Stripped: Inside the Lives of Exotic Dancers

by Bernadette C. Barton

What kind of woman dances naked for money? Bernadette Barton takes us inside countless strip bars and clubs, from upscale to back road as well as those that specialize in lapdancing, table dancing, topless only, or peep shows, to reveal the startling lives of exotic dancers.

Based on over five years of research and from visiting clubs around the country, particularly in San Francisco, Hawaii, and Kentucky, Stripped offers a rare portrait of not just how dancers get into the business but what it's like for those who choose to strip year after year. Through captivating interviews and first-hand observation, Barton recounts why these women began stripping, the initial excitement and financial rewards from the work, the dangers of the life--namely, drugs and prostitution--and, inevitably, the difficulties in staying in the business over time, especially for their sexuality and self-esteem.

Stripped provides fresh insight into the complex work and personal experiences of exotic dancers, one that goes beyond the "sex wars" debate to offer an important new understanding of sex work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, History, Sex Work, Gender, Womens Studies, Psychology

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Heather]

As a former stripper, I was hoping for more. I'll leave it for you to decide. It was fairly informative, but nothing surprising was revealed to me. Not a bad book. Not a great book.

[Mike]

Pretty good. A mostly thoughtful narrative that aims to explain the attraction to stripping for women and the costs most regularly associated with it. Not anti-stripping, but realistic and institutionally situated. Good solid sociology.

[Ariel]

This was a fantastic and realistic look at the world of exotic dancing. It was nice that the book focused more on daily life, on the ups and downs of the job, but not necessarily on the childhood of the dancers that so many books focus on. It was very interesting! I enjoyed it a lot!

[Diane]

I've always thought that stripping as a profession is more damaging to women than empowering, as some people claim. The author interviews women who strip for a living to get to the bottom of the damaging vs. empowering debate. Guess what? I'm right.

[Karah]

Definitely an academic work. Plenty of people would require a dictionary. Burton is not radically a sex-positive feminist, although she empathizes. She stresses the point that strippers need to be perceived as neither victims nor whores, just women carving a living. She also asserts that many strippers do not prostitute. Neither are they entirely ravenous drug users. I feel these to be true.

[Lauren Levitt]

I liked this book in a lot of ways. I especially liked that Barton discussed activism, romantic relationships, and solidarity among dancers. I didn’t like how she attributed sex work stigma to sex work itself. I also think that she overstates the toxicity of dancing. Although many people leave eventually, others are able to avoid burnout and remain in the industry long-term.

[Roberta Wall]

I read this book to try to understand a family member who embarked on an exotic dance career. I found it a valuable resource and educational in how the sex industry has changed into raunch culture. A sad statement for our society.

[logangster]

read this for class

enjoyed it

[Jenny]

I was disappointed as I thought I would read some eye-opening accounts from different women in the industry. It was a lot of what I already knew though it was interesting to read about these women as individuals. Still, it's depressing that I have my master's degree and I make less money than a woman who is taking off her clothes for a living. It shows how much a woman's body is still valued more over her brain in our society.

[L]

case studies come out with full dimensions.

[Joni]

It was okay, a little bit interesting and quite a bit depressing, but I learned something about other people and that is a always good thing.