Behind the G-String: An Exploration of the Stripper's Image, Her Person and Her Meaning

by David Alexander Scott

In recent years, the number of strip clubs in the United States has increased dramatically. Dressed up with terms such as "gentlemen's clubs," they often feature valet parking, limousines, executive dining rooms, extravagant menus-and, of course, topless or nude women dancing on stage. Stripping has become a big business, with over 3.5 million people, primarily men, attending clubs each week. But what about the women who perform in the clubs? Why do they do it? What is their perception of their job? Numerous interviews with working strippers accompany extensive research in the literature: Some strippers see stripping as simply a job, others view it with a degree of embarrassment, while many see it as an opportunity for empowerment. Few became strippers by design but a surprising number continue to strip for many years. The use of drugs and instances of abuse are covered, as are the views of the strippers' families.

262 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[shayda :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ll be completely honest. i picked this book from the discard pile at the library, unsure of what the heck it was gonna be about. i laughed at the title and found it interesting so i started reading. at first, the book was pretty slow and i couldn’t really get into it, but once the author brought in the strippers’ perspectives, it got GOOD. although it is a male author (which i was unsure about because it is a book about female strippers), i thought that his perspectives and the point of views that he received were extremely interesting and gave me a whole new view of the stripping industry. i learned every part of the industry that you may not even think about, the real women behind their careers, and the real horrors of stripping. overall, i loved it.