Episode 2: Super Bowl Strippers

In Episode 2 of YAS Podcast, host AM Davies (they/them) and guest NatsHoney (she/her) make a clear case for unity and unionization in the strip club industry. AM shares how their long-running mission—first through United Pole Artists—has always centered on unifying communities while protecting the truth: pole dance has roots in stripping, and strippers deserve recognition, respect, and labor rights. Now, that mission expands into organizing dancers and supporting union efforts through groups like Soldiers of Pole.

The episode connects multiple flashpoint events that sparked widespread public conversation: pole dancing at the Super Bowl halftime show, the exploitation and alleged wage theft reported by dancers working Super Bowl weekend events in Miami, and the high-profile injury of pole athlete Genea during a performance. AM and Nats argue that increased visibility of pole in mainstream entertainment means little if dancers are still being harmed, underpaid, and denied basic protections behind the scenes.

They discuss reports from the “Stripper Bowl” event, including dancers paying hundreds of dollars to work, restrictive contracts, lack of access to money thrown on the floor, confiscation of dancers’ earnings, unsafe crowd conditions, and being held for hours without adequate support. The conversation also addresses the ongoing divide between pole fitness communities and strippers, and how that divide weakens dancers’ collective power.

Nats shares her own experience with a serious on-the-job back injury and the reality of working without workers’ comp or disability support—sometimes netting only $22 after fees and tip-outs. The episode ends with a direct call for dancers to share their stories and organize together nationwide.