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"Just Trying to Relax": Masculinity, Masculinizing Practices, and Strip Club Regulars Author(s): Katherine Frank Reviewed work(s):
Source: The Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 40, No. 1, Gender and Sexuality (Feb., 2003), pp. 6175 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3813771 . Accessed: 12/11/2012 16:39
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"Just lkying to Relax":Masclllinity,Masclalinizing Practices,and Strip Club Regulars

KatherineFrank
Collegeof the Atlantic,Bar Harbor,Maine University Wisconsin-Madison of
Thisarticleexplores customers 'understandings theirvisitsto heterosexual clubsandthewaysin whichthosevisof strip its become meaningful themin relation cultural to to discourses around masculinity, sexuality, leisure, consumption, and as wellas in relation theireveryday to livesandrelationships. everymanfinds Not stripclubspleasurable, understanding yet whysomemen frequent thesevenuescan inform moregenerally us aboutthelinksbetween sexuality, gender, themarand ketplace. article This focuseson regular malecustomers' statedmotives visiting for stripclubsandexamines thosevisitsas touristic masculinizing and practices. also explores It gender, sexuality, powerin themen's and performances desirein of theclubs,takingup issuesof visibility, virility, youthfulness, commodification. and Strip clubsarea visible,profitable, growing and formof entertainment the contemporary in UnitedStatesand are primarily, thoughnot exclusively, marketed andvisited to by heterosexual men. Not all American men, of course, enjoyvisitingstripclubs.Thefocushereis on thoseregular male customers who visit stripclubs often enoughto considerthis a significantpersonalpractice,returning againandagainto venueswherecontact sexualrelease and areprohibited for whomvoyeurism conversation and and arethe eroticized practices. Whatexactlyis the appealof modern stripclubs in this particular voyeuristic formfor certaingroupsof late 20th-century heterosexually identifiedAmerican men? Oneassumption the literature beenthatmenare in has motivated use the sex industry of a desireto mainto out tain sexual masteryand power over women (Edwards, 1993). Granted, stripclubs as they now exist are indeed intertwined maleprivilege. with Although euphemistically called"adult entertainment," commodified most sexual productions, fromstripclubsto pornography erotic to massages,are still aimedat male consumers. Most strip clubs are owned and operatedby men, and many also have rules prohibitingwomen from entering unless escorted by a male, precluding some women from becomingcustomers even if they so desire.Men may do businessin stripclubs on corporate expense,something for which there is no comparable practicefor women. Further, despitethefactthatmenexperience somestigma
This research was assisted by a fellowship from the Sexuality Research Fellowship Programof the Social Science ResearchCouncil with funds provided by the Ford Foundation.I thankseveral anonymousreviewers and Charlene Muehlenhardfor comments on this article. [Editor's note: TamaraS. Bryan, LorraineBayardde Volo, and SuzanneFrayserreviewed this paperanonymously and subsequentlyagreedto be identifiedin the authornote.] Address correspondence to Katherine Frank, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, 1180 ObservatoryDrive, Madison,WI 53706; e-mail: kfrank@ ssc.wisc.edu.
as a resultof being customers, this stigmais relatively small when comparedwith that experiencedby the womenwhoworkin theclubs.Customers oftenhave also particular advantages dancers termsof educationover in al and social capital.And finally, there are also often large discrepancies betweenthe earningpowerof male customers femaledancers and (eventhoughdancers may do quite well compared with women workingin other serviceindustry jobs). Yet the idea thatstripclubs,or the sex industry more generally, inherently exist to reproduce maleprivilege has beenchallenged texts thathighlight agencyof sex by the workers the "sexnegative" and cultural contextin which such transactions place (Bell, 1994;Chapkis,1997; take McElroy, 1995;Nagle, 1997).Further, manymendeclare thatsex workers havetheupper handin commodified sexual transactions, veryfew menunderstand visits and their to stripclubs or theiruse of othervenuesin termsof an exercise of personalpower or a desire for dominance. Although is a mistake assertthattransactions strip it to in clubs areunrelated social structures inequality, is to of it clearlynecessary explore experiences subjectivto the and ity of men in relation powerandcommodified to sexualized services in more detail (Cornwall& Lindisfarne, 1994;Segal, 1990). My primary argument thatthecustomers' is understandingsof theirvisitsto strip clubsaredeeplyintertwined with culturaldiscoursesaboutmasculinity, sexuality,leisure, andconsumption, thatthesevisitsbecomemeaningful and in relationto theireverydaylives and relationships and theirown personaland emotional experiences gender of andsexuality. Rather thanfulfillinga universal masculine needfor domination a biologicalmaleneedfor sexual or release,stripclubs providea kind of intermediate space (notworkandnothome,although related both)in which to mencanexperience bodiesandidentities particular their in pleasurable ways. Althoughcustomers' motivations are
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The Journal of Sex Research Volume 40, Number 1, February 2003: pp. 61-75
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Masculinity StripClubRegulars and
indeed related existing to powerstructures inequalities, and theirvisits arenot necessarily experienced exercisesin as acquiring wielding or power. Understanding customers' the subjective interpretations thesepractices informus of can moregenerally aboutthe links amongsexuality, gender, andthemarketplace. METHODS My ethnographic material drawnfromover 7 yearsof is research the adultentertainment on industry the conin temporary United States.The data for this paperwere gatheredthroughparticipant observation,a traditional anthropological fieldwork technique, through series and a of multiple, in-depth interviews 30 malecustomers with of stripclubs in a large Southern city, which I referto as "Laurelton." a participant As observer, workedat five I Laurelton stripclubs intermittently a periodof 14 over monthsas a nudeentertainer. Becausecontemporary strip clubs are highly stratified termsof "classiness," in field sites were selectedthatrepresented different positionson this socialhierarchy: fromthe highestranked clubsin the city to morestereotypical "dive" bars.Eachvenueoffered stageperformances the dancers, by alongwiththe opportunityto purchase "private" table dances.Tabledances were offeredto the customers theirseats, on a raised at platform tableor whilestanding the ground or on between the men's knees.These privatedancesinvolveda more individualized interaction betweenthe dancersand their customers, although but dancers coulddisrobe completely andplace theirhandson the customers' shoulders, other forms of bodily contactwere prohibited. Dancerswere alsorequired keepatleast1 footof spacebetween to themselves andthe customers during dances.Customers were not allowedto toucheitherthe dancers theirown genior tals.As thedancers circulated amongthecustomers sell to table dances, the individualized interactions that took placebecameanimportant of theexperience. part Dancers also sat withcustomers betweentheirsets andtheirtable dances,andthusconversation becamea (public) servicein and of itself. Thereare adultentertainment clubs in the UnitedStatesthatoffer lap dancing(or '4friction" dancing), a practice involvesvaryingamounts contact that of betweenthe dancer the patron can leadto sexual and and releasefor the customer, who may even weara condom underneath clothes.Forthe purposes this research, his of however, dancingwas considered different lap a formof entertainment. interviewees considered a dif(The also it ferentform of entertainment; there were a few topless clubsin townthatdidnot servealcoholandpermitted lap dancing,but these served a differentcustomerbase.) ThoughLaurelton was a Southern city, and therewere laws and attitudes reflectiveof the Bible Belt thatinfluencedregulations surrounding clubsandthemeanings the of thecustomers' visits,I havealsoworked observed in, in,
and interviewedcustomersfrequentingclubs in otherparts of the U.S. Laurelton's population was also diverse in terms of geographical background,and the interviewees
andcustomers the clubswerejust as oftenfromother in partsof the country nativeto the city or region; as thus,I do notthinkthatthecustomer concerns, beliefs,andpractices discussed hereareessentially Southern. In addition conducting to participant observation,colI lectedqualitative interview data.Exceptfortwo menwho were employeesof the stripclubs, all of the men thatI interviewed werecustomers the stripclubsin whichI of worked.Whileworkingin Laurelton, spokewith hunI dredsof male customers aboutmy research almost and alwaysapproached customers potential those as interviewees. That is, I was immediately forthcoming aboutmy researchpurposeswheneverpossible and providedthe customers with my real name (in additionto my stage name)and information abouthow to contactme for an interview. Manymendeclined do formal to interviews but commented my research, on tellingme theirreasonsfor visitingtheclubsanddiscussing theiropinions about adult entertainment, commodification, masculinity, sexualiand ty. The taped interviewsessions with the interviewees were conducted theirworkplaces at restaurants at or or coffee shops.Interviews usuallylastedfrom2 to 4 hours, with follow-upinterviews severalweeks later.Some follow-upinterviews wereconducted overe-mailor by telephoneif the respondents werenot nativeto the city.The interviews werestructured open-ended with questions and often becameconversational I responded the men's as to questionsaboutdancingas well. The interviewees have beengivenpseudonyms, theirquoteshavebeenedited and for repetitive verbaltics and for length.Shortpausesin theiranswers havenotbeenindicated here. The intervieweesrangedin age from 28 to 57. All identifiedas heterosexual as somewhere the midand in dle socioeconomicclass and had at least some college education.Twenty-sevenwere White Americans,two wereAfrican Americans, one was a WhiteBritishcitand izen who frequently traveled the UnitedStateson busito ness. Men who did interviewsdifferedfrom othercustomersby, for example,placing more value on higher education research havingthe free time andinterand or est to participate. Further, given thattherewere far too many customersin the clubs for me to approach every one,my sampleis somewhat biasedin favorof thosemen who chose to interact with me. On the otherhand,many customers drawnto the idea of varietyand are willare ing to interactwith any dancerthey find friendlyand attractive. Also, as customers were one of the maintopics of conversation amongdancers the dressing in rooms, I can also be reasonably certainthat my customersand t zese lntervlewees werenot unique. As an ethnographic research method, participant observationhas a longhistory anthropology otherfields, in and andthereis an expansive literature discussesthebenthat efits andlimitations the method, of interpretation findof
. .
ings, and understanding of the complex interactions between researchersand the communitiesthey study (e.g., Bourgois, 1995; Brown, 1991; Devereux, 1967; Myerhoff,
Frank
63
1978;PrusS 1996;Spradley, 1980).Prus(1996)argued that participant observation affordsresearchers "withinvaluablevantage pointsfor appreciating certain aspectsof particular life-worlds" 19).Participant (p. observation offered me theopportunity interact to continually a variety with of malecustomers the actualsettingthatI was studying. in Interactions between dancers their and customers semiare private; noiseof theclubandthephysical the proximity of theparticipants suchthattheirconversations are wouldnot be accessibleto a mereobserver. thisrespect,working In as a dancer recording own interactions essenand my was tial. Beingpersonally involvedin multiple interactions in the clubs with bothcustomers otheremployeesgave and me insight into the context and meaningof customer behaviors. Thoughrecognizing as a researcher me might have led some individuals change their behavioror to monitortheir responsesto my questions,I was also involvedin transactions Laurelton in whereI was seen as only a dancer (situations wherethecustomer not want did conversation did not believethatI was a researcher, or or whereI didnothavetimeto revealthisinformation one for reasonor another). Further, addition my research in to in LaureltonS I worked andon for about6 yearsas a topoff less entertainer an upscaleclub in the Midwest.This in was not an official field site, but my experiences there informmy intelpretations analysis. and My methodology presented severaluniqueopportunities as well as certainlimitations. First,the men I interviewedwereregular customers the clubs;thatis, they of returned the sameclubs severaltimes a week. Thus,I to oftenhadthechance interact themin multiple to with ways and on multiple occasions: as both a dancer and a researcher,before and after the interviews. Second whether visit stripclubsin groups aloneinfluences men or both the conversation the physicaldynamicsof the and interaction. Because I could never interviewan entire groupof menat once (andI couldneverrecreate club the setting and interpersonal dynamicelsewhere)7 had to I observethe interaction men in groupsand interview of them singly. Because their personalnarrative accounts oftendiffered fromthe groupinteractions I observedS that both of these methodologieswere valuable. Men in groups,for example,were muchmorelikely to speakin demeaning ways abouta dancer's bodyor to act as if the dancersdid not exist as individuals. These same men, however, wererespectful individual in interaction. FurtherS as many groupoccasionswere bachelor parties,men in groupsoften spokederogatorily aboutmarriage relaand tionships. Singly,however, thesesamemenprofessed love for theirwives and a greatdeal of satisfaction with their outsideintimate lives.Though neither theseinteractions of shouldbe takenas moreauthentic the other, conthan the trastwas slgmficant. BecauseI was studying educatedS middle-class men, I was ofteninterviewing froman inferior positionin terms of gender,age, and resources well as *om a socially as stigmatized position7 thiswas something manyof and that
. . .
theinterviewees wereawareof andcommented upon.The factthatI was a womanmayhaveinfluenced interactions withthemaleinterviewees, themenmighthaveinterand acteddifferently with a male interviewer. Theyalso may havehighlighted cerebral the rather thesexualaspects than of theirvisits becauseof how they wantedto represent themselves me. Yet it is important remember I to to that was involvedin interactions eachof theinterviewees with beforeour formalinterviews thatI was perceived and by themas a dancer well as a researcher. as Manyof the men madecomments like, "Icantell you thisbecauseyounre a dancer,'andclaimedthattheycouldbe morehonestwith someonewho understood interactions the clubsand the in for whomtheydid not needto censortheirbeliefs.Given thattheinterviewees oftensaidtheyhaddifficulty also discussingpersonalissues with othermen, their conversations with a male interviewer may not have been more truthful authentic. or Furtheralthough can certainly it be arguedthat the interviewees and other customerswere reluctant tell me thewholetruth to abouttheirmotivations and desiresin our conversations indeed,it wouldhave beenimpossible themto do so if one accepts possifor the bility of unconscious motivation I can say with confidence thatI do know whatmen were willingto pay for eachnight.Other limitations wererelated the specificito ty of the field sites.Theclubsselectedwereall no-contact stripclubs, and in my experience,the customers differ somewhatin clubs that allow lap dancingand sexual release.Further, interviewsfocused on regularcusthe tomers,for whom the visits were a significant personal practice,ratherthan on infrequent visitors or bachelor party-goers. WHY BECOME REMAIN MEN AND CUSTOMERS So why aresomemenloyalcustomers stripclubswhile of othersfindthemboringor arecontemptuous theirvery of existence?Significantly, one man thatI interviewed not said that he went to the clubs specificallyfor sexual release,even in the formof masturbation a latertime. at Thismaybe becausethe Laureltorl industry large sex was andvariedS menwhowanted and sexualcontact release or had manyothervenuesto choosefromin the area.Most menthatI spokewith,especially regulars, the realized that sexualactivitywas available othervenuesof the indusin tryandwereexplicitabout theirknowledge thisfact.As of Joe said, "It'snot a place to go find somebodyif tryingto get sex! Youmightas well go someplace where youcanget sex.There's plentyof themaround." Similarly, Stevensaid,"Thebottomline is if you wantto get laid,I know whereand how and when to get laid."Those few men who did enterthe Laurelton clubs expectingsexual releaseusuallywerefromoutof thecountry wereunfaor miliarwiththevarious sectorsof thesex industry. Regular customerslaughedat young, inexperienced, foreign or
you7re
men who thoughtthatsex was partof the deal being struck between dancers and customers.This does not mean that sexual acts never occurredin the clubs however, or that
64
and Masculinity StripClubRegulars
sexual intimacies some men did not desire to purchase outsideof the clubs.Thisis also not to say fromdancers with dancerswere not sexualin certain thatinteractions tabledancesas "sexual" somemen did describe respects; to theirfantasizing be excitingand and experiences found out menpointed that Some quitetransgressive. sometimes a physical than morepowerful was the fantasy sometimes of percent sexualiAs encounter: Jackputit, "Ninety-nine ty is in yourhead. . . a mindfuck can be betterthanan actualone." (and by Instead, farthe mostprevalent usuallythe first for of given)spokenmotivation the interviewees visiting NearlyeverymanthatI stripclubswas a desireto "relax." "I in spokewithgavethisresponse someformor another: go thereto relaxandhavea goodtime,get my mindoff of work. It does all those things"(Tim);"It's a business. peoplecanjust comein andlet theirhairdown,so Where moreof a relax"It's (Herb); definitely and to speak, relax" I (William). heardthis off-hand anything" ing thingthan so response manytimesthatI beganto focus on why the The that men thought going to a stripclub was relaxing. (a) clubprovided a categories: strip fell reasons intoseveral degree an escapefrombothworkandhome,(b) a relative for (c) as of "safety" well as "excitement," an opportunity fromwomen,and(d) and bothpersonal sexualacceptance the without pressure encounter of thepleasure a sexualized overlap thesecategories Although performance. of physical they also highlightparticular and are not exhaustive? In the themesthatranthrough interviews. the following as thesethemesareexplored theyrelateto seversections, as of discourses masculinity, well as to underal prominent moregenerally. of standings leisurepractice and for Sevrching EscapeFrom Work Home to men Initially, tended explainthatstripclubswererelaxcomplexes and ing because they were entertainment connoterelaxation leisurespaces:sites thatby definition Several men and escape as opposed to responsibility. as to pointed entertainment theirmainmotivefor visiting theclubs.Micksaid,for example,
they're like going to a game arcade. . . you know, it's public . . . go out and have fun in a big bar kind of thing, as opposed to the That'spuresex whereasthe and lingene [parlors] the prostitution. So other'slike a little bit of sex tease with . . . real entertainment. there's a differencethere. My sex life's always been good so it's that'smore exciting to me. the entertainment
or whose services(in the formof conversation dancing) price.It is alsoa kind for canbe purchased anagreed-upon aloneor pursue that of entertainment menoverwhelmingly despite Further, withothermen,not in mixedsex groups. or physiques, onappearances, the factthatsomedancers' directgazes,simulastagesexualdisplays(publicnudity, etc.) tionsof sexualthrusting, maychallengemainstream middle-classdefinitionsof femininity,one will rarely stripclub that in a encounter performer a conventional who does not have malecustomers catersto heterosexual femalegenitals.This may seem obvious;it is, however, to important customersseeking a place where, as Jay clubin Scores strip of (1996),creator thefamous Bildstein (p. New YorkCity,putit, "amancouldbe a man" 22). the presents opportunity Goingto stripclubsobviously to lookat women,andit is thisfocuson lookingin a pubclubfrommany the that lic atmosphere differentiates strip Some men initially other forms of adultentertainment. a theirvisitsto stripclubsby claiming desireto explained see women'sbodies:
of I'm drawnby the attraction sexuality.You know, sex sells. Sex And they'revery appealandbeautifulwomen arevery appealing. ing to able-bodiedmen. And what can I say? You know P . . . It's just a fact. (Jim) Stripclubs attractme because I love the feminine form. I have a weaknessfor beautifulwomen. (Brian)
than Yetwhyvisit a stripclubrather someotherentertainmentvenue?As stripclubshavecome underfire in conthe acrossthe country, claim that communities servative is stripclubsarea formof entertainment oftenone thatis thansexthat usedto maintain leisureis beingsoldrather In ual contact. fact,whatis oftenbeingsoldis a gendered and of combination leisure,entertainment, service.After differentfrom all, visiting a strip club is significantly
attendinga play or going to the cinema. In the clubs, the male customers will be attended to by women who are young, accepting, usually attractive, and friendly and
of Ross claimedthathe was "anappreciator femalebeauty in all forms.""Whowouldn'tlike to drinkbeer and Alex around?" asked.Some watchnakedwomenrunning of thesemen believedthatthe desireto look at women's malebiology.Whether of bodiesis an expression natural their theyunderstood desireto lookatwomenin this ornot there however, as format a resultof biologicalinfluences, were always elementsother than the visual that were to important customers. just Afterall, the desireto visit stripclubsis morethan a desire to see women's bodies, even for the most Therearemanywaysto potenof scopophilic customers. tiallyview nakedwomen:peeping,viewingpornography, relationships intimate texts,ordeveloping medical reading with them,for example.Thesevisits, then,mustalso be kind of experience seen as a desireto have a particular amonghome, rootedin the complexweb of relationships to according Urry practices, Touristic work,and "away." of "involvethe notionof 'departure,' a limited (1990), of and routines practices everywithestablished breaking to engagewitha set of daylife andallowingone's senses and with that stimuli contrasts theeveryday themundane" theyoffer (p. 2). Thesightsgazeduponarechosenbecause with workandhome andbecause contrasts" "distinctive daydreaming especiallythrough is "there an anticipation, scale eitheron a different pleasures, of andfantasy, intense or involving differentsenses from those customarily
(Urry, 1990, p. 3). encountered" that My intervieweescorroborated these sites/sights are at "out of the ordinary," least initially. Even when a cus-
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tomer paysa woman sit withhimandasksherto remain to fullyclothed, example, is doingso in anatmosphere for he in whichhe simultaneously theprivilege askingher has of to removeherdress,andthe significance thispossibiliof ty cannotbe underestimated. regulars, courseS For of the experience just lookingat undressed of womeneventually becomesalmostordinary ("almost" ordinary becauseeven for the regulars factthatwomenweredisplaying the their bodiesmeantthatthis was a very different environment fromworkandhome).Matthew Steven,for example, and spokeabouthow this displaybecame'4boring" C;rouand tine"aftertime andhow theybeganto desireothertypes of interactions, as intriguing such conversations even and ongoingfriendships the dancers. with Severalotherregularsalso discussed process.In all of thesecases,what this kept the regulars returning the variousclubs was the to opportunity interact to withwomenwhomtheywouldnot generally meetin theireveryday lives andto cultivate the relationships they developedwith particular that dancers andclubemployees. Thereareotherways thatstripclubsoffera distinctive space,whether they are seen as transgressive becauseof the exhibition nude bodiesor experienced but one of as moredestination a man'sdailygeographic on trajectories, "agoodplaceto stopfora beer." behavioral The structures of everyday areinverted manycustomers life for insidethe clubs. Womendo the approaching ratherthanmen and thus face the possibilityof rejection; women ask to be lookedat naked; usuallyprivate and performances sexof ual desire or sexual displayare suddenlymade public. Further although intimate relationships betweenindividuals may be covertlyfacilitated with moneyin everyday realms, insidetheclubsthisfacilitation blatant, is immediate, and far less apologetic.Thus, althoughthe significanceof the dancers' nuditywas oftenminimized the by men andwas described the regulars something by as that eventually became';routine," was still an essentialpart it of theencounters theclubs serving a visualreminder in as of thesesocialinversions. Stripclubs also providean environment where men, singularly in groups,can engagein traditionally or ';masculine" activities formsof consumption and oftenfrowned uponin otherspheres,such as drinking, smokingcigars, andevenbeing;;rowdy," vulgar, aggressive. or Phillipsaid thatin the stripclubshe 4'sometimes actedlike an asshole because could," formof releaseforhim.HerbwasmarI a riedto a "very conservative' woman whodidnotsmokeor drinkS pleasures he couldthusnotindulgein at home. that At the club, however,"Yougot your cold beer,you got your shooters,you got your good-looking girls you got yourmusic,you got yoursmokes.Youcan smokea cigar if you want.Andwhenyou'rereadyto go, you leaveit all behindandthatstaysthereandyou go home."Herbusually cameto the clubon his way homefromwork,sometimes with friends from the office and other times alone. Eitherway his time in the club was describedas ;'personal" time that was pleasurablebecause it allowed him to
engagein activitiesthat were inappropriate the other in spheres his life. of Another reasonthatthe distinctiveness fromworkand home was experiencedas relaxingwas relatedto the kinds of relationshipsthat could be developed with womenin the clubs.Forthese customers, everyday relationshipswith women were often seen as a source of pressure expectations. and Indeed, manymenthatI spoke withdescribed relations betweenwomenandmenin general as being "strained""confused," ';tense." or Beck, for example,thoughtthattherewas a "chasm" between contemporary andwomenin termsof understanding men and expectations,and Kenneth referredto the ';war betweenthe sexes." Over half of the men that I interviewed specificallysaid thatthey foundthe clubs relaxing becausethey providedan escape from the rules of conductand the social games involvedin enteringinto interactions with otherwomenin an unregulated setting. If ';dating the institutionalization romantic is of encounters withoutthe goal of commitment" (Illouz 1997, p. 289), relationships formedin stripclubstakethis institutionalization step further; a thereis no longerneed for pretenses,specific social niceties, elaborateplans, or mutual exchanges of personal information.Romantic propscan be used to set a scene or to individualize an interaction arenotnecessary movetheencounter but to to a sexualizedlevel (involvingnudity,eroticconversation the sharingof fantasies,etc.). At the same time, the encounterswere to some extent "predictable." Phillip calledhis interactions dancers with "relationships conof venience,"explainingthathe workedso muchhe could neverfind the time to meet womenoutsideof the clubs andmovethrough expectedstepsof courtship. the the In clubs,he knewexactlyhow to proceed obtainthe kind to of encounter he desired. that Evena simpleconversation a womanin a singles with bar or at another locationhad its own set of rules and expectations that were sometimesexperienced these by menas stressful:
I don't go to a stripclub to pick up a woman.This is a way to go be with women, talk to women, even see themnakedandnot have to worly aboutplaying the social game thatis involved if you are tryingto pick somebodyup. (Matthew) I want to have fun and be relaxed and cut up and laugh and, you know, have a good time. It's a hig stress relieverfor me....You know if I just went out to a singles bar, say, then I would know thatthose girls thereare looking to have some kindof relationship beyond what's going to go on just at the bar.But if you go to [the club] youSregoing there and y'all are entertainers....(Roger) For me the club situationis almost a way to relaxfrom the tension of a sexual relationship with a woman.You leave when you want. You don't have to stay.You don't have to get to know the person (Jim)
Although Ross claimed that he did not enjoy the impersonal aspect of the encounters in the clubs himself, he thoughtthat this was importantto many men:
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Masculinity and Strip Club Regulars
What do the men get out of it? Actually,the advantageof being able to walk away. No mess, no fuss, no big deal. You can make as much or as little emotionalinvolvementas you want.You can go in there and shop for a piece of meat, quote unquote, so to speak.I mean,you wantto see a girl, you can see a girl runaround naked.Have her come over, pay her to do a dance or two or three and walk away and not even ask her her name. Total distancing. Boy . . . I hate to even thinkof being able to thinklike thatbut you know, I see a lot of people that way.
in greater communication emotional and expression. Joe summarized succinctly: this

My wife expects me to be strong emotionally,physically, and I expect spirituallytoo....But emotionally, she wants me to be strongbut she doesn't want me to be overbearing.She wants me to cry and be sensitive, to be the leaderand the rock....I'm confused as hell. I wouldn't say that openly in public but I'm definitely confused aboutwhat it is to be a man.
Soonafterhe madethe abovestatement, however, said he that he enjoyedthe "femalepresencewithoutpressure" himself. Interactions with women in the workplace were also oftenthought be constraining. interviewee to One pointed outthatin theworkplace felt nervous he about givingcompliments womenfor fearthattheywouldaccusehimof to sexualharassment. Phillipsaidthatclubvisits"letfrustration out":"With of this sexualharassment going all stuff around thesedays,menneedsomewhere go wherethey to can say and act like they want."Rogersaid that in the clubs,"everybody knowswhattherulesare." Thisimplies thatthereareotherspaceswheretherulesarenot so transparent, where mendo notunderstand exactlywhatis going to get theminto trouble. Some men, like Gary,explicitly stated desireto interact womenwhowerenot"fema with inist,"andwho still wanted interact to withmenin "more traditional" ways.Thissentiment frequently was corroborated othercustomers I interacted in theclubs by that with whosaidthatmenhadto continually on guard" "be against offendingwomen. Here I do not wish to defend male inabilityto respect women's demandsfor comfortable working environments. Indeed, severalof the abovecommentscouldbe analyzed part a backlash as of against feminism. Rather, am highlighting fact thatthese men I the experienced visitsto the clubs(andalso,in part, their justifiedthem)withina framework confusion frustraof and tionrather simplyone of privilege domination. than or The rapidincreasein the numberof strip clubs across the UnitedStatesin the mid-1980s,afterall, was concurrent witha massiveincrease womenintothe workforce of and anupsurge attention to issuesof sexualharassment, of paid date rape, and the condemnation the sex industry. of Although is nota caseof simplecauseandeffect,such this developments the discourses and surrounding shape them some of the ways thatthe men'svisits to the clubs were spokenaboutandunderstood. Manyof thementhatI spokewithdiscussed theirconfusionas to whatwas expectedof themas men in relationships with women.Timsaidthathe thought men that were undera good deal of "strain" becausetheirwives were also working nowadays,bringing in their own incomeandinsisting theybe allowedto takeanactive that partin planning couple'sfuture."She'snot takinga the backseatto decisions about careers moves,andI think and thata lot of men have a hardtime dealingwith that," he said.Other mencomplained theywereexpected be that to
strongand assertive,both at home and in theirworkplaces, but their female partnerswere at the same time interested
Zachary, Eric,Kenneth, Jasonmadenearlyidentical and comments.Stripclubs offereda temporary respitefrom both changingdefinitionsof masculinityand requests fromwomenfor eitherinstrumental support reciprocal or emotional communication. Thehome,then,was seen as a different sphere withits own set of obligations, commitments,and conflicts. Certainly, menreceived great the a dealof enjoyment from theirfamilies,andalmostall were adamant they did that not wantto changethe structure theirprivate of lives. The home,however,amongthese interviewees for many and othermen that I interacted with, was not necessarilya "haven" fromtheworkplace (Lasch,1977)wherethemen could simplyrelaxandbe themselves. This is not to say thatsomehow moreauthentic wasbeingexpressed a self in the stripclubthanin the workplace at home.Rather, or a man mighthave multipleselves, or self-representations, thatareexperienced different in contexts. Certain self-representations, example, expressed workandmarfor are in riage,andformanymenit is theseself-representations that are first invokedto identify themselves.These selves, however, werealso oftenpremised responsibilities on and commitments. Because the interactions a strip club in (through gendered the performances bothparties) of spoke to a male self-representation was not involvedwith that familyor workresponsibilities commitments, club and the becameanidealspacefor somemento accessa fantasy of freedom, independence,and idealized masculinity.In addition, confusion aboutgender roles("what is to be a it man")maybe disturbing somemenbecausesuchconto fusion,change, deviation stillbe takenas evidence or may of a nonheterosexual orientation (despitethe existenceof masculinitiessuch as those discussedby Halberstam, 1998,orLevine,1998).Changing expectations about male economicprovidership emotional and communication in committed relationships may have contributed some to men'sexperiences stressandconfusion of about theirgender identities and roles (Levant & Brooks, 1997). Arguably,these changes and sentimentsmay be most intensein the middleclasses;however,nearlyall of the menI interviewed identified middleclass. In a context as of contradictory changingexpectations, man might or a findit relaxing be in anenvironment as a strip to such club, wherehe does not necessarily have any role to perform exceptfor thatof a desiring male (though otherroles are available). Theseissuesarediscussed moredepthin the in nextsection.
The transactionsthat occur in strip clubs should not
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merelybe seenas providing escapepomresponsibilities an and commitments. I have arguedelsewhere(Frank, As 1998)arld discussed thenextsections, as in somemenwere alsoactively seeking escapeto a kindof interaction an with womenthatwas not available themin theireveryday to lives.It wouldalsobe a mistake assert suchinteracto that tionsareonly compensatory, whether the men'salienfor ationas producers because aninability develop or of to intimaterelationships otherwomen.Visitsto stripclubs with can usefullybe seen as masculinizing practicesas well as touristic practices. Connell(2000) definedmasculinizing practices practices aregoverned a gender as that by regime, areembedded socialrelations, workto produce in and masculinities particular in settings by certain and institutions (p. 155).Masculinizing practices be readily may apparent, in as the case of fraternity initiations boot camp drillsthat or emphasize toughness physical and hierarchy, muchmore or subtle, involving comportment, dress, sexuality sport, work, and other everyday or ritualistic practices. "Masculinities," Connellargued,"do not exist priorto socialinteraction comeintoexistence peopleact"(p. but as 218). People'sacts,as theybecomemeaningful, them link to larger-scale structures the gendered of order structures of powerrelations, production relations(or divisionsof labor),relations cathexis(or emotional of relations), and symbolism 59).Tosaythata practice 4'masculinizing" (p. is does not mean that it alwaysor unproblematically constructsa particular stablekind of male subjectivity. Yet, although "men's bodiesdo not1X patterns masculinity" of (p.218),their experiences, pleasures, vulnerabilities and are stillsignificant theconstructions expressions masin and of culinities. Masculinity, socialclass,canthusbe seenas like a processrather thanan achievement a stateof being. or Consumption, especially the genderedcombination of leisure,entertainment, serviceavailable stripclubs, and in canbe seenas an important of thatprocess. part Safetyand lExcitement Stripclubs are appealing, part,becausethey are both in safe and exciting, and when the tensionbetweenthese boundaries disappears a customerhe maycease to be for a regular. tounsticpractice A mightbe understood part as of a largerprocessthatmakes;'thehabitual desirable as well as making escapefromthe habitsof laborseempossiblethrough everyday practices consumptive of pleasure" (Allison, 1996 p. xv). Stripclubsexist becausethey are profitable, as a challengeto the existingsocial order. not Despiterecognizingthis fact, however,customers often talkedabouttheirvisitsin termsof freedoms-fromwork, fromthedemands women,fromtherestrictions marof of riage,fromsocialmores. atthe sametimeas it promisYet es escapeor freedoms imageconstructed of tourist the out gazesalso "serves validate legitimize to and routine experience,domestic working andthe socialstructure and life, withinwhichtheyarelocated" (Manderson, 1995,p. 307). The temporary natureof the customers' excursions was highlysignificant them,for example,andthe desireto to
return to workandhomewere unquestioned elementsof the men'svisits,reflected the balance in betweenriskand safety that was often being sought.Thoughsome customersexpressed desirefor an affairwith a dancer the or for more"excitementS'theirsexualrelationships in outside of theclubs,few of themseemedprepared give uptheir to positionsin these otherrealmsto pursuesuch desires. Mostof the marTied customers claimedthattheywerenot interested leavingtheirwives, and even the men who in described theirjobs as "boring," "unfulfilling," even or "intolerable" seemed to have no intentionof changing thesecircumstances. Further, though customers sometimes tned to findout information abouta dancer's or ask a life dancer on a date,forexample, possifioilaty of anoutout the side relationship was often more desirablethan a real encounter (Frank, 1998). One customer, example,spentan entireafternoon for telling me his fantasiesaboutvisitinga legal brothelin Nevada. hadneverusedanyaspectof the sex industry He exceptfor lookingat a few pornographic magazines and visitingstripclubs. ;'Ijust wantto do it once,"he said, '4and then I wantto go home to Mama" wife of 30 (his years).However, explainedshe wouldnevercondone he it, andit was notworththerisk.His hoursin the stripclub providedhim with a transgressive exciting experiand ence-indeed, provided him an opportunity sharethis to even more transgressive fantasyand develop it further through interaction-yet still allowedhim to return our home.Becausemostof the menkepttheiractivities the in clubs a secretfrom theircoworkers, wives or partners, they were carefulto removetracesof these visits before returning the ofElce home:checkingfor lipstickon to or theircheeks(remnants a thankyou peckon the cheek) of or perfumeon their clothes, for example. Such illicit remains wereclearlyinappropriate theseotherspheres, in even moreliterally marking separateness the clubs the of as well as the desireto maintain separateness. that Manyof theinterviewees discussed theirexperiences in the languageof"variety," "travel," "fun,""escape,'and "adventure." manconsistently One described himselfas a ';pioneer'' pointing thathe alwaysvisitednewclubsin out Laurelton theiropening on nightandsoughtoutstripclubs whenever passedthrough new city. Manyof the men he a enjoyedsharing talesof theirtravels stripclubsin other to cities andstates:"Icouldtell storiesaboutthe placesI've beento forhours," mantoldme. Other one mendescribed themselvesas "hunters," "adventurers," or;'explorers." Nick said that strip clubs provided ;'adventure" and "excitement" balance the moremundane to out "compartments"of his life such as workand homeand thatsuch sexualizedventures"makelife worthliving."Alex also spokeof his visits to stripclubsin termsof extreme masculinizedadventure. WhenI askedhim why he went to stripclubs,he answered
I like to do bizarrethings,you know.... Wild,crazy stuff.It's like . . . I guess kind of like rock climbing.You know,you've got guys that'll rappel, and you've got guys that'll go off the mountain
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Masculinity StripClubRegulars and head first . . . you knowSthere was a lot of extreme desperation and a lot of loneliness and sadness there.It's just wild, I guess. I don't know if it would be a very good analogy to just call it, you know, getting on the back of a Harley Davidson, you know . . . with a shotgunin your hand . . . becausethere'snot any rules,you
know?
Though compared lowertierclubs,upscaleclubswere to notas oftendescribed sinister as spaces,thecustomers still fantasizedabout the dangerous, glamorous, exciting or individuals the vice thatmightbe encountered them, or in despitetheirlack of proofthatsuchthingsoccurred: rich New York gangsters laundering moneyor dealing cocaine, beautiful womenwhocouldlurea manintoa private room andoutof his monthly income,or famousathletes buying oralsex fromex-Playboy bunnies. Despitedescriptions stripclubs as places with ;'no of rules"and as "outside law?" although the and customers experience expressfeelingsof freedom, and adventure, or excitement during theirexcursions stripclubs,they are to actually passingoverground hasbeentightlyregulatthat ed to produce particular of experience. city this kind The hasdelineated wheresuchclubscanbe located (forthe and most part)whattypes of interactions be had inside. can Bouncers physically monitor control men'sbehavand the ior inside the clubs. Otherkinds of behaviors-such as proper etiquette regard watching in to tabledances, tipping procedures, and customer-to-customer interactions-are policedby boththe dancers the othercustomers. and The nen also policetheirown behavior; bachelors few really need theirhandsto be tied behinda chairduringa table dance,andeven menwho claimto be wild withdesireor testosterone usually found sitting docilely in their are chairs.Someof the men'stalkaboutsafety,then,can be seenas a derivative of restrictive both interventions the on partof the law, the club, andthe employeesandof their ownexpectations boundaries. and Men'stalkabout danger andadventuree the otherhand is connected historion to cal discoursesaboutmasculinity, travel,and encounters with variouscategoriesof Othersthat must be further explored. Publicspaceshave long been occupiedby men in the culturalimagination, althoughthis is changing,the and gendered between split publicandprivate realms imporis tantin thinking abouthow discourses travelhavebeen of masculinized time.Indeed, sociological over the figuresof thetourist, stranger, adventurer, the?aneurare the the and alsoimplicitly masculine metaphors particular for kindsof subjectivities (Jokinen Veijola,1997).The l9th-century & flaneur, stroller, the "forerunner thetwentieth or is of centurytourist," strolling the pedestrian "poetically who confrontsthe darkcorners' a townor city? of occupied the by dispossessed the marginal, experiences and and supposedly real authentic life" (Jokinen Veijola,1997, p. 26). & Thesespacesin thefast-growing citieswereassumed be to dangerous well as authentic as becauseof theirconnection only dancer he had ever even spoken with more than withpromiscuity, contagion, contamination7 those and and once.) There was constant speculationabout the dancers' who sought them out were said to be C;slumming." sex lives and orientations:How many of the dancers are
Underprivileged disreputable and areas"came be redeto fined as touristsights"(Rojek& Urry,1997, p. 7). The connection slumming privilege of to meansthatthefigure of theflaneur alsooftenracialized classedas we]las is and gendered. For manycustomers, especially(but not exclusively) thosewho preferred lowertierclubs,the factthatvisthe its to stripclubsoftenimplieda journeyinto "bad" areas of townwas seenas riskyanddangerous alsoexciting, but a formof eroticslumming. Alex saidthatstripclubswere appealing becausethey i'hadthatsinister typefeel,""you know,the wholeplaceis just kindof like darkandthere's anunderground there." saidthathe thought was"very He I brave" conducting for interviews with the customers and admitted he had fantasized by meetingme, the that that "worstcase scenario" could be that ;'shedrugsme and stealsall my money." Saulpreferred visiting"dive" bars thatwere locatedin "seedyareasof town.' At the same time, however, also worried he aboutcrimeand"getting rolledin the parking lot."ForSaulthis danger (oftenfantasized,given the high securityof mostLaurelton c]ubs) was an important of his excursions. part Eventhoughwe metforourinitialinterview a coffeeshop,forexample, in he alsosaidthathe hadbeenworried aboutshowing for up our meeting."Whoknows?'he said."I'veheardof men beingrobbed killedthisway."("AtStarbucks?"was and I tempted ask.)He continued, to "You neverknowby looking at somebody. . . I mean I wouldneverknow if you werelike, a crackdealer, know?Orlike livingdayto you day?Orsomebody that'sgoingto schoolfor yourfuture." Yet despitehis spokenfears,he showedup on time and participated enthusiastically the interviews. in Further, I continued see him around to townat the various clubsin which I worked.Significantly, then, whereasstripclubs wererelatively safe, they were also dangerous enoughto be alluringa bit "lesscivilized" theplacesthesemidthan dle classmenwouldordinarily enter. Racewasalsoimportant in structuringsuch fantasies. White customers expressedconcernsabout visiting the primarily Black clubs in Laurelton, example,becauseof the 4'aggresfor sive"nature Blackdancers, "rough of the crowds," the and more"graphic displays" weresupposedly that foundthere (thoughfew of the men who expressedsuch hesitations hadactually visitedtheclubsin question). Thecustomers oftenimagined dancers livingoutthe as side of normative social constraints? enjoyingimmense "sexualfreedoms'and a kind of "wild sexuality.'The men'sideasabout whatit wouldtaketo dancenaked just seemedto bolster beliefthatdancers this enjoyedan uninhibitedsexuality. Dancerswere also describedas brave andadventurous. said,;'Ithink, Jim fromthedancer's perspective,it's just like an existenceon the edge." (Yet, although Jim severaltimes discussedthe 'idancer's perspective" during interviews, admitted I wasthe our he that
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Are Do lesbians? theysleep withcustomers? theywild in many to assertions thecontrary, bed?Despitethe dancers' of the men wantedto believe thatthey led excitingand simply variedsex lives andthattheirchoiceof workplace thistrend. continued to are into Excursions the sex industry not only related areasof townor bad of theallure supposedly or dangerous but corners," those"dark who of the individuals populate Sexualexperiof also to the adventure sexualdiscovery. of ences (not necessarilyheterosexual, course)coupled withtravelawayfromthe safetyof homehaveoftenbeen one adventure; only as portrayed a formof masculinized of needs to think of HenryMiller,the adventures Don or Bukowski JackKerouac. Juan,or storiesaboutCharles withthisidea, Manyof themenwithwhomI spokeagreed were not pursuingsexual contactor even thoughthey a release.Stevensaidthati'what guy gets in a men'sclub, more."He continued, he doesn'tget at homeany
My expenence was, the first 3 to 6 months of every relationship was just outrageous. . . the quest of meeting and building that trustand buildingthatrapportto the point where you could bond enough to have sex and whetherthat happenedin one night or it took 3 months, it's all that excitement leading up and then the exploringand getting to know what you like and what I like.... So whatSshappening out there at the men's clubs, as I sit and watch these guys, theyaretrying to recapturewhat's not there in theirmamage anymore.... In the back of theirminds there'sthat hope of hopes thatmaybe I'm gonna ignite anothersparkagain in my life.
of representation commitment the practices, predominant and monogamy, serial) is thatof lifetime(or increasingly, to one mustusuallypositiononeselfin relation thisrepreplaces as to Men drawtheirlines in different sentation. how far they can exploretheirdesirefor otherswithout As to beingunfaithful theirwives or partners. Beck said, pointyoujustdon'twantto go pastif you a "there's certain Jim a wantto maintain marriage." said thathe often felt guilty because of the influence of his wife's Roman At beliefson his own conscience. the sametime, Catholic to around visitthe thefactthathe hadto ;'sneak" however, tastebetter a thrill."Stolenwatermelons clubs gave him he thantheonesyou buy," said.He didnotbelievethathis a aboutbreaking covenant'were and "thoughts fantasies the samethingas doingso, however,andJimconsidered in himself "faithful" his 23 year marriage.Similarly, man another commented,
when Im on the roadI know thatwhen I go into a men's club that of, it's a safe place-from the standpoint let?scall it, the marriage vows! The temptationsare not there for me. They're zero in a and that mens club . . . I am able to understand it's entertainment social interaction.(Steven) If you go to a stripclub it's safe. Okay?I know why you're there. You know why I'm there,for the most part.... I have reality at home so I'm going back to that. (Herb)
in Williamsaid thathe got "in moretrouble singlesbars thanin stripclubs."This troublewas not only with his but partners, also withhimself. in At the sametimeas theyofferedadventure the form custhe Of course,as stripclubsvaryaround country, men also explicitly of sexual discover7 however,many tomerscannotalwaysbe certainof the kindsof interacto marsafetyin relation that claimed stripclubsprovided in My For partnerships. manyof my intervie- tionsin whichtheywill be involved. experience the riagesor long-term industryhas led me to believe that althoughmen do was wees, "looking" the final limit with whichthey felt in that to becomeaccustomed theservices areoffered their As comfortable. legalvenuesin whichno overtsexualacts clubs in lap-dancing own locales (men who frequented to weresupposed takeplace,theclubswereseenby many disoftenexpressed for or monogamy Tampa SanFrancisco, example, of of these men as supportive heterosexual availablein the limitedinteractions in appointment the visitinga prostiAlthough at pushing its borders). (though clubs),therearealso manymenwho set limits Laurelton or tute, a massageparlorS a "jackshack"is relaxingfor that sexualcontacts theyfind on thekindsof commodified somemen it causedconflictsfortheseparticular men.For for reasons disspoken the Though customers' acceptable. to admitted some of the interviewees example,although periodicallyreading Playboy or renting pornographic comfortwith otherkindsof sexualizedservicevariedto or werenot as significant enjoyable fromcommitments worriesaboutsexuallytransmitted videos,suchpractices sexualactivaboutcommercialized diseases,ambivalence stripclubs. None of the in to them as theirexperzences to regularly ities, andlegalconcerns thepointis thatthiskindof nointervieweesor other customersadmitted a using escort services, prostitutes or massage parlors. contactstripclub offeredthe customers "safe"spacein was whichthisdiscomfort eased. Several intervieweesdiscussed occasional experiences describingthem as riddledwith much with prostitutes, Personal and SexualAcceptance or distaste, guiltthantheirvisitsto strips moreambiguity, notedthatthe conversations All of the menI interviewed theywerelikely this clubs,andnoneconsidered a practice and clubswere a significant pleasurable they hadin strip to takeup again. This claim couldbe dismissedas partof the experience. a becauseit provided Thestripclub,then,was relaxing the men's attemptto justify a sometimesinflammatory and or safe spacein whichto be bothmarried committed guilt practiceor defraymasturbatory (as when men say with (or sexuallyaroused at least,interacting womenin a I However, believe the articles"). sexualizedsetting).A varietyof ideas aboutthe require- they readPlayboy "for to significant a large were indeed thatthe conversations ment of sexual exclusivity in marriageand intimaterelabeyondbeing a way to legitimate of number customers tionships exist among individuals in the United States. of in theirvisits; afterall, I was a participant thousands However,regardlessof any individual'spersonalviews or
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mayor maynot The thesetransactions. mens enjoyment by havebeeninfluenced the contentof the conversations; anywoman about to forsomemen,justtalking a beautiful to be a luxury.As Beck said, the thing was considered moment he hadsomefreetime,';thefirstplaceI'd be that whereI could in interested goingto wouldbe someplace Jim woman." said thathe went to the talk to a beautiful with gorclubs to have "an idealizedsocial interaction to offeredan opportunity talkto Dancers geous women." be womenwithwhomthesemenwouldnotgenerally able a of for to interact, anynumber reasons: lackof attractiveclass differences(in eitherdirecness, age differences, and tion),proximity, the women'swillingnessto interact outsideof theclubs,for example. it was the Sometimes, conversation valuedbecause was that a kindof interaction the men felt they haddifficulty workfinding elsewhere,especiallyin male-dominated places.As Joe said,
sometimes I go therejust to talk because I feel like I can talk to I somebodytherewithoutany rules.There'sno boundaries. don't necessarilyhave to talk aboutsex but I can go thereandjust talk aboutanythingand sometimesthat'skind of nice. You know? It's You'renot thereto judge me. almost like therapy.
are disabilities frequent Men well as thrilling. withphysical the visitorsof suchclubsandappreciate femalecompanto ionshipthatis available themthere(e.g., Reed, 1997; dis2000).Evenmenwho arenot impotent, Shuttleworth, in mayfeel insecure interhowever, abled,or unattractive, actionswith women. The desire for an ego boost was but that almostneverthe firstmotivation menmentioned, and arosein manyinterviews conversations: eventually
I guess it is kind of an ego thing too . . . if I haven't been feeling that great about myself and I go in there it doesn't matterif it's real or not but aftera while, it gets in your head, in your memory. (Jason) You'remassagingthe marl'sego . . . that'swhat it boils down to. It makesthe man feel good abouthimself. It's an ego massage . . . giving him the drinkshe wants,the food he wants,the massagehe wants, you know whateverit tales. (Ross) There'sno way youre going to go in [the stripclub] and get the cold shoulder, that's for sure. It's just absolutely an ego trip and because you go in there,and if you're a warthog,baldn got a pot belly, some good looking girl's gonna come up and go, "Hey, do you wantme to dancefor you?"Seducingwomen is something all men wish they were betteratSyou krlow?And this seems like you're doing it, and it's easy! (Roger)
weregoodto talkto about Rogersaidthathis malefriends women,or work"but thathe felt moreengaged "sports, aboutotherthings.Brettsaid withwomenin conversation that though"mencan open up to women,"men "don't commuare" knowwhattheiremotions andhavedifficulty with each otherbecausetheiregos are "toobig" nicating in may Stoicmasculinity be idealized the and"toofragile." and eventuallymay come to pervadeother workplace, in sharing male emotional areasof men'slives,preventing a Oliker(1989) suggested possiblenonsexual fnendships. Becausemen seldomdevelop motivefor male infidelity: with othermen, sexual affairswith intimatefrlendships that womenmaybe the only routeto intimacy they think stripclubscan be seen as offertheyhave(p 57). Indeed, the without kindsof releasesandconnections, ing similar of or obligations, repercussions an affair. entanglements, this the Though menmayhavevaluedtheconversation, was is notto say thatthisconversation alwaysor necessarAs or disclosure engagement. long as ily basedon mutual couldstillmaintime,customers theypaidforthedancer's how by overthe situation dictating taina senseof control wouldlast,whatwouldbe discussed, longtheconversation tookoff herclothesduring or andwhether not the dancer that understanding Therewas an unspoken the interaction. if a dancerwas not pleasing,she would not be paid. or any couldwalkawayfroma customer Granted, dancer groupif she did not wantto engagein a giveninteraction or foundit offensive,yet therewas usuallysomeoneelse if willingto takeherplaceS onlyforthemoney. in they Somemennotedthatthe interactions purchased safe stripclubswerean ego boostbecausetheyprovided the without with for opportunities closeinteractions women and Sexuality sexualconquestafteralls risk of rejection. as and by can be expeneneed menas humiliating stressful
Daviddescnbedhis visits to a stripclub duringa failing as marriage "goodfor my ego to buildme up,to makeme joked feel like I was a man again.' Many sex workers their and reallybeing"therapistsS' understood jobsto about him be aboutboostinga man'sego by convincing thathe masculine,and successful.Thus customers is desirable, a withinthemselves, were at times seekingan otherness sense of escape from those aspectsof the self that felt insesuchas old age,ugliness, in oppressive otherspheres, failures. a curity, lackof socialskills or intimate Bordo (1999) discussedmale anxiety about female bodies as that and attractiveness argued ;'just thebeautiful us subject womento (generalrepresentations] [incultural modelsof the kind of female we must ly) unrealizable and becomein orderto be worthyof attention love, they modunrealizable men alsosubject andboysto (generally) els of the kind of female they must win with equally (p. consequences" 285)*Thoughmostheterodestructive fixes,'7 womenwhomaybe sexualboys settlefor"inferior the but attractive do not quite succeedin approximating haunted the beauties." by ideal, manymen still "remain only thus Imagesof femaleperfection sCnot shapepercepshape sexual desire,"she argued,and tion, they also is malesexuality honedon the images,even fix"straight atedon them"(p. 287). Bordoarguedthatthe male perceptionof female beautyas powerful-able to "invade and male consciousness arousedesireand then to reject frustratshamed, thatdesire,leavingthe manhumiliated, ed"(p. 290)-may leadsomemento seekbothsolaceand In in excitement pornography. stripclubs,the "beauties" interested, and young,available, arethereas a live fantasy, accepting. werekeenlyawareof the factthat,in Thesecustomers betweenmen also competition to addition malebonding,
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often centeredon the struggleto gain attentionfrom womenandmanywelcomedthe opportunity avoidthis to competitionIn stripclubs,Garysaid,"thepressure's off. I haveto be accepted.'Similarly, Davidsaid,
I don'tget excitedabout goingto yourlocalbarsandyouknow, justtrying pickupchicksandbe thecool suavedudeatthebar. to I don'tlikeusingthe lines andI thinkthecompetitive nature of thatis justsortof sillyto me.Thegirlsatthestrip jointsmight be therenot only to talkto; they'retherebecause they'reworking. Theyhavea reason be there. to There's Elnancial considerations pushing andthey'lltalkto youwhether that, you'reBlack,you're big,you'refat,you'resmall,you're46, or you're24.
Good and Sherrod (1997) arguedthatmen frequently seek to "maintain grandiose self-images" partof their as genderidentity. These authorsdiscuss the heightened importance theseimagesin middleage: of
They wantto perceivethemselves powerfuland in charge. as HoweverX occasionallymen glimpse their very mortal(and unacceptably deflated) selves.Dunngsuchtimes,menmay wal attemptto restoretheir self-imagethroughredoubling their effortsto gain powerover others.These effortsmay inclLude familiar copingstrategies already deleterious that had aspects to themsuchas displaysof poweroverothersat workor workaholism,purchasing sportscar (displaysof financial/physical a power),andhavingaffairsor datingyounger women(displays of sexualpotency). 194) (p.
GoodandSherrod pointed thatduring also out midlife, men maysometimes reengage the kindof nonrelational in sex, or sex thatdoes not necessarily require contextof an the intimate relationship be desirable, theyhadin their to that adolescentyears in orderto reclaima fading sense of strength influence(p. 198). Althoughthese authors' and reliance thenotionof the "real" is potentially on self problematic,the idea that such behaviors take on intensified importance middle age is potentially in illuminating in regard stripclubs.Somemenmaynothaveexperienced to a sense of strength influencein theireverydaylives and even during theiradolescent years yet maythinkthatthey shouldhave.Formen who arewillingandableto payfor it, thediscovery thetypeof femaleattention of available in a contemporaw clubcanbe a monumental strip experience. Customers also sometimeswantedto be acceptedas objectsof desire.I was constantly askedquestions about how it felt to be a dancer thecustomers, on thejob by both andduring interviewsfor instance, theywerefasthe and cinated withthe detailsof performing. Oftenthe mensaid thingslike "Itmustbe nice to haveeverybody wantyou"; "Howdoes it feel to be perfect?"; it fun to be the one "Is up on the pedestal?"; "I'd tradeplaces with you if I or could." cross-identificatory The wishesbeingexpressed in suchstatements rootedin complexfantasies power are of exposure, degradation, idealization Frank, and (see 2002). Somemenweresearching acceptance theirsexufor of al desires.In addition the customers to who enjoyedthe everydayconversation aboutwork,current events, their families,or any number othertopics,I also interacted of witha number menwho seemedthrllled thethought of by
of talkingaboutsex witha woman.Becausesuchconversationsare often inappropnate betweenstrangers the in everyday world(andeven sometimes between lovers),the fact thatwe couldengagein suchtalkwithimpunity was relaxing enjoyable somecustomers. and to Customers also told dancers thingsthatthey claimedthey hadnevertold theirwives or lovers usuallyspecificfantasies expenor ences that they thoughtthe other wornenin their lives wouldnot understand. times,the desiresthe customers At expressed weresimplyto look at femaleanatomy without shameor apology,andmanytold storiesaboutnot being allowedto look at theirwives' or partners? bodies.Paul Gary,andSaulall mentioned they hadbeenmadeto that feel like "perverts" numeroustimes because of their "voyeuristic" desiresto look at women,bothat homeand on the streets. Othermenwanted expresstheirdesiresverbally to but not necessarily act on them.Oneregular to customer was anoldermarried whoconsidered man himselfandhis wife to be 'iveryCatholic." enjoyedtelling me his sexual He fantasies, whichhe thought he couldnotshare that withhis wife. His fantasies werefairlystandard pornographic fare thatI personally not findupsetting surprising. did or Still, he experienced thesefantasies deviant wasrelieved as and to find a nonjudgmental Othertimes,customers ear. had fantasiesthey wantedto sharethat had causedextreme reactions fromtheother womenin theirlives.Another customer,for example,begged me to anallypenetrate him with my high-heeled shoes. WhenI refused,he became distraught told me his wife had left him becauseshe and thought he was a ;'pervert" that becausethis was whathe wanted. Another married cameto the sameclubsevman eralnightsin a row,eachnightoffering moremoneyin an attempt find someonewho would have sex with him to afterworkwhileweartng strap-on a dildo.He toldme that he was certain wife wouldleavehimif he askedherto his do so, yet he still foundthisfantasy compelling. Although the dancers maynothaveaccepted actualoffer,andto his my knowledge nonedid7 expression his fantasy the of did notleadto rejection withintheconfinesof theclub,andhe was provided withinformation aboutanalsex in addition to a forumfor aural fantasizing. Manyof the customers werealso concerned withseeking women'sapproval even enjoyment the sexual and of practicesthat they found appealing. Certainly, some in cases the idea that dancerswould be moreacceptingof theirsexualfantasies basedon the men'sideasabout was theethicalinadequacies womenwhowoulddancenude. of Joe,forexample, thatdancers said wereless likelyto pass judgment thanotherwomenbecauseof theirstigmatized position:"They'renot gonna tell you what's right or wrongbecauseherethey dancers!" Garymadeseveral references dancers "sluts," kindof girlsthathe to as the could';get" whenotherwomenrejected him.Other times, however, men who wereinvolvedin alternative lifestyles or who hadrisquefantasies seemedto genuinely appreciate womenwho could talk openlyaboutsex and sexual
are7
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and Masculinity StripClubRegulars
As encounter. Allison(1993) especiallyin a commodified when a of wroteof male patrons hostessclubs in Japan, himselfas a man,"itis less mandesiresto feel goodabout and sex as an act of penetration releasethana talkabout specifically, sex"(p. 12) thatis effectivein thesesettings: talkaboutsex with a womanwho indulgeshim anddoes PerforrningDesire and the Fantasy of the 'Perfect can In his not counter assertions. a stripclub,a customer Penis' with a woman,yet is abouta sexualencounter fantasize or for not responsible physicallyperforming providing are that to It is essential recognize thedancers nottheonly fromrevealinghis to pleasure her.He is also prohibited consometimes the in performers thesevenues; customers, nakedbody to the dancers,which can provideanother of not, and sciously sometimes arealsopart thescene,intriSomeof the talkaboutthe formof refugefromjudgment. and sexuality, of catelyinvolvedin performances identity, in aspectsof stripclubsmustbe understood this out and meaning pleasure of theirinter- relaxing that desire generate of with as context7 interconnected the vulnerabilities the took rarely in the Though regulars, my experience, actions. bodyas well as withthepleasures. that opportunities of advantage the on-stageperformance with a space in The clubs providedsome customers were availablefor men in the clubs, the fact that they between desire and bodily perforwhich a disjunction in with encounters thedancers a pubin engaged sexualized and Some interviewees other mancecouldbe negotiated. was of lic place,andin thepresence a live audience, signifwith sexualperformance difficulties described encounters customers In of icantto themeanings theexpenences. such for in their relationships, example.Duringour second at secured, leasttemcould heterosexuality be comfortably had thathis malTiage become Ross explained interview, of througha publicperformance or porarily in fantasy7 in ';asexual" recentyearsbecauseof his inabilityto get desirMencouldobservethemselves desirefor a woman. error. he hadslept Yet surgical due erections to a disastrous walls in ing,bothliterally, themirrored of theclubs,andfigand marriage said,;'My of Further, with a number womenbefore and in uratively, thesenseof self-reflection fantasy. of couldin turn workand my sexualidentityare the Iynchpins who I desire of or theexperience performance sexual whathe did am."He linkedthis to the factthatno matter bothto oneself of serveas an affirmation genderidentity abusivefather and his as a youth? physically emotionally from can sexualdesire feel different (although andto others and told him that he called him a "faggot" repeatedly ideas it of orindependent gender, canalsoserveto reinforce In to wouldamount nothing. stripclubs,Rosscouldinteror of oneselfas masculine feminine). expresshis desirefor themverbally, act withthe dancers, in This is not to say that all of the participants the andbe seen doingso by others.In this way,visits to the exchanges that occur in heterosexualstrip clubs are clubsallowedhimto accessthebodythathe remembered for they definitelyarenot. Manybisexualand "straight," and bodythatcouldrespond perfromhis youth,a fantasy lesbian women work as dancersor visit clubs as cusin formwhenbiddento, thatdid notneedto be explained womenenjoy lookingat and tomersS manyheterosexual along with a chanceto expresshis a sexual encounter, if otherwomen'sbodiesandvisit the clubsas customers a identity(or, to put it differently, self-representaare Not theyareallowed. all of themalecustomers straight ;'real" as realor original). experienced tionthatwas already and either7 some men enjoy watchingothermen in the aboutthe Of course,I do not wantto reify stereotypes visitedthe clubsseekinggraticlubs.At timesscustomers of ficationof certainfetishessuch as the desireto interact sexualinadequacies menwho mightuse the sex induspublichumilia- try.Thereare, afterall, manymen who visit stripclubs womanor to experience with a dominant to whosebodiesareagreeable themandfor whomsexual stripshowsmay tionor pain.Onthe otherhand,although is my is functioning not an issue. Rather, argument that in desireas problematic someways heterosexual construct is and theirgeographies choreographiesas dirty, partof whatstripclubsprovidefor theircustomers the through 1995) withoutthe penis"(TieferS (see for or illegitimate, artificial, example Liepe-Levinson, fantasyof the 4'perfect sexualperforneedto proveit eithervisuallyor through werenot of the 2002) andalthough desires thecustomers the or always straightforward stereotypical, transactions mance.The fantasyof the perfectpenis is, of course, or ideologiesof anaggressive unconof the did not overtlyquestion connection heterosexuality linkedto hegemonic toolS' male sexualitywiththe penisas a "power trollable of patterns masculinity. to normative it provided (Bordo,1999).YetS has some of its rootsin feelingsof with interactions the dancers The customers' as vulnerability well. After all, as Tiefer(1995) argued, of but identity, alsoa fantasy notjustproofof heterosexual is competence part some wouldsay the central sexual potency.A stripclub offers a certainprotection "sexual (p. masculinity" 142) despitethe part of contemporary that vulnerability otherarenas,includingthe bedfrom and is the at home, may not. Significantly, men remain varietyof ways masculinity understood expressed room thereareways increasingly men.Although and clothedduringthe interactions are neverphysically by individual are (and,indeedS prohibit- to be masculinewithoutrelying on physical validation,she to exposedor expected perform after ed fromdoingso). Ejaculation, all, is not reallynec- argued,the increasingimportanceof sexuality in contema to essaryin order enhance man'sfeelingsof masculinity, poraryrelationshipshas meant that "thereseems to be no with visitedtheclubsS orwithsometimes desire.Swingers whose ideas out theirpartnersas did otherindividuals differed from the monogamyand relationships about norm,and they seemedto enjoy discussingtheirexperias encesanddesireswiththe dancers well.
Frank
apparent reduction the male sexualfocus on physical in performance" 152). (p. Youthfulness an issue thatemergedfrequently was in conversations interactions I had in the clubs, as and that the majority the regular of customers were men agedor older.The clubs,in someways,provide middlean interestingandcomplicated return a site of adolescent to fantasy. A DJ I interviewed spokeabouthow he triedto match the music he playedto the averageage of the crowdto facilitate fantasy youthfulness: this of
WhenI playLynyrd Sknyrd's "SweetHomeAlabama," they're remembenng driving around thebackroads, in smoking dopeand havingfun drinking whisky. "Thisis the firsttimeI drank Jack Daniels!Qh my god, we wentto a hog race afterward! must I havethrown fortwohours! god,it wasso up Oh muchfun!" .... Well,theman'schanged, in his mind's he but eye cango back.
73
Another thatI interviewed DJ statedthatif the music right, "youbecomethatgirlhe wanted high schoolwas in and didn't or thatone he let get away." get, Youthfulness something was thatthe men desiredfor themselves not simplyin thebodiesthattheychose and to view the clubs,thoughthe youthfulness the in of dancers helped facilitatethis fantasy."These places keep me young,"customer me during tabledance, a told a "because you're young."For some customers, so effortlesssexual response something was associated was that with youth. Some theoldermen,forexample, of expressed difficulties becoming arousedby theirwives or long-term partners, yet claimedthatthey wantedto be able to be excited by them. Joe said, As
whena manis 20 yearsold . . . he'sa walking erection. port Any in a storm. think youget older7 I as though, you ed a littlebit more.It takesa littlebit more needto be excitstimulation. the And variety whatactually is doesthat. least,frommy perspective. At The samethingoverandover,you kindof get desensitized it to .... I love my wifes body.I get turned by my on wife.... ButI findthatthe olderI get, I canbe turned but on still not erection.... I cancertainly andgive herpleasure. havean try Ihat turns me on butI don'tnecessarily to havean have orgasm fromit. . . I thinkI've 51nally my wife to got understand . . . but yet that there's stigma women this that think if a mandoesn't that havean orgasm didn't he havea goodtime.
self feel younger moredesirable a and is privileged position (andone theirwives mightnot be ableto occupy,for a variety reasons), visitswerealso of the intertwined with the men'sown insecurities aboutlosing a youthful body, an attractive body,a body thatwouldandcouldperforrn sexuallywhenthe opportunity needarose, or especially in the contextof an ongoingintimate relationship. relaThe tionship betweenthe dancers' bodies,the men'spartners' bodies,andtheirownbodiesandsexual performances was thuscomplexandmultifaceted. Not everyregular claimedthatinteractions the in improved sexualrelationship homeor were clubs his at related to his ideas about sexual performance, however.Some menclaimed compartmentalize fantasy to their encounters in the clubsandtheiroutsideintimacies. As Stevensaid, "It's like I'm makinglove to my wife and not fantasizing abouta dancer or something." Herb, Kenneth Brett, Roger, Tim spoke similarly, did many and as other tomers whomI spokeinformally theclubs. cuswith in In addition arguing theirencounters the to that in clubs did not affect sexualrelationships, menalso their other argued that their commodified interactions not affecttheirbodies. did In fact, the number timesthatI heardmen say, of "This doesn't affect me physically," exceededthe numberof times the interviewees that explicitlyclaimeda physical response evena desirefora response. don'tget or "I ons while I'm watchingdancersor anything," hardCarlsaid whenaskedhimabout I howhe responded tabledances, to for example.Men'sanxietiesaboutout-of-control bodily responses a lackof responses or influenced theirinterpretations theirsexualizedencounters strip of in clubs and elsewhere. ANXIETIES ABOUT BEING STRIP A CLUB CUSTOMER Although men expressednumerous the motivations for their to stripclubs,theyalsoexperienced visits a degreeof ambivalence thesemotivations abouttheir about and practices, some of whichhave been alludedto above. Many men ambivalent were towardsexualarousal the clubs; in whereas peormances of desirewereeneouraged some in situations, especiallyby male friends,actualevidenceof desire erection, dependence a particular (an a on dancer, or an inabilityto controlone's spending) often seen was as humiliating. aremanyreasonsfor this:the There cultural shame often arisesfor individuals that aroundissues of sex, especially around materials experiences and associated masturbation with (evenif masturbation not actudoes ally place);the social stigmathat take surrounds sex the industry its users;moraldiscomfort, and depending on one's religiousbackground one's otherrelationships and with women;and politicaldiscomfort, given the prominence certainstrandsof feminismand of ideas about "political correctness" populardiscourse,as well as in one's beliefs abouthow relationships own shouldbe conducted. men find theirdesirefor Some commercialized sexual experiences materials be an unpleasant or to compulsion (Brooks,1995;Stock,1997).Conflicting concep-
Other customers discussed stigmaassociated also the with an inability maintain erection. to an Customers discussed difficulties theirwivesand the that partnerswith"losing had beauty youth'? with"not and and wanting reminded it was still outthere" to be that by their husbands' to stripclubs.They also cautiously visits discussed importance theirwives' losses of the of youthand beauty to themselves, sometimes explicitlycomparing the bodies dancers those of theirwives. of the to This referencewomens bodies was not simply an to exercise in male privilege or misogyny,however.Althoughthese men's could possibly have contributed visits to their wives' partners' or insecuritiesabout aging or sexual attractiveness severalinterviewees (and explicitlystated that believedtherewere connections), they and the to purchase attentions others although ability the of to makeone-
74
tionsof masculinity interact also withideasof clienthood to create anxiety for some male customers.There are times,forexample, whenavailing oneselfof commodified sexual servicesis seen as a deE1cit one's masculinity. in Thatis, havingto 'ipayfor it" is demeaning othermen if can (presumably) the same femaleattention free. get for Thereis still a forcefulstereotype ;isexworkers that providesexualreliefto society's'wretched': old,theunatthe tractive, unpartnered" the instead to menin a variety of of positionsand with varyingprivileges(Queen, 1997, p. 130). Some of the interviewees went out of theirway to pointout to me thattheirsex life was enjoyable, possibly anticipating tryingto deflectthis stigma. and Certainly, therearesomemenwho,on someoccasions, talkopenlyandwithprideabouttheirvisitsto stripclubs, perhaps even in a way calculated makeothersaround to them (especially women) uncomfortable. Some visits, suchas bachelor parties, seenas sociallylegitimate are and even as normalmale behavior. the otherhand,men On who visit too oftenor who talkaboutusingany sectorof the sex industry openly risk censure,rejection,and too ostracism from friends,families,employers, lovers, and especiallyif they visit alone.Most of the men discussed the needfor theirvisitsto be "private entertainment," and Alex termed desirenotto be seenat theclubswhenhe his visitedalonea "healthy paranoia." Further, although talk aboutwomen'sbodiesis often a meansof bondingwith other men and may reflect misogynisticattitudes,such behavior be ladenwithconflicting may personal emotional meaning. Manymenclaimed feel guilty,forexample, to becausetheyknewtheirwives or girlfriends woulddisapproveof theirvisitsto stripclubs,evenat thesametimeas they enjoyedthe male camaradene the sexualized and nature theencounters. of Others guiltyspending felt ;'family money" private on entertainment triedto findways and to justifytheirvisitsto themselves. Finally,visits to stnp clubs were usuallypremised on the abilityto spendsignificant amounts moneyon tips, of privatedances,conversations with dancers,drinks,and covercharges. Although somemenmightvisit a cluband spendonly a few dollarson tips,menwho desired longer ormorepersonal interactions expected pay(somewere to timeshighly)fora dancer's time.Visitsto strip clubs,then, couldservebothto enhance man'sfeelingsof financial a power and status- and thus, for some men feelings of masculinity -and function reminders his needfor to as of continuedor futuremonetarysuccess. Increasing commodification concerns and aboutauthenticity progresare sivelymorein conflictin consumer cultures moregenerally as well, intensifying potential uneasiness the for with such transactions. Becomingand remaining customer a then, is a complicated processthat is rife with ambivalence. Thereare indeedprivilegesassociated with being ableto availoneselfof the servicesofferedin stripclubs,
but recognizing the subjective feelings of vulnerability that infUsesuch practiceswith meaning is essential in trying to assess their place in social life more generally.
CONCLUSION Men have many differentmotivations visiting strip for clubsthat although related malesocialpower,complito catethisconnection well. Men'sconsumption as practices in these kindsof stripclubs are premised a rangeof on possibledesires:a desireto publiclydisplaya particular masculineself free of obligationsand commitments, a touristic desire for adventurethroughmingling with Others who areseen as "wild" visitingspacesbelieved or to be "dangerous," a desireto feel desirable leastin fan(at tasy), or a desireto have a sexualized interaction with a womanthatdoes not involve the vulnerability actual of sexualactivity.As partof each customer's repertoire of masculinizing practices,visits to stripclubs offeredthe men opportunities thinkof theirbodiesnot as '4prison to houses" (Ross 1989)or working machines, as sources but of desire, pleasure, freedom. visitsalsooffered and The the men an opportunity experience to theirselves in pleasurableways:as youngS virile,attractive, independent, sometimesas powerful, othertimesas vulnerable. and Someof the servicesandconsolations a manmay that seek in stripclubsarenecessary becauseof his pnvileged position. Whenstoicmasculinity idealized the workis in place,for example,it maycometo pervade otherareasof men'slives andprevent emotional sharing malefriendin ships.Whena manneedssomeoneto turnto for emotional support, mayoftenbe a woman. it Manydancers spend timewithregulars discussing men'swivesandfamilies the andthediff1culties joys related them.As mentioned and to earlier, simplytalkingto a beautiful womanwho appears to be genuinelyinterested boost a man's ego and can restorehis securityin his masculinity. Sucha systematic appropriation women'semotionallaborby men can of indirectlysupportmale dominanceat a societal level (Bartky, 1990). Customers tended makesenseof theirvisitsby drawto ing on particular masculinetraditions on dominant and cultural ideologiesof sex and gender. Thoughthey may visit spaces that pose challengesto dominantideas placesthatdisplay publicnudity, example, placesin for or whichfemale sexualitycan be expressed almostaggressively theyalsomovethrough thesespaceswithunquestionable privilege. Further, malepractices consumption of in stripclubs,or in the sex industry moregenerally, can also serveto maintain imbalanced powerdynamics perin sonalrelationships women especially with whenvisitsare usedto shame anger or wivesorpartners. Negative gender? racial, classstereotypes underlie and may someof theerotic chargeof the men'sexchanges. Customers seldom are askedto challengetheirviews; even if a dancershunsa customerbecause of his sexist or racist opinions, for example, therewill almostalwaysbe another womanwho will tolerate viewssimplyforthefinancial his gain.If men do endup questioning sexuality theirdesires,they their or maylookforother formsof entertainment developother or sexualpractices. Thisis not to say thatcommodified sexual exchangesare inherently aboutthe preservation and
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reproduction malepower, of however. Rather, is to point it out thatstmctural inequalities betweenmen and women, as well as cultural beliefs and expectations personal and understandings gender,influencethe conditions of under whichsuchtransactions camedout. are REFERENCES
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"Just Trying to Relax": Masculinity, Masculinizing Practices, and Strip Club Regulars Author(s): Katherine Frank Reviewed work(s):

"Just lkying to Relax":Masclllinity,Masclalinizing Practices,and Strip Club Regulars

Masculinity StripClubRegulars and

and Masculinity StripClubRegulars

Masculinity and Strip Club Regulars

in greater communication emotional and expression. Joe summarized succinctly: this

Masculinity StripClubRegulars and

and Masculinity StripClubRegulars

Masculinity StripClubRegulars and

Manuscript accepted December 2002 2,

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