It's gettin' hot in here...

Okay, I feel a little lame for my post title, but I'm too lazy to think of anything more clever right now.

A short while ago, while shopping, a friend of mine asked me a question that threw me off guard. The conversation went a little something like this:

Friend: Want to go to a strip club with me?
Me: Huh? With men or women on the stage?
Friend: Women.
Me: Ew, no!
Friend: Why not?
Me: I'm not PAYING to to see women take off their clothes and be raunchy. Especially women who probably have had implants.
Friend: Well...
Me: And I do NOT want to be in an audience with a bunch of desperate straight dudes.
Friend: I'm just saying it could be a fun way to see some naked ladies.
Me: If I really needed that, I could just look at myself.
Friend: Then what's the point in even wanting to date a girl since you are one?
Me: Well, I'm already in a relationship with myself, and I always will be. But if I want a relationship with someone else, then why be choosy as to if it's with a male or female?

For the record, if she had asked me to go to a strip club featuring men, I still would have said no; the thought of naked men flashing their pieces at me while dancing sounds completely ridiculous. But I don't think men are usually hot when they dance...at least in comparison to women.

But the thought of using my money to objectify other women doesn't sit right with me. I (usually) don't want to be reduced to just my body. On the other hand, I have no problem with objectifying men. I'm well-aware that they have feelings and can be mature, but it seems less offensive to just use the right type of guy for his wang. Maybe this is a double standard.

I aksed another friend what her take on it was:

Me: would you go to a strip club featuring women?
Friend: fuck yes
Friend: actually a friend and i have been talking about going to this burlesque place in lincoln square, which is not strictly speaking a Strip Club, but definitely does involve girls getting naked for money
Me: i see
Me: but...it's objectification
Me: and...paying for objectification
Friend: that's one way to see it
Friend: another way is liberation
Friend: i take pornographic photos of myself
Friend: i choose what i look like
Friend: i choose who sees them
Friend: and if i were to sell them, i'd choose to whom and for how much
Friend: people are always going to like to see naked ladies
Friend: the extent to which it's a pimp/whore relationship, and who controls their nakedness, the seeing and what it costs if anything is variable
Friend: being anti-sex about it misses the point
Me: hm, i see what you're saying
Me: i dunno
Me: i guess i'd prefer emotions about the girl and who she is to be involved in the de-clothing process

I suppose that some situations in the nakedness/money exchange could be more empowering (for those getting naked) than others. We cannot change the power of naked ladies, but I suppose we can change the contexts in which they get naked so they're safer.