Getting Naked is the Easy Part. Here’s Why Stripping is Actually a Hard Job
It is not uncommon to get non-sex workers casting their opinion on stripping, with many classifying our job as ‘easy work’. But the truth is, it is rare that they truly understand the difficult nature of our job or grasp exactly what makes our job hard.
I personally find the worst offenders to be women that come into strip clubs (those women that do not spend that is). They look at you and say ‘your job is easy, you just have to look pretty’ or ‘I could never wear lingerie in front of everyone like this or get naked for money’'. These statements are usually a projection of a personal life choice onto others and is expressed as a toxic cocktail of being insecure and whoreaphobic with a healthy helping of entitlement and a dose of privilege.
The thing is, being a successful stripper has very little to do with how well you dance or even your look. Every aspect of our job is challenging. So, this is an in-exhaustive list of what makes our jobs hard. You must:
Be a class sales person and be talented at selling your product (body)/service (dance), especially to people who might not want to purchase those things (yep, lots of people that come into strip clubs don't want to spend money on us). Knowing how to sell and upsell is the most vital part of the job. We do not get any kind of training, so this is something you learn as you go along which can be hard.
Be a conversationalist and an entertainer. Being a good dancer or being 'conventionally beautiful' will only get you so far. Customer relations are often built more on your connection and engagement. This is also key to maintain and develop when delivering dance services and is what keeps clients booking you for hours.
Deal with difficult customers who are often aggravating and abusive. It is the worst part of a customer services job, but amplified because many customers dehumanise us (a common trend with how society views sex workers). Having 'thick skin' is key, as customers can pick you apart and ask intrusive questions. Customer abuse is further compounded for dancers that belong to minority and stigmatised groups. We have to negotiate situations with sexual harassment and assault where customers do not understand consent and break boundaries. Having the patience and skills to know when to persist pushing sales with difficult customers is really important. You must not let bad customer interactions ruin your attitude and outlook for the rest of the night, and therefore your sales.
Work long nights: many clubs at the weekend are open 9pm-6am. Dancers often have to switch sleep patterns depending on their lifestyle outside of the club, which is very challenging. You have to be 'on' the whole time during these work hours, but it usually does not get busy until around 1/2am in some clubs, so being patient for busy times to roll around is hard. You are waiting on amber the whole time- anyone could walk through that door at any given moment and you need to be ready!
Comply with unfair and exploitative working conditions dictated by the club. Just to name a few: paying a house fee to work and paying commission on dances; paying a whole host of unfair fees; competing with too many dancers because management have overbooked to increase their income; performing free labour (like stage shows). I go into these and more on this blog piece here.
Endure self-employment anxiety, which is exacerbated by the club's working conditions. You come to work already in minus numbers because you have paid for travel, make-up, costume, food/drink etc. and the house fee. I have always considered this work a 'gambling job' because you never know if you will walk out with a profit or a loss.
Wear heels all night, positioning/posing your body in a way which will enhance sales and executing dances takes a toll on the body. Although many dancers will agree that mental exhaustion is far more prominent than physical exhaustion.
The last statement really hits home for me. A job that appears to be all about the physical on the surface is actually so much more about the mental when you look hard enough. Stripper burnout is really common and it is easy to see why.
I hope this blog piece has helped non-sex workers understand why our job is challenging. For strippers reading this I hope it gives you comfort to feel seen and know you are not alone in your struggles.