The main thesis of the film Live Nude Girls Unite is about a group of exotic dancers who fought for fair wages and better working conditions by forming a union. Their work was not seen as meaningful and they were not treated fair. The assumption that there work was not real work was part of their argument. The women in the film showed that they were hard working and deserved the same rights and protection just as any other occupation would give.
The main argument to support the thesis in the film was about the workers being treated fair in an establishment called the The Lusty Lady in San Francisco. The workers argued that their privacy was being taken advantage of, the wages were unfair, and that discrimination and bad working conditions needed to change. The worker received help from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The SEIU helped the workers through the process by making agreements and negotiations with the employer. The worker got what they wanted and it had such an impact that other exotic dancers unionized.
The film relates to the course by showing how society can treat people who are labeled deviant based off what they do for work. Author Jennifer K. Wesley of Exotic Dancers: “Where Am I Going to Stop” explains some of the key factors and realities that relate to exotic dancing. Wesley says “An exotic dancer’s success is measured by the amount of money for a nights work” (Calhoun, Conyers & Thio, Readings in Deviant Behavior p.210). Wesley also mentions how this kind of work can relate with identity conflict. The woman is seen an object and not seen for who they really are. Society makes it seem that working in the sex industry is so horrible and they do not deserve the stigmatization. In the film The Codes of Gender it discusses on how the treatment of women in any industry are seen as weak, powerless, and unequal compared to a male.
One of the arguments that I found most convincing was that women are treated unfair in the sex industry. Their work is hard and at times dangerous to do. The rights they fought for to have a better working atmosphere was needed. Many of these dancers are smart and educated, and they said they were in it for the extra money. Some were also single moms who needed the extra income. If I were to conduct a study, I would study where the exotic dancers see themselves in 10 years. I would also study the changes dancers think might happen over the years in this industry, if any. It would be interesting to see how the industry is 10 years from now, even though money is always the key factors of these businesses.
