What if scenario ... the demise of strip clubs

[whiteman 14028]

There's a lot of talk about clubs not doing well these days. There's been various theories put forward, like the ascension of the Internet porn making strip clubs irrelevant. There may be some validity to this, who knows? Whatever the reason is, let's say strip clubs go out of business, all of them, both on the Ontario and Quebec sides! What do you think will take their place? Where do you think the dancers will go instead?

 

In the 50's & 60's, there used to be something called "topless bars" and "go-go bars", which had all been replaced by strip clubs by the 70's. Nearly the same concept as those earlier iterations, just more raunchier. So do you think something more evolutionarily risque than strip clubs are going to emerge?

 

Or do you think people are going to be satisfied with Internet porn? I personally think Internet porn is only a warm-up act for strip clubs, not a replacement. If people are replacing strip clubs with porn, then those people must think strip clubs are as non-interactive as Internet porn, even though it's much more interactive!

 

Also where do you think most of the dancers will go? Will they get into something more risque, like massage or escort work? Or less risque, like Internet chats?

[2bigalow2 2936]

Well Internet porn does not allow for pysical touch, if anything it gets you missing this and u either go to a club, and sp or ma.

I honestly think internet porn is on it way down. Look at how many sites close quickly including porn stars on these.

I rather be with a dancer or an sp than watch a computer screen.

The dancer pressing ho warm naked body against me feels so good can't do that on a porn site.

[whiteman 14028]

I completely agree with you, 2bigalow2, Internet porn can never be as interactive as strip clubs. But do you think the guys who only watch Internet porn and avoid strip clubs, know that strip clubs have more interaction? Or do you think a lot of them think that strip clubs are strictly no-touch places, therefore why bother if you can't touch anyway?

 

Certainly the strip clubs have given the impression over the years that they do not tolerate touching, sometimes even sending bouncers around the CR's to enforce it. But these days, they're more flexible about it: the dancers and the customers come to their own verbal or non-verbal agreements about it.

 

You hear many guys on this site saying, they don't understand what the attraction of strip clubs are, when they can go to massage or escorts instead. They aren't necessarily just sticking to Internet porn, but they obviously do want interaction, and they somehow think it's not available through strip clubs. Is it merely a perception problem from the old days?

[Simsima28 194]

Well, to be fair they are two very different things. internet porn is in the comfort of your house and mostly free or cheap if you pay for it. Also easily accessible without traveling anywhere, just a tool to get off really. You can do it more discreetly and hide it from your family and friends.

 

On the other hand, strip clubs get you out of the house and interacting with beauties. The girls just care about what is in your wallet $ but you get past that sometimes especially if she is charming enough to make you forget. Minimum, $60-100 a night depending on the appetite of the person. Can easily be more expensive too.

Then you drive home horny because you got no finish (i guess you can get a finish in some SC's but this is controversial) and you go release yourself with Internet porn anyways. :)

$180 to spend an hour with a sexy MA in private or $180 for expensive beer and a few lap dances. You may be right, SC may be facing lower volumes of patrons.

They should make dances 10$ you will see it fill up again.

At this rate they will get by on bachelor parities and kids coming for the first few times untill they realize its too expensive.

[PhantomKnight 7914]

I would cry if they shut down and disappeared. I don't think they ever will.

 

As great as Internet porn is, there will always be the need for physical contact.

 

Some of us are daring enough to visit SP's and MA's where the majority of men just aren't willing or are too afraid to. A lot of these guys have no problems visiting strip clubs as they are deemed "Safe" and conform with our societies views (There's a better word, please correct me if you can think about it)

[joblous 130]

SCs have always tried to straddle the line between social acceptibility and titilation. In the past it was easier because there were fewer professional women so there was no issue with taking business associates to an SC. That is no longer acceptible with a woman in the group. Even Hooters has struggled with this issue.

 

As a result SCs have evolved to become more touchy-feely making them even less socially acceptible.

 

The impending SCoC decision on prostitution will also have an effect on the SC market. If brothels become legal I suspect it will have a major impact on SCs. The more liberal SCs may actually convert to brothels. One in particular seems to have already taken a first step in that direction. As for the rest, who knows? It's going to be even tougher to stay in business if your business is considered sociallly unacceptible by a large segment of the population but you don't offer the full range of services associated with the stigma.

[canuckhooker 19202]

First off you are right on the internet, but it is not porn, but rather cam sites where you can interact with the performer, in private or a group setting, that are IMHO the biggest competitors. No physical touch, but lots of interaction, and often more explicit than what you see in a strip club.

 

The rise in the number of spas with MA's will also have an effect. Just look at the Silver Dollar and realize that there are 3 Spa's within a 5 minute drive, two almost in walking distance. You can go there and for under $200 have a before and after shower, in the company of a gorgeous attentdant, an hour of physical intimacy and a happy ending. Then you can go off to a bar and watch the game on the big screen.

 

A SC for $200 is ten songs, usually less than 4 mins in length, amounts to about 40 mins in an open cubicle, with restrictions and no happy ending.

 

The belief that dancers just dance is also a little misplaced as well. From my experience and knowledge I would say a conservative estimate is that 50% of dancers also do some other kind of sex work outside of the club. In some of the clubs, they do it in the club.

 

Not that I want to see them disappear as I work part-time at one, but they do have a lot of competition, and the cities really want them gone.

[Eric Northman 16522]

I think strip clubs fill a need and have a target demographic. Everyone has a personal ethical 'line' that they won't cross. Some guys will look at porn or strippers but not touch ala champagne room. Some guys think it's okay to touch a bit in the CR but wouldn't get a handjob from an MA. Some feel intercourse or a blowjob is more unethical than a hand job during a massage. Some (like me) don't really see any difference between any of these activities and so choose the one that they feel gives the most 'bang for the buck'.

 

For me personally, if I'm going to 'cheat', I might as well go all the way and see an SP. In the end, the cost of most of these activities works out fairly similarly so I might as well do what gives me the most satisfaction. For me, that's a fully interactive experience. So honestly, I'm pretty unlikely to set foot in an SC because I really just don't see the point, but I get that there are others with different views. There are also some who like to do ALL of the above activities I guess but I suppose they must have more money than me. I have to spend my sexy dollars wisely so if I 'waste' money on an SC or massage, it means less money for hobbying.

[whiteman 14028]

First off you are right on the internet, but it is not porn, but rather cam sites where you can interact with the performer, in private or a group setting, that are IMHO the biggest competitors. No physical touch, but lots of interaction, and often more explicit than what you see in a strip club.

Interesting perspective, hadn't thought of the webcam sites. However, I have tried some porn sites with camgirls on them, and they got old fast. Everybody is usually asking them to do exactly the same things ("Ooh baby, stick your finger in there", or "show me your ...", etc.).

 

But I do see your point, also on some porn sites, you can get some settings that you can't get inside a strip club, like public exhibitionism, and other voyeuristic endeavours. However it doesn't seem to be a replacement for direct touch-based interaction. I can see both the voyeuristic sites being popular, and strip clubs being popular in a different way.

[Studio 110 by Sophia 150333]

For myself and many of my GF's, I do like to visit strip bars! I was a former dancer for 15 yrs, and always feel at home when I visit one!

 

I think today more and more the "strip bar" allows us to be our sexy selves, with out too much attention but yet feel free to express our selves too!

Couples seem to be frequenting more and more too:)

 

I see a HUGE difference from quality from the days when we needed agents, portfolio's and actually needed to know how to be a performer! ( 1993-2000) was a very different experience for that time in that industry. I tried to continue as INDY dancer, but found it did turn into a very different experience than I ever had in the past:( The "unwritten rules" made it confusing for both patron and performer.

[whiteman 14028]

I see a HUGE difference from quality from the days when we needed agents' date=' portfolio's and actually needed to know how to be a performer! ( 1993-2000) was a very different experience for that time in that industry. I tried to continue as INDY dancer, but found it did turn into a very different experience than I ever had in the past:( The "unwritten rules" made it confusing for both patron and performer.[/quote']

Oh yeah, that was a hugely different time period for strip clubs. They used to have touring feature dancers with actual stage skills back then. That's all completely disappeared now.

[ngtime 560]

After many years of visiting SC's it just got boring and not satisfying. I have experienced it all even FS in the SC. Most times there is no finish and that can be frustrating. It's unsanitary too, no showers, it's a cubicle for God's sake!

There will always be a few strip clubs around but slowly they are disappearing from the landscape. The MA offers a more satisfying experience and still a fine line between a SP who many of us feel that is just going too far.

[Guest webothscore]

Interesting thread. My take is that these clubs may morph over the years, but they will be around for a while. The way I see it, if you all remember our teen days, most of us started out at these clubs, not MPs , SPs or other, right? So, we must bring in age groups to some degree if we are to forecast the future. I think the late teens flock to these places for many types of events, and then you have to factor in all the regulars, bachelor/bachelorette parties, out of towners wanting to do corporate after parties. The list keeps going...

[ngtime 560]

In the last 22 years, gone was this place on Somerset, another on Bank Street, Fanny's in the market, Crossroads in Manotick, a place in Carlsbad Springs, one just outside Embrun. Jason's in Kanata, the one on Aylmer's Main Street. I must be missing a few others. sorry I don't recall the names.

At $20 for three minutes, in a booth, no sanitary facilities. I like to clean up. The market is disappearing slowly, same thing in Montreal. I can understand the 'buffet concept' where there are choices but after awhile one realizes most often we leave more frustrated than when we arrived. The MA in my opinion is a better option, often cheaper and cleaner.

[bluethunder01 1111]

The problem with strip clubs are their usually oppressive nature. The loud music that rarely abates, the expensive prices for drinks, the silly rules for coat checks and so on. It just doesn't do it for me. Also, the women just don't stand out any more. Everybody has the same skimpy outfits they probably bought at a discount store and tattoos. I went to Pigale yesterday night and nobody stood out. This place used to be full of 8-10s now it's mainly 5-6 in my opinion.

 

With the Internet, it is easy to find alternative services and not have to worry about bouncers, bikers or bobbies. It's best to leave the clubs to young people, bachelor parties and tourists as webothscore said. It's not for the locals or fantasy seekers any more.

[castle 38816]

The problem with strip clubs are their usually oppressive nature. The loud music that rarely abates, the expensive prices for drinks, the silly rules for coat checks and so on.

 

It's best to leave the clubs to young people, bachelor parties and tourists as webothscore said. It's not for the locals or fantasy seekers any more.

 

 

I have to disagree with this statement. Most strip clubs have two very different atmospheres aimed at two very different types of clientele. There's the daytime atmosphere and the nighttime atmosphere. What you just described here is very much the nighttime atmosphere.

 

 

The daytime atmosphere is much more aimed at the "local" crowd and doesn't really appeal at all to the younger crowd looking for a "party". The music volume is usually toned down (I can actually hear myself conversing with whatever dancer has my attention that day) and there's usually a lot less people, no coat check or their "silly rules". Also less dancers...which equals less drama. Ok granted the drinks are usually still expensive but that's the only similarity between daytime and nighttime atmospheres. In general, the daytime atmosphere is much more laid back and relaxed, both in and out of the CR. Even the attitudes of the dancers themselves are typically very different during the day as opposed to at night.

 

 

I'm both a local and a fantasy seeker. And while I do indulge in SP's, I still do occasionally enjoy frequenting a stripclub. There's just something about the experience you can get in a stripclub that is very different from seeing a SP. Both have their merits. Both have their drawbacks. There's that excitement (almost taboo) factor of having a beautiful naked woman crawl all over you in a public place that you can't get with a SP.

 

 

With a SP, once you've paid you pretty much know exactly what you're going to get...usually because it has been discussed in advance. Often times when the appointment was booked days in advance. And while those aspects of seeing a SP definitely have their merits, there's no denying that...it also loses a big part of that sense of spontaneity that you can get in a stripclub. I can stop in a stripclub at the last minute on a whim on my way home from work. I can't do that with a SP. There's also a definite excitement in NOT knowing what might or might not happen in that CR with a particular dancer as opposed to another. Sure you may end up dropping more $$ at a club than you would with an SP, and usually coming away with less "mileage"....but for many of us, those thrill and excitement factors I mentioned are what make it worth it. The thrill of the unknown if you will.

 

 

I for one hope the stripclubs will be around to stay for a long time. What can I say? They're a turn on for me. As much as SP's are. While I don't go too often, and often will decide to see a SP instead of going to a club....I think I'd really miss having that option if stripclubs disappeared all of a sudden.

 

 

And honestly....Pigales is probably the most "uppity" club in the area. I rarely go there because more often than not I won't have good time there. The atmosphere there is very much the "nighttime party" atmosphere regardless of the time of day. Some people may like that but it's not my scene. If you're looking for more laid back clubs which are aimed at locals and have a more relaxed atmosphere, I don't think it's fair to judge the other clubs in the area based on your experience at Pigales. IMO, as far as atmosphere goes, Pigales is not a fair representation of the other clubs in this area.

[Peachka 4334]

IMO the SC scene changed in the 90's when they went to the $20 contact dance. Before that, dances were $10 and there was limited touching. The contact dance basically doubled the price of the dance, which put it into the MP/SP cost zone but with less gratification. The other major thing it did was it drove some very nice and hot dancers, whom did not want to be touched, out of the business.

 

I rarely go now & when I do it is with a group of friends etc that want to go. I would not go alone to a SC now but easily would have back in the day. The last club I went to was Tease inc. and I arrived alone but that was because there were other cerbites going that evening for the Bikini Contest.

[RoddyThomas 2746]

I haven't been to one in about 10 years. I got tired of paying $8 for watered down beer. My favorite hangout was the Gypsy Rose in Manotick but it has closed. In my view too many wannabe gangstas hang out at strip joints depending on the area. You can easily spend $100 for a dance or two, beer and food. Money better spent on a massage or an sp in my humble opinion

[whiteman 14028]

I haven't been to one in about 10 years. I got tired of paying $8 for watered down beer. My favorite hangout was the Gypsy Rose in Manotick but it has closed. In my view too many wannabe gangstas hang out at strip joints depending on the area. You can easily spend $100 for a dance or two, beer and food. Money better spent on a massage or an sp in my humble opinion

You really shouldn't comparing a massage or SP to an SC. IMO, if you spend more than 2 dances with a dancer, then you're wasting money. If you can't get everything you want out of a dance in at most 2 songs, then you won't get any more than that. If you spend like a typical massage or SP, then you can see upto 5 dancers in a SC.

[ngtime 560]

That's the atmosphere I get in a SC. Having someone crawling all over me should be done in private, not in a cramped booth. It's unhygienic, no facilities to shower and freshen- up. One client after another, where does she freshen-up?

In order for the SC to survive as there are fewer and fewer of them, FS or almost FS is being offered. They are closing slowly one after another, the ladies are wising up and moving on to the MA and SP

[castle 38816]

It's unhygienic, no facilities to shower and freshen- up.

 

On what did you base this assumption? Just an FYI...there ARE shower facilities in strip clubs.

[Satai 1933]

One reason I go to strip clubs is for variety. My tastes run to a wide range of shapes, sizes and flavours. I tend to go every other month or so, and treat myself to a good time. If I have 2 drinks, stay for an hour, and maybe get a dance, I can still feel like I had a good time. If I spend $300+ on drinks, dances, and shots with the ladies, I can have a GREAT time. I like the atmosphere and comradry of a SC, especially if the crowd is rowdy, cheering and whistling, interacting with the dancers, etc. It helps energize the ladies, and makes for a rocking time.

[whiteman 14028]

That's the atmosphere I get in a SC. Having someone crawling all over me should be done in private, not in a cramped booth. It's unhygienic, no facilities to shower and freshen- up. One client after another, where does she freshen-up?

In order for the SC to survive as there are fewer and fewer of them, FS or almost FS is being offered. They are closing slowly one after another, the ladies are wising up and moving on to the MA and SP

What the SC's you go to don't have bathrooms?

[bcguy42 38594]

I wouldn't worry too much about SCs disappearing with nothing to replace them. Remember, SCs don't just happen. There is a business behind it and businesses, as we all need to be reminded, exist to make a profit. If the money behind SCs determines that the SC business model no longer makes the required return on investment, they will think up something to replace them. Since this money is comfortable in the sex and entertainment field, they will come up with the next "Great Thing" to gently separate you from your money.

 

A case in point (different vice) is the new "Zone" thing at the Hull Casino. Folks that understand and enjoy actual Blackjack and Roulette are getting older and dying off. The next crowd coming in is comfortable with video or internet gaming. Presto-changeo, now you have an area dedicated to providing traditional games on what amount to monitors.

 

For as long as I've been aware of any kind of public sex - money business models, these folks have been doing a thriving business and I've been aware of it way longer than I care to admit.

 

So keep going to the clubs if that is your thing. Support your local dancer(s), enjoy yourself, and keep an eye out for said aforementioned next "Great Thing".

[ngtime 560]

But no question we lose one or two every year or so. There will remain a handful. Many clients and providers are moving to other things, rather than sex in a confined public area.

 

Regarding restrooms, sure they have them. I am talking about showers, towels etc. Maybe there will be that in the future.