# LA City Council: Eat Shit, Be Sick, Suffer, Die, And Roast In Hell **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064 "2003-09-17T00:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/1 "2003-09-17T00:51:35Z")
That’s pretty much all I wanted to express. Some of you may be wondering why I feel this way. Simple. The Los Angeles City Council outlawed lap dancing in LA. I am not a lap dancer, I don’t own a strip club, I have absolutely no dog in this fight, except this: one of my very close friends is a dancer, and they just turned her life inside out. She cannot make money simply shaking her booty on stage, that’s not how it’s done. I’m sure the city council knows that perfectly well, and that’s almost certainly why they did it. The claim is that it will reduce prostitution, and most of you who know me know how I feel about THAT. I hate all vice laws. I am infuriated by governmental attempts to legislate morality and sexuality. I feel this way under all circumstances, no matter what, because I believe it is deeply wrong and creates far more problems than it solves. And it enrages me when it hurts people I care about. Hence my thread title. Thank you for your time. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/2 "2003-09-17T01:12:36Z")
I saw the thread title, and was all ready to chime in with a lame “Don’t hold back, tell us how you _really_ feel” joke, when I got to this part: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > **The claim is that it will reduce prostitution…** Then I realized that no joke I could make could possibly be funnier than the assumption behind this claim. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/3 "2003-09-17T01:12:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > \*\*I am not a lap dancer, I don’t own a strip club, I have absolutely no dog in this fight, except this: one of my very close friends is a dancer, and they just turned her life inside out. She cannot make money simply shaking her booty on stage, that’s not how it’s done. I’m sure the city council knows that perfectly well, and that’s almost certainly why they did it. \*\* So the city council took this action solely for the purpose of putting your friend out of work? Why, that’s…low. On the other hand, the community colleges will now be able to fill their booty classes. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/4 "2003-09-17T01:31:01Z")
I read the article, thought “Eh.” Paying for lap dances IS uncomfortably close to prostitution; so long as prostitution remains illegal, I have no problem with the ban. However, I think I’m with you on whether prostitution should be illegal or not. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/5 "2003-09-17T01:44:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Paying for lap dances IS uncomfortably close to prostitution But it ISN’T actual prostitution. It’s not a crime to come CLOSE to committing a crime. Is it “uncomfortably close” to shoplifting for me to pick up an item, think about lifting it, and instead putting it back? I’m with Stoid, solidly. I don’t care for strip clubs, but hell… people should be able to get some cheap thrills. Ain’t hurting nobody but some pissant little shithead Christian’s sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/6 "2003-09-17T01:52:37Z")
Now if only they could explain why prostitution is illegal, they may have a case. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/7 "2003-09-17T02:10:01Z")
> [@](#): > > _SPOOFE:_ > Ain’t hurting nobody but some pissant little shithead Christian’s sensibilities. Do you have some reason to believe that the only people offended by lapdancing are Christians? Or is the LA City Council comprised solely of Christians? Or are you just taking any opportunity to slam Christians? I agree that outlawing lapdancing (and prostitution) is overly paternal and condescending. They did something similar in Dallas about a year or so ago. They were actually prosecuting strippers for public indecency. Idiotic, but the real reason was that the strip clubs were driving the surrounding property values down, so they were trying to force a few strip clubs out of residential areas. It worked. The strip clubs moved a few blocks down the street, and now it’s business as usual in the Champagne Room. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/8 "2003-09-17T05:59:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Do you have some reason to believe that the only people offended by lapdancing are Christians? Granted, some people are just insecure about sexuality. Amend my statement to include them, too, yer honor. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/9 "2003-09-17T11:46:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > **I am infuriated by governmental attempts to legislate morality …** No you aren’t. You’re only infuriated by government attempts to legislate morality you disagree with. You have no problems with moral legislation like helping the poor, redistribution of wealth, etc. Indeed, unless I am mistaken, you have been known to call conservatives immoral for opposing these things. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/10 "2003-09-17T13:40:38Z")
Do you have a link to the vote? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/11 "2003-09-17T17:10:11Z")
Well said, Neurotik. Although Stoid does have a point, this _is_ a particularly stupid ordinance. Also, I find the wishes expressed in the title to be a bit odious. I’m sure it’s just hyperbole, but it’s an odious brand of hyperbole displayed there. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/12 "2003-09-17T18:05:09Z")
Stoid, maybe your friend could get a regular job like the rest of us. I was never offered the option of making a lot of cash by rubbing my privates against strangers, yet I have managed to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/13 "2003-09-17T18:21:01Z")
**blowero** , for a lot of people, that is a real job. It’s a service that there’s a market for, and it’s helped a lot of women support their kids or pay for college/university. It’s also a job that can be incredibly difficult to do and takes a lot of guts to stick with. If you’d prefer that they be working as cashiers at Walmart or Sears or whatever for minimum wage and try to support them selves and/or their kids, or pay for university, then I’m not quite sure that you live in the financial world that I do, because it’s just not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/14 "2003-09-17T18:23:32Z")
Wow. While I disagree with the sentiments in the title (having one’s enemies eat crap is fine, but wishing death on them is way too extreme), I agree that legislating morality is ridiculous and intrusive. On the other hand, **Stoid** ’s friend might wish to consider learning to type. I’m very sorry the LA city government banned lap dancing, that’s fucked up. That ain’t my fault. It would seem to me that strippers are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fuckin’ type, ‘cause if you’re expecting me to help out with the rent you’re in for a big fuckin’ surprise. Apologies to Quentin Tarantino. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/15 "2003-09-17T18:47:42Z")
The Reuters [wire report](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=3460004) says the vote was unanimous > [@](#): > > The ordinance, passed unanimously despite stiff opposition from strippers and adult club owners who fear for their livelihood, banned lap dancing and any other kind of bodily contact between dancers and customers in strip clubs, bikini bars and adult bookstores. \ Stiff opposition \ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/16 "2003-09-17T18:56:50Z")
> [@](#): > > _blowero says:_ Stoid, maybe your friend could get a regular job like the rest of us. > [@](#): > > _gobear says:_ On the other hand, Stoid’s friend might wish to consider learning to type… And as for this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fuckin’ type, ‘cause if you’re expecting me to help out with the rent you’re in for a big fuckin’ surprise. Wow, I’m sure Stoid’s friend wishes you’d been around to share these pearls of wisdom with her, since she _never_ could’ve thought of these herself. :rolleyes: I knew several strippers who took up the profession to put their way through college, since a “real” job (by blowero’s idiotic standard) wouldn’t have covered tuition, housing, and expenses, and because an office job (which is what I assumed gobear’s moronic suggestion referred to) would conflict with her class schedules. Of course, these practical realities tend to conflict with what I’m sure are pristine preconceptions of what these types of workers are like, though, eh? I’m pretty amazed they got this to pass in L.A… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/17 "2003-09-17T19:02:33Z")
No one has mentioned, that the women must stay at least 6 feet from the patrons. ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/18 "2003-09-17T19:11:04Z")
I am not a dancer, but for the folks who say for these women to go out and get a “real” job in an office, retail, etc., one of the things you might consider is that some women in this industry are single mothers. By working in clubs they can make enough money to pay the bills, pursue their educations, etc. And they can do this with flexible hours. An acquaintance of mine makes enough so she only has to work a couple of weeknights. She can also make quite a lot of money on the weekend. And she has some security knowing that she can easily find child care (usually by having extended family watch her daughter after they get home from their 9-5 jobs.) Just my $0.02. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/19 "2003-09-17T19:12:07Z")
Bah. Strip clubs are done. The 90’s are over. I see more skin (and I say this is in near seriousness) at the local mall. I got an inadvertent crotch shot just a few weeks ago from some teen who slipped while adjusting some miniature terrycloth hot-pants that were obviously sized to be doll clothing. As long as I spend every Friday afternoon dreaming up errands that might require a stop at the mall, I never have to pay a cover charge again! Sucks about the lap dancing though. Despite some judgemental comments here, it’s an honest way to earn a living. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064/20 "2003-09-17T19:30:50Z")
Lap dancing is causing all kinds of ruckus in southern California. Three San Diego city council members have been charged in a bribery scandal. A strip club owner has admitted bribing them to repeal a law similar to the one just passed in LA. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-city-council-eat-shit-be-sick-suffer-die-and-roast-in-hell/202064.md?page=2)