Everything about Strip Club totally explained
A
strip club is a
nightclub or
bar that offers
striptease (the erotic removal of a performer's clothing) and possibly other related services such as
lap dances. While usually considered much less objectionable than more explicit
adult entertainment such as
live sex shows, they're often the focus of morality campaigns and restrictive
legislation.
High-end establishments tend to use the
euphemism gentlemen's clubs (although note that
this term also refers to the long-standing meeting places of the British establishment). More down-market competitors may be referred to as
titty bars,
skin bars,
girly bars, or
go-go bars. Sometimes, they're referred to as
men's clubs (not to be confused with
working men's clubs). In a
bikini bar dancers must not disrobe completely.
Clubs
Men are the primary consumers of this form of entertainment, at straight clubs and gay clubs, but at least one chain,
Chippendales, caters mainly to straight women. Since the main attraction of a strip club is the stage show, almost all clubs have a
cover charge.
Gentlemen's and strip clubs are a $5-billion dollar industry in the US, and generate approximately 22% of the gross revenue in US
adult entertainment. Some clubs have hundreds of entertainers appear on stage within a single year.
Specific clubs
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club in
Las Vegas has been billed as the world's largest strip club; in 2006 it was sold at auction for $80 million.
Tampa, Florida is well known for its strip clubs including the famous
Mons Venus.
Howard Stern makes frequent mention of
Scores, another famous strip club in
New York. Scores front man, Big John, opened his own New York strip club,
HeadQuarters, in October of 2005.
Manila,
Bangkok and
Pattaya are world famous for their
go go bars offering a variety of extra services (but no legal strip-tease).
Amsterdam is famous for its
live sex shows in
De Wallen.
There is also a strip club on
Route 17 in
Lodi, New Jersey made famous by the television show "
The Sopranos". The strip club is called "
Satin Dolls" in real life, but is known more universally around the world and in the show as "The Bada Bing."
Performers
Performers are called
strippers,
exotic dancers or just
dancers, or
entertainers.
House dancers work for a particular club or
franchise.
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. However, some dancers are simply college students or single mothers attracted by comparatively high pay.
Legal issues
United States
In several regions of the US, primarily due to the local legal restrictions, strip clubs often fall into one of two categories:
topless and
all/fully nude. Dancers in
topless clubs are allowed to expose their breasts, but they're prohibited from exposing their
genitals.
Topless dancers typically perform in a
G-string and depending on local laws, may be required to wear
pasties covering their nipples.
Fully nude clubs may be subject to additional requirements such as restrictions on alcohol sales or
no-touch rules between customers and dancers. To get around these rules two "separate" bars — one topless and one fully nude — may open adjacent to one another. In a small number of states and jurisdictions, where it's legal for alcohol to be consumed but not for alcohol to be sold, some clubs allow customers to bring their own beverages. These are known as
BYOB clubs.
In
Barnes v. Glen Theatre, decided in 1991, the
US Supreme Court ruled that a state can totally ban topless or nude dancing as
Indiana did, though the decision was criticised for not doing enough to clarify to what degree nude dancing is considered
free speech protected by the
First Amendment. In the 2000 case
City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., the Supreme Court reaffirmed its finding that nude dancing was expressive conduct "marginally" protected by the First Amendment, but ruled that it could be regulated in order to limit "
secondary effects" such as crime.
A relatively
liberal social climate keeps many locales in the USA from passing stricter legislation against strip clubs, or from enforcing it fully. However, in recent years, many cities, such as
New York City, have enacted ordinances prohibiting "adult entertainment" businesses from within a certain distance of houses, schools, and churches. Often, a distance of nearly half-a-mile is stipulated, thus guaranteeing that no new strip clubs can be opened in many major cities. Courts have generally upheld these zoning laws.
Touching of strippers is illegal in most 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 "friction dance", whereby the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he's fully clothed in an attempt to arouse him or bring him to climax. For example in
Tampa, Florida, some clubs such as the famous
Mons Venus allows patrons to have full contact with the dancers during both private dances as well as while dancers work the floors visiting with the patrons.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Strip Club'.
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