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Tuesday, 13 March 2007 15:26 |
| John North
Editor & Publisher |
I was surprised and amused to read about what is being billed as one of the latest trends across the nation in an article headlined ìPole dancing parties catch on in book club countryî in the Feb. 24 edition of The New York Times.
Specifically, writer Tina Kelley noted, ìPole dancing, once exclusively the province of exotic dancers, has flared up as a much-hyped Hollywood exercise craze, and has seeped into the collective unconscious through shows like ëThe Sopranosí and ëDesperate Housewives.íî
She
goes on to tell how the pole ìis the new star at racier versions of
Tupperware parties in well-heeled (if high-heeled) areas ... Billed as
ëfemme empowerment,í such at-home pole dancing lessons are taking place
in the realm of book clubs, with mothers ó and grandmothers ó learning
slinky moves for girlsí night in, bachelorette send-offs, even the
occasional 60th birthday party.î
In essence, these women, many of whom are stay-at-home, middle-aged,
suburban moms, reported having lost their sense of identity, including
their feeling of being beautiful and strong. Some said they are seeking
to unleash their sexual prowess. Moreover, others said the exercise is
good for them ó and itís all a lot of fun.
Pole dancing provides a much-needed release for women consumed by the
responsibilities of motherhood, proponents told the Times. Thus, it
represents almost the opposite of their role as caretakers ó in effect,
providing balance in their lives. Others said pole dancing also taps
into a sense of exhibitionism among younger women who did not grow up
with the gender politics of the sexual revolution.
At first blush, the pole dancing party craze sounded bizarre to me.
Later, I thought, from my perspective as a man, this could be good.
Indeed, pluses for men from this trend could include the following:
ï Visual fireworks.
ï Emotionally revved-up females who would be more open to romantic relations.
ï Generally happier females with higher self-esteem as a result of the
positive mental and physical effects of exercise, thereby resulting in
better overall relationships and a reduction in the divorce rate.
As for the negatives, I would foresee the following:
ï Viewing less-attractive women pole dancing would be a definite turnoff ó for any man crashing the party, that is.
ï Freedom and self-expression are good things, but what end is achieved
when upper-middle-class American women seek to emulate the antics of
strippers? The trend strikes me as, possibly, silly and disingenuous.
ï The possibility of pole dancing parties resulting in overly amorous
women could, for some men, be overwhelming ≠ó even life-threatening.
Of course, some exercise proponents have questioned the efficiency of
pole dancing parties, but others have noted that almost anything that
gets people up and moving is good.
As for femme empowerment, at least on some level, it follows that that
is exactly what women are achieving when they are engaging in these
provocative exercises under the pretext of making themselves feel
better or to entice the males in their lives.
While I recognize that pole dancing parties might be seens by some as
self-defeating to women, who generally aspire to be respected as
serious, intelligent individuals, I can understand their desire to seek
balance in oneís life.
Ultimately, it is hard to argue that pole dancing could be damaging if
nobody is hurt by it and the exercise improves womenís relationships
and physical and mental health.
ï
John North, publisher and editor of the Daily Planet, may be contacted at publisher-at-ashevilledailyplanet.com.
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