quote:

---

To obtain a visa, the women must show a resume to prove they can dance nude...

---

I'm at a loss to know how one could prove this with just a resume. Will clubs start demanding video resumes?

And if there's a shortage of strippers, are the remaining ones able to demand better pay?

If not, then maybe they should organize, like the women of the Lusty Lady in San Francisco.

[ 25 June 2004: Message edited by: 'lance ]

[ 25 June 2004: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]

Now I don't deny that their's an illegal trade in women, but most if not all of the women in that terrible circumstance are not coming in the front door. Plus I assume you've got to have an interview with someone in immgration.

Many of the women in exotic dancing take their job very seriously. We're taking costumes, gymnastics, routines, competitions, they even have their own kind of Olypimics.

Some strip clubs, or at least one, actually pay tuition if the girl gets a certain grade or above, in addition to the money they aready make, which can be a lot of money.

The only problem is some girls quit college because their making so much cash, forgetting looks don't last, but a good education does. Unless you lose your memory of course.

My only question is why so many from Romania, instead of Hungry, Sloavakia, or the Check Republic, which all have a thriving adult industry?(my apologizes if I've misspelled the name of any country)

I once had the pleasure of interviewing an adult film star for a school project. A little bit of a thread drift, but interesting nevertheless. Nice lady too.

P.S. I feel more sorry for the men who don't have such an opportunity. I also feel sorry for the Mexicans who work for piss poor wages-which are less than minium wage-in jobs which end up leaving them injured, such as fruit picking.

P.S.S. I support exotic dancer unionization too, but many exotic dancers prefer freelancing which makes such a movement harder, although their are organizations that fight for their rights in simular ways.

[ 25 June 2004: Message edited by: Rev. Phoenix ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rev. Phoenix:
If these women were coming to Canada in a different industy, would you refer to them as exploited? It may surprise you many exotic dancers find peoples pity offensive. I've heard some have indictated displeasure with customers who come in and pity them.
[ 25 June 2004: Message edited by: Rev. Phoenix ]

---

You know what? I can't win with you people!
If I "pity" exotic dancers, then I'm a prude! If I support exotic dancers, then I would either be called a sexist pig or hinted at that I am. Jeesh!

[ 26 June 2004: Message edited by: lonecat ]

I think exotic dancing is a legitimate career for those who enter it willingly and enjoy it. We had a thread on this in the past, where a regular member of babble (who hasn't been around much lately - Dawna Matrix, we miss you!) talked about her experiences as a former dancer. It was very interesting, and she said that she found the experience empowering. I believe that can be possible, just as I can see the experience of being a prostitute as possibly empowering if there weren't such a stigma attached to selling sex, and if the woman goes into it of her own accord.

Unfortunately, it's not like that for all women in the industry. I know someone who worked as a bouncer for a strip club in a small city where the women were "owned" by a notorious gang. I doubt they felt very empowered when their "masters" would come in and harass them (which the regular customers certainly weren't allowed to do).

quote:

---

I can see the sex trade as something that could be empowering if women were running it and autonomously choosing to participate. I see the potential for it to be that way. But I doubt that it IS that way for many, if not most, of the women who are in it now.

---

And this particular story raises particular doubts about the "empowerment" aspect, at least in my view. What we have is a rich country, Canada, importing dancers in bulk from a poorer country, Romania. Ironically, Romania used to be considered an "enemy" of Canada and its ally, the US, during the Cold War. Now that the capitalist West has won the cold war, we can be treated to the spectacle of the former "enemy's" women coming over and dancing nude for our men.

There may well be individual women who feel empowered by their opportunity to travel here and do this job. But looked at as a whole, I have to to say the whole phenomenon seems disturbing and exploitative.

Here's a link to some international sex workers organizations.

Well, the rep said point blank that it had nothing to do with a shortage of strippers, but quite simply that Canada immigration bureaucrats didn't want to have to deal with such a clientele...

I think that if women are able to enter canada and offer those services it should be treated no different than other vocations.