Strip it down to the truth

A few years ago I had a discussion with a woman who, like many women I suspect, voiced a certain disdain for the profession of erotic dance. When asked why the moral indignation, she indicated that only certain 'types' of girls would ever do 'that' kind of thing.

Me being me and forever tilting at the windmills of people's narrowly held preconceptions, suggested that the 'type' of girl who would strip for money was the smart type. This woman's daughter was at that time being a good girl with a good job in an office where she was bringing home less than $200 a week, which is what an erotic dancer would bring home on a slow night.

So here we are several years later and I read the following news item:

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Stripping can be lucrative, students told at career day
Last Updated Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:57:37 EST
CBC News

SAN FRANCISCO - A speaker who told Grade 8 students at a career day that they could earn a good living as strippers may not be invited back, the principal says.

Management consultant William Fried told girls at a school in Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday that they could earn $250,000 US or more a year by stripping and exotic dancing – depending on their bust size.

Fried has given a popular presentation called The Secret of a Happy Life at the Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School for three years.

The school's principal, Joseph Di Salvo, said Friday that Fried may not be invited back after he included "exotic dancing" on his list of 140 potential careers.

"It's totally inappropriate," said Di Salvo. "A couple of students egged him and he took it hook, line and sinker."

Fried later told reporters that he made the comments, but defended their accuracy.

"It's sick, but it's true. The truth of the matter is you can earn a tremendous amount of money as an exotic dancer, if that's your desire."
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I'm not quite sure if Mr. Di Salvo's parting broadside about the facts of how lucrative stripping can be is sick or not, but isn't it amazing how the truth is so often kept from us in the name of descency and morality. What could be more moral than to advise on careers that will lead to a fat bank account, fatter even tha the average doctor or lawyer.

Richard Oxman: The Joe Bageant Interview Part 1

You can't know the truth unless you meet with the folk.

Richard Oxman: The Joe Bageant Interview

New Year's Bageantry Interview, Part Two

I'd never heard of Joe Bageant before today, but if you can wade through the interviewer's convoluted questions, the answers are well worth the reading.

(DV) New Year's Bageantry, Part Two

I Took An Ink Blot Test & Surprised Myself

Under the guise of my favorite genius Albert Einstein I took an ink blot test to find out if I'm fit for a straight jacket. I guess I'm not as crazy as I think I am which is a relief seeing that Prozac has been found to be dangerous to your mental health.

Not surprising that yet another drug manufacturer, in this case Eli Lilly & Company has lied and covered up its knowledge of potentially fatal side effects of drugs that pour billions of dollars into corporate coffers.

It seems the corporate world knows no bounds in the pursuit of profit. Collateral damage in the form of suicide, or heart attack seems acceptable when a drug like Viox can go from zero to $4 billion in the matter of a few years.

Speaking of corporate ethics, if you can find a copy, by all means watch a Canadian documentary titled The Corporation. The movie looks at the history of the corporation, and asks the question: If the corporation were person who approached a psychiatrist for diagnosis, what would that diagnosis be? You may or may not be surprised by the answer.