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Spearmint Rhino boss suggests students strip to pay for degrees

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Summary of story from The Telegraph, October 4, 2011

The boss of lap dancing company Spearmint Rhino has suggested hard-up students should consider stripping as a way to pay for university tuition fees in the UK.

John Specht, UK vice president of the company, said female students could earn good money while having “fun” working in lap dancing clubs.

His comments have sparked fierce criticism from student leaders who blame the government for forcing undergraduates into stripping to make ends meet.

Estelle Hart, NUS women’s officer, said: “I think the government has got some questions to answer about why students are turning to what is quite a dangerous job.

“It’s sad that the government have thoughtlessly cut quite a lot of money from education and have done nothing to improve the maintenance situation for students and students are forced into doing work like that.”

She added: “The sort of idea that in order for women to work they have got to look and act a certain way and be sexually available and attractive to men is actually quite upsetting.

“I think it is particularly sad with university students when we should be talking about their academic achievements not how they look based on a narrow idea of what’s good looking created by the executive of massive strip clubs.”

  1. This is a completely unacceptable comment from this guy.

    • Why Jane? It’s well paid, flexible, and requires no qualifications. It might not fit your moral requirements but if it’s not illegal and the women doing it have no moral qualms why shouldn’t they do it.

      In the wider context education is expensive, many degrees pay back their tuition costs over the life of the student while others don’t. The government is cutting back so why shouldn’t an optional education stage take a hit as well as other services? We can’t demand that everything be an untouchable ivory tower.

      • Ha, would have thought you may have mentioned the sexism of the suggestion – quite apart from the notion that women must sell themselves *again* to get anywhere in life. It only reinforces the notion that women are objects and body parts which do things rather than people with intelligence too. Rather ironic since selling themselves in potentially dangerous situations is being suggested as a means to pay for education.

  2. It’s called freedom of speech Jane. He employs women, so naturally, he advertises to them for the jobs he has available. No woman is forced to work for him, indeed, judging by those that appear in places like page 3 on the Sun, some even enjoy it. This article merely increases his publicity.

  3. vicki wharton says:

    I’m not sure that most of the girls that work in these clubs and on page 3 are making very informed choices – I don’t think the employers warn them of the dangers of their work to them and other women their choices effect. To my mind it’s a bit like drug sellers saying it’s the customer’s choice to take drugs – it is a choice, but the dangers involved to self esteem, mental health, physical safety as well as the very dodgy pay practices are simply not widely discussed in the media or by the industry employers – employee welfare is not high on their agenda as very often it’s in direct conflict with what the male customer’s want.

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