so, I got a random private DM from a stripper who I ain't heard from in maybe a decade. honestly, i wasn't sure if she was dead or alive--I knew she had health issues and I hadn't seen her around. She DM's me asking for money--a 2-digit amount, so way under $100. Mind you, I haven't spoken or heard from her in about a decade. And even when I did see her at the strip club, back in the day, we weren't super-close or ever talked deeply about anything. I was actually kinda surprised she found me on social media.
of course I initially thought it was a scam, but looks like it wasn't. I didn't send her money. I contacted her family that I could find on social media and alerted them to help her...
All this to say: gosh what a difference a decade makes. Back in the day, she was young, cute, gave great lap dances, I hoped she was making money. 10 years later she's asking for a couple of bucks to help her out. It's crazy to see someone who stripped multiple nights a week, healthy, fall on hard times and now is like broke / penniless.
Would like to see a 10-year project on serious dancers who had a 'solid career' and then a where-are-they-now, 10 years after. Like look at those ladies at the Bunny Ranch on HBO. Where are they now? Are they broke? Which would be a shame.
I know drugs can be a factor and mis-managing of money. Or having kids.
I'd also like to see the johns like us / the mongrels like us / so-called perverts like us in comparison. After 10 years, the johns who heavily visit strip clubs, where-are-they-now?
Why do I feel we johns probably fared way better overall than ladies who have danced at clubs for years. I myself am doing fine today. My money situation is much better now than it was a decade ago. And I still go to clubs. On the other hand, many clubs have since closed. It's sad to see. I shouldn't be surprised. But this makes me mildly sad. Especially that young dancer, to see her on hard times 10 years later--the club she worked at closed like 8 years ago. And hasn't re-opened.
It's just 'wild' to see. Since experiencing this and then going to the club, I feel like whispering to every dancer, "hold on to your money. Please keep thinking about 10 years from now....please put a plan now in motion for yourself"
on the other hand, 10 years is actually a real long time. like, I had a different day job 10 years ago---where's my money today from my job back then, 10 years ago? spent. lol. so why should this be any different for strippers who stripped 10 years ago, why on earth should they still have any coins from that today?
then again, I could argue, but my job from 10 years ago, I still got a 401K from that and it's still active even thought I dont' work there no more. My 401K still makes roughly about $200 a year very slowly, but i'll take it.
I dunno. the whole picture is so sad because of 'the party atmosphere' too. looking back now, 10 years later, now it's a mirage, kinda fake. but back then, 10 years ago, at the strip club, it's pure youth, lights, shakin' booty, loud music, dry humping lapdances. 10 years later, it's reality, no music, older, health failing, now scrounging for money. nobody's around to help.
hasn't stopped me from going to the strip club last night, tho lol