‘Feminist’ Strippers Keep Bristol Strip Club Open

[Thesepreciousthings]

Can’t link to any of the articles as they are all subject to subscription. Can anyone find one? It was just discussed on Jeremy Vine.

Campaigners fought for the club not to renew it’s license. The feminist strippers who work at the club maintain that by working as a stripper they are earning so well that they are, in fact, exploiting the men who frequent the joint.

My argument is that by working in the industry their ‘choice’ is reinforced by a society that measures women based on their sexual appeal, body shape and general objectification. That one of the ways a woman can earn good money is through sex work as opposed to working their way up in a city bank (for example). I believe that the money they are paid reinforces the idea that a woman’s work is defined by her physical sex instead of her intellectual capability.

Thoughts?

A sex worker can never be a feminist.

A sex worker can never be a feminist.

Absolute bollocks. 'Sex workers' are sexually exploited women. They are not to blame. The men buying their bodies are to blame.

Some of the most inspiring feminist heroes I know of are formerly prostituted women. God honestly, that's like saying a woman who has been raped can never be a feminist, a woman in an abusive relationship can never be a feminist.

No just those who are selling themselves and calling themselves feminists. Not those who have exited the industry.

'Stop trying to take women’s choices away from them because you don’t agree.' But the op hasn't discussed taking anyone's choices away and I doubt she has that sort of power - ? Disagreeing that there is anything feminist about this has no actual affect on anyone's choices, I will never understand this sort of comment which appears on with dull regularity on every thread on this board.

That is a bit disingenuous. I signed a petition about this. I would be very happy if all strip clubs were closed down. I have signed petitions in the past and will do so again. To that extent yes, I am trying to prevent women exercising a choice which I think is harmful to society.

If it is so empowering, why aren't men queuing up to do it?

Of course sex workers can be feminists.

Sex work, as a rule, is the patriarchy most raw and immediate. What could be more simply patriarchal than paying women small amounts of money during a short period of their lives when their bodies are regarded as the right sort, in order to consent to sexual contact. I make lots of non-feminist choices or questionable choices in my life. I still regard myself as a feminist most days because feminism is a way of analysing the world and its structures, not a religion or a job or a club.

If it is so empowering, why aren't men queuing up to do it?

Exactly. This is the point. If it is so empowering, why aren't people with actual power doing it? Why no politicians, corporate moguls, media influencers?

I mean, ok, you could argue that most people in those positions (most people in general) don't meet the beauty/youth standards required. But how about Justin Trudeau? Nice looking man from a very privileged background. Why didn't he launch his career from the immensely empowering toehold on power that is stripping? Barack Obama? Another nice-looking man with ambitions, but not the prominent background of a Trudeau. Why didn't he launchor even, as far as I can tell, contemplate launching-his meteoric political rise from the empowering incubator of a strip club?

Trying and failing to think of a handsome businessman example here

Handsome businessmen - there are lots, actually. Mike Elliff is a top honcho at Morgan Grenfell and extremely hot, even these days in his 50s. In his yoof, he wasted his time getting a top degree and spending his weekends in the TA, rather than getting his keks off for cash. What a handicap for him, how enweakening.

God. J P Morgan not Morgan Stanley.

Marguerita well sure, if we had the kind of power that says what can go and what can stay I too would shut it down, but there's no point putting words in the op's mouth. The comment that confuses critique/disagreement with taking people's choices away is like clockwork. What about the choice of the rest of us to not be viewed as a walking sex stick though?
I mean, signing a petition isn't really the same as 'taking women's choices away'. The day we can all choose between CEO and stripper is the day I will entertain that argument.

Apparently this fella at Goldman Sachs is famous for his hair:

goo.gl/images/1VFFH1

No apparent history of taking his clothes off for money. Go figure!

ugh. that hair makes me shudder

i would not be putting any fivers in his y fronts

I’m going to keep saying it. Women who actually have choices, do not choose stripping or prostitution. The sex industry relies on women who have limited options.

see Baroness Hales' speech:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3483431-Baroness-Hales-Womens-Rights-speech-published-by-The-Supreme-Court-Evening-Standard-Systemic-failures-in-sex-attack-and-rape-cases-most-senior-judge-warns

Women who actually have choices do not choose stripping or prostitution, the sex industry relies on women who have limited options

I'm saying it too @Oxy, because you are right

To the person who accused me of taking away women’s choices, until there is equal power distribution between men and women (I’m talking CEO positions being viable career options for women and men who start their careers by rubbing their genitals onto women’s laps in exchange for a tenner being stuffed into their G-Strings) then sex work is not really a choice. It relies on the widespread trope that a woman’s worth is based on her sexuality, but only while she is young and thin enough to provide titilation to men in suits. Her appearance is a commodity.

It was the ‘sex work is work’ argument that stopped me from joining the liberal feminist society while I was at university.

I'm trying to think of something which is in some way analogous for men what about something like boxing?
A man can potentially make big money while he's young and strong but in doing so is exposed to physical damage etc

When woke bros and libfems call me a SWERF all I hear is "we don't care about your suffering and exploitation because it ruins our narrative." They love my bravery when I was blessed with a platform to speak out for myself. When we as survivors speak en masse we ruin the illusion of ethical feminist porn and Diary of a Call Girl.
I have feminists in my circles who "secretly" confess to me their dislike of sex positive nonsense but if you don't toe the line you're out and they don't want that either.

I too am struggling to understand what the word 'empowered' actually means in practice. From what I can gather, it's only ever used to refer to attractive young women making themselves sexually available to men in one way or another.

I suppose a small percentage of women, like men, are exhibitionists and might genuinely feel thrilled at seeing a man become aroused when they flap their bare tits in his face. Never mind that for such men, one pair of bare tits is pretty much like another. But for all the other women who have to resort to doing some ridiculous dance while naked in front of fully clothed pervs? Empowering? I think not.

Oh, and I see we've already had the 'stripping paid my way through a top university' line. How come we never hear from strippers who were forced to do it to fund a heroin habit or simply keep a roof over their children's heads?

Women who actually have choices do not choose stripping or prostitution, the sex industry relies on women who have limited options

This!