Strip Club Truths

Scratch - v - 15th Century: 1. to use the claws or nails in digging, tearing, or wounding. 2. to scrape or rub oneself lightly. 3. to gather money or get a living by hard work and especially through irregular means and sacrifice

Source: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Scratch: The devil; so called from Schratz or Skratti, a demon of Scandinavian mythology

Source: The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by E. Cobham Brewer (1894)

In a Washington Post review of Al Pacino in the movie The Devil's Advocate, Pacino's portrayal of the devil is referred to as "Mr. Scratch in pinstrips". Scratch is a gentleman of the old school. In the movie, Pacino/Scratch remarks, "I never lie" - because he obviously understands that basic truths hold much more power and impact than the weakness of even the biggest lie.

My Three Undeniable Rules:

As a general rule of life, people never do anything for just one reason. Remember this and you will better understand the strip club culture, and people in general.
Stay away from strippers or anyone without a sense of humor. It shows a lack of balance and an intolerance for problems other than their own.
When people are treated the way they feel they deserve to be treated, no matter how poorly, they feel comfortable

Let's start with a few comments, observations, on the industry and the people, in no particular order:

Many strippers are Real Woman, with all the cultural bullshit removed.
Many strippers are dysfunctional people that will never amount to anything in life and are dedicated to hurting themselves.
If a guy wants to have a serious relationship with a stripper you have to be part boyfriend, part therapist, part father, part disciplinarian, and a very strong person. And not judgmental.
The only people that think the dancers at The Men's Club are "better" are the managers that hire them.
Some guys go to strip clubs for reasons other than sex: boredom, female companionship, shoulder to cry on.
Girls don't always work at strip clubs solely for the money. Some want the atmosphere, many crave the attention.
Some strippers want to be treated like shit (see UR #3)
Some guys want to be treated like shit (see UR #3)
Some dancers and some customers deserve to be treated like shit
To make a lot of money in this business, a dancer needs to feel good about herself, understand men (see Undeniable Rule #1), be at least moderately attractive, and actively show an interest in others. This will also help her cultivate regulars. She obviously also needs to determine which men will be susceptible to her charms at a given moment.
She's not your friend, she's a stripper