San Francisco- [SF weekly.com]- Behind the alluring, glass-enclosed stage at The Lusty Lady, North Beach's co-op peep show famously bought up in 2003 by its female performers, hides a warren of narrow red hallways.
Visitors step past the establishment's flamboyant sign, into the long mirrored entranceway guarded by bouncers and flanked by photos of scantily clad women, and then into one of the many booths that offers them access to either the live show or a selection of porn. These folks may never stop to consider the cramped quarters behind the scenes.
There, the 70 or so Lusty Ladies - each of whom dance anywhere from four to 25 hours a week - glam up with lingerie, leather, and impressively high heels. They also chat, run a business, and occasionally hang out eating cereal in the nude.
I visited the Lusty Lady this past Friday for a behind-the-scenes tour, where I was greeted at the door by Princess, a petite but no-nonsense dancer. Two long, voluminous blond pigtails framed her pink corset. Backstage, we were joined by performers Trixsie Treat, Fuschia Black, Miss Snow, and Maybaline for a talk about the experience of working at one of San Francisco's most unique adult entertainment spots.
The mood was light but professional as we discussed who's employed there (some full-time workers in the sex industry, but also a number of students and women with "normal" jobs), the average age of the dancers ("We have a lot of 19-year-olds," Princess wanted me to stress), and what the current co-op members search for in new performers. "We're not looking for a specific body type," explained Fuschia, though there has been some conflict over larger dancers in the past. "We want to see women who are comfortable and having fun."
While the Ladies pose for shots as if hard at in the office - bending over desks, or coyly peering into filing cabinets - we discuss the recession, and how it's actually helped peep shows, since paying $1 per minute to watch three women dance is a lot cheaper than shelling out $100 or more for a lap dance at a strip club. Fuschia points out that, if customers are pressed for cash, they can always take advantage of what she calls the "Valentine's Day Special," as when both members of a couple decide to squeeze into one booth, they logically pay only 50 cents a minute each. The Lusty Lady doesn't discriminate: two women can count as a couple, or two men. Before they can watch the show though, the pair has to kiss to prove they're not posing to get half-off.
A peek into the dancers' dressing room reveals a wall of lockers overflowing with feathered boas and bras, decorated with magazine clippings and photos of friends, family, children. One of the things that makes The Lusty Lady unususal as a work environment, the women I spoke to agreed, is a convivial, we're-all-in-this together vibe. Whereas at strip clubs the performers vie for customers' attention - and their tips - here the women are assigned shifts, paid an hourly wage, and receive their cut when the business turns a profit.
As part of a co-op that "strives to establish a positive work environment embrace equality and individuality," according to the informational sheet they hand to new employees, the performers and their support staff elect "madams" as managers and use a checks-and-balances system to make sure everyone gets a say. "I used to be waitress," Fushcia laughs, "but I was sick of feeling used. So I came here."
