What's a Feminist to Do?

I know, it's been a while since I've posted. Been getting some gentle nudging...but it's been a while since I've really had anything to write about, plus I've been super busy. I recently had the opportunity to attend an introductory class at The S Factor in Roslyn for an article I wrote about them/it. It is a fitness program based on the art of striptease and pole dancing. And before I go any further, let me make this very clear - it IS an art, and it requires enormous skill and control over one's body, which must be strong and limber. If I learned anything in that class, it was that.

When I was younger, I went to a moderately nice strip club with my mate (at his request, and which turned out to be something I really didn't care to share with him, but hey, I tried). What struck me so strongly was the surprising realization that the women were in power there; they held all the cards. They loved seeing women come in, and they behaved almost as though we were sharing a private joke that the men weren't in on. When I took the intro class at the S Factor, something clicked for me, and my respect for these women "kicked up a notch."

Let me also say that I am sitting here three days later, STILL sore all over. When I got there, the instructor welcomed us into a high ceilinged room with four poles. There were no lights at all, just a few candles, no mirrors at all, and the atmosphere was very friendly and safe. The exercises themselves were Yoga and Pilates based, but done very slowly and sinuously. Which means a lot more work for muscles that aren't used to it. After about an hour, we learned how to walk a slow, sexy walk, sort of dragging the top of our toes on the floor as we moved that foot forward. I found that wasn't easy either, trying to do that, sway my hips and keep my balance all at once...you've seen those dancers in movies (or perhaps in real life) walk out on stage and up to the pole with that slow, liquid walk, eyes half shut, touching their own bodies, and then rolling around on the floor, hanging off the pole...I'll bet you've made a judgement - she's on something, some drug or booze. Admit it. Hey, I have. Well, I can now tell you, from the perspective of experience, that walk would be difficult at best, and everything else she does up there would be pretty near impossible unless she were stone cold sober. Especially the pole tricks! Strength, coordination, flexibility, and stamina - all necessary.

ANYWAY, beyond the obvious physical benefits, this fitness program is perfect for any woman who has never connected with her sexual self, and just as perfect for someone who needs to "get her sexy back." They swear you learn to love your body, no matter what it looks like. Who can't use that!! But, as a feminist, thinking about this in terms away from personal gain...placing it into the public arena...this once again sparked that internal debate in me: strip clubs - good or bad?

Like I said before, it's quite apparent that these women have the upper hand (if they want it). So, for the "small picture" I think it's great. The woman is in control, gets to be the sexual creature she is, makes good money, provides a service, and everyone is happy. But the big picture, that one I'm not too sure about. For the big picture, do they allow men to continue to see women as "things," without feelings, without humanity? Have men been able to evolve by now to know better? Do these kind of activities really dehumanize women in men's eyes? Do they promote violence against women? I wonder...