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Apathy Jack writes:

Observations, gleaned from original research: The number one topic of conversation at strip clubs proper is the dancers themselves. When young guys, and older guys, go to clubs and believe they are chatting up the dancers, they will discuss that dancer’s career. (Interviews conducted between 1999, 2001. Subject sample: patrons, friends, employees, former employees. Possible biases in study: early interviews conducted drunk, in strip clubs). They will ask how long she has been working at the bar, and they will ask what the other customers are like. They will hope that she says “they are weird and creepy and shallow and nothing like you.” Another favourite question is, what do you do other than dancing? Young male students, in particular, are disappointed if dancing turns out to be her full-time job. As if that’s demeaning, somehow. As if now they have nothing in common.

Very few patrons have a strip club experience – they have a meta-experience. They are longing for an out of body experience, not for themselves, but for the dancer. They discuss the dynamics of straddling strangers for money in an abstract way, with the woman sitting exposed on their respective lap. Always, do you enjoy this line of work? Never, are you enjoying this right now?

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The more observant of you will have noticed that I didn't write that - it is from one of my personal favourite pieces at Dog Biting Men.

Although you'll already know this if you read DBM (as most of you probably do, given how many hits they get in the course of a day...), but just in case: In the National Business Review tomorrow (Friday) is the first column of policial commentary written by Ben Thomas and David W Young.

Well worth a read (the column, I mean - who knows about the rest of the magazine?)the NBR can be purchased from any fine magazine merchant...