Is the Strip Club Dead?

Author argues that Strip Clubs are losing customers and cannot compete with maasage parlours

As a dedicated patron to many strip clubs (SCs) in the Toronto area over the past 20 years, it has become clear that the golden age of these once packed establishments is fading into oblivion. I can recall days of standing room only as microphone wielding, tuxedo clad MC' s would whip the crowd into a frenzy with their on stage antics.

Nowadays, I often find myself sitting in sparsely populated strip bars with only a few nearsighted gentlemen in "Pervert's Row" and a collection of odd individuals in the darker corners of the room nursing a glass of warm draft beer.

My career as a strip club regular extends well back into my high school days when an altered drivers license, a few days growth of beard, and a confident swagger were all I needed to get me past the leering doormen. My funds were a lot tighter in those times so taking a swig of my beer only when the waitress was passing by prevented me from having to buy another round for hours.

In my hazy recollection, the atmosphere of the exotic night club was much different in the 80s and 90s. It was the fraternity like mentality amongst all those in attendance that made it the ideal location for bachelor parties or just a night out with the boys. Between songs, MC' s would lead the charge by regularly giving away table dances and t-shirts to the first guy to jump on stage completely naked, or by putting grooms-to-be in the spotlight and having them playfully ravaged by a swarm of hungry strippers.

For what reasons has this golden age of strip clubs disappeared you might ask... well, no one can say exactly. But attendance appears to be in sharp decline due to a combination of down as a result of many minor factors. The enactment of strict no-smoking municipal bans, wide-spread availability of free porn via satellite and the Internet and highly publicized raids of SC' s suspected of being brothels have all put nails in the coffins of the clubs. The tightening up of drinking and driving enforcement has caused not only a pinch in the bottom lines of SC's but bars in general; people simply do not want to risk a license suspension or DWI charge as a result of over-indulgence.

The greatest contributing factor however to the decline of the SC industry in Canada, and the reason you are probably at EMG , is the emergence of the exotic massage parlour (MP).

With clearly defined services and prices starting as low as $60 for "basic service", patrons can get an exotic massage by a beautiful attendant of their choice in a private, discrete and relaxing atmosphere. This sharply contrasts with strip clubs where I have spent upwards of $140 for lap dances with no privacy and have walked out the door with unfulfilled requests, blue balls and beer-breath. Not to mention, physical contact between the dancers and patrons in SC' s is often prohibited or highly regulated... whereas MP' s are now able to acquire city licenses in many areas for "body rub" services.

The added advantages of MPs vs. SCs include a much safer and secure environment for your ' stress relief.'

Strip clubs often serve as a haven for criminals and other shady creatures to conduct their various forms of ' business.' With MPs, patrons are in and out of the parlour leaving promptly after their massages making these places much less of a hang-out for ' characters' that seem to aimlessly lounge for hours on end.

While strip clubs have experienced a steady decline in business, exotic massage parlours have clearly emerged as the future hotspot for live adult entertainment. If you don' t believe me just ask some of the dancers the next time you' re at the bar! Veteran strippers will tell you that the business is not what it used to be and new dancers will tell you that they can go a whole night and not even make enough to cover cab fare. This sharply contrasts with the days when exotic dancers could easily go home with $800-$1000 on a good night.

As a witness to the closing of nearly a dozen strip clubs in the past decade in my area alone, one might ask "where have all the customers gone?". A quick look around town at industrial plazas and local strip malls will provide you with the answer. Massage parlours have sprung up in almost every big city and even the smallest of towns.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the strip club... but one can' t help to notice that it appears to be going the way of the dinosaur.

Frank
ExoticMassageGuide.com

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