When I first met my CF, she had been dancing for a little less than a year (about 7 mos.). I was immediately taken by her sincerity and sweet, patient, kindhearted nature (very atypical for a stripper). I was especially impressed with her level of contentment. At the time, she was the only stripper I knew who wasn't on “The Grind.†Back then, she didn't make trips to VIP. She'd say, “I don't want to cheat guys out of their money. They aren't going to get what they really want, so what's the point?†In fact, she didn't even set nightly quotas for herself. She'd tell me, “As long as I make back what I put in for the night (bar fee, dj fee, house fee, tip out, etc.), and some sort of profit so I don't feel my time at work was totally wasted, I'm good. Every night isn't going to be the same,†she'd continue, “What I don't get tonight, I'll make up for on another.†Now, I'm Old School and have been in The Game for a while. I was very aware that type of talk wasn't going to last much longer. She was still “green,†at the time, and it wouldn't be long before her sincere, sweet natured character became tainted with deceit and avarice. Inevitably, I watched, as she eventually transformed into a typical stripper.
She used to talk about school. Now, all she thinks about is money and different ways to make it (preferably legal). She's a beautiful girl (25 years this August) with soft and pretty skin (although scared by irrevocably hideous tattoos). As a result, she's one of the more popular girls in any given (black) club. Unlike some of her fellow entertainers, she hardly ever has trouble finding work. To this day, I've yet to see her at work sitting, walking, and/or asking around, wanting for dances. As soon as she becomes available, it isn't long before another patron is grabbing for her attention. She's constantly on her feet. It seems the only time she stops working is when she pauses a bit to change outfits. I can think of quite a few girls who would gladly trade realities with her. Based on what I've observed, at a bare minimum, she's got to be clearing, on average, $300 per night (and I'm often the one giving it to her)! Yet, it never seems to be enough. She, like all typical strippers, has begun the ever elusive money chase.
On occasion, she and I have taken time away from her home club where she has established clientele, to “Go On Tour,†visiting other local scs in metro Atlanta (Club Wax, Queen City/now Peaches of Atlanta, Pleasers, Blue Flame and The Brazilian/now closed). She turned up her nose at the first 2 listed (beneath her… relevance soon to follow). Now, her latest brainchild is to dance out of town (mainly nearby southern cities), with the supposedly eventual intent of leaving Atlanta altogether. She claims the money is much better out of town. According to her, the money at her home club is no longer good, like it used to be, and she has “outgrown it.†Now, here's a girl who, on average, easily and consistently clears a nightly bare minimum of $300-$350 (considered a bad night for her). Why is that not enough?
I had the opportunity of visiting 3 of her out of town clubs (Columbia, SC and Birmingham, AL). One of them was the raunchiest, run down spot I've ever been to in my life (and I've been to scs overseas)! I remember thinking to myself, “Wait a minute; she thinks herself too good to work at Wax or QC but this is better?†I couldn't believe she would subject herself to being employed at such a place. As for the cash flow, at either spot, I didn't witness any grand gestures of “rain making.†Now, I will say VIP did seem to “up the ante†a bit ($30 per song). However, there were very few takers (maybe 2 altogether amongst them). Also, as one would expect, there were table dances intermittently taking place, throughout the night ($10 per song).
Basically, what I observed for the most part, were girls walking around the club(s) all night, doing “The Most†and dancing on stage, for $1 bills. Perhaps I visited on all the wrong nights but I saw nothing that spectacular and worth the expense of gas, time and distance driving, vehicle wear and tear, boarding, and any other miscellaneous costs entailed, making it worthwhile for any stripper to consider abandoning her home town and “trap,†where she has established consistent cash flow!
Could the benefit be in the girls, at these clubs, not having to get completely nude (I don't see why that would be a big deal to a stripper anyway)? I don't know; I just don't see it. As my online friend Alabegonz likes to say, maybe I'm “thinking like a customerâ€. Math, however, is universal and this math doesn't seem to add up. Perhaps I'm missing something. Can the ever elusive money chase be that damned compelling and if so, why? No matter how much they make, it never seems to be enough. I welcome all input but perhaps I can get a dancer's perspective? I would love that! Why isn't it ever enough?


This isn't unique to strippers. When John Rockefeller was asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?†He responded, “Just a little bit more.†All of us are looking to maximize the income we make in our jobs. As long as we do it illegally, ethically, and providing excellent customer service, it's a great thing that keeps the economy going. Why should we expect anything different from dancers?