Clip Joints: Definition, Traits, And Historical Examples.
minnow
Any place that interests me.
To paraphrase Wikipedia definition a clip joint is "an establishment, usually a strip club or night club in which customers are tricked into paying excessive money for low grade goods or services, or sometimes, nothing in return."
I'm sure many tuscl members would be trigger happy to apply the label to any club where they had a ROB dancer experience. Yet such experience would not be representative of the majority of customers.
For our purposes, a clip joint business model deviates from the typical strip club. Although there is wide variations between customer experiences in strip clubs, it's been pretty much standard (at least in 1993 to early March 2020 Pre Covid era) that typical strip club has a stage show, drink service (alcohol or non alcohol), a night cover charge, and a private dance option, with varying degrees of privacy. There are also different venue combinations of bikini, topless, nude, or even different combinations within same club. There may even be 2 or more different tiers of lap dances, some involving a VIP room. Yet in the vast majority of clubs, the basic standard level is there that customers can count on. While there are varying levels of satisfaction for services provided, a sufficient level of satisfaction exists for repeat business.
A clip joint deviates from the standard strip club business model by exhibiting at least several of the following traits:
1) No or infrequent stage shows.
2) Excessive emphasis on selling drinks or rooms for an implied level of "fun", or "intimacy."
3) Drink option entails frequent re-orders for continued companionship.
4) If club parking lot uncrowded on weekend night, it just might be a clip joint.
I'm sure some members have experienced upsell pressure for VIP or Champagne rooms in regular clubs. There may well be instances of feeling that upgrade wasn't worth it, but not totally clipped. Certainly not at the level of some credit card overcharges in some NYC clubs. Again, a sufficient number of satisfied customers across the tier structure keeps club in business. What follows are some examples of my clip joint experiences over the years.
PRE CHIPPENDALES FT LAUDERDALE CLIP JOINT:
I was driving on main drag north of Ft Lauderdale in the early 1980's when I spotted a "Nude Dancers" lit sign. I gotta check this out. Prior to this club visit, I'd been to 3 or 4 different clubs, so I had a certain computed reference frame for my expectations. Right off the bat, something seemed amiss in that there were no stage shows happening. When I asked about it, "stage show shortly" was the reply. What did happen shortly was a parade of several dancers over the course of time sitting right next to me, rubbing themselves over me like cats in heat followed almost immediately by waitress asking me if I wanted to buy the lady a drink. No, I'd like to check out the dancer lineup first. Still no stage show, but first dancer exiting was followed by another dancer, clad in standard slinky cocktail dress making the same pitch. No thanks, still no dancer lineup or stage show. After about the third rinse - repeat, I settled on a 7ish blonde with an average build who seemed less superficial than the prior women.
So we adjourned to a more private corner with potted plants around. For the price of a bottle (it was ~ $20, I think). GFE, here I come, NOT QUITE. With combination LFK and fondling I was starting to feel like a happy camper. Trouble was, waitress was hitting me up for another bottle within 5 minutes. OK, nothing ventured, nothing gained. By then I was getting solid 2nd base, borderline 3rd base action. Still the pesky waitress. After the 3rd bottle, I noticed companion "discretely" pouring bottle contents into one of the potted plants. It was then and there that I realized I'd been sucked into a string along game, and I'd been strung along enough. I got up and left, vowing never to return again. I think the total damages were ~ $120 or so. A modest sum by todays standards. Considering the fact that the company that I had a decent paying job with just went out of business, that stung. Putting things into perspective, my salary at that job was 1/10 my peak Tuscl earning years salary (2005 to 2010) timeframe.
As a postscript, clip joint was out of business when I returned South Florida a year later on a business trip. That became a Chippendales club (male strippers) for a few years before that version went bust. (I never bothered going in there to get review material.)
TWO TEXAS JOINTS TWO DECADES SAME SHADY MANAGER
As I was driving around a nondescript area on the west side of San Antonio in the mid 1980's, a lit "nude dancers" sign caught my eye. This was after midnight on a Saturday night. The sparse parking lot should have clued me in, but I rationalized the late hour, and paucity of nude clubs in San Antonio, and pressed on.
Upon paying cover and entering, more CJ checklist items were ticked off. No regular stage show, BUT, if you bought a bottle you and dancer could adjourn to one of the mini-stages in back. Dancer would then get naked and nasty for you. Long story short, they got my $ for the bottle, but dancer wanted tip to get naked. I tipped her, but she only got naked in the last few seconds of the song. By then, waitress was hitting me up for another bottle, and of course dancer wanted another tip. By then my top head took over, harkening back to FL misadventure from prior year. Screw this shit, I bailed and cut my losses. Within a few years, clip joint was out of business.
Eight years later in the early 90's.... I spot a neon sign outside a building just south of San Antonio airport blaring "Nude Dancers." Pulling into lot on an early Saturday night, lot looked reasonable crowd if not packed level. I paid cover, which entailed a fee and 2 tickets for the 2 drink (non-alcoholic) limit. Going up to the bar, bartender takes both tickets and proffers me 2 sodas at once-WTF ! My warning bells go off with that plus recognizing bartender as the same S.O.B. night manager from the clip joint of 8 years prior. My Plan B club (PT's topless) was only a few miles away, so I decided to stick around a bit to humor my curiosity.
This time there was a stage show on small stage, but dancers weren't getting naked. A 6ish rather large dancer sidled up to me to make her pitch. If I buy an expensive bottle, I could go back with her and have some naked fun. "No thanks, I want to see the lineup first." To which she snark replied- "I guess you'll buy some Rogaine with the money you're saving."
(Note to dancers reading this- A sideways insult attempt does not make you more appealing to me.) By then I'd finished my first soda- nature called. I left drink behind to save seat during restroom visit. Upon return, waitress had taken my drink away, WTF #2. I guess you could list this as another clip joint checklist item. Screw this BS, I went to PT's for a much better honest time. Before I went, a young GI from 1 of the area military bases excitedly confided that he was about to get lucky in the back. I told him that the only people getting lucky are the people taking his money. Furthermore, I recognized bartender from a prior clip joint and I was leaving to spend my money at PT's. Several minutes later, I see young GI entering PT's. All he said was, "I think I like this place better." Within a year, this reiteration of San Antonio clip joint disappeared.
A DREAM PALACE--NOT !!
The Phoenix consigliere will recognize this place along the main drag in southern Scottsdale. I've read several reviews alerting Tuscl readers to avoid this place. But this was 1996, very early in the internet age. Tuscl was around then, but I wasn't even aware of them. All I had was the thick "Exotic Dancer Directory" which I took basic club info crib notes from prior to trip.
After paying cover charge, I walked into a reasonably active, if not hopping, main floor with stage show. Dancers were universally average to above average in attractiveness, but no real knockouts. So far so good. There was a regular stage show interval, but nothing too exciting. After asking the waitress about private dance prices/options, I was made aware of a $50 VIP dance for 15 minutes option. Seeing that one of my reference frames was Brass Flamingo (Indianapolis) $50 for 30 minutes topless VIP option, the same price for a nude dance seemed reasonable to me. I chose an athletic build, young attractive dancer for VIP room. Upon paying $50 fee, and being seated in room, I was anticipating a good dance. Instead, dance got off to unengaging start. When I commented on this, dancer informed me that $50 just covered the room, I'd have to tip her if I wanted a good nude show. ( I don't recall if it were a flat tip, or per song, foolishly I relented.) Well, she did get nude, but it was low on the enthusiastic engagement scale. Throughout the dances, engaged in some banter, including where she danced before. I asked for her suggestion of some good clubs (I was already getting sour on Dream Palace). Her response- "I'll tell you if you tip me more." GTFO !!
As a postscript: Several years later, a coworker confirmed my clip joint judgement of Dream Palace by relating his bait and switch tactic experiences. The thing that took the cake for him was he asked a dancer how much FIV would cost. Dancer replied with price, but added that it was the "time of the month" for her, for FIV price he could finger her asshole. Coworker not a big fan of Greek, he promptly bailed for good.
In closing, clip joint in a subjective term. Admittedly, I've never visited Manhattan clubs, or MBOT. Even across the spectrum of different business models, My 3 examples illustrate that if the only option to get experience that conforms with ones reference frame of other clubs is to buy a string along package of expensive bottles and tips, then you have definitely encountered a clip joint. At FL and 1st TX clip joint, you weren't going to get any entertainment unless you pony up for a bottle, vs most other places you'll get at least a minimum expected level, sans the VIP room privacy. In the 2nd TX case, virtually every other club advertising itself as nude provided nude stage shows without the requirement to buy an expensive bottle in VIP room. Almost any club has ROB outliers, but these cases were institutionalized upsell.
Please feel free to post your clip joint experiences.
I'm sure many tuscl members would be trigger happy to apply the label to any club where they had a ROB dancer experience. Yet such experience would not be representative of the majority of customers.
For our purposes, a clip joint business model deviates from the typical strip club. Although there is wide variations between customer experiences in strip clubs, it's been pretty much standard (at least in 1993 to early March 2020 Pre Covid era) that typical strip club has a stage show, drink service (alcohol or non alcohol), a night cover charge, and a private dance option, with varying degrees of privacy. There are also different venue combinations of bikini, topless, nude, or even different combinations within same club. There may even be 2 or more different tiers of lap dances, some involving a VIP room. Yet in the vast majority of clubs, the basic standard level is there that customers can count on. While there are varying levels of satisfaction for services provided, a sufficient level of satisfaction exists for repeat business.
A clip joint deviates from the standard strip club business model by exhibiting at least several of the following traits:
1) No or infrequent stage shows.
2) Excessive emphasis on selling drinks or rooms for an implied level of "fun", or "intimacy."
3) Drink option entails frequent re-orders for continued companionship.
4) If club parking lot uncrowded on weekend night, it just might be a clip joint.
I'm sure some members have experienced upsell pressure for VIP or Champagne rooms in regular clubs. There may well be instances of feeling that upgrade wasn't worth it, but not totally clipped. Certainly not at the level of some credit card overcharges in some NYC clubs. Again, a sufficient number of satisfied customers across the tier structure keeps club in business. What follows are some examples of my clip joint experiences over the years.
PRE CHIPPENDALES FT LAUDERDALE CLIP JOINT:
I was driving on main drag north of Ft Lauderdale in the early 1980's when I spotted a "Nude Dancers" lit sign. I gotta check this out. Prior to this club visit, I'd been to 3 or 4 different clubs, so I had a certain computed reference frame for my expectations. Right off the bat, something seemed amiss in that there were no stage shows happening. When I asked about it, "stage show shortly" was the reply. What did happen shortly was a parade of several dancers over the course of time sitting right next to me, rubbing themselves over me like cats in heat followed almost immediately by waitress asking me if I wanted to buy the lady a drink. No, I'd like to check out the dancer lineup first. Still no stage show, but first dancer exiting was followed by another dancer, clad in standard slinky cocktail dress making the same pitch. No thanks, still no dancer lineup or stage show. After about the third rinse - repeat, I settled on a 7ish blonde with an average build who seemed less superficial than the prior women.
So we adjourned to a more private corner with potted plants around. For the price of a bottle (it was ~ $20, I think). GFE, here I come, NOT QUITE. With combination LFK and fondling I was starting to feel like a happy camper. Trouble was, waitress was hitting me up for another bottle within 5 minutes. OK, nothing ventured, nothing gained. By then I was getting solid 2nd base, borderline 3rd base action. Still the pesky waitress. After the 3rd bottle, I noticed companion "discretely" pouring bottle contents into one of the potted plants. It was then and there that I realized I'd been sucked into a string along game, and I'd been strung along enough. I got up and left, vowing never to return again. I think the total damages were ~ $120 or so. A modest sum by todays standards. Considering the fact that the company that I had a decent paying job with just went out of business, that stung. Putting things into perspective, my salary at that job was 1/10 my peak Tuscl earning years salary (2005 to 2010) timeframe.
As a postscript, clip joint was out of business when I returned South Florida a year later on a business trip. That became a Chippendales club (male strippers) for a few years before that version went bust. (I never bothered going in there to get review material.)
TWO TEXAS JOINTS TWO DECADES SAME SHADY MANAGER
As I was driving around a nondescript area on the west side of San Antonio in the mid 1980's, a lit "nude dancers" sign caught my eye. This was after midnight on a Saturday night. The sparse parking lot should have clued me in, but I rationalized the late hour, and paucity of nude clubs in San Antonio, and pressed on.
Upon paying cover and entering, more CJ checklist items were ticked off. No regular stage show, BUT, if you bought a bottle you and dancer could adjourn to one of the mini-stages in back. Dancer would then get naked and nasty for you. Long story short, they got my $ for the bottle, but dancer wanted tip to get naked. I tipped her, but she only got naked in the last few seconds of the song. By then, waitress was hitting me up for another bottle, and of course dancer wanted another tip. By then my top head took over, harkening back to FL misadventure from prior year. Screw this shit, I bailed and cut my losses. Within a few years, clip joint was out of business.
Eight years later in the early 90's.... I spot a neon sign outside a building just south of San Antonio airport blaring "Nude Dancers." Pulling into lot on an early Saturday night, lot looked reasonable crowd if not packed level. I paid cover, which entailed a fee and 2 tickets for the 2 drink (non-alcoholic) limit. Going up to the bar, bartender takes both tickets and proffers me 2 sodas at once-WTF ! My warning bells go off with that plus recognizing bartender as the same S.O.B. night manager from the clip joint of 8 years prior. My Plan B club (PT's topless) was only a few miles away, so I decided to stick around a bit to humor my curiosity.
This time there was a stage show on small stage, but dancers weren't getting naked. A 6ish rather large dancer sidled up to me to make her pitch. If I buy an expensive bottle, I could go back with her and have some naked fun. "No thanks, I want to see the lineup first." To which she snark replied- "I guess you'll buy some Rogaine with the money you're saving."
(Note to dancers reading this- A sideways insult attempt does not make you more appealing to me.) By then I'd finished my first soda- nature called. I left drink behind to save seat during restroom visit. Upon return, waitress had taken my drink away, WTF #2. I guess you could list this as another clip joint checklist item. Screw this BS, I went to PT's for a much better honest time. Before I went, a young GI from 1 of the area military bases excitedly confided that he was about to get lucky in the back. I told him that the only people getting lucky are the people taking his money. Furthermore, I recognized bartender from a prior clip joint and I was leaving to spend my money at PT's. Several minutes later, I see young GI entering PT's. All he said was, "I think I like this place better." Within a year, this reiteration of San Antonio clip joint disappeared.
A DREAM PALACE--NOT !!
The Phoenix consigliere will recognize this place along the main drag in southern Scottsdale. I've read several reviews alerting Tuscl readers to avoid this place. But this was 1996, very early in the internet age. Tuscl was around then, but I wasn't even aware of them. All I had was the thick "Exotic Dancer Directory" which I took basic club info crib notes from prior to trip.
After paying cover charge, I walked into a reasonably active, if not hopping, main floor with stage show. Dancers were universally average to above average in attractiveness, but no real knockouts. So far so good. There was a regular stage show interval, but nothing too exciting. After asking the waitress about private dance prices/options, I was made aware of a $50 VIP dance for 15 minutes option. Seeing that one of my reference frames was Brass Flamingo (Indianapolis) $50 for 30 minutes topless VIP option, the same price for a nude dance seemed reasonable to me. I chose an athletic build, young attractive dancer for VIP room. Upon paying $50 fee, and being seated in room, I was anticipating a good dance. Instead, dance got off to unengaging start. When I commented on this, dancer informed me that $50 just covered the room, I'd have to tip her if I wanted a good nude show. ( I don't recall if it were a flat tip, or per song, foolishly I relented.) Well, she did get nude, but it was low on the enthusiastic engagement scale. Throughout the dances, engaged in some banter, including where she danced before. I asked for her suggestion of some good clubs (I was already getting sour on Dream Palace). Her response- "I'll tell you if you tip me more." GTFO !!
As a postscript: Several years later, a coworker confirmed my clip joint judgement of Dream Palace by relating his bait and switch tactic experiences. The thing that took the cake for him was he asked a dancer how much FIV would cost. Dancer replied with price, but added that it was the "time of the month" for her, for FIV price he could finger her asshole. Coworker not a big fan of Greek, he promptly bailed for good.
In closing, clip joint in a subjective term. Admittedly, I've never visited Manhattan clubs, or MBOT. Even across the spectrum of different business models, My 3 examples illustrate that if the only option to get experience that conforms with ones reference frame of other clubs is to buy a string along package of expensive bottles and tips, then you have definitely encountered a clip joint. At FL and 1st TX clip joint, you weren't going to get any entertainment unless you pony up for a bottle, vs most other places you'll get at least a minimum expected level, sans the VIP room privacy. In the 2nd TX case, virtually every other club advertising itself as nude provided nude stage shows without the requirement to buy an expensive bottle in VIP room. Almost any club has ROB outliers, but these cases were institutionalized upsell.
Please feel free to post your clip joint experiences.
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