County Fairs
motorhead
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life
in another thread, someone mentioned seeing a strip show at a county fair in 1962. On another site, an older guy talked about seeing strippers at the fair.
As a wannabe strip club historian, I'm interested in what those shows were like. I'm kind of old - born in 1959 - so as a kid in the 60's and 70's I remember seeing the sideshows at the county fair. Alongside the tents with the bearded lady and the three-headed baby were signs advertising "exotic dancers". There were painted pictures of belly dancers, breasts bulging out of the bra top. Enough cleavage to give a 12 year boy a raging hard-on.
I never was old enough to go in. I've always wondered what these shows were like. I akwas assumed they were just hoochie coochie dancers with the girls at most stripping down to pasties and panties. Anyone old enough to go?
As a wannabe strip club historian, I'm interested in what those shows were like. I'm kind of old - born in 1959 - so as a kid in the 60's and 70's I remember seeing the sideshows at the county fair. Alongside the tents with the bearded lady and the three-headed baby were signs advertising "exotic dancers". There were painted pictures of belly dancers, breasts bulging out of the bra top. Enough cleavage to give a 12 year boy a raging hard-on.
I never was old enough to go in. I've always wondered what these shows were like. I akwas assumed they were just hoochie coochie dancers with the girls at most stripping down to pasties and panties. Anyone old enough to go?
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These were in a tent with folding chairs for the customers and there was just looking allowed, not that any one would want to touch. Some I went to weren't real county fairs but carnies. Others were actually at county fairs. What is truly amazing is they were all in Georgia.
Small town American in the 1950's and 1960's had little sexual entertainment. Even movies with adult themes would be PG movies today. I envy today's teens, who movies, internet porn and high school girls who will blow them.
OK, I'll ask. Jabthehut-- what is the difference between naked and nude?
Before I ever went in my first strip club I saw a performance artist get totally naked on stage. But being so far away it wasn't much of a view.
These shows were very common in the rural parts of the country during the late 50's and 60's. They finally died out around 1970 I think. Many years ago I found a book written on this subject. Complete with many photos of the strip show exteriors and the crude interiors. There were also several nude photos of the girls performing on stage. I can't remember the title, but may see if I still have it. I loaned it out to several friends and not sure if I got it back.. It was a short book but traced the history and ultimate demise of the infamous "county fair".
These county fairs were far different than their city counterparts. When I was finally old enough to visit one of the two strip shows at the much larger Southeastern Fair in Atlanta, it was a disappointment. Lots of tease on the outside by a barker who would bring out five or so dancers on the outside stage to fire up the crowd. Once inside the tease continued, and the eventual strip down to pasties and G string. A big disappointment, especially when compared to the county fair.