tuscl

College towns and strip clubs

Electronman
Too much of a good thing is never enough
Sunday, November 2, 2014 1:20 AM
If you look at a list of best college towns, I'm surprised that many of these towns have either zero or only one strip club (for example, Ann Arbor, MI; Tallahassee, FL; Bloomington, IN; Gaineville, FL; Madison, WI). Many of these towns are mid-sized cities and certainly large enough to support a strip club or two. In addition, the college town population swells when athletic events attract throngs of alumni back to town for football, basketball, etc. Furthermore, these towns usually have a pool of attractive coeds who could use some extra cash for tuition. So--- is this observation valid? College towns tend to be under served by strip clubs (this applies only to small to medium sized cities, where the university student population is a major component of the overall population). If so, what are your theories as to why it occurs? Some potential theories: Plenty of "free sex" so that the market for strip clubs is suppressed? Parents pressure local officials to shut down the strip clubs so that their daughters are not tempted to supplement the allowance she receives from home by working as a dancer? The male college students are too broke to go to a strip club? Others??

30 comments

  • shadowcat
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    10 years ago
    I think it is mostly local regulations.
  • PhantomGeek
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    10 years ago
    Actually, there are three strip clubs in the Madison area -- Visions (in Madison itself), Club Bristol (Sun Prairie, maybe 10 minutes north of Madison), and Silk Exotic (Middleton, just west of Madison) -- along with the *ahem, ahem* massage parlor, The Geisha House. Like Shadowcat said though, it's mostly local regulations, along with probably a bit of religious pressure. The town I live in has both a university and an Air Force Base, but we don't have a strip joint, largely because of the overly conservative (and somewhat religious) city council.
  • DandyDan
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    10 years ago
    Most college towns are far more liberal than typical cities and as such, tend to have liberalism run amok. That means they think strippers are exploited. I'm frankly shocked Lawrence, Kansas, home of the University of Kansas, has 4 clubs (although I believe only one is actually within city limits). I don't think, at least within Lawrence, that college students being broke stops college kids from showing up at the strip clubs, or at least the Out House or the Flamingo Club (the 2 places I go to whenever I make the trip to Lawrence). Hell, closer to home, whenever I make the trip down to Shakers in Waverly, Nebraska (not far from Lincoln), the majority of the people there most of the time are college kids from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I even witnessed members of the football team there once. One of the dancers there said the football team loves to come out the night before football games.
  • Dougster
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    10 years ago
    Maybe it's because the supply curve is different in these areas than others. Could it be that girls in college with something to look forward to are going to be less likely to be strippers than in areas where the girls who don't have or see those opportunities? Now I'm sure some no-mind will jump in here and instead of considering the averages say "yes, but I know a stripper who really is in college". Others will be baffled because their claim is it provides a great alternative income for young women, but they would never want their own daughter doing it. No contradiction there! No siree!
  • JohnSmith69
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    10 years ago
    Small to medium size college towns definitely do not have the strip club scene that you might expect. I agree with Dan that it is to a large degree because these towns are so liberal. I shared this theory before so I won't repeat the details, but politically liberal areas have a strong tendency to have poor strip clubs and over regulation of the industry. There are occasional exceptions like Detroit, but this holds true most instances including in liberal college towns. The other factor that might be in play to some extent is that the girls don't want to dance in their small to midsize college town. In my experience, most true college girls travel some distance to strip at a club where they're much less likely to encounter their classmates.
  • zipman68
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    10 years ago
    ^^^ I'm really skeptical of the "liberalism run amok" hypothesis. Even in college towns the influence of professors in the women's studies depts are largely limited to other professors in women's studies departments. Hell, the average college can't keep frat boys many of whom live ON CAMPUS from doing creepy shit like chanting "no means yes, yes means anal" outside the women's dorms. I'm sure the proximate cause is local regulations and the potential for clubs to make money. But electronman seems to be asking about the ultimate cause. In principle, that could be women's studies professors, but I doubt it. If the phenomenon exists it probably is much simpler. College dudes are shitty strip club customers. Most are unmarried so they can hook up rather than spend time and money looking and getting a lapper (and maybe more). I've heard strippers complain that college dudes are obnoxious and don't tip well. Nor are college dudes likely to go very regularly -- maybe an occasional foray for a bunch of guys but the clubs surely beckon. Free hook-ups there. That said, I wonder if there is really a phenomenon at all -- if you looked at a graph of permanent population vs # of strip clubs would "college towns" really be outliers? I'm not sure, but I doubt it.
  • jaxman5150
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    10 years ago
    I am in a town with a major university. We have 5 strip clubs currently with several more within an hours drive. One club has maybe 25 percent of the girls are college girls. The rest less than 10 percent. Most girls are either drug addicts or single moms just like most places.
  • zipman68
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    10 years ago
    @Jaxman, It looks like you're in Morgantown. WV seems really strange to me. Last time I was there it was great -- a few years ago I had something in Pittsburg followed by something in NOVA and I decided to drive rather than fly to IAD. It was a beautiful drive. I actually stopped in Morgantown along the way...the SCs there definitely did not have many sexy WVU students. More of a "I strip and my brother cooks meth" vibe. As long as they still have teeth I guess it is OK. Back to the OP, I think there is way too much variation to generalize, but I do think Dougster has a point. UM, FSU, IU, UF, and UW are all fairly selective (FSU probably the least selective). Many girls there are coming from educated family backgrounds that have enough money. I'm not saying they are uber rich and there are always exceptions, but making money by stripping probably doesn't appeal. Limited supply. I also think there is limited demand. I hardly ever clubbed in college. If there is a phenomenon that is the reason.
  • Dougster
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    10 years ago
    Word on the street is that frat boys are not exactly renowned as strippers preferred customers.
  • jackslash
    •
    10 years ago
    Ann Arbor (University of Michigan) may not have a strip club, but there is a Deja Vu in neighboring Ypsilanti (Eastern Michigan University).
  • Clubber
    •
    10 years ago
    Clubs near The U seem to thrive.
  • Clubber
    •
    10 years ago
    Speaking of which, I was in one. The club is long since gone. I was sitting at the bar, stage in middle of horseshoe shaped bar, when a dancer is called to the stage, Hadn't heard her name before. Anyway, out walks this dancer and as soon as our eyes met, we knew. She came to me after her set. We knew each other as we were both is a group that attended school athletic events. We made our pact to keep our secrets. Never sat by her after that, with our group, that I didn't have thoughts. :)
  • sharkhunter
    •
    10 years ago
    I live in a college town. I didn't think it was that liberal but if Obama came here twice before he was elected, it must have a liberal side to it. I thought the primary reason for no strip clubs was due to local regulations and religious folks here going all out to stop anything with any sexuality from locating here. I heard a rumor that a Hooters thought about locating here a decade ago and they managed to get that stopped. That's probably a big reason a bunch of people who live here all drive an hour or so to visit Greenville or Columbia. Small town hicks keep out the businesses some of us want to visit. They are used to living in their small town world with their religious views that doesn't agree with others. It's just small town thinkng people in control fighting to keep things small town. They think everyone should follow their beliefs and fight to keep away certain businesses. Almost half or more of the people with college degrees here either live somewhere else or keep traveling to the bigger cities. coincidence? I think not. Too much small town restrictions here.
  • sharkhunter
    •
    10 years ago
    South Carolina as a state still lives with a small state attitude restricting beer and alcohol sales on Sunday. I thought these types of laws are stupid. I can keep twenty beers in my refrigerator and drink as much as I want but I can't buy a six pack at the grocery store on Sunday. I think the drinking population here would protest a lot if it really made a difference. It's a stupid law that I see no purpose for. Probably some Baptists who do not believe in drinking at all got it passed to start with. It's just more of the same. small town, small state thinking that whatever the people in control think, they try to impose their beliefs on everyone regardless of what you think. Laws, regulations, you name it are methods behind their control in imposing their beliefs on everyone. You are free to practice your religion minus everything the small town control freaks take away.
  • sharkhunter
    •
    10 years ago
    Liberals are good at taking away from everyone. At least conservatives tend to be business friendly. Then you have over the hill liberals like Hillary who said the other day that businesses and corporations do not create jobs. Duhh, how stupid can you sound? When you hire someone, it's for a business to make money. Maybe she believes we should be communist with everyone working for the government. You'd have no extra funds for drinking or strip clubs. She needs it to run everything.
  • DandyDan
    •
    10 years ago
    @zipman- Your idea would hold if it were only the professor's of women's studies departments who were liberal, but the fact is, most professors at most colleges, or at least state colleges, are liberal. And if colleges are the main employer in town, they do get influence over a town's affairs.
  • Club_Goer_Seattle
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    10 years ago
    The term "college town" infers a comparatively small place in which the college/university is the major industry there. While all of the above comments are certainly valid, there is one point that may factor into the lack of strip clubs in college towns. It's been mentioned many times on TUSCL: College age strip club customers don't spend much money in strip clubs. Most dancers are aware of this and will approach older customers for dances in their clubs before going to the college age kids.
  • san_jose_guy
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    10 years ago
    On the whole I don't think college towns are that conducive to SC's. College men usually lack money. Also, they are accustomed to civilian sex and lots of parties. SC's run contrary to their sense of ethics. College women are not likely to want to dance in SC. If they do, they won't go for high mileage. No reason for them to, as it is just a temporary thing. Also, when we talk about college towns, I would think that means about 100k population max. So a large portion of the population tie to the university. And then some will be against SC's. Students who go to those kind of schools tend to have well off parents. Not like commuter colleges like say San Jose State, San Francisco State, Sacramento State, or Fresno State. Also sometimes there is going to be a drinking age issue. They say one of the Tuscon clubs does draw college girls for dancers. They are young and nice looking. But mileage? Don't know. Then there is SR in Santa Barbara. I'm not aware that it draws college girls, or that there is much "mileage". There is also one SC in Eureka, near Humbolt State. Then also a DV in Chico, at Chico State. In Oregon, Eugene is the main UO campus. But the most SC's are of course in Portland. SJG Untold History of United States - Bush & Obama: Age of Terror [view link]
  • IHearVoices
    •
    10 years ago
    Tallahassee is horribly regressive when it comes to any kind of party atmosphere. Always has been. No SCs, alcohol sales stop at 2, a few people have a virtual monopoly on liquor licenses. Students don't vote and the locals don't want their fair town turning into any more of a college town than it already is. That said, the underground scene is pretty strong. Gainesville...there's a place right outside Gainesville where some girld from UF and the neighboring community college dance. I've never been there - the price point is ridiculous for the area - but it's listed on TUSCL. More UF students tend to come from money, though (and there isn't as much non-student money in Gainesville); so I wouldn't be surprised if their underground scene isn't as strong as Tallahassee's. Gainesville is also relatively close to Jacksonvile and Tampa.
  • SlickSpic
    •
    10 years ago
    College dudes fuck college chicks.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    10 years ago
    ^^^^ Agreed. This is why college towns are not conducive to SC's.
  • shailynn
    •
    10 years ago
    In my college town, there are no college dancers. The majority of the college kids in my town don't even work, mom and dad are paying for it or they just use students loans, those girls don't need to strip. If they're clever like the crazy fucks I knew in college, mom and dad paid for tuition and expenses, and these kids still took out students loans so they'd have more money to burn! lol
  • Electronman
    •
    10 years ago
    Lots of good comments. I agree that there are some exceptions to my proposition that college towns have fewer strip clubs than one would expect. For example, Lawrence, KS seems to have far more strip clubs than I would expect given its size. I also agree that some college towns are served by strip clubs in adjoining cities (Madison and Ann Arbor are examples). I'm not sure about the hypotheses involving college towns being liberal and that liberals (or women's studies feminists? who are presumably liberal) would be opposed to strip clubs. I could make the case that a "liberal" should be interested in protecting and enhancing individual freedom. That philosophy would seem to be compatible with the position that women should be allowed to do whatever they want to make a living or "have fun" as long as they are not coerced. Those rights should extend to working at a strip club and to patrons having the right to seek out entertainment at a strip club. Maybe I'm confused as to where liberals and conservatives fall on specific political issues.
  • zipman68
    •
    10 years ago
    @electronman -- kudos for catalyzing an interesting discussion. The problem with liberal/conservative is that it means different things to different people. Of course there are two major axes -- social and economic. In principle, those axes could (and arguably should) be decoupled. In America, they are largely coupled. Beyond that there are different emphases. If we take liberals you can have arguments like the recent one on Islam by Bill Maher and Ben Affleck (on Maher's show). All four people involved probably self-identify as liberal (Maher explicitly did so in that program) but two (Maher and Sam Harris) were saying real liberals should speak out against Islam as regressive, with Harris calling Islam something like "the mother lode of bad ideas", whereas the other two (Affleck and Nicholas Kristoff) characterized Maher and Harris. Big point -- Maher/Harris exemplify one strain of liberalism emphasizes free speech whereas Affleck/Kristoff exemplify another that emphasizes inclusion ("political correctness"). This is where I just don't buy DandyDan's argument. True, academics in all fields tend to be more liberal than the population as a whole. But only those that emphasize political correctness over free speech would strongly oppose strip clubs. I just don't buy that those liberals always run things. And if we go to conservative areas many religious folks are not friends of strip clubs. Even some pro-business but socially liberal conservatives may oppose strip clubs, if they fear that the clubs will harm other businesses. I remember a time in Abq NM (probably early '80s) when the city was threatening the porn shops. The compromise was that the porn shops toned down the "Girls Girl Girls!" and "Dildo 'R Us!" signs and put planters with flowers along the street. As long as the shops didn't look sleazy the businessmen were happy (hell, many of those businessmen probably jacked it in the booths of those places...and a few probably enjoyed the glory holes). Although I glibly designated the "PC strain" of liberalism as "women's studies profs" I obviously don't think it is that simple. I'm just very skeptical that liberalism vs conservativism explains the dearth of strip clubs in college towns. Indeed, I'm not even convinced there is a dearth...
  • Clubber
    •
    10 years ago
    IHear, Micanopy, Cafe Risque. Stopped there once, years ago, heading north. They wanted $10 to go in. Well, OK, but in the day time and I wanted to check it out. A cup of coffee, $5? Call me stupid, but I had my coffee and left, never to return.
  • Electronman
    •
    10 years ago
    Zipman: Good observation about the different axes (social, economic, free speech, inclusion) that could be involved in the concept of liberalism. For many years, I've been convinced that we should drop most uni-dimension classifying schemes (for example, liberal vs conservative and certainly democrat versus republican) because two people who call themselves "liberal" (or two who self-label as conservative) often disagree on specific social and economic issues. There are much more fundamental values (especially the importance of individual rights versus collective rights) that underlie a person's position on specific issues (e.g., abortion, gay marriage, prostitution, religious tolerance, welfare). These nuances cannot be captured with a single label or dimension. For those who are interested, Jonathan Haidt has written about this issue in the Righteous Mind and talked about it in a TED talk ([view link]). Just Google Haidt if this link does not work. Enough of the academic stuff, now back to strip clubs, naked women and sex.......
  • steve229
    •
    10 years ago
    Wouldn't the proximity of a nursing school be a better indicator?
  • DandyDan
    •
    10 years ago
    @zipman- I understand what you're saying. It's my personal belief, based on my time in college at Northern Illinois in the 90's, that most of the liberals on campus back then favored political correctness and that nothing much has probably changed since then. I probably assumed most colleges are like this, but since I don't go to a college environment much, it's hard to know for sure.
  • motorhead
    •
    10 years ago
    Clubber-- I actually stopped at that Cafe Risque in Micanopy once With all those signs advertising the place - how could I not? It was Thanksgiving Day and not many restaurants were open. I stopped in. The girls were not attractive but surprisingly I had a pretty tasty hamburger.
  • Electronman
    •
    10 years ago
    Dougster makes a good point-- at more selective universities, the female students may come from higher SES families and thus have less motivation to dance at a strip club to supplement their allowance. BUT--- that would also suggest that the male students at the same university might have more disposable income, and what better way to invest your disposable income than on strippers? Thus, there should be a market for strip clubs in most of the college towns that I mentioned-- maybe my list was biased in that I selected a few major university/ medium sized town combinations that did not have a strip club -- after all there are exceptions (Lawrence, KS) to my broad generalization. Steve-- proximity to a nursing school? --- maybe if the nursing students want some extra credit for hands on experience in male anatomy?? Better indicator might be proximity to an education program-- some of those aspiring teachers might need to supplement their income.
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