Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Pole Dancing Degrades Women
Four oinks to Style Weekly! My respect for our alternative newspaper was severely diminished when I read "Beating the Pole" (News & Features, Dec. 5). Pole dancing remains one of the powerful symbols of the degradation of women. I cannot imagine that you would disrespect other groups of people by printing a chuckly story about stereotypical behavior. Would you assign a reporter to cover a lighthearted feature about, for example, a watermelon-eating contest at the base of the Bojangles monument?
Your writer and the event sponsors made a mild effort to characterize pole dancing as "an athletic art form." You can't be serious. Take a look at the YouTube clips on pole dancing. "Athletic" is not the adjective that comes to mind. Pole dancing will always be associated with negative and exploitive images of women.
The story was, quite simply, in bad taste.
Bonnie Atwood
Richmond
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Your writer and the event sponsors made a mild effort to characterize pole dancing as "an athletic art form." You can't be serious. Take a look at the YouTube clips on pole dancing. "Athletic" is not the adjective that comes to mind. Pole dancing will always be associated with negative and exploitive images of women.
The story was, quite simply, in bad taste.
Bonnie Atwood
Richmond
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