With news of Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn’s demise due to inappropriate sexual misconduct, people are left wondering: in a city known for sex, just where do you draw the line between fun and forbidden? Is Sin City still Sin City? Is it okay to flirt with your bottle service girl? What is appropriate behavior in a strip club? What about flirting with a female customer you meet at a nightclub? What happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas, it goes global thanks to social media. This begs the question: what is the acceptable etiquette in Sin City?
Although bottle service waitresses and exotic dancers have become accustomed to lewd behavior and have often learned how to put up with it, should they have to? Is it right to make someone feel uncomfortable, just for your own fun or to impress your buddies? The answer is a resounding no.
When it comes to exotic dancers, the law sheds some light on what is and is not appropriate. Legally, dances are to be performed on a customer’s legs…not the groin areas. So, if the dancer crosses the line, does that give the patron the right to cross as well? No. Customers are not permitted to touch the dancers. Drawing the line between what is and is not appropriate is not as simple as what is and is not legal.
Does free speech technically allow you to say crude things to a dancer? Yes. Is it appropriate or does she deserve to be subjected to the crude things you have to say? No. These people are earning a living, just like the patrons are when they go to work. Would they appreciate it if the tables were turned? Probably not.
Don’t assume that someone is open to your advances just because someone is in the adult entertainment industry. Not only is it not okay to touch an exotic dancer, it is not okay to touch porn stars when you are in town for the annual AVN Show and Adult Entertainment Expo at Hard Rock Hotel. New rules allow the stars to have an attendee kicked out for touching or inappropriate comments. Remember, even though they may not seem real when they are on the screen, they are real people with real feelings when you meet them at AVN. Just because they remove their clothes for work, it isn’t a prelude for jumping into bed with you.
When you’re at the club, the bottle service waitress may seem tempting, but that is not a good reason to grope her or say anything untoward to her. Imagine if someone came into your place of work and started saying lewd things to you or trying to touch you. It’s her job to perform a service for you, not to you. Keep it appropriate, and, when you ask for her number later, she may actually say yes. If you haven’t been a gentleman, you are guaranteed to strike out.
When you see a female customer you’re interested in striking up a conversation with, strike up a conversation. If you’re interested in asking her to dance, ask her if she would like to dance with you. Do not, however, assume she wants to dance with you and start doing a bump-and-grind without her permission, especially if it involves inappropriate touching. Initiating contact by dancing on someone or grabbing their butt as they walk by is a great way to ensure that she will want nothing to do with you.
You can absolutely still have fun in Sin City, but it’s not a free-for-all. If you’re in doubt, remember that if you have to ask yourself whether or not something is appropriate, it probably isn’t.
