Nudity/sex for a profession = asking for trouble?

[Jules Of All Trades]

I mentioned in this thread that I might be starting a new one on this subject, so here it is.

I was the victim of violence, and was targeted simply for the fact that I was a topless dancer at the time. In their minds it made me unworthy of humane treatment, and I "asked for it" by choosing to expose part of my body as a profession. (If you'd like to debate the reasons I made this choice I'd be happy to do so...but be forewarned of a derailing).

My questions are these:

• Does working in the "sex industry" open people up to random acts of violence more so than other professions?
• If so, why?
• Are there other jobs or professions that also carry the stigma that people are "easy" or "willing" when it comes to sex?
• Do these jobs also carry more risk as well?

I've wondered these things for quite some time, but not had the open forum in which to ask. Feel free to tackle any of the questions, or none at all.

Jules

[Greenday]

It is what it is: a job. Most people realize this. But there are a few pricks who can't understand that these people are just doing what they can to make money. Dancers, waitresses at Hooters, for the most part aren't doing it for sh*ts and giggles. Most are just trying to make a living. No matter what profession (I'd even say prostitutes), no one deserves to be attacked.

I think it comes down to the types of people attracted to these places. Not everyone who frequents nude-bars or hooters are scum. Some are normal people. Probably most are normal people. But there are scum who these are the places where they can get what they want that they normally couldn't get otherwise. Naturally, these places are going to attract these people and there's little that can be done about it.

Do these jobs carry more risk than, say, a pharmacist? Yea, probably. It's just because of who is attracted to the place of business. You don't have to worry about old people being harmful in a pharmacy.

[blas87]

Old people can be harmful in a pharmacy! Ever been to a Wal-Greens lately? Holy Taledo!

My boyfriend's best friend's gf was a stripper for a while.....she had to use a fake name on stage and she had many stalkers and guys that just didn't understand "no".

[AFPheonix]

Oh, I don't know, we get funny calls whenever we get a new female staff pharmacist in from some pervert who asks about penile enhancement products. Kind of yucky to have someone get their rocks off to you unwittingly.

The same people who treat dancers poorly may use the excuse that they're asking for it, but really, they're just trying to justify their own behavior. George Carlin has a great bit on this.

[the_std]

I think it has something to do with the very strong emotions that tend to over-ride the thinky part of the brain when sex comes into play.

It's not an excuse, but it's a reason.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

(If you'd like to debate the reasons I made this choice I'd be happy to do so...but be forewarned of a derailing).

Let me guess, the pay was good? Helped you pay for something you couldn't have otherwise?

You'll get no debate from me. I've been to far too many strip clubs where I know the girls personally and most of them do it because it gets them through college. As one said it "As long as I have this killer bod, I might as well get my money's worth out of it."

She's now the project manager for some some government contractor in Alexandria VA making the big bucks.

[*]Does working in the "sex industry" open people up to random acts of violence more so than other professions?

Sadly yes.

[*]If so, why?

Because a goodly number of people look at women who are willing to show their girly bits in public as if they were less than human and don't see the "Yeah, I'm flashing my jublies in public to a bunch of horny retards...but I've just made rent, tuition, car payment and still have enough to go to the movies tomorrow" side of it.

When I look, I look and enjoy the beauty of the female form and still keep in my mind that the girls are human. Others look and they dehumanize them into "whores" and "sluts" who are asking...no begging...to be raped.

[*]Are there other jobs or professions that also carry the stigma that people are "easy" or "willing" when it comes to sex?

I'd have to say that the risk lies solely with any profession where skin is expected to be shown and the more skin, the greater the risk.

[*]Do these jobs also carry more risk as well?

Where the risk comes from is mainly from areas where no only is there skin, but advanced states of mental incompetence caused by the consumption of fermented vegetable drinks and/or recreational pharmaceuticals. The drunker people get the less they are able to control their own impulses. Hence the reason so many comedians refer to men buying women drinks as the way to get into their pants when their inhibitions drop.

M

[BlaqueKatt]

My questions are these:
[LIST][*]Does working in the "sex industry" open people up to random acts of violence more so than other professions?[*]If so, why?

I can tackle these two with one answer-the rest are more subjective really-I'm actually going to focus more on actual sex workers rather than strippers due to the fact that the reasons are basically the same-but while people may be ok with strippers-they are usually more judgmental towards sex workers.

Due to the fact that in the US sex is so stigmatized and anyone working in the industry is "shamed" or is on the edge of doing something illegal(or blatantly illegal-prostitution), the police and other see them as less than human, because they are going against "societal norms"-in quotes because they really aren't normal-repression is not normal and repression breeds perversion.

Your average sex worker/escort is doing something illegal and if she is injured during her job by one of her clients-the police are more than likely going to charge her as well(yay violation of the 5th amendment), so the criminal that attacks her knows he will probably get away with it due to the fear of the victim going to the police.

Your average stripper, is doing it for the money to afford whatever(though I did know some when I was working that actually enjoyed it-and read a nice story about a mother and daughter that worked in the same club-mother enjoyed the work, daughter was working through school)-it is NOT shameful to be proud of your body-no matter what it looks like, but society has become that way in the US-we are taught to be ashamed of our naked bodies from childhood(which is why sexual abuse of children is a problem-the children are ashamed of their bodies, and the predators prey on that shame). So due to the fact that society is brainwashed into thinking that someone who is not ashamed of their body is obviously an aberration, they must be "less than human" and therefore not worth the courtesy that would be afforded any other person.

I am appalled at the way some people treat strippers and sex workers, due to this "less than human" mindset that has permeated society-and firmly believe the only solution is to make it legal so the violence will stop-the only reason it continues is because the criminals know they probably won't be reported due to the fear of the victim being judged before they are.

I highly recommend the episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit on the subject to fully understand what exactly I'm talking about. Which can be purchased here for $1.99, or if you don't want to pony up the $1.99 it's on youtube in 3 parts as well.(do a seach for "penn and teller prostitution")

"In the only place in America where prostitution is legal (a few counties in Nevada), the practice is regulated, pimps don't exist, hookers pay taxes, and HIV is non-existent. Penn and Teller explore the absurdity of the world's oldest profession being illegal."

[MystyGlyttyr]

I would put forth that ANY profession that would cause you to be "known" to the public at large is a danger area. Strippers and prostitutes, after all, are going to be announcing themselves somehow.

Here at the paper, there's a particular scum bastard who is constantly trying to get one of the female reporters to sleep with him. Any one. He doesn't care which and it's been made obvious he doesn't care how he gets them. It's apparently his fetish or something because he doesn't give a rat's ass about me, the other clerk, or any of the females downstairs (some of whom are unbelievably hot, trust me). I've had to snarl him into submission more than once.

Whenever a new female name pops up in our paper (reporters' names are attached to their stories, after all), you can count on this asstwit to show himself within a day or so. Even though it's to the point where I won't even let him past my desk without making serious threats of bodily harm, he still shows up. He even tries calling without coming up to speak to the reporter directly, fortunately, with very rare exception, I catch all the calls anyway.

Wrestler girls can get it bad, too. What with competing in a physically demanding show wearing something revealing, there's the added twist of some sicko thinking he or she's going to dominate the "tough girls". Fortunately, wrestler guys are somewhat, ahem, overprotective.

The more you expose yourself to the public, the more people start feeling "connected" to you, and the more likely the wrong type of person will start feeling connected, I think.

[DesignFox]

Sadly, yes, I think if you work in the skin business, you are more likely to picked out as "easy" or "deserving" of what you get.

It's a horrible attitude, and depressing in the extreme.

I think everyone else summed it up well- that part of it stems from the types of people attracted to those places, and some of it just stems from being in the public eye and thus "familiar" to more people. And yes, in the US at any rate, it doesn't help that sex is stigmatized, and the naked body a thing to be ashamed of.

[anriana]

Your average sex worker/escort is doing something illegal and if she is injured during her job by one of her clients-the police are more than likely going to charge her as well(yay violation of the 5th amendment), so the criminal that attacks her knows he will probably get away with it due to the fear of the victim going to the police.

And there are plenty of cases where a sex worker tried to press charges and the perp did get away with it due to her profession. The two that stand out most vividly to me are the prostitute who was raped and had it changed to "theft of services" by a judge and the stripper who was stalked by a police officer who followed her to another county and ejaculated on her.

I am appalled at the way some people treat strippers and sex workers, due to this "less than human" mindset that has permeated society-and firmly believe the only solution is to make it legal so the violence will stop-the only reason it continues is because the criminals know they probably won't be reported due to the fear of the victim being judged before they are.

While I support the legalization of sex work, I don't think it would solve the "less than human" aspect at all. Workers in every type of service job get that.

[Wicked_Lexi]

There was a cleric in Australia who made a comment that woman who dressed slutty were no better than uncovered meat and that you wouldn't blame a cat for eating the meat when you were the one who left it uncovered. Basically saying "you dress slutty you deserve to get raped etc"

His comments horrified a lot of people and the outrage and backlash was incredible! I think it showed that attitudes are changing towards that sort of mentality. It used to be the norm, reporting a rape was a horrendous ordeal for woman because they got treated like whores basically.

I think its getting better but strippers, topless waiters and sex workers are still treated as having a less than "professional" job.

[tropicsgoddess]

I've never worked in any profession where nudity and sex were involved and I don't think I can since I'm very self-conscious. People do what they can to make money, even if it means parading around in booty shorts or doing topless and lap dances. More often than not, people are in that type of profession because of the big bucks you can make there. The sad truth is that people think that those who work in that profession means that they are easy targets to get some ass.