EP106: An ex-Stripper reveals her life

The Intimate Lifestyle

Strippers are often perceived in society as promiscuous and sex thirsty women willing to get paid to show off their bodies, or even more…

Maria – not her real name, is a friend and is/was a stripper for 6 years. She joins me as today’s guest as she shares her insights about stripping as a career, and to prove that some (if not most) strippers are actually happy individuals who are not broken and lonely.

Sex work is an industry often seen in the fringes of society, never totally accepted but operates implicitly anyway. People who delve into sex work often get judged and receive flack for their choice of livelihood. While society paints a distorted and dark imagery to the industry, if you take away its sexual nature, sex work at its core is really just sales and hospitality work.

This episode hopes to shed light on an industry that thrives after dark, in hopes of debunking stereotypes and social stigma. We try to draw a clearer picture of the inner workings of a stripper through Maria's experiences, and maybe learn what the ‘perv row' is. Some of the topics we've discussed in this fun and light conversation are:

• What led her to decide to work as a stripper when she was just 18 (2:30).
• Why she felt fortunate and lucky to work in a gentleman’s club (7:43), and how another stripper took Maria under her wing to learn the ropes, rules, and other tricks of the trade (23:20).
• Her personal choice to stick with stripping and not going past that (9:30), how the workplace made her empowered and confident to define her boundaries (12:45) and how she keeps away from the ongoing temptation of crossing these limits (27:52).
• How the night club environment impacts the lifestyle and health of its employees (8:39; 15:00), and her experience with alcohol and drugs (19:15)
• An aspect she appreciated with stripping as a career offered (21:11).
• The stigma that came with the job, and how her family reacted upon knowing that she was stripping (26:13)
• What convinced her to think that every woman should experience stripping at some point in their lives (30:51).
• The danger involved with being a stripper, trusting the strip club's tight security to safeguard her, the importance of keeping vigilant, and the reason why strippers adopt a stage name (38:07).
• The stereotypes, assumptions, and expectations that society have about strippers (46:02).
• Attributing her ‘success’ as a stripper not to flaunting her sexuality or doing hard-sell but by connecting with people and letting her personality speak (49:56).
• Building confidence in a setting where rejection is high and earning through experience a toolkit for stripper success (55:35).
• Misconceptions about strippers as promiscuous, and the fact that they cannot be generalized, with each having different stories behind deciding to take that track (1:06:50).

It was a very candid yet powerful look into a stripper’s life, and I hope you loved it as much I did talking to Maria. If you know anyone who might be interested or would benefit from hearing Maria’s perspective, share this with them.

Thanks for tuning in today, and your continuous support to the show. If you have feedback or suggestions on the episode or the show, I’d love to hear it – email us at info [at] theintimatelifestyle.com.

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