While I think it’s great for the Strip Tease Artitsts Australia union (no, I am not making that up) to win the right to lunch breaks, overtime, and leave, one of the quotes from the union spokeswoman Mystical Melody (again, I’m not making that up) gave me pause.
“The majority of workers in the industry are women,” Melody said, “so it’s probably a really great thing for them to be able to feel confident of having a job after they’ve had their babies.”
I just look at that quote and think “isn’t that wrong?”
If you’re a pregnant stripper, when do you stop working? Is it like any other job where you go late into the third trimester? Would your earning potential increase because you can now work at fetish clubs? Would the stress from worrying about water breaking at inopportune times get you stress-leave before mat leave, with the new leave rights? What kind of day (night?) care options are there? What do you do for career day at your little tot’s school?
I think I’ll stop there, before I put my foot in my mouth any more, as the questions can only get worse. I guess I’m just old-fashioned when I figure having a child kind of changes the career path, what with the hours and all, and that mom probably won’t be returning (although, I’d probably be surprised to see how many do). That said, it doesn’t sound like all the strippers like the SAA so much, so maybe it’s not as big a deal as it could be… but who knows?
In any event, congrats… I think.
Dude. When strippers have kids, they go work at CSI.
Sheesh.