Strippers find no shame in their profession

Monday, 8/11/97 Strippers find no shame in their profession
RESPECT: Using your body to make money no different than exploiting
your mind

Last night, I met with a group of three strippers at a seedy
L.A. strip club to discover a little bit about the life of someone
who uses her body as a breadwinner. They all agreed to talk to me
on the condition of anonymity, which I will dutifully respect. I
posed the question, "Are you ashamed of what you do for a living?"
One of them answered, "No, not really, I mean everybody sells
something, right? For me, it’s my body." "But," I asked, "doesn’t
what society thinks about your profession anger you? You aren’t
proud of being a stripper, are you?" "No," she said. "But I’m not
ashamed of it either. I work hard to make a good living for me and
my son. I’m not doing anything illegal, and I’m working towards
finishing my Associate’s Degree in Criminology." "Talk to the
people out there for a minute and tell them what you wish they
would know about people who use their bodies for money," I asked.
"Somebody told me this once, and I remember it every time I go up
on stage to perform, or anytime anybody asks me what I do for a
living." She faltered a bit, trying to remember the wording, but
finally got it. "The only shame in doing something is the shame
that comes with being ashamed of doing it. Or something like that.
I’m not sure exactly what it means, but I’m proud of what I do."
Why do we condemn those who use their bodies to make money? Where
do you draw the line between prostitution and adult entertainment?
Why is the prostitution of our minds considered something noble and
laudable? Is not the exchange of service for money that an
accountant or basketball player provides the same as that of a
stripper or a Playboy model? These women are generally condemned by
a society that deems them hapless and unfortunate souls, forced
into mindless and debasing work because of some unfortunate turn of
events. Strippers, Playboy models, etc., have elected (we will find
out later if this is indeed the case) to use their bodies as the
breadwinner. Is there something wrong with this? In early Greek
civilization, it was considered an honor to work for a strip club.
During a time when women were judged almost solely on their looks,
working as a kauspato, or stripper, was considered admirable. It
was a great privilege because only the most beautiful of the lot
were selected. Similarly, in ancient Arabic civilization (and in
some existing Arab states), belly dancing was reserved for those
with grace, elegance, sophistication, and most importantly,
dignity. Often, kings would select the finest, most refined belly
dancer as his wife (or at least one of them). Contrast that to
today’s world, where the mere mention of association with a
stripper or club dancer immediately elicits raised eyebrows and
scornful gazes. Mention of this brought varied responses from the
group: "Yeah, being appreciated for what we do instead of put down
and humiliated," said one. "People are just ignorant today. They
don’t know what it takes to be successful in this job. We use our
mind a lot," complained another. This prompted another question
from me: "How?" Her answer was, "It’s a game of manipulation, or
seduction: knowing when to behave in what way to get the reaction
you want from people. Kind of like a business negotiation." When
asked if they are embarrassed by what they do, they all proudly
declared, "No!" Interestingly, however, when asked if they would
encourage their daughters to follow in their footsteps, most
expressed reservations, citing everything from "ungodly hours," to
a backlash by society that is very difficult to withstand. Why does
society pass judgment on these women? Aren’t the politicians and
business executives that issue these holier-than-thou denunciations
of adult entertainment the some ones who invariably get embroiled
in salacious sex scandals? The evolution of adult entertainment has
cast a black shadow over the same human body that was once seen as
beautiful. In a world where accountants and lawyers prostitute
their minds every day for money, acting the same with one’s body is
seen as shameful and a disgrace. How many times have we seen Amanda
on Melrose place (Heather Locklear) in her role as a scantily-clad
head honcho of a major advertising firm, sell a client on a
marketing strategy through the use of seduction, playfulness and
suggestive clothing? Her character tantalizes the client in much
the same way that a stripper would entice a club patron. Does this
highly realistic and intellectually stimulating T.V. show reflect
reality? In this case, I think so. The sex industry is
all-pervasive; it wields its influence in every segment of every
job and indeed, every facet of human existence. It is one of the
most primordial instincts of the human species. I don’t think there
is anything wrong with being a stripper. Our puritanical (or should
I say sanctimonious) society has taken the human body and perverted
it into a museum exhibit that need only be viewed or examined on
special occasions. With society’s bias in mind, I asked, "What’s
wrong with using your minds to make the same money you do
stripping?" "Nothing," one answered. "We just choose to do it this
way." Finally I asked, "What’s the bottom line?" She said,"We do
what we do and we don’t have a problem with it. We don’t have sex
with these guys, we’re just showing our bodies. You’re going to be
exposing your mind for money when you write this article aren’t
you?" "I don’t get paid." "Well," she joked, "maybe you should
consider stripping." I’ve never thought of myself as a stripper. I
always thought "newspaper columnist" sounded so much more revered.
So, I’m a stripper. I guess I can live with that. Avi Lidgi
Previous Daily Bruin Story: Seeing racial differences is necessary,
beneficial , 7/14/97