My boss actually said this morning, and I quote, "I'm going to break you. I'm going to break you like a horse."

Wow. My bosses do some shit that Ain't Right, but nothing has come close to that.

When I was a stripper, the attitude towards the clients was mostly thinly veiled contempt. As one girl said to me "Most of them wouldn't in here if they could get a real date." There were some clients we liked, but not to date. A lot of men had really misogynistic attitudes, but our reaction was that they were paying money to be there and we were getting paid, so who was the real loser?

I felt that the atmosphere could get toxic for girls with bad boundaries--the attitude that sex was a commodity and guys were there to be relieved of as many dollars as possible was pervasive--but personally, I felt empowered. Certainly more than I did as a waitress or in several corporate jobs I have had.

Thank you for sharing your experiences as strippers, y'all. I'm kind of tickled to learn that we have so many! I love us.

My boss actually said this morning, and I quote, "I'm going to break you. I'm going to break you like a horse."

Where's WindSparrow? We need some good poetic justic.

Man, I'm getting stripper envy.

I wish my nephew's girlfriend didn't have so many other problems. Her stripping was not a good lifestyle or career for her--mostly because it led to her increasing drug use. She often invited people from the club back to their apartment to party afterwards and it led to some other problems. She was too young (18 when she started) and had too many other issues, unfortunately.

I'm ambivalent about the porn industry. I think porn is fine but unfortunately, the industry is riddled with abuse and the young people (mostly women) that are being exploited outnumber the women who are in control of their bodies, their lives and careers.

When I was a stripper, the attitude towards the clients was mostly thinly veiled contempt. As one girl said to me "Most of them wouldn't in here if they could get a real date." There were some clients we liked, but not to date.

This mostly. Also hated the guys in there for business meetings. @@~forever. But there were some ok guys. I remember one guy who was a 30-some odd year old virgin. He was nice and really geeky and would buy me gin & tonics, but order them as Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters. He gave me a going away card my last night there.

I did come away with some pretty good stories though.

I have, in my youth at times, seriously thought, "If I had a better body, I would try to be a stripper right now." The industry is certainly not ideal, but I have known a couple of smart cookies who used it to get through grad school. One, a lesbian sociologist, paid for the down payment on a house that way, too.

I dunno if my feet could handle the shoes, though. Or the Brazilian. The hours would be great.

I see nothing inherently wrong with being a sex worker (yes, and I know that stripper and prostitute are NOT synonomous, but the are both in the sex industry, IMO); I see many things wrong in the ways that lead many into the sex industry.

So she finds it hard to hate the adult industry in general as a Feminist.

I love your friend. So few radicals really examine their beliefs.

She's freaking awesome, I do have to say. I am glad I have the sense to be friends with her.

Wow, Zenkitty. Your current boss is quite the asshat.

I'm with Calli, except in my head I used a more colorful expletive.