CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | Contact

After making the exciting trip to The Gold Coast’ red light district for a night of partying as a celebration for a close friends birthday, 18-year-old university student, Jack Beattie says he has since realised that not all strippers are nasty femme fatale.

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Not long after purchasing a $9.00 can of lukewarm beer and finding a seat in the dimly lit night-spot, the young business student says he began to converse with a career dancer by the name of Minnie*.

“She seemed like a nice girl. I ended up learning a lot about her aspirations outside of stripping. It was really sobering”

“I realised she was a similar age to me and obviously she was in a bit of financial hardship. I shudder to think of all the other things she has to put herself through just to pay off her PHD”

“She has travelled the world and is fluent in three languages, I just don’t understand how she ended up in this situation”

“I mean, how could things get that bad. I really wanted to help her”

“I know she meets a lot of guys like me during schoolies but I think we had a real connection”

However, speaking exclusively to the Betoota Advocate, the dancer in question says Jack’s concern for her wellbeing was simply a result of naivety.

Minnie* says she noticed early on in her pitch that the usual “I’m-paying-off-uni-and-I-love-the-job” method was resulting in Jack becoming emotionally invested in her as a person.

“I really went into damage control. I was trying to give this guy a lap-dance… Not ask him for fucking career advice,”

“But it was too late, he was far too innocent – he kept paying me money for a private booth but all he wanted to do was talk about my life goals”

“It was kind of cute, but yeah… He’s going to learn that strip clubs aren’t the type of place you go to if you fancy yourself to be a humanitarian”

Jack says he has given Minnie* his phone number, email and the address to his parent’s house – in case she ever wants to get away from this life and join him in mundane suburbia.

“I have told her there is a spare bed at my folk’s place in Wollongong, she could probably get a job at a pub down there. Maybe enrol in TAFE or something, she’s definitely got the brains”

“I just hope she calls… before it’s too late”

Minnie* says she has no intention of calling Jack or the any of the numerous non-profit organisations he has vowed to put her in touch with.