Stripped Bare- Surviving the Industry: The Good, Bad and Downright Ugly Truth

 *If you follow my blog, then you likely follow me on social media, namely Twitter; and you are probably aware of my thesis -based on years of extensive research and personal experience- about the sociological and psychological aspect of our industry. I've discovered what most would consider an obvious issue, on the surface, but the REAL problem isn't the fault of anyone but US!! Rather than blaming laws, shady club owners and whatever else we've all complained about for years; we all need to take a step back and remember this is OUR industry. We complain about the same things in a hole in the wall in Illinois as the big clubs in CA that everyone knows, but how many of us actually do something about it? I know ALL the excuses as I have used them all. My advice is to be proactive and never reactive. Case in point, California. Sometimes money needs to be a lower priority in order to move on. Is anyone doing anything besides Tweet and post on IG? I think we all know that never...

 *Everyone is familiar with the phrase "butterfly effect"; famously metaphoric of how chaos ensues in life. With just one flap of the wing of a butterfly will eventually create a tornado. One TINY deviation from a plan or progress and the results could end in total destruction. In this case, an already dying industry is at stake..  *There are three sides to every argument, but only one is the truth or valid; however, three different realities start to blur lines for everyone. No two people share the same reality. We do, however, all live on the same planet. Dancers, strippers, pole artist, etc. whatever term YOU PREFER FOR YOURSELF; we all do the same job, have the same problems and the only trait that separates ANYONE at ANY job are ethics. Integrity. You STILL represent the company and set the precedent for all those who come after you, and the reputation of YOUR business. Whatever your club is "known for" isn't necessarily anything the owner does or even kn...

 *No matter where they dance, what their employee status is, topless or nude; there's a longstanding but unwritten rule that's been forgotten, YOU'RE NOT SELLING THE RIGHT PRODUCT!  *I've lost count of how often I was complimented on various efforts I put into my job. Dancers think their outfits don't make a difference. They do. On the pole? Know the crowd. They used to remember pole tricks were more lucrative, primarily, nights; especially weekend nights. It's important to also focus on sensuality, making the people watching you want to get you alone, meeting someone's eyes.. Places where dancers are more focused on their appearance, attitude, etc. notoriously have an easier time at work. What happened to being a fantasy?  *The problem is DANCES AREN'T WHAT YOU'RE SELLING, YOU'RE SELLING YOURSELF! YOU ARE THE PRODUCT, NOT LAPDANCES!  *How often do dancers successfully get any dances when all they do is walk around asking if guys want dance...

***READ CAREFULLY! I'M TRYING TO HELP SOME VERY LOST AND DAMAGED PEOPLE! I NEED you to SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR IRRESPONSIBLE ACTIONS!***   *** I AM PRO LEGALIZATION, I SUPPORT ALL SEX WORKERS! IT'S YOUR BUSINESS WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR OWN BODY! BUT YOU'RE NOT AN ESCORT, YOU'RE A STRIPPER HURTING YOUR SISTERS ON PURPOSE!!! WHOREPHOBIA IS A MADE UP WORD AND I DON'T PUT UP WITH IT! STOP. MAKING. EXCUSES. FOR. RECKLESS. CHOICES!*** *I was a teenage mom.. My daughter, Alexia Denise, was stillborn. That doesn't change the fact that she IS my daughter. That said, having stripped for 12 years myself, I DON'T APPRECIATE PEOPLE TELLING SOMEONE'S BABY GIRL THAT SHE SHOULD RISK SOLICITATION CHARGES BECAUSE "It's her choice".. NO! It ISN'T!! Alexia is 19 and I would burn a club down with EVERYONE IN IT if a bunch of irresponsible dancers EVER gave her the idea that it's okay to exchange money for sexual favors IN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOR...

 *If you're on social media as a stripper then you're probably familiar with each of these common problems only WE can really put a stop to, because our communication SUCKS! Let's not mince words and jump in..  *1) Strippers vs Dancers: To strippers, you should wear your title with a bagde of honor; which you do. Not EVERYONE can accept themselves by calling themselves a name that WAS once offensive.. ALL VETS HAVE SAID "I'M A DANCER.. NOT A STRIPPER"! And you know it.. Now thanks to "pole dancers" who only take classes and don't work in clubs, we have the "yesastripper" hashtag. DON'T SHAME STRIPPERS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T EARNED THE RIGHT!! Call yourself whatever YOU WANT, but don't put down your coworkers. AT WORK YOU'RE ALL DOING THE SAME JOB!! Let it go. "Dancers" please stop shaming proud strippers because you're ashamed of yourself.  *2) "Whorephobia": This term makes me angry.. A phobia, ...

 *If you're hoping this blog is about stripper fashion, stop reading. We all know OSFA clothing is a fallacy. So what the hell am I referring to? Our current industry-wide conundrum and what most dancers, including myself, need everyone to understand; especially lawmakers!  *For as long as the current generation of dancers have been in and out of various clubs, each with their own set of rules, one thing has ALWAYS been consistent; we're lucky if we actually find a club that doesn't break laws for the owner's personal gain. We EXPECT to be independent contractors, then sign a fake contract and become overworked and UNPAID EMPLOYEES!  *This still confuses most, so I'll make this a simple to grasp as possible. Nearly all dancers have said "scheduling us is illegal, so why are we on one and get fined if we miss or ask to leave".. In some clubs, in order to leave early, you must forfeit ALL CASH FROM THAT SHIFT! So why are all of these issues coming to lig...

This is the local newspaper and they wanted to interview me and ask why I did what I did. The story she got wasn't what she expected. She said it inspired her. This is every stripper's fight. It's OUR story; and it's only just begun. Those of us working around the clock to come up with a solution to fix a very broken industry won't give up! Dancers will be autonomous once more! Enjoy... https://qctimes.com/business/big-story-exotic-dancer-sues-davenport-strip-club-over-unfair/article_847d837f-78e0-56d0-b256-3b9e93929123.html

Since there are so many men who are awful to us, I'd like to share the blog by a local photographer, whom I met at my old club and we've spoken a few times. His name is Curtis Isom and he does erotic photo shoots. He's on our side and what's happening really does piss a few men off. Not all hope is lost.. Excellent blog! You must read it. http://eroticworldmedia.com/2015/06/the-turning-tide/

  By now everyone knows about the 2018 CA ruling on Dynamex and how it affected strippers. The insulting $300 settlement granted to all the DejaVu dancers around the country. There are about 170 franchises, employing an estimated 5,500 dsncers, give or take. So a $1.5 million settlement was really garbage. The news made it seem as if a few dancers were awarded that amount and it triggered some dancers who, unbeknownst to them, got just as screwed as all the DejaVu girls, and the results varied.   In fact, two dancers decided to take on their club head on- they wished to remain anonymous and went by the alias' "Jane Roe" #1 and #2 (public records can be found on any court docket site, or Google "Shannon Liss-Riordan sues San Francisco club"); and her firm will take dancer cases from dancers all over America. How is this new news? It isn't. It's a recap so this next HIGHLY IMPORTANT information that might help cushion the blow from the aftermath, and s...