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Stripped

Tales of the naked city, from a Las Vegas dancer.


March 16, 2009 · 10:16 AM

A return to work, where the vibe is unkind

By Justice

Illustration: Justice

The good news is that I didn’t get involved in any violent incidents upon my return to work. The tension was thick. “Are you here to clean out your locker?” a girl asked me when I walked in. “No. I’m working tonight.” Other people who used to talk to me just don’t anymore. Staff members who used to be overly friendly, like sexual-harassment-between-the-two-of us-is-okay kind of friendly, are not even making eye contact with me. I certainly couldn’t help but feel like I was about to get punched or at least tripped. There was a puddle of spilled drink on stage during my stage set and my mind instantly went to thoughts of conspiracy. I imagined a dangerous cartoon banana peel as I stepped over the slippery pool of vodka red bull with an elevated sense of paranoia.

Things, I would say, are already better and getting even better though. There had been a great deal of unfair treatment that went away when the scheme came crashing down. Along with allowing and participating in credit card fraud, there were a handful of other things that were being allowed. Being that the wound is still fresh, I don’t feel especially comfortable going into a whole lot of detail about the specific privileges that a few strippers were receiving but I suppose I can share a little.

One thing in particular that pissed off a lot of girls at work was that management allowed certain girls to never pay the nightly fee to work or the additional fee to stay off stage, yet they were at work and not going onstage. As I mentioned in a previous blog, strippers in Las Vegas must pay to work for every shift they work. Another fee must be paid to the club if a girl would like to be excused from stage performances, which can be irritating and ill-timed when you’re spending time with customers. So the majority of strippers were paying roughly $100 dollars a night to work (depending on if they chose to stay off stage or not) and only making money that they actually earned while a few girls weren’t paying anything to work and also stealing large sums of money from customer credit cards. Of course people were going to be upset. I’m just wondering if they assumed it would all last forever.

4 Comments So Far

Justice, I know exactly what you mean. I had the same experience at the club I worked at last year. I was one of those girls who didn't have to pay, etc. I feel like such a jerk. I think that you should try to find another place that doesn't do that. Unfortunately this business is not the best for integrity:)

Posted by: strippersoldier on 3/16/09 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The only other industry I can think of where you have to pay to work is hairdressing, where a beautician rents her chair and hopes to get customers. My bright 22 year old friend, a long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far away, strippers were paid to work, or at least what waitresses are paid. I am still surprised that a union town like Las Vegas lets this situation continue. Sorry you had such an unpleasant place to return to work. Keep onsmiling, stripping and writing!

Posted by: rrbill on 3/16/09 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well in some clubs i heard that on weekends it can be even more than $150 anight to work ... From what i remeber my girlfriend used to pay something like 125 at a more upscale club ... Plus of course the rip off that is 15% taken on credit card charges ... SO obviously if the girl gets $100 of funny money from a customer she only gets home with $85...

I know dancers can make good money but there are lots of clubs, lots of girls and less money available and it has been like that for a coupl years now ...

I wish you could make a blog about how the sterotype abt girls making 1k every night is wrong...
Some nights can be so slow i even wonder how girl can stay 5 hours just sitting at the bar drinking, seeing max 20 guys in the club not ready to spend much ...
I think that if a dancer makes 5k net each month its already pretty good with all the tipouts, credit cards and make up ...

Well hopefully you share alittle bit of it with your readers;

Take care,

Posted by: natkingcolebasket on 3/17/09 at 2:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Good girl, keep your head up.

Posted by: WhatEverMakesYouHappy on 3/21/09 at 2:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

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