From the outside looking in, the life of a stripper appears to be fascinating for some, as these dancers entertain attendees while having tons of cash thrown at them. However, the stripper profession and the strip club in general have a dark side.
On April 10, 1998, The Players Club came out. The movie would be a game-changer in showcasing the representation of the toxic environment that can imposed upon an exotic dancer in a strip club.
Set as a flashback, Diana Armstrong, now a former employee of the Players Club, reminisces about how she started at the strip club and what life was like for her during that time. After moving out of her parent’s house and beginning to attend college, Diana gets a job at a shoe store to support herself and her son and pay for college. One day at work, Diana would meet Ronnie and Tricks, two strippers from the Players Club.
The two convince Diana she would be better off financially if she worked as a stripper. The club’s owner, Dollar Bill, hires Diana and names her “Diamond.” For four years, things were going well for Diana. Until her 18-year-old cousin, Ebony, moved in with her during her final year of college.
Ebony had shown an interest in working at the club. She becomes out of control once she started working there, drinking heavily, staying out all night, performing at private parties, and hanging around bad influences like Ronnie and Tricks.
Around this time, we would begin to see the toxic environment of a strip club and what some strippers endure. Altercations and shootings have taken place at the club. A regular client started stalking Diana, and Ronnie would attempt to assault Diana for a second time. Diana eventually puts her foot down with Ebony’s careless behaviour. She kicks Ebony out of her house after catching her with her boyfriend.
Ebony is offered a dance gig at Ronnie’s brother Junior’s bachelor party. Having doubts about being there, Ebony leaves a message for Diana to come pick her up, while Diana is out on a date with Blue, a DJ at the strip club.
While changing, Junior enters the room and brutally rapes Ebony. Junior’s friends hear what’s happening, and all leave the party in disgust. Ronnie, who was not in the room during the rape, returns to find Ebony unconscious and flees with Junior. Diana and Blue arrive at the room and immediately call 911 after finding Ebony bloodied and unconscious. Diana and Blue drive to the club, where Diana confronts Ronnie and wins a fistfight against her. The police, who have already arrested Junior, pull up to the club and take Ronnie and Tricks into custody afterwards.
Dollar Bill, who opened up the club on a loan from St. Louis, a drug lord and a loan shark, is captured for not paying a percentage of what he owes. St. Louis then shoots up the club and has one of his associates destroy the club with a LAW rocket.
The end forwards to the present, with Ebony still sporting bruises on her face, now working at that same shoe store. Diana and Ebony make up. The film concludes with a voice-over of the fates of the characters. It has been 25 years since its release, and the film remains an eye-opener in showcasing the downside of being a stripper. There are a plethora of valuable lessons viewers can learn when watching the movie. Here are some of these valuable lessons that remain relevant today:
Not all money is good money
While strippers might appear to be making large sums of money quickly, many make money in an environment where they encounter predatorial behaviour from clients and fellow strippers.
Have a backup plan
A profession as a stripper is often temporary due to physical changes that can happen as people age. The toxic environment is also something to factor in. The main character, Diana, only worked there to make income for herself and her son and to pay for her tuition.
The bystander effect
Junior’s friends’ response to him raping Ebony shows how legitimate the bystander effect is. As Ebony was screaming and pleading for Junior to stop, his friends all left and didn’t even bother to call 911 at least. Although one’s own safety comes first, there are times when it doesn’t hurt to help someone in need because the next person who may need help could be us.
Not everyone is your friend
One valuable lesson from this film is knowing when to call someone a friend. Ronnie and Tricks preyed upon a young Diana, who learned the hard way that the two were taking advantage of her. The two would then do the same to Diana’s younger cousin, Ebony. At first, Diana and Ebony thought Ronnie and Tricks were their friends when they started at the strip club. They both learned otherwise.
While the film has comedic moments, remember what this film can teach about the dark side of the adult entertainment industry.