I have come to realize that the strip club is a dying industry. I think that there have been such drastic changes in our culture that the clubs will not survive another generation.
The industry is fighting against changing times, and the high tech solution is not really an option. Clubs can use social media to promote themselves but for many dancers and customers discretion is paramount, they don’t want their pictures used. Obviously some dancers have active personal sites but these are the exceptions, many dancers work several cities over to not be seen. While most businesses welcome free publicity from customer interaction and postings, whipping out the camera in a club will likely get you booted quickly.
Also the clubs themselves find that they are limited by the “community guidelines” of the popular social media sites. What the clubs want to show to promote their business simply cannot be used for the most part.
Additionally some popular sites like onlyfans now allow the girls who used to work in clubs the opportunity to make money without dancing. Some will dance for a couple years to build up a subscription base and then hang up the heels.
Younger guys just don’t seem as interested in the clubs. Maybe because they grew up with the internet exposing them to the female body the taboo of seeing naked boob just isn’t there. Many of those guys are just used to digital interactions and are not as desiring to see the actual thing.
Finally, the economy is having more of an impact. Covid really hurt the industry and many dancers and customers never really came back. Discretionary spending is down for so many customers and clubs face the dilemma of their costs continuing to rise.
I have heard many dancers say younger customers just don’t spend money on dances as much. Those with more income are typically older and they are not a long term demographic. That 65 year old may only be clubbing a few more years.
I admire there will always be exceptions to the above, but overall the industry seems to be dying. There are so many options for guys to meet up with a sexy young woman for adult activities that did not exist a few years ago. Why spend the money fishing in a club when you can order your depravity online? Many do not go to the club solely for sex but more for the fantasy or just to unwind. These customers may remain but the problem is that the most attractive girls don’t want to spend 6 hours dancing in heels with no guarantee they will make anything.
There was a time when the clubs were in seedy areas and safety was a concern. They became more accepted and you saw clubs in prominent locations off the highway that were very upscale in their furnishings. In many cities however they have never been really welcome. One incident and a liquor license could be lost or a front page news headline could destroy the business.
Overall it has never been easy to open a club but cultural and economic changes have made sustaining the club more challenging. I have many fond memories of my visits, I’m just convinced that soon those memories may be the only thing left.
Good article. Interesting perspective. One thing that is eluded to, but not directly addressed is cost. Before Covid, most places I patronized offered dances at $20/each with contact determined by the girl.
Now it is hard to find anyplace that offers dances for less than $40. 100 percent inflation in just a few years. And being well over the aforementioned 65 age line, I can confirm that interest falls off after that milestone. Not completely mind you, but enough to motivate one to seek out the best value for the dollar.