YAS Podcast: Malice McMunn and Teddy B. Episode #9 Transcript
Two strippers from the same club talk to AM about their club shutting down and letting go of all dancers and employees without any notice. Malice McMunn, who had been dancing at Cheetah’s for several years and Teddy B. Ruxpin who had been there for about two years. Regardless of how long they worked there, they were reliant on their job, like most people are. Even before they were shut down, they were experiencing massive wage theft from the owners and management. Only to be cast aside later with very little alternatives. This story is one that all strippers should hear, because it could happen to any one of us at any time.
*This transcript was auto-generated and may contain minor errors.* Begin transcript after opening credits.
AMD: Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of yes a stripper podcast as you can tell we are currently not Filming in the studio. We are filming remotely from our homes. That’s because today’s date is March something I think it’s like March 25th or whatever and we’re in the middle of the coronavirus situation. And so we had to figure out technology and kind of do this work around and be doing these podcasts remotely for however long we have to do that. And we’re really not sure. And, um, you know, it’s definitely disrupted our lives. Um, and it’s made us have to think on our feet and something that I found really interesting about this coronavirus is for me, particularly in the beginning, I basically had my ears, my fingers in my ears and I was like not listening and not paying attention and, um, because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to deal with it.
Um, my life was great moving along as it was and it just didn’t seem that much of a threat and um, that I feel like it’s sort of a theme that’s happening in the strip club industry right now. All across the board, all across the states, we’re seeing actions being taken by employers, um, and owners of strip clubs and managers that just, there’s a lot of red flags, there’s a lot of weird things, they’re not adapting, they’re not talking to us, and they’re not giving us the proper information.
Does that sound like something that you are experiencing right now? Um, and so, you know, with seeing these, these things that are happening in the industry, before things get out of control, we really have to take back the power and we have to organize, we have to unify, and we have to pay attention to what our employers are doing and saying and how they’re treating us. Um, and so, you know, I say all of that to say, To introduce you to our next two guests. This will be the first time that we have two guests and not just one. And today we have Teddy and Malice who are both ex-dancers at the very famous Cheetahs here in Hollywood, California. Hi ladies. How are you? Can you please say hi to the audience?
MM: Hi everybody.
TB: Hello.
AMD: Hi. Yeah, so ladies, um, how are you guys doing in your prospective homes right now? Malice, you’re in Hollywood with me, right? You’re somewhere in Hollywood?
MM: Yep. Yeah. I live right off Hollywood Boulevard, right where all the tourists typically are. Today, I walked around and I saw. Really, I think only, um, like two or three clusters of tourists and that’s good. Um, the rest were just the regular homeless people that are always out there. And I kind of like to, you know, I walk my dog around the neighborhood and I avoid that street usually, but I kind of have been sort of monitoring the homeless situation because I just want to see how some of them are doing because some of them I see every day. So I’ve been kind of checking in with some of them and keeping my distance. But still just kind of eyeballing and seeing if they’re okay.
AMD: Yeah, I love that. I love I do the same in my in my neighborhood check in on them because they’re just as a part Of the community as anybody else. So I love that you’re doing that. And [Teddy], um, are you still over there in texas right now?
TB: I am i’m in like bumfuck texas right now. Not that bumfuck. It’s pretty close to austin But, where I am is really quiet. The whole county is in, like, shelter in place right now, so everyone’s mostly at home during the day. The only thing open are, like, grocery stores and liquor stores and, like, essential services. So I’ve just been here kind of hiding out, keeping an eye on stuff. It doesn’t really look like anyone here is getting too antsy or too weird just yet, but you never know.
AMD: Okay. Yeah. And just so our audience knows, you, you weren’t living in Texas up until recently. Um, you were living here in Los Angeles and dancing at Cheetah’s before they closed recently. I just want to make sure that, yeah. So, you know. Just make sure they know all the details and stuff like that. Um, Yeah, so, I really want to talk about, first of all, really quick, Malice, I’m wearing your t shirt.
MM: Yes.
AMD: The one with the tits on it. I really, when I look at myself in the video wearing this shirt, I feel like I’m topless. It’s really amazing, yeah. And these are your actual, a picture of your actual boobs, right?
MM: Yeah, I will, I will admit that the photographer enhanced the boobs. Them a little but with some shadowing and made them look a little more, uh, I think a little bigger and rounder. But yeah, they definitely, I, my tits are like that. Nice. Some days. Totally.
AMD: Well, I, I got, I’m a 34 double D. Yeah. Nice. And so your boobs look like that big. And they look amazing on my boobs. Your tits On my tits. Love it. Love it. Yeah. And also like, is it like, okay, if I make a shirt like this, like of my tits, like I definitely would do a different design, but
MM: I don’t own the rights to that. That was actually a design that I stole from Seditionary’s shirt. Like the shirt that Sid Vicious used to wear. Um, that’s an old punk rock shirt knockoff and definitely anyone has the right to make that shirt.
AMD: So, I just want to, you know, pay respects and be cool about, you know, I want to just steal your
MM: free, free the nipple, free the nipple.
AMD: Tight, tight. All right. All right. I’m going to do it. Okay. Teddy, where are yours? Where’s your boob shirt?
TB: I don’t have it right now. I don’t know where it is. I haven’t unpacked all my stuff, but I have like, 30 million pieces of Malice gear that I’m wearing constantly. Because it’s all really cute. I don’t know.
AMD: Yeah. No, I’m talking about weird, but your actual titty shirt of your tits Have you ever thought of doing yours?
TB: No, but they are like really good looking I mean, not to be conceited, but I have a solid pair, so I probably should slap them on a shirt. Hell yeah.
AMD: Yeah, and for those of you who can’t see us really quick, I just want to confirm that I am indeed wearing a shirt of Malice’s nude boobies. On my person and it’s amazing. And so if you can’t see it, you should definitely be watching the YouTube videos so that you can see what we’re talking about.
MM: And I can also confirm as a person that used to work with Teddy, that she has, uh, quite a perfect set of titties that fit perfectly in your hand and are the most firm and are the most perfect sized nipple titties that you could ask for.
AMD: Oh my god, I love that. That brings up so much for me, that something, because now that we’re on the subject, we’re going to stick here for just a minute, like, because you work together and so like something that has happened for me over the years as a stripper is like really kind of like, exploring each other’s bodies in like this very friendly, like curious, but like cute way. Not like we’re like playing doctor or anything, but like you said, like, we often are like, Oh, can I like feel that or touch that? And like, we ask each other to like, Do you guys have you experienced that same thing?
MM: Oh, 100 percent all the time. Okay.
TB: Yeah. Yep. Yeah.
AMD: Okay, good. Yeah, like we motorboat each other in the dressing room and smack ass but all with consent always asking for Yeah, I asked a dancer once in the dressing room She was standing over me and I was sitting and she just had like to say It’s the most beautiful pair of breasts and I was like, Oh my God, your tits are so amazing. Can I motorboat you? And she’s like, no. And I was like, okay. Okay, fine. You know? And I was like, well, I asked, you know, and she said no. And then we just moved on, but she wasn’t into it and, but I’ll like always ask.
MM: Yeah. Yeah.
AMD: Yeah. Even stripper to stripper. Yeah. Um, so let’s talk about cheetahs a little bit. Um, So I’m going to give a short backstory and then I’m going to have you guys fill in the pieces, but basically you were working at cheetahs for years and out of nowhere you lost your job overnight and were forced to figure out a new life and a new way to make money. Can you fill us in on those details? What was that like? What happened? Start from the beginning.
MM: Once again, I like Teddy to start because she’s really good at details.
AMD: Okay. Go ahead. You start us off.
TB: Okay. So, the best summary is, as we said, Malice and I have been working there for a while. Malice had been working there the longest. Malice was a Cheetah’s for like a decade, right?
MM: Yeah,
TB: I yeah, I was a little baby. I hadn’t been there for as long, but we’re all there for a while, all pretty settled and then there were always like rumors and whispers about oh, they’re gonna sell it They’re gonna sell it. It never really happened or come to fruition. So no one really thought about it but then last November in November of 2019 I came to work on a Saturday. Let me look at a calendar, cause I gotta think, dates, I think? Last time I said it was like Saturday the 13th. Creepy. No, okay, it was like Saturday the 9th. And so, I came to work early and Malice was actually the first person to talk to me and Malice was like, hey, Bobby, who is the owner, Bobby told me to tell everyone that we were going to be closing for two weeks for renovations.
And when we came back, we would all still have our jobs, like don’t freak out, but we’re closing for two weeks, starting next week. And Like, Bobby didn’t even tell the sus himself, he only told Malice to tell every other girl that came in, so it was kind of like a game of telephone. As someone came into work, we had to be like, hey, look out, we’re closing for two weeks. Allegedly, we’re getting our jobs back. I didn’t think we were getting our jobs back, even from them. I didn’t believe it. But then, on Monday the 11th, we all had a app we used to clock in because, um, cheetahs got onto the new employee law late, but they did eventually, I think they were eventually forced to comply.\
So we had an app that we used to clock in and track our hours and check like our money. And so we got a message on that app from our manager, Nick, who was the owner’s son, and it went to every girl at Cheetah’s and it said that we were closing for two weeks. But when we reopened cheetahs would reopen under new management and they didn’t say “fired”. They’re really careful to not say fired. What they did say is that you can discuss new potential employment opportunities with the new management And come pick up your check on Tuesday night and “It’s been fun. See you guys later.” It was basically the summary of the text we got and just pandemonium of course erupted because It was just like a week or so after the first of the month. Nobody had any money Uh, as I said, this was literally in two days warning. They were like, hey, uh, you’re not working anymore
AMD: Yeah, and and the other thing that I think Our audience should understand, especially if they don’t understand the strip club scene in Los Angeles, it’s very specific, right? So you’ve got your bikini clubs, which are like totally different from the nude clubs and here in Los Angeles there’s really nothing in between. There’s there unless you’re like going all the way to the west side and dancing at Plan B There’s no topless option there’s only nude which, we can get into later about what the nude clubs are like in LA You But it’s a totally different spectrum of stripping than dancing at the bikini clubs. And there’s very few bikini clubs in L.A. So if you lose your bikini club job in L. A. and you’re accustomed to that type of dancing, then what are your other options? Like let me ask you, what was going through your head, Malice? You understand the scene in Los Angeles as much as I do. What did you feel like your option was when that happened?
MM: Well, Um, first of all, coming from Portland, Oregon, where we were full nude dancers with full bar, full everything. I, I was never a person who’s uncomfortable with being nude, but I am uncomfortable with hustle. And, um, I know that all the nude clubs you have to do lap dances. There isn’t really such thing as like hipsters coming in and making the rain stage money. So, um, I knew that I had no, like zero options to work in LA because the only other bikini bar that is in my area is Jumbo’s and, um, I was told a long time ago, I’d have to wear a wig to work there and I refused. So, um, I just, yeah.
AMD: Yeah because they discriminate in their hiring practices there. Yeah. Yeah.
MM: Yeah. They also don’t really like tattooed girls that much.
AMD: They have some, whatever they have tattoos. You were just discriminated against because that’s how they are there. And that’s part of an issue.
MM: Well, no, no. But I mean, but let me say though, like the two heavily tattooed girls that they have, they won’t even let them work the same shift because they don’t want the club looking heavily tattooed.
AMD: Oh, I didn’t know that detail. It is, um, a thing there.
MM: And if you look now, they used to be known to have a lot of tattooed girls. But the owner doesn’t like it anymore. She thinks that it brings in hipsters. And that they don’t have money, but like, it’s called Jumbos Clown Room. What else is it going to bring in
AMD: Her whole logic is like, okay, we can talk for hours.
MM: Yeah. Anyways, that’s outside the point, but yeah, I definitely didn’t want to work at a nude club because, um, Also, also the nude clubs in LA also discriminate against girls like me as well, like heavily tattooed, crazy hair. It’s not a thing that is really popular in the LA strip club culture. And, um, I get that to a degree, but also, um, I have my own clientele that liked the way I look. So I feel like, you know, whatever people need to, you know, let me have my thing, but whatever. Yeah. I didn’t want to work at any other clubs here. So I quit.
AMD: You quit stripping.
MM: Yeah.
AMD: It’s a sad day.
MM: Yeah.
AMD: Yeah, because you’ve been stripping for how long now?
MM: Almost 20 years, like, yeah.
AMD: Yeah, I feel that because in December of 2018, when I had my accident, I was forced to quit and it wasn’t, I wasn’t ready to quit, you know, so I definitely felt like I lost a part of me. Um, I think a lot of people get confused and think that the majority of us are stripping because we’re in some sort of like dire fucked up situation and that’s our only option. Um, but for me, it was like a passion and a lifelong career and a love. And, um, it was devastating to lose that so I can, I feel you. Um, Teddy, what about you? What did you feel like your options were?
TB: Uh, I felt I had options, but none of them were options I wanted. So they weren’t really options. I had come up through LA nursing in like each different tier, so I knew what they were all like. But I- when I came to Cheetahs, I felt so comfortable in a way that I hadn’t felt working anywhere else. And I felt like so satisfied there, but I didn’t want to go back to, like, you don’t want to go back to stuff you had now that you’ve known, like, oh, I can have somewhere where I could basically have it all. Or I could like make my money the way I want, and I can talk to who I want, and I can hang out with who I want, and I can look the way I prefer to look, and all in all just do that. Also what I was gonna say as a quick summary is I am it’s okay I have more tattoos than I did when I started I have more piercings than I did when I started and I’m also still Black which was the same as when I started but all of those Compounded especially with the fact that after the employee law started a lot of places started locking down their hiring practices because they really looked as the girls they hired more as their employees like, investments now, because they actually have to think about paying you They, most clubs are like, less willing to hire people that are like, outside of that.
So after just going to places like, a couple times and being like, oh, no, we’re not hiring, and I’m like, I know you’re hiring, because you said over the phone you were hiring. I was just like, I’m just going to take like, an indefinite hiatus, because I just need a second.
AMD: Uh, yeah, my God, I have like so many questions and threads that we can go through. Um, so I have a question. Um, you, when you said, um, early on, um, Oh, we heard that they might be selling. Isn’t this wasn’t, isn’t this a reoccurring pattern with these particular owners at Cheetah’s, where they like, sell their business. And I’m using air quotes, right? Where they, they sell the business, but they don’t, they basically say they’re selling it, but they’re not selling it. It’s just a new management team coming in. And that’s kind of what happened in this situation. This is not the first time they’ve done that. Right?
MM: Well, I think, um, I can just say that I know that Bobby has wanted to sell Cheeta’s forever. Like, but he puts it at such a high price. Um, he wants 4 million.
AMD: the last time I saw, the price was $5M
MM: And, uh, well, yeah, it could be that now too. Um, I think he feels like being located next to the hospital that they’ll eventually buy it just for the extra space. Um, but which, you know, could happen, but, um, he has definitely let people come in and manage it. I was there at cheetahs back in the, um, you know, right after 2010, there was a guy named Benoit who was managing it for a while, who was a total coke head. And I worked there during his stint where he pretty much, um, almost bankrupt that club at that time, because he was just doing blow with the waitress that he was fucking all night. And um, I would sometimes show up to work and they would be passed out in the club still from the night before and um Yeah, and I would be like wait, These people are my managers and they were also trying to charge each girl that worked there Even though they barely had clientele they were trying to charge us $40 a night to work there You And, um, I was like $40, like the kind of customers that come in here. Like I was trying, I was trying to build a clientele there. I didn’t really have it yet. I just moved here from Portland and I was like, you guys don’t have people that make it rain here yet. Like you can’t. Asked for $40, you know, that she’s like, well, it just takes that one guy. And I’m like, there’s nobody.
So, um, yeah, those people were horrible. And then Bobby took it back, but then also, and Bobby’s the owner, and he also transferred his name out to his son at another time, making us all panic at that time, because he put a note, there was a note up on the door of change of ownership and we all freaked out then and thought we needed to change our jobs as well. But they kept telling us, no, no, no, no, we’re not selling. And they didn’t. So that’s why this time when this happened again, you know, some of us actually did think we would get our jobs back until we saw who the new management was going to be.
AMD: Right. And so the new management now, so let’s, let’s talk about what was the vibe at Cheetah’s before this happened?
MM: I mean, I would say the vibe of Cheetah’s before was basically like a very artsy, eclectic group of girls. We had, um, you know, lots of different performance art shows that would come in. Bands would come in right before we, we, like, shut down, we had FKA Twigs perform there. It was epic, you know, like,
TB: and Halsey,
MM: and like, yeah, a lot of artists like that, like, big names were coming in and bringing private parties, and we had Celebrities.
AMD: Yeah, and Jacq the Stripper did shows there, too.
MM: Jack the Tripper did shows there, yeah. We had super cool, like, super hip events. We had our Transgender Inclusive Night. Um, the first of that happening in any strip club here or anywhere that I’ve heard of.
AMD: Jolene, right?
MM: Jolene with Daphne. Jolene with Daphne. That was coming in. Um, we had all sorts of really cool event nights, parties, um, cool customers, like our customers were a eclectic group as well. Like of course there was like the Lonely Hearts guys, but then there was also, we had a lot of young people, couples, girls, like people that we could really do a stage show for, you know? And, um, yeah, that. That was a beautiful time.
AMD: Yeah, and so what is the vibe now? Because we need people to understand how different it is, to make sense to them why you can’t go back.
MM: Teddy?
TB: Yeah, the vibe now is the people who took it over were the people who ran V-Live, which is, V-Live is basically like an Atlanta club transported into Los Angeles. That’s the best way to think about it So while there is like
AMD: which is great.
TB: Yeah, but it just wasn’t what Cheetah’s was before.
AMD: Yeah, it’s great Right, and you don’t do it that way. No, so there’s no shade on that vibe. It’s just yeah Customers are completely different.
TB: Yeah. No, I mean I like Sorry Right, right.
MM: No. Yeah, I agree like I would I would like to work that night as well. But, um, I also wouldn’t like to be, uh, you know, forced to do lap dances and also expected to pay a huge tip out. But, um, like they have to pay a lot of money. But I think that those girls can make more money because they have, Uh, certain assets that, that clientele that are coming there now are looking for that I don’t have, so.
AMD: Right, so the, the vibe and, you know, I’m gonna explain to the audience just cause, assuming that some people have, are totally clueless, the, the Atlanta vibe is, um, mostly women of color, very thick. very hip hop scene. Um, and, and while I love that scene, it’s just a complete 180 from what she just used to be. So any of the, the, the tattooed girls, the, the artsy type girls, they’re not going to fit into that scene and they’re not going to make the money and the money that’s being thrown around. It’s like, when you Instagram right now, I mean, they’re like swimming in money. The floor is covered. Um, and they’re also making dancers sign contracts that state that they’re customers of the club, that they’re not even independent contractors coming in and working, that they’re straight up customers. And they’re paying exorbitant house fees, like probably 100, 150, probably goes up every hour that they show up late to work. And they’re being, have mandatory tip outs. And you’re right, they’re probably. Um, being highly coerced into doing all types of lap dancing and all the things, you know, because they’re notorious.
Like they, they’ve, they’ve done the same thing in other types of clubs in LA and, um, and there’s other clubs in LA having people sign, having dancers sign contracts saying that they’re customers. And so, yeah, you can’t go back.
MM: No.
AMD: It’s not your same house anymore.
MM: No.
AMD: Yeah, um, before you left, before they closed, I should say, um, they had changed your status according to the new AB5 law and ABC test that was put into place by California officials. Originally you were not paying house fees, right? You were just going into work and just doing tip out.
MM: No, back in the day, we had to pay a house fee and tip out the bouncer and the DJ, and that didn’t change once we became employees either, that was always the same.
AMD: Right, but what did change is then you had to start paying heavily out on lap dances, right?
MM: Yeah, well they claimed that the lap dance money was a service that they provide. And so, um, I mean,
AMD: well, hold on, hold on, hold on, go backwards. Yeah. I’m sorry. That’s the first time I’ve heard that.
MM: Really?
AMD: They claimed that the lap dances that you did. Was this service that they provided?
MM: Yeah. Oh no, that’s what they’re doing at like Deja Vu and all those other clubs too. That’s why they don’t even let the girls at Deja Vu touch that lap dance money. And like some of the clubs, they have the booth where the money goes right into the booth. The girls aren’t allowed to touch it because that’s the club’s money.
TB: Mm-hmm
AMD: Because it’s the club service
TB: I can personally vouch for that.
MM: And Cheeta’s tried to make us feel like they were the good guy by the fact that they didn’t take all of that money and they were just giving us a percentage of it by, you know, like you said before, they, they would take the first, uh, four dances, which the, they raised the price of dances finally. And, um, to 25, just so they could take 15 and get the girls 10. But the first four, they took the whole thing. Yeah. So it’s kind of like, yeah, it’s crazy.
AMD: Sorry. So the first four, they would take all your money for the lap dances. So you basically did four lap dances for free.
TB: Yep
AMD: And then for every dance after that, they took 15. So you were only making 10 on every lap dance.
TB: Yep.
AMD: On top of that, you were required to do mandatory. You had to do tip out, but they didn’t call it mandatory, but we all know if you don’t tip out in the strip club, you get shit for it.
TB: Yeah.
MM: And so basically, girls that did the most lap dances got the best shifts, the most shifts. Um, our shifts were also in, started off in tiers. I used to work, um, like four or five nights a week, definitely every Friday and Saturday. And, um, basically we worked from, uh, like eight o’clock or nine o’clock to 2am. Now we’re only doing like, some girls would only get like two or three hour shifts. You know, barely anybody ever got like a full five hour shift. And, um, we barely got any days after that. And they tried to make it seem like that’s what they had to do because now, like they didn’t want to do that, but they had to pay all of our minimum wage and it was, and all this taxes and that’s why they had to take our lap dance money and that’s why they had to do that.
AMD: Yeah. And just so everybody knows also, this is a full alcohol bar.
MM: Yeah. They sell alcohol and they get plenty of alcohol sales. Cause everybody who comes there loves alcohol.
TB: Yeah, yeah, even if they don’t give us money everyone buys drinks. There’s a two drink minimum to be there.
MM: That’s true,
AMD: Right. And so they’re making plenty of money on alcohol and they’re just like stealing so much of your money Okay, so before all this happened I personally came to Cheetah’s and I was doing this at several clubs in Los Angeles and Cheetah’s was on our hit list. And as Soldiers of Pole we were going in there and talking to dancers. About coming to our meetings and learning more info and, um, I think you were, I don’t know if you were both there on one particular night. I came in more than once. I came in maybe a total twice. I know Malice, you were there one time, Teddy, I don’t know if you were, or if you were and we just missed each other.
But at the time when we were coming through, and I want to, I want to clarify that the next, this next part of the conversation is so that we can help other dancers sort of recognize what’s happening so that they can get ahead of the curve. Um, and so at the time when I was coming in and talking to you about this stuff or other people, maybe not even just me, what was, what was going on in your head when we were bringing that up to you? Before the club closed.
MM: Well, for me, I personally, like, I loved what you guys were doing, like Soldiers or Pole and everything. And I knew that it like starting a union would be a good idea since everyone did have to be employees. But, um, I was personally resistant to it because I thought that people should be organizing to, um, fight against being an employee at all. I will say that like now after working with you guys for a while, I do see how the benefits of being under employee status, um, However, uh, the anarchist side of me still has a issue with it. Um, but I do think that since there’s nothing, it’s much easier to work with a union and try to get the rights that we deserve being an employee than to try to change that law anyway. So, um, I felt like. You know, just at that time, I was just not seeing, um, clearly what needed to be done at the time.
AMD: Sure. Yeah. And, and Teddy, what about you?
TB: I, uh, well, when we were still independent contractors, I was like, yeah, you didn’t, but I don’t know if we need it. When we were employees, I was, I think way more, I was really gung ho union because I am, but that’s me personally, because my political background is I’m a card carrying socialist, and I’m like, the unions have done all the work forever. Unions are why we have a weekend, unions are why we have vacations, unions are why we have anything. So when anyone’s like, you’re gonna do a union, I’m like, oh hell yeah, let’s join a union.
AMD: Okay, got it. And then after this all happened, Did anything change for you specifically Malice? I’m asking like what did just something kind of like click or did you have a thought or what was going on for you?
MM: I just realized that if I don’t get involved in this like I just feel sorry for all of the you know strippers that are starting out now or that are continuing to work now. They’re gonna be basically sex trafficked by these clubs if I don’t And, and others don’t help them because, um, that’s what’s happening. And they’ll never be able to dance. Like I did, they’ll never be free. Like I was. And, um, I don’t want to see that happen to this, this industry. And I like want to do the best I can to help them get some rights.
AMD: Yeah. Do you guys feel, this is something that I’ve been feeling like lately is that these owners and managers aren’t adapting to the changing times that we’re in as a society. Do you kind of get that same feeling?
MM: No, they never, they never were. I was the one back when I started working at Cheetah’s from the beginning, 10 years ago, when I first moved here, trying to convince them to get an Instagram, they never did it until probably like near the end of me working there, maybe like three years or something into the end. Um, like I, I was like, you need to be on Instagram. You need to have a website. You need to do social media. You need to be, um, promoting yourself as a club to get customers in here. We don’t- and Bobby kept telling me now I’ve been here 500 years and everybody knows about Cheetah’s. I’m like, those people died a long time ago. And I was like, you need to stop with this. Like, this is important. I was like, it’s minimum, minimum. You should have a big sign out in the front with your hours posted on it. Because when people drive by in the day, this place looks closed. Um, and like also now with the Corona virus and like the things that are happening now, you know, I feel like people need to even get more digital.
And yeah, they’re not seeing that and they’re not adapting and they’re not like thinking about the health of their workers. And, um, I mean, honestly, a lot of the girls that I know that are still working out there also are not concerned about their own health, but. You know, like I want to support them and not judge them, but, um, I definitely feel like I worry for them, you know.
AMD: Yeah, and so, um, [Teddy], what about you after it all went down and like, because you actually, um, have impressed me so much recently, because we don’t know, we never really knew each other before all this stuff started happening. And then when I’ve been in some meetings with you, and you’re like, Oh, I was just at this training, and you just start like spouting off all this like hella intelligent shit. Um, do you feel like you kind of got like, charged up to learn more about like the laws and and what we’re going through and can you open up about that?
TB: Yeah, totally. I feel like Even though I was like, yeah, this is an industry that can be exploitative and stuff happens, you feel like you’re always in that point where you’re like, but it hasn’t happened to me.
So it’s not that bad And then it happened, and it happened really suddenly and I was like for a while I was like, I don’t know what to do It was really interesting. Then malice was the one who reached out to me and was like, hey, i’ve been talking to like these people like maybe you should come through let’s see what’s going on. And I think especially joining up In talking to other people and seeing that this isn’t, like, a one off in any case. It won’t be a one off, and it’s very much, it’s not like, Oh, it sucks that it happened, that’s one bad club, that’s one bad owner. No, they’re all like that, and they’re All waiting for the moment that they can do that and they’re all looking to see how they can like suck the people that this industry relies on dry’ They’re all ancient and they refuse to adapt and they all look like the chocolate grandma from spongebob
AMD: I don’t know who that is, I’m going to google that.
TB: That’s okay But then also seeing kind of like The strength and the resiliency and the intelligence of everyone in the union and the fact that everyone else is also really fired up and was really like we can change this and really we can work for this and we we can make this industry what we want it to be. I think it was really inspiring.
AMD: Yeah, isn’t it so inspiring? Because we all, so for everyone listening and watching, we all work together, um, on Soldiers of Pole, um, and when we’re all together in the room, like, isn’t it so incredible, like, how smart we all are? And like, thoughtful and amazing. Do you ever take note of that?
MM: Um, I always take note of how smart everyone else is, but like
AMD: You don’t give yourself enough credit. You are incredibly smart and thoughtful and your opinion, your, your experience and your knowledge and your care for all these other people brings so much to the table. Like you, both of you impress me on so many levels and everyone on our team does.
MM: Yeah, I really feel that. You know, like I am, you know, like learning a lot, like a lot of the, um, legal aspects of unionizing and all of that stuff is really overwhelming for me. Um, I mean, I’m one of those people, like an email is really overwhelming for me. So, uh, it’s been a learning curve for me, but at the same time, I definitely feel very strongly about sex working, stripping, and stuff like that, and I don’t want, I’m just so sick of how many freaking years women have to get shitted on. How many fucking years do we have to get fucking treated like shit until we can finally like have some rights? And like, I feel like for it to like set off in the sex industry where there’s so many strong, independent women is like the best starting ground. Cause this is, this is, I think where we need to begin, you know, because we’re the women that are basically even, you know, judged by other women and we need to come through and be like, nobody can treat us like shit. We deserve this. We, we should have rights and you all should have rights too. We need equal pay. We need vacations. We need childcare and we need to be like- we’re never going to get anything from these corporate motherfuckers if we don’t tell them to give it to us.
AMD: Well, I have visions of sex workers and strippers owning the clubs. And to find a way, over time, to push the men out and for the clubs to be female run and sex worker run.
MM: Yeah.
AMD: Because we understand the people that are doing the work. And my vision is, and the way I see things, is everything trickles down from the top. And if the person at the top is understanding and really cares and really understands the workers that are providing the service. Not the business itself doesn’t provide the service, the workers provide. And I think if you step into those shoes and really understand and keep those workers happy, that that creates a more fruitful, um, productive business. And so like, why don’t we just, have you ever, either one of you ever envisioned being a manager or an owner of your own place?
MM: For years, um, the owner of Cheeta’s kept promising that I would get to be the manager there. And, um, I laugh at it now just because I knew he was full of shit then and I’m just like, You know, like I knew it, but I was like, um, I joked with him all the time that I was just going to kill him and take it over. Like they do. And um, you know, the King must die. And, uh, I just, yeah, I wanted to manage that club. And I had always envisioned that I don’t know about owning one. I would definitely need a business partner for that. Cause I’m not good at managing money, but I, I do want to have a place where women- not just women, but anyone like, I would like, you know, everyone to have a chance to be a dancer and have a, have a venue where they can express themselves in a physical way like that.
AMD: Yeah, same, same Z’s. Amazing. So before we move on to our next segment, I just, I want to ask you, what would you say to other strippers in any part of the country right now about like, if they are, are feeling what’s the word- if they’re having grievances of where they’re working or just in general, like what would be your message to other strippers?
TB: I would say you have powers and you have power in numbers. Don’t go to your managers, especially don’t go to your managers individually. It’s way more easy for them to discard you and claim you as a one off. This industry needs you, is built on you, but it’s also built on exploiting you. So get together with every other girl you know and they’ll bet you money you all have the same grievances.
MM: I backed up what Teddy says. Yeah, I backed that up. And I also just want to say, um, You’re, yeah, you’re not alone, um, talk to some of the other dancers, like even online, like reach out to Soldiers of Pole, find out that there’s like a whole, whole army of us that are trying to work to make this a better place for everyone.
AMD: Yeah, yeah, something that, um, comes up for me sometimes when I talk to people who just aren’t, they’re just ignorant about our line of work. Um, no judgment, they just don’t know as much as we know. And, um, they’ll say things like, oh, well, what do you expect? Of course, it’s, of course, there’s crazy shit going on over there. It’s a strip club. What do you expect? And my response to that is, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just because it is that way now, doesn’t mean that it has to be that way. And that’s the only way it can be. It can be good for everyone and healthy for everyone. It can be. Um, and so that’s, that’s where my frustration lies a lot in, and I think that, especially when talking to civilians, that they think that It’s always going to be crazy just because it’s sex work and it’s strip club and it just doesn’t have to be that way. You know, so yeah, I advocate for huge change, massive change, reform, reform and revolution. There’s, that might spark some anarchist part of you. Cause I feel the same. I’m like, fuck the system. Fuck anyone that tries to tell me what to do. Like I hated school. I dropped out of college. I cut classes all the time. And now I go on live streams and I’m like, pay your taxes. Follow the rule, you know, I’m like, who am I? You know? Yeah.
MM: Some of that part is hard for me and I know hard for a lot of other dancers to, uh, get with. And, um, at the same time, uh, you know, like as, as I start to see the way the world is working now, I’m definitely like realizing that, um, because of a lot of my anarchist ways, I don’t have anything, you know, I don’t have anything. If I get fired. I have nothing. If I, You know, and that’s the thing when I complain about getting fired online, or I complain about anything, people will be like well file for unemployment. I’m like I can’t I don’t have this. I don’t have that I don’t have any proof of income and I think you know, that’s one of the things that I’m starting to realize, Okay, so I do need to like file some stuff. I do need to do some paperwork. So like I can get unemployment I can get some of the things when I, you know, I still have to pay my bills, you know, like I can’t just pretend that I can just run out and get another job that quick like I used to be able to, and that’s not, that’s not due to me getting older as much as it is due to also the industry, just not having the space. You know?
AMD: Yeah. Well, times are changing. That’s for sure. Um, well thank you so much for that. Um, we’re going to move on to our next segment. It’s called stripper tips.
Stripper Tips
AMD: Alright, we’ve got Teddy up. She’s going to give our stripper tip on this episode.
TB: Teddy, what’s your stripper tip? Uh, this is a good tip for everybody. Always demand a payment for any services up front, and always have multiple ways of accepting payment. Don’t let anyone ever tell you, well, oh, I don’t have cash, or oh, I don’t have that. Be like, cool, I swear, I have Venmo, I have Cash App, I have PayPal. Whatever you want, I can take it.
AMD: Got it. So always accept the money up front. Yeah. And we learned that from like lap dancing and sometimes not getting the money up front and at the end of it, they refuse payment.
TB: Yep.
AMD: Right. Has that ever happened to you?
TB: Yes.
AMD: Yeah. And it’s like the most. Shitty thing ever and what do you what what have you done in the past when that’s happened when someone you’re like, okay You owe me for like five lap dances and like no, I don’t like what do you do?
TB: Uh in the past I have either what I used to do when I worked in places with more confined dance rooms, is I would literally block the exit and I’d be like neither of us is leaving this room until one of us gets paid and that’s just it And i’ll be like i’ll send your card out with the retrace if you want and she can charge you but i’m not, I’m like, I don’t have anywhere to be. So we’re chilling together. Or I have physically, yeah, I have at times. Yeah. Gently. ’cause I don’t want any charges. Gently dragged people to the ATM To recoup. Yeah. To recoup my pigment.
AMD: Tight. Mm-Hmm. Fearless. You’re fearless. You stand your ground. I love it. All right, Malice, are you ready? What’s your stripper tip?
MM: Okay, I have, um, kind of what I think is more of like a stripper boy scout tip. And that is that one of the things that you should always have in your, or some of the things that you should always have in your bag, besides your shoes and your outfits, is you should always have some super glue, some electrical tape, And a pair of scissors. All of these things you will need. Um, maybe not every night, but almost probably every other night you need one of those items. So, um, and if you don’t have those, you know, you can kind of hope that someone might, but it’s better just to make sure you have them yourself. So, keep those in your bag.
AMD: Stripper kit.
MM: Yeah, stripper kit.
AMD: Yes. Yes. I always needed electrical tape and super glue. Always. Yes. You’re right. Key. Such a good tip. Thank you so much for that. Right on.