Stripping the Illusion Lap Dancing: Exposing the Reality of ... - Object

Object: Challenging Objectification
“In society, attractive women are perceived as having sexual power. So women are
encouraged to believe that by being employed as a lap dancer, they are inherently
powerful [...] The myths imply that we can manipulate or seduce men according to
our wishes and that men are helpless to resist. So if your job, as a lap dancer,
revolves around exercising this sexual “power”, then you may feel as if you are
powerful and empowered. But is that real power? [...] The reality is that in the clubs,
as in so much of life, the real power lies where the money is. The men have the
money, and therefore the men have the power...
My fundamental belief about this, having worked in clubs, is that the reason why men
want to pay for lap dances is not that they are visually titillated, but rather that
paying a woman to take her clothes off is an act of power...Lap dancing is the
opposite of empowering.”
„Lucy‟ 14
Easy Money?
“I don‟t know anywhere you get paid a wage... you have to pay what‟s called a house
fee... That‟s not for doing anything. Then they take a percentage of what you earn...
If the managers see you having a good night, they bump up the commission level...
there are lots of hidden costs they don‟t tell you about...
Even if someone didn‟t earn during the night, they were still giving the club £80.
[Management] weren‟t concerned if people went away having not earned anything.”
„Sarah‟ 15
13 Banyard, K., 2010. The Equality Illusion. London; Faber and Faber Limited. p. 168
14 OBJECT interview
15 Ibid
6