G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire

My rating:

add to my books

G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire

by Katherine Frank

3.40 · rating details · 40 ratings · 3 reviews

Based on her experiences as a stripper in a city she calls Laurelton—a southeastern city renowned for its strip clubs—anthropologist Katherine Frank provides a fascinating insider’s account of the personal and cultural fantasies motivating male heterosexual strip club "regulars." Given that all of the clubs where she worked prohibited physical contact between the...moreBased on her experiences as a stripper in a city she calls Laurelton—a southeastern city renowned for its strip clubs—anthropologist Katherine Frank provides a fascinating insider’s account of the personal and cultural fantasies motivating male heterosexual strip club "regulars." Given that all of the clubs where she worked prohibited physical contact between the exotic dancers and their customers, in G-Strings and Sympathy Frank asks what—if not sex or even touching—the repeat customers were purchasing from the clubs and from the dancers. She finds that the clubs provide an intermediate space—not work, not home—where men can enjoyably experience their bodies and selves through conversation, fantasy, and ritualized voyeurism. At the same time, she shows how the dynamics of male pleasure and privilege in strip clubs are intertwined with ideas about what it means to be a man in contemporary America.Frank’s ethnography draws on her work as an exotic dancer in five clubs, as well as on her interviews with over thirty regular customers—middle-class men in their late-twenties to mid-fifties. Reflecting on the customers’ dual desires for intimacy and visibility, she explores their paradoxical longings for "authentic" interactions with the dancers, the ways these aspirations are expressed within the highly controlled and regulated strip clubs, and how they relate to beliefs and fantasies about social class and gender. She considers how regular visits to strip clubs are not necessarily antithetical to marriage or long-term heterosexual relationships, but are based on particular beliefs about marriage and monogamy that make these clubs desirable venues. Looking at the relative "classiness" of the clubs where she worked—ranging from the city’s most prestigious clubs to some of its dive bars—she reveals how the clubs are differentiated by reputations, dress codes, cover charges, locations, and clientele, and describes how these distinctions become meaningful and erotic for the customers. Interspersed throughout the book are three fictional interludes that provide an intimate look at Frank’s experiences as a stripper—from the outfits to the gestures, conversations, management, coworkers, and, of course, the customers.Focusing on the experiences of the male clients, rather than those of the female sex workers, G-Strings and Sympathy provides a nuanced, lively, and tantalizing account of the stigmatized world of strip clubs.(less)

Paperback, 368 pages

Published December 5th 2002 by Duke University Press Books (first published 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 68)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 17, 2008

Larissa rated it

For anyone who ever pondered about the power stuggles in a strip club, this one is for you. Being a feminist myself I found this very interesting. The book is written by a graduate student who is, as cliche as it sounds, working in the strip club for her college project uncover. She gives a detailed accounts and insight into the lives of strippers, regulars and the relationship aspect of the strip club. You'll never look at strip clubs the same.

· see review

Aug 11, 2007

Lara rated it

Strip club as sociology project = no fun at all.

'Bare' by Elisabeth Eaves was so much better...and not so obviously a thesis. No one should be forced to read theses except college professors.

· see review

Sep 19, 2007

Rachael rated it

This book is fascinating. Frank has decided to stop asking the question, "WHY do women strip?" and start asking the question, "WHY do men go?to strip clubs?"

· see review

Jan 25, 2012

Laurie rated it

Jan 17, 2012

Karl rated it

Jan 10, 2012

Becca rated it

Dec 16, 2011

jediShelley marked it as to-read

Dec 11, 2011

Erin marked it as to-read

Nov 14, 2011

Rachel marked it as to-read

Shelves: reference

Sep 16, 2011

Center for Sex & Culture added it

Shelves: stripteasers, men

Aug 02, 2011

Mle marked it as to-read

Aug 01, 2011

Brittany marked it as to-read

Jul 22, 2011

imakecake marked it as to-read

Jun 07, 2011

Michelle Rahn marked it as to-read

Jun 07, 2011

Michelle Forbes rated it

May 21, 2011

Rhyen added it

May 15, 2011

A'ishah Hils marked it as to-read

Apr 17, 2011

Rob Same rated it

Apr 09, 2011

Shay marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist

Jan 17, 2012

Stacey added it

Shelves: unfinished, started, nonfiction

Jan 24, 2011

Jessica rated it

Shelves: american-studies

Jan 04, 2011

Eva Lesiak rated it

Nov 23, 2010

Matt Buchholz marked it as stuff-i-should-buy

Nov 17, 2010

Helena marked it as to-read

Oct 10, 2010

Marianne marked it as to-read

Jun 09, 2011

Ohgirlfriend rated it

Sep 26, 2010

Gg rated it

Jul 22, 2010

Anna added it

Jul 15, 2010

Anni rated it

May 07, 2010

Liz rated it

Shelves: anthropology

« previous 1 2 3 next »

Anthropology

2 users

Sexuality

2 users

See top shelves...

Books by Katherine Frank

A Chainless Soul: A Life of Emily Brontë

Lucie Duff Gordon: A Passage to Egypt (Tauris Parke Paperback)

A Voyager Out: The Life of Mary Kingsley

Crusoe: Daniel Defoe, Robert Knox and the Creation of a Myth

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About G-Strings and Sym...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire
avg rating	preview: G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire Goodreads rating: 3.40 (40 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/476800.G_Strings_and_Sympathy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175089640m/476800.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/476800.G_Strings_and_Sympathy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire by Katherine Frank[/url]

G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Books by Katherine Frank

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About G-Strings and Sym...

G-Strings and Sympathy: Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combine Other Editions (3)

Genres

Books by Katherine Frank

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About G-Strings and Sym...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)