Lap Dancing jobs - are they really proper employment?

"So what do you do for your day job?"
One of the most common questions I get asked - or a variation thereof;

"What are you going to do in the future? After this? When you can't do this anymore?"
"What field do you work in when you are not here?"
"You can't be a stripper forever you know..."

I'm sorry. You ask me that question, night after night, and quite frankly, I find it insulting.  Lap dancing is proper employment.  I have to pull an 8 hour shift - its a full 9 to 5, give or take the clocking in times, and I am potentially rostered to work every day of the week in many of the big London clubs - thats right, Monday thru to Sunday, ad infinitum.  What other industries have the crazy working hours that a stripper can? Frontline frickin services matey.... Lap dancing venues are often open seven days a week, from lunchtime till the early hours of the morning - Secrets is open till an eyeball bursting 6am! If you are ever desperate for naked women in the middle of the night, they have venues all over goddamn town (see here)

I got asked this today, when I was soooo tired - and thats just from doing a weeks work at my strip club. I've worked every night apart from Sunday and the Strike action yesterday till the sun came up.  yeah, so some nights I've been home by 4am, but mostly I have shut my eyes as the birds were crowing and the traffic was building.
I've been reading that book that was published recently by Danns and Sandrine, and its full of women complaining that their hard work and long hours are not recognised as valid by society, even though 'raunch culture' is encouraged (you can see a really interesting review of it here by a feminist book reviewer)

Well look everybody.  Whilst I might say to your face that I am studying/caring/being a PA - that being an exotic dancer is just a stepping stone to new and bigger things -  I'm telling you now, I'm in this for the long term.  As I've said a million times boefore, I like my job, I like lapdancing, I think it is a great profession if you approach it with the right attitude.  No job is perfect, and neither are there perfect customers. Besides, with the economy as it is, the job market sluggish, and youth and graduate un-employment rising, why not capitalise on my strong sales skills and good looks by providing a second to none service?

Besides, if my contemporaries can't get a job, wouldn't it be greedy of me to take up two or more???

Marching down the Strand in my Knickers - The London Slut Walk 2011

It was a fantastic feeling to march down the Strand and into Trafalgar Square with my knickers on proud display during the London Slutwalk 2011.  The day itself, Saturday 11th June 2011, turned out to be a hot, sunny London summer day so was perfect weather to take your clothes off.
I shouted slogans, bonded with all types of activists, had a tear in my eye at the impassioned speakers and got thoroughly fired up at the all the crap society throws at us for being a girl (or gay/transgender/sex worker/rape victim - the list was long and the cause was loud).  I've spoken about the message behind the march in an earlier post, and I'll do so again, but for now I'll just comment on the day itself.
There were lot's of snap-happy photographers, and I must admit I had a fair few taken of me ( I had a fabulous outfit darlings).  However, as this blog is anonymous I'm afraid I can't show you a picture of me at the march, so instead here are a few snaps of my favourite London Slutwalkers;

These are old-school activists keeping it simple so that the strong message stands out.

 

 This Geisha uses her outfit to say her message for her - is this how we have to dress and act to not get raped or judged nowadays?

 The dominatrix in full length black latex must have been boiling in the sun, so along comes a nice blonde in pigtails to give her an icecream....

My favourite pair of the march.  Their inflatable cocks said "NO MEANS NO", note the shiny policeman's badge on their uniforms as a reference to the Canadian policeman's attitude which started the Slutwalk movement, and they were a really nice pair of guys from NYC to boot.  I had lots of fun camping around with them for a while before they left to go to Covent Garden to buy Baby Gaga breastmilk icecream.  As you do.....

I'm hoping the London Slutwalk is an annual thing - oh, and to top it off, the Naked Bike Ride went past us - TWICE!!!!

I like lapdancing! So why quit?

I'm a lapdancer.
But then I'm always asked "Why?"
Well I like it - I like lapdancing.

There, I said it.  I like lapdancing. I like my job, I like what I do, I like what it brings and what it does - is it really so strange to have a bit of job satisfaction?

Sure, I've had bad days.  I've had times when my job - my chosen career in fact - times when the job seemed to be too much.  I'd stomp off in a huff.  I'd fight back tears in the toilets.  I'd feel incandescent with rage - at the customers, the management, my fellow dancers and the assorted staff.  I'd come home and cry.

But doesn't everybody get days like that?

I've recently had the opportunity to try out a different career path - the office.  Nice, safe, dependable - a steady wage, with steady skills being gained, a steady crowd of fellow employees.  I found it, after years of stripping;

mundane
repetitive
and totally frustrating.

The thing is, lapdancing is a career for many women, and yet; its not seen as valid by so much of society.
I'm lucky - blessed even, to have a network of family and friends who know what I do, don't mind - are only interested and intrigued even.  I live in London, one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, and have people around me with sophisticated, modern attitudes and lives.  I blog and tweet about my experiences on a regular basis, and the general feedbackand comments are pretty positive.

Sure, I know that lapdancing can be a pretty bad experience for some women, for various reasons - and I fully support and champion changing that.  But I guess what I am trying to say, is
"why can't I enjoy my lapdancing job?"
In a way, I can't say I mind society's attitudes too much.  Perhaps, if I like lapdancing, its enough to keep it a secret.  I like lapdancing, I like being a lapdancer, but I like its social cachet too. Besides, if everybody likes lapdancing, wouldn't it make it as normal as the office?