I started going to strip clubs when I was 21 and have been in clubs from the East coast to West Coast, but primarily in the Midwest.  The type of clubs I’ve experienced range from go-go bars to full nude establishments running the gambit from hole-in-the-walls to “gentlemen clubs”-a term I find highly amusing.  In my area of the Quad Cities covering both Illinois and Iowa, you‘ll find both topless and full nude establishments and no two clubs are the same. 

 While in a club, I’m a people watcher observing as much possible in the club to understand how that particular club operates.  I draw from my personal and profession background and experiences to see what I like and dislike.  And yes, I’m also there to enjoy the show and the company of a dancer.  I know, understand, and follow the “unspoken rules” to which you are to abide by while inside a strip club, but I also know that not every club or dancer plays by those rules.  Some may disagree with this, but it’s the truth and not acknowledging this is being naive.  I’m not saying you’ll find those types of clubs or dancers everywhere, but they do exist.  Even some customers don’t play by the rules. 

 Through the many clubs I’ve been to, I’ve talked to a wide variety of dancers from the Novice Beginner to Professional Feature Entertainer.  But, no matter what type of club it is or the type of dancer you’ll find there, the premise remains the same: The women are working to make a living from the customers who come to see them while the clubs are there to make money off the women and customers. 

 I want to make it clear that I am not here to tell anyone how to be a stripper!  I don’t claim to know what constitutes the perfect club or the ideal dancer, but I see common sense mistakes being made on both sides of this club/dancer coin.  I want to offer my observation and advice about the business others may overlook. So if my contributions to this column help a club or dancer better themselves, then that’s doing something good.

 I have also encountered people whose opinions of strip clubs, and those who work there, are based on ignorant, outdated, and just plain bad information.  Hopefully I can help enlighten those with negative viewpoints and show that the bottom line to the strip club business is this: These are people just trying to make a decent living like the rest of us.

             That’s it for the moment.  My upcoming installments will offer my take on: how to be a smart dancer/businesswoman, good and bad club management, the changes I’ve seen the business take over the years, and whatever else comes to mind.  In addition, I plan on interviewing local club owners/management/dancers to discuss the issues they face and their take on this business.  In future, I also want to discuss the crossover between the strip club business and the adult film industry and issues that affect both.

         Remember to tip your dancers well, take care of yourselves, and we’ll talk later.

 Respectfully,

-Curtis L. Isom