Support Your Local Stripper
There's a strip joint in San Francisco called the Lusty Lady. In 1997 they successfully unionized, becoming the only unionized strip joint in the U.S. A film about the union drive, called "Live Nude Girls Unite!" was recently released on video, and I saw it for the first time the other night. It's great.

Every year, about two weeks before Xmas, the Lusty Lady theater has its annual Xmas party. This is called Play Day. Management grants one day to the workers, during which all monies received go to a big pot which all the dancers split: that's their Xmas bonus. On this day only, the dancers do lap dances and all kinds of special stuff; on this day only, contact with customers is permitted. It's not like most strip joints these days where lap dancing is de rigeur; at the Lusty, they have glass between the talent and the customers.

Except for Play Day. Which is this Friday, Dec. 14th, 2001. Be there. (It's on Kearny St. between Columbus and Broadway in SF.)

For those people who are afraid to venture into a strip club -- and I am generally one of those people -- I can give a little bit of reassurance. You will not be made to buy a drink at inflated prices; they don't serve drinks. All they do is strip (and, on Play Day, lap dance), and if you want, you can go into a booth and watch dirty movies 25 cents at a time. Since, on Play Day, all the money goes to the dancers, don't worry about being cheap. Spend a little. These gals work hard -- I know, because I had a girlfriend who worked there, and generally it ain't all that fun. Play Day is their chance to fool around with the whole strip-club metaphor. They decorate the place in a crazy way, play the music they really like, wear crazy costumes, and in general cut up.

All the money goes to the dancers. If you still feel a little strange about it, rent the video (I got it at Lost Weekend Video on Valencia St.; they had several copies in the New section) and then you'll definitely want to support the women. Yay for the union!