SEASON 2, SHOW 3 - CRAIG SEYMOUR
On this week's show, I talk to Craig Seymour, grad student/stripper-cum-entertainment journalist-cum-college professor about his life as written about in his memoir, All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washignton, D.C.
Oh yeah, I went there!
Now before people think this show is a cheap shot at titillation (and yes, the image selected was designed to "grab 'em...did it work?), I should mention that Craig Syemour is a twice-published author (with his first book being Luther: The Life and Longings of Luther Vandross, which remains the only true biography of Luther Vandross), and he holds a PhD. in American Studies and is currently teaching at Northern Illinois University. He is a man of stustabce, who took an interesting path to learning.
This is another of those shows that I had in mind when I came up with the idea for the series: a topic that brings me into direct confrontation with my own "stuff." When I read Craig's book, I knew that talking to him would be one of those conversations. I was not disappointed...at least not in him. As for my own performance, I am not sure I was as "unrestrained" on the topic as I'd like to have been. Phone interviews are their own unique animal. But all things considered, it IS an enlightening conversation.
Craig's views on some things made me feel damn near old and stodgy. He is far more liberal than I am on some of the subjects that we discussed. (Legalized sex work? I understand and even AGREE with the theory, yet I remain queasy.)
I also couldn't help but wonder what to make of my own downright aversion to working as Craig did. Could I have allowed myself to be objectified? Could I have "disassociated" to the degree necessary to allow complete strangers (most of whom are probably gross...this IS America) to carress and stroke and fondle and tug on my...whatever they wanted?
What, if anything, does it say about me if I absolutely could not? Conversely, what might it say about the people who do?
Could YOU?
If you could, as Craig suggests, perform "sexual services" as part of the capitalist free enterprise system, what ISN'T for sale? What happens to our humanity when EVERYTHING is for sale?
I'd love to get into a follow-up discussion on this one. Maybe int he comments section here? Or on a future roundtable?
Anyway - enjoy the show!
October 27, 2009