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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say he can't go to stag do if there are going to be strippers?

695 replies

DelphineD · 09/02/2013 23:10

I'm sorry if this ends up being long; I will try to keep it as concise as possible.

Last year DP went to a stag do (first one that has come up whilst we have been together). It was one of his closest friends, and one that I previously liked and respected. They were away for 2 nights. I had wondered if some sort of strip thing might be involved but I thought probably not as the friend was not that kind of man and DP assured me when he got back that there was nothing of the kind. I later found out (through my scarily good investigation and interrogation!!) that this was not the case. On the first night they had been to a strip club and on the second night there were topless waitresses at their apartment for about 3 hours. This info came out bit by bit. Each time DP would insist there was nothing more to tell, then I found out something else. Eventually I think I got a full confession out of him but it was difficult to be sure as he had lied so many times about it. I also got out of him that there had been topless waitresses at a work party he had attended some time before (I had suspected something wrong and he had always denied it before.) He claimed all this was not of his doing, it was not really of interest to him and he just went along with it because they were in a group and he didn't want to make a fuss etc etc. If he had had a lap dance, I would have broken up with him (friend had a lap dance and the man has gone down a lot in my estimation.) As it was I nearly broke up with him anyway. He knew how much I hated strippers and how I would feel about it, and he did it anyway. But I think the most damaging thing was the lying. I trusted him before, and he had destroyed all that.

We got over it and agreed that if there was anything like this again he would tell me the truth and face the music. He understands how much more damaging it was that he lied about it. Since then, I have been to a work party where there was a male stripper. I didn't know in advance but I did know once I got there and I could have come home. It seemed a bit hypocritical, but I went anyway. I just sat at the back, while some of the married women in my group, went up on stage, straddled the stripper, took their wedding rings off, etc etc. That made me think that I wasn't so worried about DP being present in a large room where women were stripping, it was how he behaved and the interaction that would bother me. Hence why I was more upset about the topless women in the apartment than the ones in the strip club. FWIW I believe he would have behaved in a similar way to me in his situation. But his friend having that lap dance upset me, and made me think you can't trust any man, even the ones who seem nice and like they really love their partners.

Now he has his DB's stag party coming up. It's in the city where we live, but some people will be coming from elsewhere so there will be an apartment rented again. He has said he will tell the truth about it this time. He has admitted that the best man is planning something to do with strippers but nothing is booked in yet. I'm already feeling upset about it already and I just don't want him to be around strippers at all. WIBU to say, if that is happening, I don't want you to go at all?

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 12/02/2013 18:36

Fwiw, I think the op should have walked out if she didn't want to watch a male stripper

But
That wouldn't fit your imposed agenda upon me, would it delboy
?

delboysfileofax · 12/02/2013 18:43

anyfucker you stated the thread was getting derailed with "what about the menz" comments. who first mentioned male strippers? was it the OP? Yes. So it is relevant to the debate to mention males, is it not?

seeker · 12/02/2013 19:15

Delboy- are you saying that there is no difference between male and female strippers and the people who watch them? That they are qualitatively the same?

MarmaladeTwatkins · 13/02/2013 09:26

Well it IS getting a bit "what about the menz", actually.

Granted, if it was just the hypocrisy of the OP that was picked up on, fine. But some posters are under the impression that being a male stripper equates politically with being a female stripper.

It doesn't. Don't try and kid the less dim among us that the men have got it as rough as the women here, thanks.

garlicblocks · 13/02/2013 13:10

Well said, Marmalade.

Some posters are under the impression that being a male stripper equates politically with being a female stripper. It doesn't. Don't try and kid us.

garlicblocks · 13/02/2013 13:27

For all those posters saying it's meaningless, if you can't trust him there's no relationship, etc ... WHY do you feel it's necessary to expose the trust in your relationship to this kind of test?

Isn't it more sensible to trust him not to have another woman rub her naked bits over him?

My ex once spent £2,200 on his own in a lapdancing club. He said he didn't have a private dance or 'extras'. Perhaps some of you can tell me just where you draw the line of trust - and how you get to that.

If you came home and told your DH you'd got pissed in a club and stripped off, done a load of dirty dancing, naked, with some of the men there, but it's all okay because nothing happened - would you say he should automatically trust you? If you'd paid these men, or they paid you, would that make it better or worse?

delboysfileofax · 13/02/2013 13:42

Garlic- in response to your last paragraph, it depends if you were pissed and doing that in a club probably wouldnt trust my partner. If they were a stripper then obviously wouldnt be an issue since thats their job.

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 13:48

He is not a child who are you to ban him from any were the only people should be allowed to bann peple from places are pub landlords and the police

I had a stripper gram at my 24th years ago it was good fun a couple of my mates boyfriends at the time tried to BAN them from coming

It was the ones who had deeper issues in there relationsip

Also i have also ways been told by my gran its a bad sighn when your partner tries to control

What you weare
WHERE YOU GO
Who you who with

Or money

Op you are beeing very conrolling its his brother who i assume will only be getting married the once

delboysfileofax · 13/02/2013 13:51

Sorry garlic that doesn't read very well. Obviously meant if THEY were pissed and in a club...

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 13:53

MechanicalTheatre yes male strippers do try and grind there balls in peoples faces you have never been to see a male stripper but bevause i have a husband i jsut say know thanks

I would iamagin like most people who tut tut most have nither been to male or female strip show i used to work in a strip club on the bar (not stipping) and i can tell you if and man so much as trys to put his hand out to touch a women he is slung out i have also been to see the dream boys type thing and i can tell you there was alot more touchig than you would ever get at a female strip club

Perriwinkle · 13/02/2013 13:56

YABU.

Stag/hen dos have their own culture. Personally, I wouldn't want to go to the sort of hen do that involved male strippers and/or an Ann Summers type night featuring lots of gesturing with plastic phallus thingies, copius amounts of alcohol and a trip to a nightclub. However, I would happily go to one that involved a meal and few drinks. I'd feel the same about that if I were married or single.

Similarly, there are men who would quite happily go to a stag do that involved strippers/lap dancers, copius amounts of alcohol, nightclubs etc and those who would not feel comfortable with that and would only want to go to something more low key.

It's horses for courses.

Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with doing, taking into account factors that will affect their decision. For some men and women, they will want to take into account the feelings of their wives/partners, if they are important to them. Something they might do if they were single is not something they'd feel comfortable doing when they were in a relationship.

Adults ultimately have to be left alone to make their own decisions. Being married to or in a relationship with someone doesn't mean you can control their thinking or actions. The relationship you have with that person will ultimately influence it though.

If after she's made her feelings known, the OP's partner has made a decision to go to this stag do featuring strippers etc, then he has clearly weighed it all up in his own mind and reached the decision that it's more important to him to go to the do than stay away just to keep her happy.

No amount of stomping of feet, sulking, threats, or throwing a wobbly by the OP is going to chnage that and would she really want it to? If she did then I suggest that would smack of controlling behaviour and deep insecurity in the relationship.

IMHO OP, it's either put up with it or do the other thing if it bothers you that much.

seeker · 13/02/2013 13:57

Delboy- are you saying that there is no difference between male and female strippers and the people who watch them? That they are qualitatively the same?"

You're back, delboy- could you answer my question, please?

FreudiansSlipper · 13/02/2013 13:57

what about a play on words

I know what we both did was wrong last year but I do not feel comfortable with you going to a strip bar and a party where there will be topless waitress, I feel it is degrading to view women in this way and to our relationship

I agree you can not ban someone from doing something but you can make it clear what your boundaries and why you feel that way. That is not about being controlling it is about having respect for your own feelings

delboysfileofax · 13/02/2013 13:59

Completely in agreement with you there dom jolly having worked in a club before and seen male strippers in night clubs i've worked at. But you are well and truly pissing up the wrong tree on this one. They will never see it as the same because as far as feminists are concerned women have it so much worse then men. They will never ever see it in the same light because female strippers are "vunerable" whereas when women go its just a bit of fun and they can laugh at the power dynamic changing for a bit.

seeker · 13/02/2013 14:00

Are a significant number of men routinely trafficked to work in the sex industry?

delboysfileofax · 13/02/2013 14:02

See that freudianslipper would at least be fair. I think the reason this thread annoyed me was the fact she had the arse about strip clubs but that only applied to him

Perriwinkle · 13/02/2013 14:03

Why do people insist on hijacking threads like this?

Stick to the matter in hand and take the whole intellectual argument about male vs female strippers elsewhere.

delboysfileofax · 13/02/2013 14:05

Seeker. Yep I think its exactly the same. Secondly whilst many women may be trafficked into prostitution they're not into strip clubs. I think you are deliberately confusing the two

FreudiansSlipper · 13/02/2013 14:06

well that is down to the difference in what goes on with male strip shows and female strip shows and the topless waitress when the fuck has it been acceptable and a bit of fun to hire a topless waitress to serve drinks in a private apartment

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 14:07

FreudiansSlipper sorry i think your worng having had friends not "be allowed out " by boyfirends because they dont like it and my firend who respected his feelings by siting in every weekdend for the last 4 years i would beg to differ

Personally i made it very clear to my oh that one thing i will not tolrate is hime telling me who i can go out with or were i can and cant go I AM Not A CHILD AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN raised

I not going to cheat i my view or run off with a stripper if he dosent trust me he can frigging leave but i wont be told what to do i seen to may friends practically confined to there house and it makes me so sad when women guilt men it to this

Its conrolling weather you emotioanly blackmail by crying everytime they ho out and i would imagin the average man gose on about 6 stags in his whole life time

MarilynValentine · 13/02/2013 14:08

Fucking hell, so many supporters for the sex industry on this thread.

OP, YANBU.

The sex industry is run on exploitation and abuse. And your DH lied to you.

You have every right to be fucked off and every right to feel nervous of the next stag do. Talk to him about your concerns.

And as for the argument that he only lied in the first place because he knew you would be upset - ffs, that is no defence! Maybe a five year old child could use that as a defence but not an adult man.

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 14:08

FreudiansSlipper ever heard of butlers in the buff who women hire to serve at parties naked

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 14:09

www.butlersinthebuff.co.uk/

seeker · 13/02/2013 14:10

Ah, right. Fingers in ears, lalalala- don't want to hear it. No difference at all between male and female strippers, no power unbalance. Men have just as hard a time in the sex industry as women. Just as exploited and vulnerable. Just as abused, just as likely to be hurt. Jesus wept, some people are stupid.
Note to MNHQ - that was a generalised statement about the world, not directed at anyone specifically.

Domjolly · 13/02/2013 14:11

Perriwinkle because if a women can on here saying my husband has band me form going to my sosters hen night were goung to see the dream boys

Every one would be screaming controlling twtat no one should tell you what to do tell o f off