Quote for this issue:
"Cowardice asks the question: is it safe?
Expediency asks the question: is it politic?
Vanity asks the question: is it popular?
But conscience asks the question: is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular—but one must take it because it is right. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws—an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."
— Martin Luther King
Hi, Sophie,
My name is Louis. As an avid reader of your magazine, and a frequent customer of adult entertainment establishment in NYC, I am greatly disturbed about mayor (little blood and guts) Giuliani's zoning of adult businesses. I would like to know If you know which clubs in the 5 boros of NYC are currently in the so called acceptable zones. I went to a few clubs this past week and they are not what they used to be. Topless seems to be a thing of the past, the girls are in bikinis, there is virtually no "lap" dances, and you need the reach of Patrick Ewing to tip a dancer. I understand that Flashdancers and The Paradise Club are in the so called zone. I'd like to know if you may know which others are and If you are going to address this at all in you magazine.
I enjoy your magazine very much, and respect what you do. Your opinions mean a lot to me. I'd appreciate if you can help me in this matter of finding out this information. Thank you. Sincerely, Louis
Hello Sophie, We wanted to run an ad in your magazine. We obviously were caught up in the turmoil caused by Hitler, Oh I'm sorry, I mean Giuliani , how could I make that comparison. Mr. Hitler had a mustache and Mr. Giuliani does not. Sophie I'm so very concerned about the future of this family built business that we all rely on for our staples that I neglected to stay in touch. I am sorry hopefully we will be in your next issue. What truly bothers me Sophie is that we like this business and we are very happy and proud of our club. It would be difficult for us to relocate because we haven't accumulated enough money to do so. Well, its still not over, perhaps a Federal Judge will see through this travesty. Thanks for listening Sophie. Regards
Clubowner, NYC.
Dear Clubowner, NYC
I wonder if at Hitler's time people recognized Hitler for what he was, a tool in the hands of powerful individuals who only made money if the world marched into wars, if one half of the population annihilated the other. I think the comparison is dangerously accurate in that this may be the first major step towards pointing fingers at a group as responsible for loss of quality of life. I think we all should grab a copy of the Constitution, and start studying it vigorously, even if it takes a year for us to understand what our rights are. Because only we the people will defend the rights of We, The People.
Sophie
Hi Sophie,
I am an adult entertainment DJ with 10 years experience in the Gentlemen's Club industry. I noticed that while, there is plenty going on at the Expo for club owners and dancers, nothing is mentioned about us Djs; now remember, it's us that keep the music going, keep the crowd pumped, and overall contribute very greatly to the success and atmosphere of a club.
Plus it would be nice to be able to me other DJs from around the country, as well as gain the ability to network with club owners. There are DJs in America making a lot of money, and when clubs have openings for quality jocks it is sometimes hard to find them.
I am a good jock in Milwaukee, and I am very underpaid up here, it would be great if the Expo could show club owners that are a bit behind the times (Milwaukee is still in 1970) how important it is to pay your DJs well for the ultimate success of a club. Myself I am looking for work outside of Milwaukee, I am fed up with the stingy club owners in this town. Owners up here don't think us DJs deserve a fair tip-out.
I would welcome an area at an Expo such as yours to meet and showcase my talent to other clubs which might be shopping for DJs.
I plan on being in Vegas in September.
Respectfully,
Daniel Bruening
Dear Daniel,
I read your letter with great interest, and I wish the Expo were mine. But it is done by Exotic Dancer, and all I can do is forward your mail to them. And I will also publish it in my magazine: Lots of DJs in the NorthEast feel just like you, unappreciated, especially financially. And if you add that you are expected to buy all the new CDs from the little money you make that is not even enough for decent living, then one can really appreciate a good DJ's dedication to a club's success and its customers and dancers good times.
I'll try to talk to Exotic Dancer and see what they are willing to do in September.
Thanks for writing. Please read on...
Dear Sophie,
I have been working as a disc jockey for 12 years, the past 4 years in go-go bars, many of them, big and small, so this letter is not about one go-go bar, this is about all of them.
I could never understand how come nobody respects us, from dancers to bartenders, from managers to customers.
I want to give a big hand for all the DJs, the professional ones, great DJs like DJ T-bone, DJ Vinny, DJ Bones, DJ Dennis, DJ Marvelous, and DJ Ricky, DJ Dylan, DJ Pat Mack, for putting up with the bullshit. We play for 7 hours, that is a lot of music. We have enough time to play all rhythms, but it seems that if we play a song that the manager doesn't like, or the bartender doesn't like, or a dancer doesn't like, or a customer doesn't like, we become a bad DJ, a good enough reason for someone to say: "What the f—k are you playing?!" We don't make enough money to say no to the dancers; if we don't play what they want we won't get tips, and that's most of our pay for the day. Now listen to this, we have a lot of types of dancers, each with a totally different taste in music. Some like to dance to classic rock, and others to techno, not to forget the hip hop which is very strong now. But if I play a song for a dancer and the manager tells me, "I don't want this type of music here," the dancer gets upset and she won't give me a tip at the end of the day.
None of these people realize that to be a good DJ you have to be updated with all types of music, R&B, rock, dance, techno, and alternative rock... do you get the picture? You have to go to the music store and BUY the music! This is a lot of f—king money to buy all these CDs and records!
Sophie, please, maybe you can say something concerning this situation so that we can have better days ahead.
DJ Angelo
Dear DJ Angelo,
My heart is with you. Since I've known you I have had a chance to peek behind the scenes of a go-go bar, and see it different and more in details than I had been able to see.
As it seems, everyone is everyone's customer in the go-go bar, but unwilling to pay for the services.
Looking at the picture from the DJs' point of view: the club hires the DJ for a minimum pay, $50, $60 a shift are the figures I have been hearing. Therefore the club feels that they are the boss, the primary customer of the DJ, because they bought his time. So I am seeing managers/owners telling the DJ what to play. The dancers are asked to tip the DJ at the end of the night, therefore they feel that the DJ works for them, and demand that the DJ plays their music during their sets.
And finally, the ultimate customer, the guy at the bar, wants to listen to music he likes, wants to watch girls that are happily dancing to music they like, and be in a club where everyone is happy. After all, they, the customers pay everyone's paycheck.
The biggest problems, in my eyes, are the managers. Why? Because they hire the dancers. If you don't want hip-hop music in "your" club, then why are you hiring the type of girls that will want to dance to that type of music? Because the customers like them? I wish.
My experience with managers that they hire the type of girls they like. Or they think the customers will like. The customers vote, ultimately, the clubs that are managed poorly are not well visited, and customers don't stay long. But the managers always think it is someone else's fault, not theirs. If the dancers like the DJ: that is a good sign. Why would a dancer like a DJ? Because he makes them make more money! I have watched the difference between the earnings of a dancer between a happy set and an unhappy set. A manager should just trust his staff, and everyone will be happy, owner (more money), dancer (more money), DJ (more money), and customer (good time).
When a manager exercises his authority and orders the DJ around, he steals money out of his pocket, and does a disservice to his own club.
I have watched Angelo spend his entire earnings from the previous night's work on CDs. Only to have to go to the store again next day for some more CDs. If this were his hobby and he had another job, well paid to maintain an expensive hobby, I would understand. But he both has to live on that money, and buy the music. That is unfair. Most managers want to be on the good side of dancers, and don't enforce the tip-out rules, so there are nights when Angelo goes home with $65, for an entire night's work. Outrageous.
A good club considers the DJ part of the show. A big part. The part that makes or breaks you. Just ask the customers! And they vote. The best clubs have good DJs that are paid well by the club, and the dancers' tip-out is enforced. Those are the DJs that feel appreciated, and will support the club to continue to make lots of profit. From happy customers, and through happy dancers.
Angelo, Thank you for bringing up this topic. It was long overdue.
Sophie
Wow what a database! I've only found two corrections so far. In AZ. clubs; Cheetah I has now been renamed AMAZONS Olympic Garden. This club still has the same number and address, just a different name (and I'm sure that means new owners). Never been there so can't say anything else.
Dear Sophie,
My name is Tim Whaley and I live in the Atlanta area. A good friend of mine is Pete Palombo of Girls Girls Girls talent agency. I must first compliment you on your web site. I am very impressed with the work that has been done to represent Mentertainment, it has very good content.
I am writing because for some time now I have been looking for a girl who I can make into a feature entertainer. I have DJ'd in adult clubs now for 8 years, mostly feature clubs. I feel that with my experience in dealing with such a variety and quantity of different dancers I know most of the dews and don't of the business. Besides being the entertainer's DJ. I will also take care of everything else, from her promotions on the net and in the club, to choreography, marketing, costume and show design, lighting tech, etc. etc. etc.
I am currently DJ'ing in a non feature club. So I have been out of the loop for a little while. Georgia girls I hate to say are predominately lazy. If at all I would like to have someone from out of this state. The only thing I ask is that she looks good, has a body in great shape, she takes care of her self, and she has some coordination when it comes to dancing. I really want to get back to an entertainer who actually entertains rather than someone who gets on stage and goes through the motion.
Any help in this area will be gladly appreciated and remembered. One thing I learned about entertaining when I was on the road as a stand up comic was take care of the people that take care of you.
Thank you for your time,
Tim Whaley
Dear Sophie
I love your magazine and your editorials
Why does the Go-go Rama get a lower rating than XTC which was a poorly run operation to say the least. go-go Rama is a classy operation. Why don't you feature it more?
MR1
Dear MR1
Do you want to do me a favor? Would you tell Steve, the owner, that people read Mentertainment, and want to hear about his place? For some reason he's stopped doing business with us, and beyond that, I have never seen the inside of his club. I find it hard to rate a club that I am not allowed to visit. And many guys say that it is a good club. Even the dancers say so.
Please support me so that I can support you. Thanks.
Sophie
Dear Sophie,
What's the latest on Snapper's in Harrison/East Newark? Are the owners still in financial trouble and unable to reopen, or will they or someone else eventually open it up again? Please let me know.
Also, what happened to the Club Page that listed customer's comments and opinions on the places that they visited. Did you do away with it, or is it hidden somewhere else on your site. I always enjoyed reading about the various local clubs and getting insights into which ones to visit.
Thanks again,
GMAN
Dear GMAN,
My information has been that the town did not want the club to be there, and not money problems. They opened VIP Gentlemen's Club in Linden, it's nude, it's BYO, it was very quiet for two years, but it seems to do better now.
With regards to the club reviews: I don't have the time nowadays, I don't have the energy, I don't have the ambition to go out... but it was a good thing, and I should revive it. I hope I won't forget. As a matter of fact, I'll publish it in the next issue.
Thanks for writing.
Sophie
Sophie,
Thanks for the info on Snappers. Too bad it had to close. In my opinion it was the best place to go in NJ. You really got your $20 worth for a lap dance, (especially in the early days). Now I go to Stiletto's and have to spend a fortune for 3 minutes.
I'm surprised someone else hasn't taken the place over yet; not necessarily nude either. If you've ever been there, you know that it's in a nice location, has decent parking, and has an awful lot of space inside. Even as a bikini bar, it always did well. How about you and I go in halfies? Ha! Ha!
About my other question regarding club comments and ratings - I know that you used to rate the clubs yourself, but I thought you also had a page that guys could E-mail in their own comments about various places they visited. Maybe I'm confusing your site with another one. I found one called The Ultimate Strip Club List, (http://www.tuscl.com/tuscl-bin/usa.asp), that has that option. You might want to pull it down and get some ideas from it. It might be a good way of drawing more attention to your own site. (i.e. Pull down Stiletto's in Carlstadt. There's always quite a few comments about that club).
Well, thanks again. Take care and have a good week.
GMAN
Sophie,
Hello from Boston.
It's the middle of a work day. There I was, just doing an Alta. Vista websearch for some images and web-sites for my hometown of West Orange, NJ, when I hit a listing for a club named Spanky's, and in a link or two I was at your site.
I read your editorials, and I wanted to tell you that I admire your ability to pull your life back together, and apparently to keep a sense of humor and of humanity in a field not known for either. I'm glad you're going to continue publishing your magazine, (I'll definitely take a look at it) and the web-site.
Finally, my trips back to NJ are usually to see family at various holidays, and I didn't know that the quiet old town had anything like Spanky's. You mention that you're in NJ yourself. If you aren't too far from the Oranges, and you'd like to go out for a drink and some chat, I would be pleased to give a call the next time I'm down that way. Drop me an e-mail message.
best wishes,
Boston
Hey Sophie, remember me? I was the one asking all the questions about Venus Delight. Well thanks for your help. Her website is now up and she even has a fan-line (recording, but free of charge).
I hear you've been sick. I hope you're feeling better now and I wish you all the best. It's been a long time since my last email to you because I've been so busy. In my dream world I could just go from strip club to strip club every night. But there is this thing called money.
Anyway I have a few updates and am currently "researching" more. However, the real reason I am writing this is because I am looking for a place where feature dancers can actually be reviewed. I know there are lots of places where club reviews are posted, but I specifically want to do a review of Roxy Leroux. I saw her last night and she has to be the friendliest, most beautiful woman in the world. Her stage show was as impressive as Venus Delight's. I also must have talked to her for about an hour. She didn't have the bad attitude that the last certain feature that I saw had (Chasey Lain, OK had to mention it.) She was the exact opposite. She was plain awesome!!!! She is planning on coming back to AZ. in May or June and I know I'll be there. I'll let you know more of the show later, if you want.
Well anyway let me know if you have any suggestions and thanks again,
Greg
Greg,
I'd love to post your review of Roxy. Please, let me do it! :-))
Thanks for writing, thanks for caring, and thanks for the idea of the "readers review feature shows" column. I mean it. Don't let me wait long!
Sophie
Murphy Was an Optimist!
Before you fix that radio, code that computer program, or build that cabinet, read the following advice. It will save you on the cost of aspirin and you might not be driven to drink.
*Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
*When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate.
*If everything seems to be going well, you obviously don't know what you're doing.
*Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will use it.
*The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train.
*If you fool around with a thing for very long you will screw it up.
*The help desk has never encountered a problem like yours.
*If it jams - force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.
*Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
*There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over.
*You always find something in the last place you look.
*The screw always rolls in the opposite direction.
*If you're feeling good, don't worry, you'll get over it.
*A short cut is the longest distance between two points.
*There is always one more bug.
*Interchangeable parts won't.
*All warranties expire upon payment of invoice.
*If you try to please everybody, nobody will like it.
*A $300 monitor will protect a 10 cent fuse by blowing first.
*In case of doubt make it sound convincing.
Managed Friends Network
Welcome to the Managed Friends Network, a whole new way of thinking about friends and relationships. The Managed Friends Network combines all of the advantages of a traditional friends network with important time-saving and cost-effective features.
Q: How does it work?
Under the Managed Friends Network, you choose your friends from a network of pre-screened, accredited Friends Providers (FPs). All your friendship needs are met by members of your Managed Friends Staff.
Q: What's wrong with my current friends?
If you're like most people, you are receiving friendship services from a network of providers haphazardly patched together from your old neighborhoods, jobs, and schools. The result is often costly duplication, inefficiency, and conflict. Many of your current friends may not fulfill national standards, responding to your needs with inappropriate, outmoded, or even experimental acts of friendship. Under Managed Friends, your friendship needs are coordinated by your designated Best Friend, who will ensure the quality and goodness of fit of all your friendly relationships.
Q: How do I know that the Managed Friends Network's panel of friends is not made up of a bunch of people who can't make friends on their own?
Many of today's most dedicated and highly trained Friends Providers are as concerned as we are about delivering Quality Friends in a time-saving and cost-effective manner. They have joined our network because they want to focus on acting like a friend rather than doing the paperwork and paying the high "bad-friends" premiums that have caused the cost of traditional friendship to skyrocket. Our Friends Providers have met the rigorous standards of the Managed Friends Network for companionship and loyalty.
Q: What if I need a special friend, say, for going to a movie or an athletic event?
Special Friends are responsible for most of the unnecessary and expensive activities that burden already costly relationships. Under the Managed Friends Network, your Best Friend is qualified to pre-approve your referral to a Special Friend within the Managed Friendship Network should your needs fall outside of the scope of his/her friendship.
Q: Suppose I want to see friends outside the Managed Friends Network?
You may make friends outside of the Managed Friends Network only in the event of a Friendship Emergency.
Q: What is a "Friendship Emergency?"
The Managed Friends Network covers your friendship needs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even if you need a friend out of town, after regular business hours, or when your Best Friend is with someone else. You might be on a business trip, for instance, and suddenly find that you are feeling lonely. In such cases, you may make a New Friend, and all approved friendly activities will be covered under the Managed Friends Network, provided you notify the Managed Friends Office or the 24-hour Friends Hot-line (1-800-FRIENDS) within two business days.
Q: What friendly activities are covered under the Managed Friends Network?
Friendly Activities that are typically covered include: - Agreeing with you - Appearing sympathetic - Chewing the fat - Dropping by - Gossiping - Hanging out - Joshing - Kidding around - Listening to you whine* - Partying - Passing the time - Ribbing - Sharing a meal - Shooting the breeze - Teasing
Note: *up to 15 minutes under the Premium Gold Friends Plan
Q: What friendly activities are not covered under the Managed Friends Network?
Activities that would not be pre-approved include (but are not limited to): - Bending over backwards - Giving a hoot - Going the extra mile - Lending money - Real empathy - Truly caring
Q: How can I find out more about the Managed Friends Network?
A simple call is all it takes. If you need a friend, just call our toll-free number (1-800-FRIENDS). Or visit our web site (http://www.mfn.wegotyounow) Sign up for the Managed Friends Network and rest easier with the knowledge that all of your appropriate friendship needs will be met.
Q: Who decides what's appropriate for me?
We do. Isn't that what friends are for?
New Words for the 90's
Blamestorming - Sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
Body Nazis - Hard-core exercise and weight-lifting fanatics who look down on anyone who doesn't work out obsessively.
Chainsaw Consultant - An outside expert brought in to reduce the employee headcount, leaving the top brass with clean hands.
Cube Farm - An office filled with cubicles.
Prairie Dogging - When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.
Ego Surfing - Scanning the Net, databases, print media and so on, looking for references to one's own name.
Idea Hamsters - People who always seem to have their idea generators running.
Keyboard Plaque - The disgusting buildup of dirt and crud found on computer keyboards.
Mouse Potato - The online, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.
Ohnosecond - That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a big mistake.
Perot - To quit unexpectedly, as in "My cellular phone just perot'ed."
SITCOMs - What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids. Stands for Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage.
Squirt the Bird - To transmit a signal to a satellite.
Starter Marriage - A short-lived first marriage that ends in divorce with no kids, no property and no regrets.
Stress Puppy - A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.
Swiped Out - An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.
Tourists - People who take training classes just to get a vacation from their jobs. "We had three serious students in the class; the rest were just tourists."
Treeware - Hacker slang for documentation or other printed material.
Xerox Subsidy - Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one's workplace.
Going Postal - Euphemism for being totally stressed out, for losing it. Makes reference to the unfortunate track record of postal employees who have snapped and gone on shooting rampages.
Alpha Geek - The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person In an office or work group. "Ask Larry, he's the alpha geek around here."
Beepilepsy - The brief seizure people sometimes have when their beeper goes off (especially in vibrator mode). Characterized by physical spasms, goofy facial expressions and interruption of speech in mid-sentence.
Chips and Salsa - Chips = hardware, salsa = software. "Well, first We gotta figure out if the problem's in your chips or your salsa."
Dancing Baloney - Little animated GIFs and other Web F/X that are useless and serve simply to impress clients. "This page is kinda dull. Maybe a little dancing baloney will help."
Depotphobia - Fear associated with entering a Home Depot because of how much money one might spend. Electronics geeks experience Shackophobia.
Flight Risk - Used to describe employees who are suspected of planning to leave a company or department soon.
Generica - Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is. "We were so lost in generica, I actually forgot what city we were in."
GOOD Job - A "Get-Out-Of-Debt" job. A well-paying job people take in order to pay off their debts, one that they will quit as soon as they are solvent again.
Irritainment - Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The O.J. trials were a prime example.
Midair Passenger Exchange - Grim air-traffic-controller-speak for a head-on collision. Midair passenger exchanges are quickly followed by "aluminum rain."
PEBCAK - Tech support shorthand for "Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard." (Techies are a frustrated, often arrogant lot. They've submitted numerous acronyms and terms that poke fun at the clueless users who call them up with frighteningly stupid questions. Another variation on the above is ID10T: "This guy has an ID-Ten-T on his system."
Percussive Maintenance - The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, Shits over everything and then leaves.
Square-headed Girlfriend - Another word for a computer. The victim of a square-headed girlfriend is a "computer widow."
Telephone Number Salary - A salary (or project budget) that has Seven digits.
Umfriend - A sexual relation of dubious standing. "This is uh,..Dale, my...um...friend..."
Uninstalled - Euphemism for being fired. Heard on the voicemail of a vice president at a downsizing computer firm: "You have reached the number of an uninstalled vice president. Please dial our main number and ask the operator for assistance." See also Decruitment.
Vulcan Nerve Pinch - The taxing hand position required to reach all the appropriate keys for certain commands. For instance, the warm re-boot for a Mac II computer involves simultaneously pressing the Control key, the Command key, the Return key and the Power On key.
Yuppie Food Stamps - The ubiquitous $20 bills spewed out of ATMs everywhere. Often used when trying to split the bill after a meal: "We all owe $8 each, but all anybody's got is yuppie food stamps."
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