Jackson Belle, "A Matter of Pride: Thoughts on Being a Bad Stripper"

In the article “A Matter of Pride: Thoughts on Being a Bad Stripper,” Jackson Belle discussed her experiences as a stripper. Working as a stripper does not always bring in good money which is why she explains how to be a good stripper, so as to earn more money like other strippers at her strip club. Sometimes she felt like she was not beautiful enough to be asked to dance for a customer or to earn good money even on a slow night. She learned from her experiences as a stripper that it is a part of her job “to aid him in his fantasy” (Belle 44). Although going against this notion of pleasing the men, she took pride in speaking to them to where she did not feel like she was an average woman. She realized that the customers possess some power because they are the ones who decide whether her bills are paid on time, among other things. It is where she came to realize that “it was a place where men came for the privilege of being male: male consumers and male spectators” (Belle 45). It became her personal mission to “maintain a pleasant demeanor” towards the customer. With her new attitude and attempt to befriend one of the young men at her job, she was able to earn a large amount of money.