will be approached. Dancers tend to avoid women with unfriendly facial expressions or visibly hostile body language, again regardless of sexual preference. In order to become approached, men must indicate financial potential through their appearance. Women must actively demonstrate their good attitude and willingness to participate in club activities. At that point, a woman's perceived profitability is also a factor in a dancer's decision to approach a female patron. The presence of male companionship has been cited in research as an indicator used by dancers to gauge the profitability of a female once she is perceived to be a customer.
Strippers and the law
From ancient times to the present day, stripteaseStriptease
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...
has been considered a form of public nudity
Public nudity
Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place. It also includes nudity in a semi-public place, where the general public is free to enter, such as a shopping mall...
and subject to legal and cultural prohibitions on moral
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
and decency
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
grounds. Many U.S. jurisdictions have specific laws on the books related to striptease, with more being added increasing both complexity of enforcement and impact. For example, the classification of dancers as independent contractors has been challenged in court, successfully in Massachusetts in July 2009. One of the more notorious local ordinances is San Diego 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 while performing.
Touching of strippers is illegal in many U.S. states. However, some dancers and some clubs condone touching of dancers during private dances. This touching often includes the fondling of breasts, buttocks, and in rare cases the vaginal region. In some locales, dancers may give a customer a "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...
", whereby the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he is fully clothed in an attempt to arouse him or bring him to climax. Other rules forbid "full nudity". In some parts of the USA, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, which have thus to be covered by 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...
by the dancer (though not applied to the exposure of male nipples). In early 2010, the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan banned fully exposed breasts in its strip clubs, following the example of Houston, Texas who began enforcing a similar ordinance in 2008. The Detroit city council has since softened the rules eliminating the requirement for pasties but kept other restrictions. Both municipalities were reputed to have rampant occurrences of illicit activity 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...
linked to its striptease establishments within their city limits.
In Britain in the 1930s, when 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...
, London, began to present nude shows, British law prohibited performers moving whilst in a state of nudity. To get around that rule, models appeared naked in stationary tableaux vivants
Tableau vivant
Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move...
. To keep within the law, sometimes devices were used which rotated the models without them moving themselves. 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...
s were another device used to keep performances within the law. These allowed a naked dancer's body to be concealed by her fans or those of her attendants, until the end of an act, when she posed naked for a brief interval whilst standing stock still, and the lights went out or the curtain dropped to allow her to leave the stage. In 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, who is an open lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, 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."
See also
- 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...
- Bubble danceBubble danceThe bubble dance is an erotic dance developed by Sally Rand. This was an alternative to the striptease, with some similarities to fan dancing. The dancer dances with a huge bubble to make some interesting poses....
- 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...
- 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...
- Fan danceFan danceA 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...
- Go-Go dancingGo-Go dancingGo-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...
- Gown-and-glove danceGown-and-glove danceThe Gown-and-glove dance is considered a very traditional form of the striptease. The performer, usually female, is dressed elegantly, in an evening gown with a back zipper and elbow length opera gloves. She will remove the gloves one at a time, in a slow teasing manner, before similarly removing...
- Lap danceLap danceA 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...
- List of strippers
- Male stripperMale stripperUntil 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...
- Pole dancePole dancePole dance is a form of performing art, a combination of dance and gymnastics. It involves dancing and performing acrobatic tricks with a vertical pole and is an increasingly popular form of fitness and dance, practised by many enthusiasts in gyms or dedicated dance studios...
- Table danceTable danceTable 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...