Being an exotic dancer is generally not necessarily people's vision for themselves as children, but the financial draw of the job is pretty great.
A person can basically pay tuition with the amount of money they walk away with from working in a club. It's a very lucrative thing. But it also draws a crowd that is rather unusual, as it is an unusual job.
Those unusual crowds can sometimes be hard to deal with.
Reddit user iamiconick asked:
[Serious] Strippers of Reddit. What do you really think of the people that see you perform?
Here were some of those answers.
Magic Consideration
"Was male stripper for a bit. My opinion: it's all types for all reasons. Passing judgement on folks generally just makes you less approachable. There are good folks who like gyrating naked people but are awkward socially and have lots of money. Creepy is still creepy. Considerate is still considerate. Only difference is I'm not wearing pants."
– Crispyandwet
Parallels To Customer Service
"Ex stripper. The guys that came in and knew the deal were great. Tip the girl on stage, get a lap dance, be polite. The worst were the guys that thought they were smarter than the strippers or that they could somehow game us. Like, one guy I remember went on a whole rant about how smart he was because he could tell it was all fake and the girls weren't really attracted to the men. Uh, yeah dude, you're a genius. Or when they think they're funny by degrading the women. It's not funny and you're the one that looks bad. Honestly, for the most part I didn't think about the guys much at all. I was on autopilot most of the time and didn't judge them any more than thinking who looks interested in a private dance or who was a jerk I wanted to avoid."
– kidloca
Rowdy
"You get your share of creeps but mostly where I worked (a long time ago) a lot of young groups of guys just looking for a good time. Every once in a while you have someone who has too good of a time and gets rowdy and acts like an idiot. Granted I only worked 2-3 nights a week, people who dance full time (especially during the day) have a whole different kind of crowd to deal with. But customers are generally all the same, just looking for something to distract them from life for a while. Feels like a lifetime ago that I danced, my husband and I go together now every once in a while to get a private dance for a while and it's way more fun being on the other side."
– pickmeacoolname
Cinnamon Told You Nothing
"Generally depends on what kind of customer that person is really. The best kind is the dude who understands that it is all a game. They tip well, they are sociable and polite, may even be regulars with certain girls and are never a problem. The entire club staff loves guys like this."
"The ones that the dancers hate? The "I don't pay for dances" guy who thinks that line will somehow make him desirable for dancers? His trademark line goes something like "You are too beautiful/smart/amazing to be doing this, if you get with me you can leave this behind".
"The pimps that go around asking the girls if they "Want to make some real money" are real POSes as well. Then there was the ones that I really had a personal dislike for, the dudes who would try and wait in the parking lot at the end of the night because "Cinnamon and I really had a connection you know? She told me to wait for her!" No she didn't buddy, IF Cinnamon told you that, she did so knowing that I would be kicking everybody out of the parking lot before the dancers left for the evening."
"The strip club industry is a weird place."
"Source: Longtime strip club bouncer."
– BigBodyBuzz07
A New Way To Talk
"Ex-stripper here: Of course I encountered all different types, but I am here to mention one type in particular (my favorite). There were a lot of customers who were lonely, or didn't have anyone to talk to who would really listen to them. They figured out that they could come in and pay for company. I would sit at the table with one of my regulars for a few hours and just talk. I made a point of showing that I valued them as a person and was genuinely interested in their conversation. He knew that he was taking up my time, and every so often would hand me another bill. I didn't pity them, I respected them for figuring out a way to engage with other humans and satisfy their need for connection."
– everyonesmomiguess
Chosen Family
"Depends on the person."
"I've had stalkers follow me home. Creeps who tried to get violent with me at work. People who pissed me off."
"I've also met some really wonderful people I'm fine with calling my friends. I just had a baby and invited two ex customers to my baby shower in June."
– aequitasthewolf
Bobs Everywhere
"I used to have a girlfriend who was a stripper, and sometimes I'd visit her at work and hang out with her and her co-worker buddies when it was slow. One time when we were doing this, another stripper sat down with us and said, "Cool, I just got 10 straight lap dances with Bob." I asked, "Which one is Bob?" No one said anything, then one of the girls giggled. My girlfriend said, "Um, Jeremy, they're ALL 'Bob' "
– jeremyharrison415
Logique
"I dated a stripper for a while (no we didn't meet at the club). We were 18. She liked some of her regulars, but she would often get married guys in there and she absolutely hated them (not that she wouldn't take their money) because she wanted to just have fun and not worry about ruining people's marriages. She also disliked the people that were old enough to be her dad because there were a lot of old creepy people who would proceed to show her pictures of their kids who were around her same age."
"In general though as long as people tipped well and didn't make things awkward she seemed to really enjoy most of her clients."
"Also never ask your stripper out, she probably doesn't like you. And also don't propose to them because that makes it super awkward. They're just people, no one proposes to cute girls out of the blue, there's no way to handle that situation that ends well."
– Desblade101
A Fantasy
"As a male, I asked a stripper this same question. She said "it's just a job. It's their fantasy and they pay for it. Some of these guys are lonely. Some have wives/girlfriends at home who don't give them the attention we give them in a 5 minute lap dance in 5 months. Then you have all the others in-between"
– Joe_Da_God
Innocence
"Most of the people there are just coming for a good time. You get your occasional creeps who you're giving a lap dance to and they flat-out try to shove their hands down your front but it's all fine and dandy, there's always a bodyguard just around the corner. The one thing I love about working at my local strip club is the younger ones who are always so shy and timid. I was giving a lap dance to one boy with the cutest little face and he didn't know he was allowed to touch us, so when I took his hands and set them on my behind he started freaking out a little bit by stuttering and saying stuff like "is this allowed?" and "I don't know about this".
– APopeWithACiggar
Simply Them
"I see them as humans and general people. Customers who provide a source of income. Some good, some bad, some decent, some pervy."
– sallyharpersmith
Hygiene Is Important
"Current dancer here 😊 I like most of them as long as they’re respectful and tip well. My favourite customer at the moment likes to come in with rubber gloves on and sanitise everything before he sits down- he books me for an hour and doesn’t want any dancing or to touch me in anyway and says he’s a germophobe who is here for ‘a hygienic chat’ lol"
– tittysandwhich3
The Categories
"Former stripper, I used to do a lot of private work as well as working in clubs. The clientele is pretty much the same at private functions and they’re generally just there for the party, and it varies so much in the club environment. There are so many types of customer, but I’ve put them in 3 general groups."
"The regular weekend crowed and usual private function attendee is pretty boring and predictable. You’re having the same conversation 100 times a night and you get the same proposition from most of them. Most of the time they’re groups of men, but sometimes they’re hens nights and they’re probably worse than men. While these groups were okay for quick money, I didn’t think much of them and my train of thought was usually figuring out how to navigate around them in 8 inch heels and making sure I kept myself safe. Sometimes you get lucky and have a good basket of eggs who can make it a really good night (gay men/women, legitimate decent groups who aren’t wasted by 8pm, country boys), but most of them are too trashed to see past the ends of their noses."
"You also get the people who are there for more than t*ts and a**. With these customers, it all came down to wanting to find a place where you could come in and not be judged. These people have usually been regulars for years and were the kinds of people where it’s safer to drop your guard because they understood what being in a strip club meant. They were my favourites because I didn’t have to be that sexy goddess fantasy, I just had to be someone who listened or give them some physical closeness that they craved and that was generally enough for them. They were great tippers and would always buy you a drink, bring you gifts or food, and be up for a game of pool. Unfortunately these clients are rare so you snap them up while you can."
"Then there are those who don’t fit in either category: Captain Save-A-Ho, the “cool” girlfriend, straight women, the cheap toucher, etc.. These people didn’t regularly come into the club and you don’t really know what you’re going to get until you talk to them. They can be really good and make your night fantastic, or absolutely awful and be the reason you second guess your career choices."
"Unfortunately most clients from the clubs sucked so I just ended up sticking to my regulars and made new regulars chase me for a while before I let them in."
– meliza-xx
Once You Become A Dancer
"As a dancer for many years, I've seen it all haha. I had been a cocktail waitress many years before I started to dance so I knew the basic idea of how things ran in the clubs... I only decided to dance bc at the time I found myself in overwhelming financial issues bc of a legal case where I had to hire a lawyer etc. And dancing was really the only way I could get it quickly."
Even though I had been in the club years before, I still was this naive little lamb at first who def learned the hard way about that industry."
"But I can say now that it does take a desensitized person to do it. And I'd say most dancers someway or another have had some dark experiences in their past when it comes to men, sex, upbringing, abuse, etc... Which makes it easier to take emotions out of the job and lust after the money, the attention, the partying, and the power it can give you."
"In my opinion there are basically 3-4 categories of people who come in."
1. "The young, arrogant, and stingy frat/bachelor party types. They are usually rowdy, obnoxious, and sexually explicit to the girls. They overstep boundaries, get completely shit faced, and have no shame in trying to get girls to after party SMH."
2. "Another type are the lonely, socially awkward, sexually inexperienced guys. These guys are easily seduced by the flattering and physical contact of ogles of pretty girls. This usually puts a big fat target on their backs to be taken to the cleaners by the hustler manipulative dancers. And before they can blink, they're in the private booths and coughing up cash they probably don't have to waste lol. These are the ones seek out underground massage parlors and are members of escort sites I've come to conclude lol."
3. "Then there are the bar fly regulars. They know all the managers, they hug all the dancers, will probably buy dancers a shot or drink, but rarely get dances or tip more than a dollar or two to girls on stage. Most dancers figure that out quickly and just put up with them."
4. "Another type which many dancers avoid, which idk why, are the couple's. To me, couples were alwaysssss a positive and profitable time. I think a lot of dancers assume women who come with their SO are only there to babysit their men and make sure they're "behaving"... Which is far from the truth. First off idk why but couples LOVED me and always sought me out. And I learned that the saying "happy wife happy life" is the golden ticket with them. And as long as I made the female feel important and sexy and my main priority... The guy was more than happy to spend the big bucks haha. It was always a good time and more often than not they would always come back just to see me."
5. "And lastly, there is always the men who you could count on. Usually older with stable jobs, and lives outside of the club. Usually married and wealthy, who mostly came during the week and after their 9-5s, never staying too late as to make it back to their real lives. These men always paid for your time appropriately and sometimes just wanted to sit and talk without dances. It's always nice to have some of them stored away for a rainy day haha.
Besides that I'll say that dancing can ruin you if you become vulnerable to the dark side of it. Substance abuse, vanity, and the lust for money are demons that surround strip clubs. I guess it all depends on the demographic of each club. I was fortunate to have danced at one that was considered upscale so I know the types of people who are in other clubs are worse and better in ways... Anyways that's my two cents... Haha"
– sweaver_fever
Someone To Talk To
"Ex stripper here. There were plenty of different types of guys that came in. My favorite were the respectful ones that just needed someone to talk to. Of course I’ve encountered plenty of assholes working at the club, but the whole last year I danced I really only talked to my regulars who at that point were more like my sugar daddies but with no strings attached. I genuinely enjoyed talking to them and hearing about their lives."
– LilithInTaurus
What an eyeopening read. Do you have similar stories? Please share them below!
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.