In Singapore,
the police have the power to enter any place, even a private
home, …
Part-time male
stripper Bryan Tan displays with his costumes in his apartment.
In …
Civil servant Joanne Yan, 24, was
looking for ways to spice up a private party for a girlfriend who
was about to get married when she found just the right idea after
trawling websites and forums.
After a
booze-fuelled girls' night out at one of Singapore's premier clubs,
shrieks of joy erupted when they were joined in their room at a
five-star hotel by a surprise guest: a male stripper who did the
"Full Monty".
"I wanted my good
friend to have a blast on her last night as a single and I knew she
would be game enough for a stripper," Yan said.
"Also, I think
having a naked guy prance around a room full of girls would
definitely lighten the mood," she told AFP.
In a country where
public nudity is outlawed -- even Playboy can't be sold --
strippers say demand for their services is getting stronger despite
deep-seated conservatism and the danger of being caught.
The police have
the power to enter any place, even a private home, where they
believe an obscene activity is taking place, but this does not stop
strippers from advertising their services.
Typically
white-collar workers by day, exotic dancers cater largely to
professional Singaporeans in their mid- to late 20s, including
heterosexual and gay gatherings.
Bryan Tan, 31, who
heads 2niteok Entertainment and has been a stripper for eight
years, said more Singaporeans now seek his services.
"The reason for
setting up 2niteok Entertainment is to cater for the growing need
of Singaporeans to hire strippers for their private parties," said
Tan, who works as an administrative officer during the day.
"Striptease is
very common in the Western countries, but recently the trend is
increasing in Singapore."
The firm's website
says rates start from Sg$300 ($236) for a 20-minute show by a male
stripper who disrobes down to his underwear -- tips are
optional.
To see the man
fully naked -- known as "The Full Monty" after the 1997 movie of
that title -- prices start from Sg$400, with extra charges incurred
for "special requests" such as dressing up as a policeman or
doctor.
But the firm's
female performers only strip to their lingerie.
One of them is
Jasmine Tan, 28, a human resource executive by day who performs
three to four times a month.
"In certain months
the number may double," she said.
"I believe men
love to see a woman in sexy lingerie (rather) than fully nude.
Moreover, I usually go alone to perform, so it may be quite unsafe
as they may take my nude photos," she said.
Tan does not mind
having a roomful of men leering at her body but insists "both sides
are not supposed to touch each other's private areas".
"Some clients do
ask me for sex after my dance, but I always reject them. I am not a
prostitute, but just a striptease entertainer."
Strippers keep
their side jobs a secret from their families because it is still a
deeply conservative culture.
"In Singapore
society, families and friends may find this striptease profession
degrading," Bryan Tan said.
Under the penal
code, "any person who appears nude in a public place" or in "a
private place and is exposed to public view" can be jailed up to
three months and fined up to Sg$2,000.
The law also
stipulates that police have the right to forcefully enter a private
place to arrest an offender.
Strip acts are
usually performed in hotel rooms, homes or rented beach chalets,
but there are signs that they are gaining acceptance.
A firm called Urs
Truly Escorting Agency -- which employs three female strippers who
charge between Sg$1,000 and Sg$1,500 for lingerie acts -- said
parents are now requesting their services.
"Parents will ask
our strippers to perform at their sons' bachelor parties, or 21st
birthday parties," the company's sales supervisor, who wanted to be
known only as Crystal, told AFP.
Bryan Tan said the
most trouble he has encountered came from complaints by other hotel
guests.
"When I'm
performing in hotel rooms, many times the girls scream too loud and
disturb the neighbouring guests. Then the hotel staff will come
knocking on the door to silence us," he said.
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Times are bad, men
resort to selling bodies. whahahahahah!
