Inbox

[February 13th, 2008]

Strip Stakes: wweek.com readers debate

I was appalled to read your article about the new “vegan” strip joint [“Boobs with a Side of Soy,” Feb. 6]. Veganism in itself refuses to exploit animals for our pleasure. So, the contrast between this type of pornography and said lifestyle choice is readily black and white. While I’m not in opposition to the sex industry, this hypocrisy of vehemently refusing to use animals as objects, yet viewing women as objects, is offensive.

What I see is a direct correlation between the consumption of meat and patriarchy. Think of a butcher shop in comparison to the way males in our society picture women, and how our language is used to objectify them. We also live in a society that institutionalizes animals, i.e., markets, zoos, laboratories and circuses. Can anyone see the comparison? I believe veganism to be an important choice in the goal of disassembling patriarchy. So I ask: isn’t this taking us back a step?

Brian Perkel

Part of being a vegan is usually respect and compassion for animals. Women, of course, are animals, so I see some nice irony in having a vegan strip club where the non-human animals would be treated better than the strippers. Of course, many women have no problem with strip clubs, but it seems we have accultured women to think it’s OK to abuse themselves.

“Adude”

So please explain to me how making a healthy income for minimal work (compared to those of us with 40-hour-a-week, “respectable” jobs) is “abuse”? These girls dance because they choose to, and most of them actually enjoy their jobs. Yes, you do find the occasional drug addiction and girl with issues, but what career don’t you find that? Do you honestly think you’ve never had your groceries bagged by an addict who’s making seven dollars an hour to support their habit? To me that is more exploitative and abusive than a girl who is earning big bucks and enjoying doing it, all at her own pace.

This whole “Stripping is exploitative and objectifies women” bullshit always makes my eyes roll. I can only believe that it comes from self-conscious, ashamed-of-their-own-bodies pseudo-intellectuals who are simply happy to have a target for their holier-than-thou arrogance. Give it a rest, please, and let people live their lives as they see fit. After all, isn’t “tolerance” supposed to be the social Panacea of modern times?

“Jefe”

CORRECTION

On page 53 of this issue, our reviewer misidentifies an actress in The Importance of Being Earnest . The actress who plays Gwendolyn is Kelly Godell. WW regrets the error.