Specific research question

Do you mind if I paste your message to another writers forum that has some embers i think will know the answer?

I can't imagine why you'd want to deprive yourself of the opportunity to walk into a strip club with a completely clear conscience, though. "I'm not a perv. It's research for a story I'm writing."

A little known strip club fact: In Connecticut, if a club allows full nudity, they're not allowed to serve alcohol. If you tell someone you went to a club, a knowing local will often ask if it was a juice bar or not.

Well, lets see if I can jog my memory...

-- There are a lot of [big] security guards who where tuxedos with their hands crossed in front of them.

-- There are poles on the stage of course for the dancers to perform.

-- If not fully nude, and serve alcohol, the dancers wear g-strings or thongs and clear (slightly opaque) silicon to cover their nipples and areolas.

-- Most likely, the dancers will not walk around naked throughout the club. They will wear a dress or some kind of costume (think cocktail dress).

-- A lot of male bartenders.

-- Lots of mirrors, especially around the stage.

-- Glittery ball and sparkly lights (disco lights)

-- Carpeted (to the best of my recollection). I'd go with red carpet.

-- Expensive drinks

-- A few couples (men and women together)

-- A few businessmen having meetings

That's all I can think of, but I was browsing the T.V. the other night and saw "Striptease" ... I didn’t watch it. I'd already seen it.

Just wanted to add. The post above is more of an upscale club. They also have a variety of pretty girls with both natural breast and silicon to blondes and brunettes. Most of the women are not over 30 years of age.

You didn't say what kind of club your character is working in?

dragonjax said:

Um, so what does one wear to a gentlemen's club, when one is a woman in the audience?

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Something easy to remove in the backseat? Seriously though - most ladies in gentlemen's clubs are there with gentlemen, so wear whatever the gentleman you're with prefers.

The lucky dog.

Think of the aromas, too: Tobacco smoke, greasy food, sour liquor, beery, perfume and sweat (on the dancers, the staff, the patrons). If near the restrooms ...

Well, you get the idea.

I've not been in a strip club, but have been in all kinds of other ones, and they ALL have these aromas.

Think of the environment: In addition to the above comments, there is likely airconditioning that's too cold (or not cool enough), or an oscillating fan, the noise of a swamp cooler. Music: What do the dancers perform to? What's playing inbetween performances? Is it recorded (DJ?) or live?

In my experiences, conversations between the staff are almost the same no matter the type of establishment: They talk about their own personal lives--the wife, the husband, the girlfriend, the kids, the car, the dog...what's going on this weekend, etc. And all that with little to no regard to the clientelle, unless they're directly involved.

There is a LOT of opportunity for color beyond just the sex performances.

just thought of something else.

When a dancer does a "lap dance" they usually charge around $20-$35 dollars or so (depending on the city) and the dance usually last for one song (sometimes two, but I've never heard of that).

The dancers also have what they call a "mother". She's like a mother to the girls. She gets them whatever they need. Listens to their problems and pretty much takes care of them. She's usually older (around 50ish) and adores the girls.

Also, depending on the city, the dancers have to "tip the house" from their earnings. This simply means that the dancers have to pay a percentage of their tips to the manager, the bartenders and security personnel. It's kind of an unwritten rule that they "have" to do this.

The club also has a "Champagne Room" where only the big spenders are. They call it the Champagne Room because the champagne can cost as much as $500 a bottle! But the patrons also get a private dancer to accompany them to the Champagne Room.

What state is this club in? I ask because the laws vary from state to state. In Texas (like Connecticut), totally nude clubs can't serve alcohol, but you can bring your own. Also, in Texas, dancers do not cover up their nipples with anything.

dragonjax said:

Um, so what does one wear to a gentlemen's club, when one is a woman in the audience?

Click to expand...

Wear whatever you would to any club.
For the best research, sit in the front, near the stage, wave a dollar or two and get some one on one attention (or let your Husband do this))..you can observe the dancer, and the ones receiving the dances, quite well from this perspective. It's funny how many patrons are so entranced they seem to actually think the dancers are seriously into them, not just the money.

I found this from Google: http://www.laprofashions.com/link.htm . It has links to the sites of gentlemen's clubs. The page must be old: many of the links don't work. Some do, however, and some clubs' sites have photos of the interior. Colored lighting seems a common feature. I'd guess that the clubs are noisy, but I don't know.