Some thoughts on Strippers Female vs male Part 1

Goddess and i both feel there are dramatic differences between Female erotic dance performances and those of male dancers. These differences can be seen both in terms of the audiences and the performers themselves.

Mention the word 'stripper' and traditionally the image that comes to mind is that of the curvaceous Female gyrating on stage , displaying Herself to a room full of males. Some see this as a degrading act, a form of patriarchal repression of Women. Goddess however turned me on to another point of view and one i have come to realize is oh so true. Goddess subscribes to the views of Camille Paglia on this topic. Here are some relevant quotes from the Guardian article on the feminist writer on this very topic.;

"Look! The men don't know what to do! The money they're stuffing into the dancers' garters is a ritual offering, and the women are wearing their booty around their thighs. They're displaying dollars as trophies, just as the great women in history -- the great queens and courtesans -- have worn diamonds and emeralds. "

"The dancers are flirtatious but removed. Even when they approach the men, even when they're dancing at the men's tables, there is something removed or detached about them. The men know it. The men value it. The men all know they can never fully penetrate the dancers and their lives. This is a point I made in Sexual Personae: Feminists are wrong to think that when women expose their breasts -- or even their genitals in a beaver shot -- they are totally exposed. No woman is ever totally exposed; you can never fully penetrate her womb, the heart of her sexual nature. Every woman we're seeing tonight is still mysterious. No man ever thinks, even when he is putting money in her garter belt, that he has her secret. "

i find these lines quite compelling. i have been to strip clubs three times in my life and all three experiences mirror this. Usually the men are drinking and chatting with each other until the dancer enters the stage. Then they become transfixed, the attention of virtually every male in the room is focused on Her as if the other males no longer exist. Her erotically charged motions, the anticipation of each progressive exposure of more of Her beautiful body. She is irresistible to the males attention. i have felt this myself and it's astonishing to realize someone could have such power over you. A quick glance around the room reveals the attention of every male is completely centered on Her. She has that power over men. 

The males close to the stage lean in for a closer look, perhaps offering cash as an enticement for Her attention which She gives each in turn. She accepts his offering, leaning in close, placing Her body a breath away from him. As a male i know the feelings i have at this point. It's one of irresistible fascination, hypnotic fixation and excitement mixed with shame and powerlessness. i'm always hard at that point as i'm sure all the males are.

She takes his offering with a brief sly smile and moves on to the next. The male is left frustrated, helpless and thrilled all at once. 

i don't know how this is an expression of male power over Women. The Women here have all the attention, all the Power. She possesses everything these men desire and fantasize about. Yet She remains elusive and untouchable, a teasing Goddess they are unworthy of.

This experience leaves males as mystified about a Women's powers as ever, maybe more so. In exposing Herself She shows them everything yet reveals nothing. Even placing the entrance to Her temple of Womanhood right to their faces is no more than an elusive glimpse, a hint of Her secrets. For that is all it is, an entrance. Her sexuality remains hidden, as maddeningly mysterious as ever.

Watching a erotic dancer for a male is a lonely, solitary experience. It is almost like entering an altered state of consciousness, just him and the distant all consuming beauty of Her. All else, for a few moments, ceases to exist. The male alone with his lust and desires, his shame. Her sweet yet aloof and distant expression telling him silently all this is Mine, not yours. That which you want so badly you will not have but I'll show you paradise anyway, just to tease you, to make you feel how powerless you are.

i'll end on a few more quotes from the article;
 

"Look at those two young men! They don't know what the fuck to do. The girl is dancing right at their table. She's flirting with one of them, touching him, flaunting her rear end in his face. The men are desperately looking at each other for support. They're embarrassed. She is in total control. They're paying her a tribute. They're offering her money for her momentary attention. They are as abashed as they would be with their mothers. "

"Men are run ragged by female sexuality all their lives. From the beginning of his life to the end, no man ever fully commands any woman. It's an illusion. Men are pussy-whipped. And they know it. "

So very true.

-In part two i'll discuss Goddesses and my own thoughts on male erotic dancers and the fundamental differences in the experience compared with Females.