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Clubs
Men are the primary consumers of this form of entertainment, at straight clubs and gay clubs, but at least one chain, Chippendales, caters mainly to straight women.
Gentlemen's and strip clubs, are a $5-billion dollar (U.S.) industry, generate approximately 22% of the gross revenue in adult entertainment. Such clubs are also found outside the USA.
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club in Las Vegas has been billed as the world's largest and most expensive strip club; in 2006 it was sold at auction for $80 million.[1] Tampa, Florida is well known for its strip clubs including the famous Mons Venus. Howard Stern makes frequent mention of Scores in New York City. Manila, Bangkok and Pattaya are world famous for their Go-gos offering a variety of extra services. Amsterdam is famous for its live sex shows.
Performers
Performers are called strippers, exotic dancers or just dancers, or entertainers. House dancers work for a particular club or franchise. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity, touring a club circuit making appearances. Porn stars will often become feature dancers to earn extra income and build their fan base. New dancers will often come to have working auditions on slow nights.
Dancers collect tips from customers either while on stage or after the dancer has finished a set and is mingling with the audience. Dancers may offer additional services such as lap dances or a trip to the champagne room.
Legal issues
In several regions of the US, primarily due to the local legal restrictions, strip clubs often fall into one of two categories: topless and all/fully nude. Fully nude clubs may be subject to additional requirements such as restrictions on beer or alcohol sales or no-touch rules between customers and dancers. To get around these rules two "separate" bars -- one topless and one fully-nude -- may open adjacent to one another. It is rare, but not unheard of, for a club to allow customers to bring their own beverages.
In the U.S., strip tease dancers are generally classified as independent contractors. All their income derives from tips and other fees they may collect from customers, and a portion of that money is often to be handed over to the house. There have been successful lawsuits against Déjà Vu, a major chain of strip clubs, challenging this classification and winning back payment of minimum wages.
Touching of strippers is illegal in most states. However, some dancers and some strip clubs condone touching of dancers during private dances. This touching often includes the fondling of breasts and buttocks. Dancers may give a customer a "friction dance" whereby the dancer grinds against the customer's crotch while he is fully clothed in an attempt to arouse him or bring him to climax. The amount of physical contact between customer and stripper is often referred to as "mileage". The phrase "YMMV" stands for "your mileage may vary", which means that not all dancers allow touching, so your experience will vary.
See also
External Links
- Strip Club Central - Strip Club Information, Reviews, And Forum