
-
Stripped
Tales of the naked city, from a Las Vegas dancer.
June 29, 2008 · 1:59 PM
Over time, you develop “cognitive dissonance”
By Justice
Illustration: Justice
I remember having a low opinion of strippers before I was a stripper. I felt sympathy for them with a healthy dose of judgment. I used to read a stripper’s blog on some blog Web site. I remember being horrified by the things she would say. She was just talking very casually about work and would say things like, “Work was bad. I did thirteen dances last night,” and I remember thinking how disgusting the thought was of coming in such close contact with so many excited members. I wondered how anyone could disconnect with their own body and emotions so much that they could be intimate with so many strangers on a regular basis.
I was sure I would cry after work every night if I were in her high-heeled shoes. I remember even being disgusted by feeling a man’s “arousal” while dancing with someone at a nightclub. I once had a discussion with a friend of mine about a stripper we both knew. (She graduated into prostitution now but that’s another story.) I pondered, “How can one sell something so private?” I felt bad for her. The whole idea seemed so degrading.
That’s not the case anymore at all, obviously. I come in contact with so much “arousal” through work, I think I have it in my mind that men are almost permanently that way. It almost seems weird when I give a dance and don’t get this kind of “biological feedback.” I certainly don’t cry about all that contact. Perhaps I have disconnected with my emotions, like I thought strippers did. I don’t ever sit around thinking how terrible that part of work can be. I have better things to worry about like razor burn, homework and sticking it to The Man.
So what changed? I wonder if it is simply a matter of cognitive dissonance. It is my job, and what I do on a regular basis should not send me into an emotional outburst. I would stop, right? Perhaps I’m justifying something dishonorable because the money is great. I enjoy it. It’s fun … but then, maybe I’m justifying it again. Either way, my comfort zone associated with physical contact has been stretched far beyond what I thought it could be.
-
Saturday
2009-11-21
Sports-Fighting
-
Saturday
2009-11-21
Xania's Hot Spots
-
Saturday
2009-11-21
Xania's Hot Spots
- More ›
-
Sunday
2009-11-22
The Strip
-
Sunday
2009-11-22
Xania's Hot Spots
-
Sunday
2009-11-22
Xania's Hot Spots
- More ›
-
Monday
2009-11-23
Central
-
Monday
2009-11-23
$1 Budweiser and Bud Light draft beer, $2 Bud bottles
Southwest
Monday Night Football specials at Feelgoods Rock Bar & Grill
-
Monday
2009-11-23
The Strip
- More ›
-
Tuesday
2009-11-24
Lake Las Vegas
-
Tuesday
2009-11-24
$2 well drinks and bottled beer
Xania's Hot Spots
-
Tuesday
2009-11-24
Rio
- More ›
-
Thursday
2009-11-26
Xania's Hot Spots
-
Thursday
2009-11-26
Comedy
-
Thursday
2009-11-26
Xania's Hot Spots
- More ›
-
Friday
2009-11-27
Treasure Island
-
Friday
2009-11-27
Comedy
-
Friday
2009-11-27
The '80s rockers descend upon Green Valley Ranch
Green Valley
- More ›
Most Popular
- Most Read
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- 1. MMA fighters set to party after UFC 106
- 2. Top Chef Episode 12: Culinary Olympics
- 3. Gossip Gems: Hangover sequel, Barry Manilow and chefs news
- 4. MGM CityCenter Part 5: Meet the architects, and what’s still to come
- 5. UFC 106: where to watch and where to party
- 6. Strip Scribbles: Allison Janney celebrates her 50th birthday
- 7. 'New Moon' star talks 'Twilight'
- 8. Latest odds on who’ll be in the Top Chef Las Vegas finals
- 9. The Jet Stream: And then there were four
- 10. Photo Gallery: King of Formula One racing Michael Schumacher
SMS Alerts
Cocktail of the Week
Nov 19, 2009
by
Xania Woodman
The Jaded Kiss
The bar is open! Or rather, back open. Adjacent to Dos Caminos at Palazzo, itty bitty Fusion Mixology Bar has gotten itself some fresh new beats and mixology talent as ...
Read more...
1 Comment So Far
I've always wondered how many other strippers felt the same way before they started stripping. Seems like a topic ripe for a good documentary on the life of strippers.
Posted by: aardvark on 7/15/08 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Commenting requires registration.
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Weekly editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Full comments policy.