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Fort Lauderdale. It was late July 2000, my first night at the Culture Room. The Culture Room was (still is) a local music venue centered within a strip located on the corner of U.S. 1 and Oakland Park Boulevard, about ¼ mile from the Atlantic Ocean, and nearly 1200 from Teutopolis, IL. It was somewhat hidden at the bend of an L-shaped plaza cornered on a busy intersection, easily missed by passer-bys, if not specifically looked for. That evening, I was a non-looking passerby, not noticing the club upon first pass. Always quick to disregard the directions of others, especially those in South Florida - where no one seemed to know where the hell they were, let alone where they were going - I quickly pulled off for guidance, at Solid Gold, a gentleman’s club. For strip clubs were more prolific in Fort Lauderdale than gas stations, and more accessible, this was an easy, if presumably odd, choice for directional assistance. To be a frequent patron at a strip club in Fort Lauderdale is not comparable to being the same in central Illinois or most other large cities. These clubs are not limited to within the city, but also are numerous throughout suburbia. It is not unusual to see a Goldfinger, Vegas Cabaret, or a Cheetah, in the same plaza with a furniture outlet, a bank, or even a daycare facility. Traveling down a given stretch of road, one is likely to see more marquees for Scarlett’s or The Body Shoppe than for Shell or Amoco. And adult bars easily out-number that of non-adult watering holes. If one ventures for a pint or a mug, they are more likely to find themselves at a table in the Booby Trap than in the Davie Ale House. I am not singularizing men, either. For on a given day, the customer ratio of men to women at Pure Platinum or Diamond Cabaret would be nearer to 1:1 than any day at the Briny Pub. A longneck bottle of Budweiser would fetch $3.50 at the Ye Olde Falcon compared to $3 at GumWrappers on any weekday. Weigh the sides here. 50 cents more, and no naked women. Or 50 cents less, and naked women. Not flaunting male superiority or female suppression, I present an actual scenario, an average individual caught within a realistic decision. Make your choice. Make your argument. But, be honest. I’ve made mine. |
