Behind the Sweet Illusion

Behind theSweet

Illusion

According to Amani, a dancer at Sweet Illusions and Stars, “anyone can get hired, whether or not you stay is another story.” Strip culture is built upon desire, passion, and power. Folks visit the strip club to explore their desires and to feel desired. For some, this may seem like a one-sided relationship or transaction, but to others being on the pole and stage is a form of empowerment and you can make good cash from it. Each individual is an independent contractor, meaning that they work separately from each other and the club, but according to Amani, the strip club community is strong and well connected.

For a typical shift, Amani’s routine is sleeping in from the night before, packing food for when she is on shift, stretching, showering, and shaving. “But no lotion because you’ll slip off the pole!” said Amani. Then she gets ready by picking out outfits (she’ll change about 3 times a night) , packing a bag of makeup, masks, and two pairs of shoes: one lower heel and one thigh high heel pair. She’ll clock in somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00 and get to work trying to sell private dances that go for $20 for a three minute song. Best opportunity for making the big bucks? “A big ticket item that we sell is a 30 minute champagne room for $300 and $600 for the hour,” said Amani. “The appeal of those is that the DJ isn’t looking back there. Private rooms are set up like restaurant booths, where you can kinda see other private rooms, but champagne rooms are more private.”

At the same time that Amani is interacting with customers, her co-workers are doing the same. Having a close knit community

is beneficial in many ways, but it can also make it difficult for newcomers to feel welcome, valued, and safe. Most club owners and DJs are men, but behind this seemingly patriarchal community is a collective of women who tend the bars, manage the schedule, and occupy the stage. This industry is catered around the desires of men, but after taking a closer look, the women who work in this industry are using it to their advantage. Unfortunately, because strip culture is built on desire and power, there are assumptions and stereotypes that are placed upon the women in the industry that can often result in harmful and even dangerous scenarios.

Platforms like TikTok have glamorized the lifestyle, and many younger dancers on the app paint stripping and dancing as an easy, empowering money-making machine. Though there is certainly money to be made, colorful and fun outfits to wear, an increase in physical fitness, and potentially an empowering new experience, what’s not recognized frequently are the downsides which are too often dangerous. For example, dancer names, while fun, are also necessary to protect identity outside of the club. A lack of cameras in certain clubs allows for less accountability, as in the case of Sweet Illusions in Springfield. Amani has experienced first hand what it’s like to work in an environment where it feels trapping to work with a predatory employee without accountability. An analogy can be made to the blue wall of silence, a term that refers to police that cover up mistakes or crimes that the officers themselves commit. Similarly, predatory employees like DJ’s are not fired or called out because the community and club as a whole is scared to recognize the faults within the club, and for fear of the next guy who comes along to be worse.

Dancers who have been in the industry long before TikTok are sometimes hostile and aggressive if they assume that a new dancer was inspired by a trend that they see as a lifestyle and way that many pay bills and provide for themselves and for family. The new wave of dancers are often not only ignorant to the reality of the space, but also inevitably make it more difficult for existing dancers. “Older strippers have looked down on strip culture and new strippers that are being bred because of internet culture. It makes it harder to find clothes and shoes, and I had a couple girls that wanted to jump me because they thought I was from TikTok,” said Amani. “Pleasers [one of the nation’s top distributors of stripper shoes] have become mainstream and celebrities keep wearing them too which makes it hard to find shoes. Most of the girls in Eugene have the same size foot, so it’s hard to find size 8 shoes anymore.”

Another downside to the industry, like many, is the lack of diversity. Despite the open environment for guests at clubs, there is still discrimination against potential new employees. “The owner at Sweet Illusions refuses to hire trans women, which I have a problem with,” said Amani. Not to mention the microaggressions and harassment from customers. “I’ve had people throw trash on the set,” she added.

However, it’s worth noting that good people and good clubs exist and are becoming more popular. Amani has started to work at another club, Stars, in Salem for this reason. At Stars, dancers may clock in and out as they please, and there is food available for them while they work. In addition, “at Stars younger guys who are attractive and have money show up,” so staff are tipped out higher than at a smaller club like Sweet Illusions.

As for the faces in the crowd, Amani said it changes daily. “Sometimes it’s construction workers on break, guys from local logging companies, but overall not a lot of college kids which is a blessing in disguise,” she said. “But unfortunately I’ve had Bumble matches come into the club, or one time friends of the guy I was talking to, so that was a little awkward.” It may come as a surprise to some that it’s not just straight men who are drawn to the dancers. “We have women come into the club and a good queer community that we love that come in pretty often and are regulars, some bi-curious people which is cool and interesting, and couples,” said Amani. There are even queer and women owned strip clubs that create a more inclusive space for customers and employees.

Though strip clubs may be alluring with the high energy, colorful outfits, and surplus of liquor, there is more behind the curtain than what meets the eye. The women who work in the industry can feel empowered, whether by reclaiming their bodies and sexuality or through making good money. But, there is more to the industry than feeling sexy and being lucrative. These women also have to navigate existing within an industry that can take advantage of them. Oftentimes, the men in the industry feel entitled to access to women’s bodies, resulting in toxic and dangerous work environments. Despite the stereotypes and the history associated with strip club culture, many women have created a strong community by occupying positions within the industry that allows them to protect each other. It can be a touch and go industry and hard place to get all the rights that you deserve,” said Amani, “but it’s a really good atmosphere, where you get to capitalize on degenerate men.”

WRITTEN BY

LEAH PRATLEY & QUAYE MEADOW

DESIGNER

KAELEIGH JAMES