Why Stripping is Good

Sex is everywhere: television, movies, jokes, our minds; no one can escape it. Sex surrounds us everyday, and yet our society refuses to acknowledge it. Therefore, people who do embrace their sexuality publicly is stigmatized and criticized. Sex is everywhere, but sexuality is taboo and kept behind closed doors.

Why do strippers get such a bad rap in society today? Women who use their sexuality to make a profit are stigmatized in society, often seen as low-class and unworthy. In the social class system, sex workers often rank the lowest of the low. But if the public didn’t have such a negative view of the sex industry, would strippers be just like any other performer? Could strippers be praised for their talented expression of the beautiful female body?

Recently I ventured to Mac’s 2 in Billerica and spoke with Emylee Disario, 20, a working stripper. “I think stripping is really good for women because she can learn how to be confident in herself and let her wild side out”, Disario said. Disario acknowledged the downsides of stripping as well. “It can be bad I guess just because of the stereotypes. People are quick to judge and not everyone is excepting of it”, she said.

The documentary Live Nude Girls Unite (2000), directed by Julia Query and Vicky Funari, suggests sex work can be the ideal job for single mothers or college students, giving them the chance to earn good pay with flexible hours. Due to the flexible hours and the great pay, many women can prepare for their career of choice in a different field, while stripping. Stripping can also give a sense of empowerment and enjoyment for women who are comfortable with their sexuality. Working in a field dominated by women can also be beneficial to women, who develop strong friendships with their coworkers. Strippers have all different types of bodies, and the sex work world values this, as opposed to an industry like modeling that praises only women with unhealthy and unrealistic body types. Disario started working at Mac’s 2 as a waitress until she decided she needed more money, “I was frustrated busting my butt not making any money. The dancers convinced me to do amateur night, and I did, and I made more money in that one night on stage than I did all night working as a waitress. The decision was easy”.

The stigma of the stripper has seemed to die down as our country becomes more progressive. Many women now use aspects of stripping to embrace their own sexualities. For example, women can take pole-dancing lessons as a type of workout. One of the closest places to Simmons for these lessons is the Gypsy Rose on Boyslton St. The Gypsy Rose believes that regardless of appearance or training, anyone can be sexy, confident, and daring by introducing the art of pole dancing. Many women have discovered pole dancing more than just a tool strippers use, but more as an art like ballet, and great way to get into a physical shape. “I definitely have more confidence now, and working here is a really big work out, so it keeps you in shape”, Disario said.

Women are often very vocal about their right to control their own reproduction; but they are not always so adamant about their right to control their sexuality. For me, the two go hand in hand. As long as women are stigmatized for being sexually assertive, we will remain inferior to men in society. It is time for women to claim their own sexualities and express them as they see fit. Women should be proud of their bodies that they have, and value themselves as sexual beings. Whether that means twirling naked around a pole, or simply winking at that cutie in the bar, I encourage you all to take the next step and enjoy your sexuality.