Ava Adore

Obs: Perspective$

I have two thoughts around stripping and money right now.

1) If you want to know how the economy is doing, ask a stripper.
2) If you should ever need to change jobs, everything else sucks.

—On thought 1: AKA We’re not getting paid enough.

From the hear-say I’ve got going on combined with personal experience, it seems that the economy isn’t yet getting better. I say this because we’re full-on into ‘the busy season’ and it feels like last summer. Since when is ‘standard’ to ‘slightly sub par’ an acceptable take-home on a given night? Winter means ‘standard’ to ‘hella fucking awesome,’ mainly just ‘awesome.’

For example. Last winter meant, at my club, walking with at least between 200 and 300 a night just for breathing and doing half-assed work; actually do something with your life and you’ll pull between 300 and 500. This year it’s just not so. The girls are hustling to break- and mid-200. I know it’s not only my club. Anyone have any other tales? Regional differences?

We’re like the last bastion of escape entertainment. We’re only not paid when there’s really no money left. People (read: our clientele) will stop going to movies before they stop going to strippers. People will stop taking vacations before they stop going to strippers. When our clientele is hurting, it’s bad. This is how I know I should still be concerned about the economy.

—On thought 2: AKA Have you noticed what we get paid?

Sometimes strippers who love their job have to quit. Maybe your partner’s pissed. Maybe you have medical shit. Maybe school’s taking priority. Whatever. Trying to make money after being a stripper absolutely fucking sucks. Seriously.

Someone tell me what other job makes you between $300 and $500 a day? Or even—again, talking perspectives here about current issues—between $200 and $300 a day? To put that in further perspective, that’s a salary of (stripper schedule: at 4 days/week) $52,000 annually (at $250/night). If you work 5 days, $65,000.

Now imagine you bust your ass and make more than $250 a night. Or you don’t work 4 days. Maybe you work three. Maybe you make less. Point being. Where else can a former-stripper walk in the door and make a salary of $52k just for getting hired? No wonder it’s so hard to leave. Where the hell else would you go.