Strip Club patrons: left, right, or middle of the road?
MisterGuy
Rhode Island
I've spoken before about my surprise at how many posters here to TUSCL seem to be from the "right side of the road" (conservative). I often assumed that most strip club patrons would be more liberal-minded, since they apparently didn't have a hang up on nudity, sex, etc.. I'm wondering if what I'm seeing here is a more libertarian slant or if I've just massively misjudged the minds of most strip club patrons?
Thinking about my own friends that I've been to strip clubs with before...most are actually middle of the road or right-leaning politically. I've run into some weird opinions of dancers at strip clubs though. One of my former ATFs was bisexual, but she hated gay men for some reason (?). I betcha that dancers would be all over the place politically, if they even cared one way or the other.
The main reason that I assumed that most strip club patrons were more liberal-minded was because most of the opposition that I've heard about when it came to strip clubs were the Bible-thumping, "nudity and sex is bad outside of marriage" crowd, which tend to be right-leaning politically in this country. I have also heard about left-leaning people that were opposed to stripping because they thought that it objectified women.
When a members-only "gentlemen's club" was proposed (a number of years ago) right next door to the apartment complex that I live in now, the city opposition to it seemed to go along the prudish, "we-don't-want-those-kind-of-people-in-our-city" lines. I joked with one of my friends at work (who lived around the corner from me at the time) that we should both go down to the city council meeting when they were going to discuss the strip club issue and cause a stir. He would say something about how the female body was a work of art that should be admired etc., etc. & "you guys are just a bunch of prudes" etc., etc. & then I would speak next and say, "Yanno, it's preverted scumbags like this last guy that really make me sick. See you at work tomorrow Steve!", and then wave at him. We'd for sure had been on the news that night, but Steve chickened out... :)
Thinking about my own friends that I've been to strip clubs with before...most are actually middle of the road or right-leaning politically. I've run into some weird opinions of dancers at strip clubs though. One of my former ATFs was bisexual, but she hated gay men for some reason (?). I betcha that dancers would be all over the place politically, if they even cared one way or the other.
The main reason that I assumed that most strip club patrons were more liberal-minded was because most of the opposition that I've heard about when it came to strip clubs were the Bible-thumping, "nudity and sex is bad outside of marriage" crowd, which tend to be right-leaning politically in this country. I have also heard about left-leaning people that were opposed to stripping because they thought that it objectified women.
When a members-only "gentlemen's club" was proposed (a number of years ago) right next door to the apartment complex that I live in now, the city opposition to it seemed to go along the prudish, "we-don't-want-those-kind-of-people-in-our-city" lines. I joked with one of my friends at work (who lived around the corner from me at the time) that we should both go down to the city council meeting when they were going to discuss the strip club issue and cause a stir. He would say something about how the female body was a work of art that should be admired etc., etc. & "you guys are just a bunch of prudes" etc., etc. & then I would speak next and say, "Yanno, it's preverted scumbags like this last guy that really make me sick. See you at work tomorrow Steve!", and then wave at him. We'd for sure had been on the news that night, but Steve chickened out... :)
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21 comments
Now, _libertarians_ I can see frequenting SC's. Of course, I'd have to worry whenever I walk into a place with one there, for they insist on carrying a fucking gun.
Both parties are spit into two distinct groups. Republicans comprise both social/economic conservatives (often called oderates) and the religious right, which is actually the smaller half. Dempocrats similarly comprise moderates and liberals, which I also think is the smaller half. You aren't aware of this because the extremists of both parties get all the publicity because they make the most niose. But they are both in the minority even within their own parties. If the moderates of both parties ever got together they would dominate the political landscape. They dont because they aren't generally activists and tend to be apolitical. Which is why our politics is so screwed up.
Libertarian, generally. That means socially "left wing" like the Democrats (let the gay guy be gay and don't care about it, as long as he doesn't try to fuck me, for instance; or, let everyone go to whatever kind of brothel or strip club he wants) but economically "right wing" like the Republicans (stop taxing me! let me spend money wherever I want! no government welfare programs!).
BUT
Typical strip club patron by sheer volume of numbers, though not as common on TUSCL:
Authoritarian and a sheep. Frat boy who needs his brothers' approval, good ole boy who thinks women's pussies are kind of "dirty" but loves looking at them. So, generally the opposite of the above, when it suits him, and much less organized or self-aware about it.
Dislike ALL the candidates equally. :)
I've always wondered why "social conservatives" try to distance themselves from the Religious Right. Don't they have a lot of the same goals in mind??
I remember having plenty of political conversations in strip clubs...just not in the VIP area. I remember this one dancer at an old hangout of mine that would get *really* mad whenever someone said something bad about Bushy Boy..."He's defending our country!", she'd say.
On the other hand, I believe our government should have been more proactive in promoting and setting up alternative fuels so we don't have economic problems when the price of oil starts skyrocketing further in the years ahead. I like the idea of helping the markets improve things by working on infrastructure and incentives. Less taxation on businesses and individuals so that our economy and businesses will grow instead of leave. Then if we have surplus funds, we can help the disadvantaged with some health insurance but make people pay if they are able to and not give anyone a free ride when they are able to pay. I guess I'm a mixture but most would probably call me conservative based on my economic thinking. I think a war with terrorists is partly economic. Spending a trillion dollars on one part of the war is extremely costly. Let's forget the past and look forward. We do have an interest in Iraq helping promote democracy now or at least keeping the oil flowing to help the global economy. If there are oil shortages a few years from now, we might be fighting another war and paying $8 a gallon.
I thought Bush was a Republican and so are most of the people in the state I live in which is South Carolina. There are many strip clubs in Texas and in South Carolina. I thought Republicans were for less government regulation on businesses and strip clubs are a business. Meanwhile I thought the place where Hillary is currently a senator, New York I believe, had major restrictions put onto strip clubs within the last decade or so. She wants everyone to have a license for their guns. She sounds very restrictive and controlling to me. I equate Liberal with excessive restrictions and increased spending and taxation. Just my opinion. Maybe Hillary is an extreme Liberal and I got the view wrong on most liberals.
Less gov't, more SC's.
I do support fairly aggressive zoning of all socially disruptive behavior--sexually oriented businesses, liquor licenses, etc. In other words, I really don't mind people getting the entertainment they like, but I don't object to them having to travel a little bit for it, in order to ensure that people who don't want to partake aren't exposed to it.
So--have strip clubs, but keep them out by the airport.
That's how THEY would stereotypically see it. Not that I'm advocating for or against that perception.
Book Guy, you keep hammering away at the religious right a if that includes all people of religion. Keep in mind that the largest religion in the US is Roman Catholic, and the majority of Roman Catholics vote Democratic. As do most Jewish people. Religious beliefs do not automatically equate to conservtive political views, it's much more complex than that.