Cognitive Dissonance in Prohibitionist Campaigning

I want to prove a point.

I believe that the greater bulk of prohibitionist campaigners actually know that what they are doing is wrong  and spend a lot of time desperately trying to justify their beliefs to themselves and others. Lets consider some key issues....

Groups such as Object have been engaged in what almost amounts to a ten year campaign to close every club in Britain. They know that this will lead to thousands of people losing their jobs as dancers, bar staff, cleaners and doormen. They know this but still they proceed with their campaign. But at some point, some of them started to feel uncomfortable with the idea of women making other women jobless, uncomfortable with the idea of women telling other women what to do. Let's face it,  isn't the key feminist battle with the 'patriachy' one for female freedom of choice? A freedom that Object wish to see removed.

At some point in the past prohibitionist campaigners started to consider that as they were essentially campaigning to reduce female choice and freedom then what was the difference between them as feminist campaigners and the patriarchy that they so despise.

Justifications had be sought, reasons for their actions that brought them back into the prohibitionist comfort zone. So let's introduce the concept of Cognitive Dissonance.

The phrase Cognitive Dissonance was coined by Leon Festinger in his 1957 book, 'When Prophecy Fails', which was about a UFO cult that fervently believed in an impending apocalypse a subsequent rescue of cult believers by space aliens. The apocalypse didn't happen at the predicted time and date and this was justified by the cult members not by admitting the entire premise was horse shit, but that God had decided to spare the Earth and as a result they should go forth and proselytise.

Festinger developed his cognitive dissonance theory on the basis of his observations of the cult members. The theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony (or dissonance).

Festinger stated that a powerful motivation to maintain cognitive consistency can give rise to irrational and sometimes maladaptive behaviour. According to Festinger, we hold many cognitions about the world and ourselves; when they clash, a discrepancy is evoked, resulting in a state of tension known as cognitive dissonance. As the experience of dissonance is unpleasant, we are motivated to reduce or eliminate it, and achieve consonance (i.e. agreement). We do this by coming up with or accepting sometimes ludicrous justifications for what we believe and how we act.

Is this starting to ring some bells for you, especially in terms of recent prohibitionist campaigns?

As I said at the start of the article, prohibitionist campaigners know that one end result of their activities will be unemployed dancers. They know that they as women are campaigning for female freedom but at the same time, are campaigning for certain freedoms to be removed. This conflict creates a dissonance that must be reconciled. Lets look at some reconciliations that we have seen over the past year...

Dissonant Event: We are taking the right of the dancers to earn money in the manner that they see fit....

Reconciliation: We are in fact rescuing the dancers because they are so abused that they have gone crazy....

It is an increasingly common justification used by feminists that the dancers are so essentially so traumatised by their work that being made jobless is the only way to help them. If you think I am joking, take a look at the frame grab below....

If you read it again, you can almost see the cogs turning in the writers brain as they justify ignoring dancer opinions and any academic study that contradicts the standard feminist viewpoint.

Dissonant Event: We tried to rescue the dancers from their traumatic circumstances, but they protested against us in public.

Reconciliation: They protested because they were forced to. Therefore we must redouble our efforts to rescue them by closing down the club where they work.

The above frame grab taken from the Portsmouth on-line newspaper was a reaction to the protest held by dancers outside the Town Hall. The writer justifies their stance by stating that the dancers were coerced, which in this persons view is an industry norm. This therefore justifies the campaign to make the dancers redundant because the campaigners are actually doing them a favour by removing them from a life of coercion. We also see a half baked attempt to brush over the job loss issue by dismissing it on the grounds that maybe the dancers can get jobs in the other places that will open and better still, they will be paid more as well, so everything is good really.

Dissonant Event: The evidence produced to counter the prohibitionist campaigns is well thought out and contains statistics that we find hard to argue with.

Reconciliation: Its all a load of lies and they would say that anyway..

Wiggle made a detailed submission that contained statistics and analysis that demolished the campaign run by Object and the Solent Feminist Network. This was not appreciated by the campaigners, as we saw the other week...

Wiggles submission can be ignored apparently because 'it is full of lies'. Dr Brooke Magnatis demolition of the Lilith Report was based upon statistical analysis of publicly available figures on the incidences of sex attacks in boroughs in London that do and do not have clubs. It was not about opinion dressed as fact. Lilith is the cornerstone of prohibitionist campaigning and feminists were very upset to see it demolished. Some were so upset about the implications of Magnatis work that they just had to dismiss it...

We can see above how a thorough, rigorous analysis of the shortcomings of Lilith are dismissed by feminist campaigners on the basis that Magnati 'would say that sort of thing so can be ignored'.

Dissonant Event: The Licensing Committee considered the SEV applications of seven clubs and after due process, awarded the licences to all of them.

Reconciliation: We need the views to other experts that maybe agree with us and anyway it was all a conspiracy anyhow.

A previous article on this blog, discusses how Leeds councillor Rebecca Charlwood is leading an SEV Working Group that has Object lined up as an 'expert' on the industry. Read more about it here where you will see some Tweets that try an imply the existence of a councillor who is apparently highly knowledgeable about lap dancing clubs in Leeds.

I could go on, but the entire feminist campaign to close clubs is based upon cognitive reconciliations and is therefore intellectually suspect. In many respects the views and justifications for the prohibitionist campaigns is strongly reminiscent of the UFO cult that Festinger wrote about.....

In The Wake Of Portsmouth - A Message For Paul Nelson

It was inevitable that prohibitionists in Portsmouth would become agitated at the failure of their campaign, in fact  there have been some really cool responses on the Portsmouth on line newspaper. One however really stands out and it was made by you, Paul Nelson. You are clearly very upset by the submission to the Council made by Wiggle Club. This is what you had to say about it....

According to you Paul its all lies. I am familiar with the submission and as result can comment on your allegations.

The submission does not claim that 'all the people who oppose these clubs are a member of either Object or the Solent Feminist Network. What it does illustrate is that Object and SFN were the prime movers behind the campaign.

I fail to see how you can be bemused about anything because the submission clearly shows frame grabs from both Object and SFN inviting objections and assuring people that they do not have to be residents of Portsmouth to take part. What is hypocritical about using comments from the news website? They demonstrate local depth of feeling and I bet an analysis of the IP addresses would reveal the geographical location where they were made from and I bet its Portsmouth.

Paul, you clearly didn't read the analysis of Lillith at all. It clearly illustrates errors in the original authors mathematics and highlights shortcomings in the statistical analysis methodologies employed. There is a very nice graph there as well, which clearly shows that incidences of rape and sexual assault actually fell in boroughs that had clubs.

Paul, I note that you chose to keep quiet about the analysis that demonstrates the dramatic drop in crime around 'Wiggle', but then again you probably think its all lies.

Now Paul, lets its time to look the 'HARD FACTS!!!'.

In the above comment that you submitted against an article in Portsmouth.co.uk, that has been frame grabbed for all to see above, you make some very serious allegations. You said the following...

'...........I have been met with abuse, lies and threats from the Wiggle/Elegance mob...........'

Its grown up time now Paul and I want answers to the following questions.....

1. You state that you have been met with abuse from a party that you refer to as the 'Wiggle/Elegance mob'.

     

    What form did this abuse take?

    When did this abuse take place?

    Who conducted this abuse?

2. You state that you have been lied to by a party that you refer to as the 'Wiggle/Elegance mob'.

     What lies were told to you?

     What evidence can you provide that what you was told was untrue?

     Who told you these lies and in what format were the lies told to you?

3. You state that you have been threatened by a party that you refer to as the 'Wiggle/Elegance mob'.

    Who threatened you?

    What form did the threat take?

    When did the threat take place?

    Did you inform the police about the threats?

    What action are the police taking?

    If you didn't  report the threats to the police, can you please explain why not?

4. You state that you are neither a member of Object or the Solent Feminist Network.

    Can you confirm that you are not an associate member of either organisation?

    Have you an association with someone called Charlie Dacke?

Making allegations in a public forum about 'abuse, lies and threats' is a very serious matter and I look forward to your responses. Surely it is in the best interests of the prohibitionist campaigners for you to prove your allegations.

Update....

5. Paul, how accurate is the following comment about you?

Brilliant comments on Paul Nelson. When a friend of mine started the Facebook support group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/279733368761821/) Paul Nelson joined under a fake name after blocking the creator and admins of the group so they couldn't see his comments. He then went on to do pretty much what he did in your example, while throwing in a few personal slurs about the group's creator too. He was eventually removed from the group and blocked and his comments were also taken down, so unfortunately you can no longer appreciate the sheer joy of some of the statements. I know him and can assure you, Rick is alive and well and living in Paul Nelson.

Paul I am so sorry....I remember you now and I have to apologise for taking you seriously. Still, let's have some answers and lets have them fairly soon, just for the sake of my personal amusement more than anything else......

Victory In Portsmouth

After a month long lay off I can say that things are somewhat clearer in my life and as a result, I can return to blogging. That said, not at the same rate as I have done in the past but you can expect an article a week or an article whenever there is something worth writing about. Happily, we absolutely have something worth writing about as well.....

Friday 12th October saw Portsmouth Council meet to decide the future of lapdancing clubs in the City. As you know it has been a long and hard campaign and clubs have been subject to a variety of  tactics by prohibitionist campaigners. We have seen Facebook campaigns, anonymous mailshots, untrue accusations of  trafficking and protesters appearing outside venues trying to intimidate customers and staff. I am glad to report that the anti-club campaign failed....

Although Portsmouth Council declared a Nil Policy, existing venues can remain open, although there will have to be a compelling reason for anyone new to try and establish themselves in the City and be allowed to trade..

I was unable to attend the meeting, but I have been given a flavour of what happened. The Solent Feminist Network attended and tried to defuse the clubs counter argument about job losses. This was a silly idea because any campaign to close clubs will lead to widespread redundancy, but I gather the view presented was that this was necessary for the 'collective good'.

I am also informed that certain people were very unhappy about the clubs and this blogs campaign to counter their arguments and tried to sell the idea that the presentation of arguments contrary to their own amounted to harassment. Really? If that's harassment, I wonder what their name is for people standing outside a club and screaming their heads off.

The Solent Feminist Network commented on their Facebook page....

I find it amazing that the letters from women complaining about harassment never thought to report it to the police at the time, but let's face it, they always appear at licensing time and we do know that this tactic was pioneered by Object some years ago and as a result, Councils tend to ignore the letters as they are somewhat doubtful.

There is one group that will be free from harassment though and that is the dancers and bar staff of the clubs in Portsmouth, because no longer will they have to run the gauntlet of feminist protesters outside the venues. Perhaps the most incredible statement from SFN is the assertion that they are not 'anti-stripper'. Is this some kind of joke? So we are expected to believe that a campaign that aims to close every club in Portsmouth is not 'anti-stripper'?

Lets look at it another way....

Radical vegans start a campaign to close every delicatessen in the City, but they assure us that they are not 'anti-butcher'....

Racist clowns start a campaign to close every synagogue in Britain, but they go onto assure us that they are not 'anti-semitic'.

Of course SFN are 'anti-stripper', because dancers are seen as 'gender traitors' and therefore are letting down the side.

The most contemptible part of the SFNs statement is the 'society where women and girls are not for sale'. So once again, we see the dancers insulted by being referred to as prostitutes and for good measure, SFN throw in the nudge nudge wink, 'girls' angle.

One of the most heartening results from the meeting in Portsmouth was when SFM tried to use their well worn 'the girls are exploited, traumatised and don't know what they are doing' angle, they were firmly slapped down by the Council. Councillor Les Stevens said as follows...

"We listened to well-thought out, eloquent arguments from both sides who were for and against changes to policy.

"Our decision was to agree a policy where the number of current sex establishments premises were sufficient for the city and when considering any new applications there would have to be very persuasive argument to agree to any more. We took our lead from public consultation which was overwhelming in its response against adopting a nil policy.

"We listened to people working in these venues and felt that the current sex establishments have not caused a rise in crime in the area. We noted the women working there did so by choice and were extremely well looked after and adopting a nil policy would put jobs at risk."

97% of respondents were against the Nil Policy furthermore the Police confirmed that crime in the areas around the clubs has in fact decreased. A resident from the flats opposite Wiggle stated that they were initially very worried about the club opening, but since then had learned that their fears were unfounded and that residents felt safer due to the constant presence of security staff. This blog made the same point some months ago.

So there we are, another shattering defeat for Object (especially after Leeds), but what will the future bring? It will bring more protests of course, because feminist campaign groups cannot be seen to have failed in what they promoted as being a landmark campaign. So where does this leave us? It means that the dancers and staff in the Portsmouth clubs can now look forward to the next year with some degree of security and maybe even make some concrete plans for the future. In terms of the Solent Feminist Network, it leaves them making plans to ensure the dancers and staff can't make any plans at all.....

I am told that this blog has played a part in these campaign victories and I know that prohibitionist feminists read it. They must also be aware that I am reducing my postings, but do not misunderstand me, if the need arises I will post everyday. I wish to make another point as well, I do not wish to learn that any dancer, club staff member or venue has been the subject of harassment by feminist groups frustrated by their lack of campaign success. If this happens, this blog will do its upmost to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Stuff Coming Up...

Over the next week or so we will look at freedom of expression, stupidity in Oxford, middle class horror in Ampthill and look at some of the stranger comments this blog gets

For Giselle.....

Do you see what I am saying?

If you are reading this and are not Giselle, you don't know what this is about. But don't worry about it. Do you see what I am saying though?

Actually, just want to make an observation that I can share with everyone. Do you notice how the one on the left is wearing a 'Rush' t-shirt? She wears the t-shirts, buys the records, doesn't listen to the lyrics though or if she does, forgot about the time the Solent Feminist Network stood outside Wiggle screaming their heads off. Lets have some appropriate Rush lyrics.....

"Witch Hunt"

The night is black
Without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torch lit hill

Features distorted in the flickering light
The faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us
In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand...

Designer Feminism Monthly

Charlie Dacke Unleashes The Furies (On Herself)

As its a bank holiday and I am a little bored, I thought I would give you all a special treat and complete the Charlie Dacke Facebook article series. What you see below is the last frame grab of the hole that Charlie dug for herself....

The comments made by Charlie at this stage of the debate are quite priceless. She is of course correct when she states that dancers are self employed, but once again we see childish comments being made when she refers to club owners as being 'pimps'. I have to ask if the comment about 'cuts of earnings' and 'fines' refers to Elegance and if so, where her evidence is for this comment. Charlie then goes onto to throw every bit of mud at the wall she can find when she reveals that self employed people have 'no sick pay, no maternity pay, no pension'. This as I understand it is fairly typical of self employed people throughout the land, so why it is being employed as a reason to close Elegance and Wiggle is beyond me. Lets face it, if Charlie gets her way, the dancers will have no sick pay, no maternity pay, no pension and no income as well.

Next however comes the comment that I promised you in my previous posting, so lets look at it some detail....

".......They (dancers) have the opportunity to join unions; Equity, GMB etc, but they don't because they don't really want to be selling sexual services........"

But hang on, in the posting that Charlie made in the same thread (go here) she explained to Kathryn Rimmingtom that Elegance is place where.....

"........men go to buy young girls to strip for them and grind their shaven pubic areas in their faces while they often attempt t [sic] stick their fingers inside the women's vaginas and grab their breasts........"

I don't know about you, but grinding shaven pubic areas in mens faces sounds very much like sexual services to me, but a few hours later Charlie then says this actually doesn't happen because 'they don't want to be selling sexual services'. So basically, Charlie just admitted that she lied.

Lets look at this from another angle, according to Charlie, any dancer that is a member of Equity and GMB is selling sexual services. This comment in itself is outrageous, but when you consider that it comes from a Unison activist in Fareham Borough Council, you really start to wonder what her agenda is. I think that the comment that Charlie made about Equity and GMB members is one that she should be held to account for and on that basis I will be informing the relevant people in both unions about Charlies slur.

Ben Norman continues his struggle for reason and makes the fair point that if the clubs are going to be closed, then those affected have the opportunity to get another job and do not end up unemployed because it suits the outlook of a group of political activists. By making this comment, I really think that Ben was offering Charlie a lifeline, in order to ensure that she didn't make any more comments that made her look bad in the eyes of casual readers. The problem is that Charlie didn't see it...

"...........If a sweat shop opened up down the road from me,and was then threatened with closure, I wouldn't fight to save jobs for the sake of jobs........."

This comment informs my view of Charlies mindset. If something exists that she disapproves of, it must be destroyed, irrespective of the social and human cost. I wonder what Charlie thinks the workers of the hypothetical sweatshop are going to do to live, while she and her cohorts are 'chip-chip-chipping away' at their vision of a social paradise?

Ben then throws Charlie yet another lifeline and it seems that she still doesn't understand what is happening.

".......I suspect you'd campaign to better the workers pay and conditions..........."

I am not sure Charlie would. Her viewpoint is purely binary, her view would be that any worker she feels is exploited is better off being unemployed and she has to think that, because if she didn't, it would undermine her campaign to close Elegance and Wiggle. If Charlie really cared about improving incumbent workers rights, she would be engaging with the management of Wiggle and Elegance and seeing what happens inside for herself. Because if she did, she would see for herself that there is nothing to worry about. Mind you if she had bothered the read the dancer testimonies in this blog, she would know that there is no exploitation and that the biggest issue that the dancers face is Charlie Dacke trying to take their jobs.

Can we get to the bottom of this? The campaign on Portsmouth has never been about exploitation of workers, its never been about objectification, its never been about crime, illegal parking or a shooting that we are told took place some years ago. Its been about one thing and one thing only, that a group of women saw an opportunity to guarantee their futures by dancing naked in a club. By doing this they violated a viewpoint held sacred by designer feminists, that being that income and social standing must never be achieved by reliance on looks and personality.

We see that Kathryn Rimmington provides us with the benefit of her analysis of the local labour market. Yes Kathryn I am sure there are alternative jobs, but I doubt they pay as much as working in Wiggle or Elegance or Heaven Sent, something that I am sure you would be aware of if you had the slightest clue about what you are eagerly trying to close.

In the first article in this series we saw that Kathryn Rimmington warned Charlie about unleashing The Furies.

For those that do not have the benefit of Kathryns knowledge of classics, let me explain that The Furies were the three goddesses of vengeance. Each had a specific role that they were to fulfill. Tisiphone was the avenger of murder, Megaera revenged those that had been wronged by the jealous and Alecto punished those afflicted with constant rage. They were the guardians of the law when the state had not yet intervened or did not exist, or when the crime was a crime of ethics and not criminal law.

When Kathryn mentioned The Furies, she was totally on the ball, especially given that a formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath".

Given the amount of false oaths that we seen sworn by Charlie Dacke and her crew, I am surprised The Furies aren't flying over Portsmouth right now.

Postscript: As mentioned earlier, I have contacted representatives of both the GMB and Equity with regard to the comments that Charlie Dacke made on Facebook.

Facebook Fun with Charlie Dacke

In a previous posting, we looked at the reactions to Charlie Dackes call-to-arms style attempt to get Portsmouth lapdancing club 'Elegance' closed down. The debate, held on the 'Portsmouth Against Cuts Together' Facebook page, became very interesting as various prohibitionists competed for the 'Radder Than Thou Award' . Lets re-join the debate and see who was saying what....

So as we can see, Kathryn Rimmington seems to be unable to remember what she did last time and if we recall my previous article, didn't even understand what 'Elegance' actually was. But hang on...I thought 'Wiggle' and 'Elegance' were having a big impact in womens lives in Portsmouth and yet we see that an active prohibitionist doesn't seem to see where Elegance fits into the local 'objectification' scene.

Next we see that its not only Kathryn Rimmingtons memory that is failing, because Charlie Dacke goes on to thank Rachael Victoria Wisniak for her support, forgetting that Rachael has been active on many Facebook debates and could hardly be described as a supporter. In fact we see that she makes the perfectly reasonable point that Charlie Dacke shouldn't be campaigning to make people redundant on a site that is apparently dedicated to saving jobs. Its interesting to note that Charlie scurries away from the debate at this point, largely because she knows when she is on to a loser.

That said Charlie supports Tim Dawes and asks him to consider the effect that the clubs (Wiggle, Elegance but not Heaven Sent for some reason) have on him, his family and the women in his life. Unless Charlie knows Tim personally, she has just made a whole raft of assumptions, but at least she is being consistent in her approach to debate....

Paul Nelson then drops into the debate and makes some impressive comments. Rachael Victoria Wisniak made the perfectly valid point that people who live for example in London or New Zealand should not be able to object against a licence application in Portsmouth, largely because they won't be affected by it. Paul of course takes a different view, because the 'zone of objectification' created by places like Elegance spreads across the world, in an almost quantum like manner and like the butterfly that flaps its wings in Hong Kong, a lapdance in Portsmouth could easily cause objectification in Argentina.

Paul then goes on to deliver lines that are reminiscent of 'Rick' from The Young Ones (look it up on You Tube if you have never heard of it). To my knowledge, and I prepare to be corrected, fox hunters and slave traders have never employed arguments that are remotely similar to any argument that Rachael proposed. So I really don't understand what Paul is talking about, but he probably thinks its a devastating one liner, but sadly the only thing that is speaking volumes is the superficiality of his arguments.

But hang on, because Paul gets even better when he compares campaigning against 'Elegance, to saving the Amazon Rain Forest. According to Paul the impact of losing 224,000 square miles of rain forest since 1980, is the same as a lap dancing club staying open in Portsmouth. Pauls stupidity is compounded when we remember some months ago how a group of loggers in the Amazon tied up and burned alive a six year old native girl. That's a serious issue and it deserves world wide attention, what goes in the Amazon will absolutely affect the rest of the world, what goes on in 'Elegance' in Portsmouth will only affect local crime rates if the place is closed. I say this because I have already demonstrated that incidences of violence flatline in areas where there are clubs.

Paul Nelson - Radder Than Thou

Sanity comes in the form of Ben Norman, who seems to know Paul Nelson of old and we love the 'cringe' comment. Ben talks some sense when he says that 'no true socialist supports the loss of jobs', but it seems that its not true socialists that we are talking about, its designer socialists and their designer feminist pals that are running these shows. Ben explains that nothing comes for free and that if anyone is calling on the council to close clubs, alternative jobs must be made available for those that are affected. Nice idea Ben, but its not going to happen.

That said, it's possible that Ben doesn't really understand how the industry works, especially when he states that it's social and economic problems that force women to seek employment in clubs. No one is forced but we do seem to keep seeing this viewpoint crop again and again.

We bring this article to a close, with Kathryn Rimmngtons comment, where sadly she demonstrates that she either doesn't understand what Ben Norman said or doesn't care when she mentions some kind of long term planning that apparently accords with Bens views, apart from the fact that the 'long term plan' will make loads of women redundant.

I don't know what you think, but debates like this only convince me that the participants aren't fully in sync with the real world. This isn't 'Sim Portsmouth', this is real life with real people who will suffer as a result of the imposition of a groups twisted principles to local society.

Anyway, stay tuned for the next and final episode where Charlie Dacke accuses Equity and GMB members of being prostitutes. No I'm not joking, it's about the best comment that she has ever made and will be one that comes back to haunt her.

Postscript: I have learned that since this time Charlie refused to debate with TonyN on the basis that she will not engage with people that 'buy women', best of all however is the fact that she deleted just about everything she could find. The problem for Charlie is that she deleted everything about three weeks too late...

Charlie Dacke Tells Lies....

Hello everyone and first I would like to say how good it is to be back. As TonyN commented some days ago, I have been in hospital, what was not revealed was that I was recovering from a minor heart attack. I am now out and back home and I must say that I am feeling better now than I have for some months...

My last post was to be the the first of a whole series about Charlie Dacke that were going to be published over the period of a week. Obviously we are a little behind, but that shouldn't stop us from going ahead as planned.

The frame grab below is from a thread on the Solent Feminist Network Facebook page and we can see that Charlie Dacke is once again trying to get a Portsmouth lap dancing club closed down....

Its an interesting posting for just so many reasons. We see that Charlie has apparently tired of fighting her corner on Facebook and asks people to essentially leave the thread alone (unless of course they agree with her). We can also see that Dacke supporter Kathryn Rimmington reminds Charlie of what happened last time she opened a prohibitionist thread. Its interesting to note that Kathryn doesn't actually know what 'Elegance' actually is and this gives Charlie an opportunity to explain...

Now before we go any further, lets remember that Charlie wants the thread disregarded by those that have no interest and on that basis alone, you would imagine that she would strive to keep her postings simple and unprovocative as possible. The problem is though that Charlie just cannot help herself and we end up with is a posting that almost seems designed to provoke a negative reaction. It is also the most outrageous piece that Charlie has written since I advised her about defamation of character some weeks ago...

If Charlie wanted to be uncontroversial, she could have said that Elegance is a lap dancing club that she would happily see closed, but instead the demons take over and Elegance is described as a place where.....

"........men go to buy young girls to strip for them and grind their shaven pubic areas in their faces while they often attempt t [sic] stick their fingers inside the women's vaginas and grab their breasts........"

Apart from the emotive, hate filled firework display that the above sentence embodies, we can also see that Charlie has lied by assigning activities that amount to sexual assault to a named venue. This is quite frankly inexcusable, especially as it implies that the staff that wrote testimonies about the venues (here, here, here and here) are liars. Furthermore, Charlie was also invited by Maddie, a member of this blog, to go and see what happens in Elegance for herself, an invitation that she has never responded to, probably because its easier to spout outrageous lies than witness things first hand and be proven wrong.

".......I have been harassed by punters outside these clubs.........."

I can only assume that this was the time that Charlie made allegations about Wiggle, as detailed below....

So we see that once again, Charlie is making apparently baseless allegations about lap dancing clubs and we see that we the police became involved, the clubs management were totally co-operative and no one found any evidence to support Charlies allegation.

".........They breed sexism and misogyny in wider society.........."

Really. How do they do this Charlie? Will I find the answer in the Lilith Report?

"........What happens inside the walls of a lap dancing club would be classed as sexual harassment and illegal under employment law in any other workplace..........."

Here Charlie rolls out what she sees as her killer comment, but as we have discussed in the past, it really is a stupid and pointless comparison. The activities of a fire-eater would be illegal in a shoe shop and the Health & Safety Executive would take a dim view of B&Q selling nuclear powered barbecues. The key issue is that lap dancing is legal in licensed premises and this is something that Charlie just cannot deal with on any level.

"..........I won't be saying anything more about them.........."

If only that was true, but as I said earlier Charlie just cannot help herself and went on to say much more, as we will discuss in later postings....

Finally, you may feel that the title of this posting is somewhat aggressive and maybe it is, but until Charlie Dacke presents this blog with evidence acceptable to a court of law that supports her allegations about what happens in Elegance...........

"........'Elegence is a den of misogyny, where men go to buy young girls to strip for them and grind their shaven pubic areas in their faces while they often attempt t (sic) stick their fingers inside the women's vaginas and grab their breasts........"

.........the title will remain unchanged.

In our next posting, StrippingTheIllusion will start to examine the possibility that beneath the feminist posturing, there is another agenda being pursued against Wiggle and Elegance, an agenda that has nothing to do with lap dancing but something else that we have yet to see or understand.

Celebrating 10,000 Page Views - Its Charlie Dacke Week!!!

I know I keep going on about this, but I am just so chuffed that something that I started in January will soon achieve its 10,000th page view and our readership continues to grow as well. Have a look at the StrippingTheIllusion world coverage map...

As you can see we have a good chunk of the globe popping by to see for themselves what is going on in Britain and how we are highlighting the lies of prohibitionist fascists that seem to be everywhere at the moment. Now, I was wondering exactly how to celebrate not only our 10,000th page view, but also reaching the finals of the 2012 Erotic Awards. I thought about it for a while and then realised that maybe a series of articles that essentially define what the blog is about and also provide an unflinching analysis of why this blog exists would be a good way to do things...

All I needed was a subject, I wondered whether Anna Van Heeswijk would make a good topic, but lets face it, Object have got a bit boring of late. I considered Rania Khan as a good subject, but Rania is busy fighting the militarisation of Tower Hamlets. Then, this morning I received some cool frame grabs about a Facebook campaign to close 'Elegance', the lap dancing club in Portsmouth and that's when I realised that the best way to celebrate would be to focus on our old friend Charlie Dacke. I actually have a weeks worth of material for this as well and it starts with the frame below, so tighten your seat belts, because we are in for a wild ride, because its.......

Its Charlie Dacke Week

Jani Franck really wants to object to Elegance but isn't really sure what to say though. My best advice is to be honest and say what you think. If you don't like something, state your position clearly and honestly and you can sleep soundly knowing that you've done things for the right reason. The problem is that Jan is worried that her reasons of objecting won't hold water so she asked Charlie Dacke what to say....

Charlie responded and advised Jan to object about 'no-go zones' and feeling unsafe while walking past clubs. But if the 'no-go zones' existed, Jan would know about them already, wouldn't she? Maybe she needs to walk past Elegance herself to experience the 'no-go-zone-of objectification' herself, that way, when she objects its based upon experience, as opposed to something she's been told to write.

Charlie advises Jan to complain about illegal parking, which is an absurd assumption unless you watched where the drivers of the illegally parked cars went after they illegally parked them. Jan is then told to discuss how she feels about lap dancing clubs and I just hope that she is honest in her objection, because otherwise its a bit of a conspiracy against freedom of expression and that is something that Jan Franck is very much against...

I cannot imagine there are too many Jan Francks living in the Portsmouth area, so I hope that I am right when I say that the Jan Franck who was conspiring with Charlie Dacke to close Elegance is the same one that was interviewed by The Guardian when the art house cafe of which she is a director of, were going to screen a film called 'On The Verge'.

What happened was as follows....

'SmashEDO', an activist group made a short documentary about EDO, a Brighton based arms dealer. The police it seems did not come out of the documentary covered in glory and it seems that there may have been a group conspiring to ensure the film was never publicly screened. Now Jan, decided that her art cafe would make an ideal place to screen the film, but she received a visit from the police....

"It was frightening. The police officer asked me if I knew anything about the smashEDO people. He said they were leftwing anarchists. I grew up in South Africa and this felt like the sort of thing the police there would do. It felt like political policing."

Well Jan, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but it seems that you value freedom of expression, apart from when it comes to lap dancing clubs and the people that work in them, when political policing is suddenly a very cool, rad thing to do.

Its amazing how time and circumstances can turn freedom fighters into prohibitionists. Freedom of expression is freedom of expression and exists for everyone Jan, not just for some people and not others based upon political convenience.

Now, as I said earlier, I have a weeks worth of material and comment about Charlie Dacke, so stay posted for the next instalment, which should be on this blog by Monday evening.

Remember, please tell your friends that its 'Charlie Dacke Week' at StrippingTheIllusion.

In our next episode, prepare to be mindblown as Charlie Dacke tells Kathryn Rimmington all about the 'den of misogyny'  that is 'Elegance', 

Solent Feminist Network SEV Consultation Response - Charlie Dacke Cannot Spell

The Solent Feminist Network made their submission to Portsmouth Councils SEV Consultation in January of this year. What you can see above is the covering letter. As you can see Charlie Dackes signature has been redacted, as has for some reason what may have been a logo at the top right hand side of the letter.

I don't know about you, but if I was preparing an important submission of evidence, I would at least make sure that the covering letter was free of spelling errors, but this seems to be beyond Charlie Dacke and her pals at  SFN.

I thought it would be interesting to have a look at their submission and comment on the highlights. Expect nothing earth shattering as there is nothing there that essentially couldn't have been lifted from Objects website....

Well, I couldn't find Part 1, which deals with the Solent Feminist Network 'as a consultee', which means that they either forgot to enclose it or there is something there that Portsmouth Council do not want us to see..

This section is misleading. It creates that impression that all anyone had to do was walk into any Licensing Department and ten minutes later they could open a lap dancing club. As Bill Martland wrote......

This is simply untrue. Unless they serve refreshments after 11pm coffee shops don't even need a licence. Lap dancing clubs on the other hand are covered by the Licensing Act 2003. The Act introduced one type of licence to replace the previously required 6 forms of generic licence. This change was implemented specifically to introduce more effective controls on premises' licensable activities via local authorities' new power to impose individually tailored permissions. Since the implementation of the Act, over 170,000 individually tailored permissions have been implemented on licensed premises, with conditions appropriate to the risk and nature of the business being applied.

Those applying for 'regulated entertainment' under their premises licence are subject to rigorous scrutiny and a public consultation process. Indeed, premises must also tick Box N on the licence application to state their intention of offering entertainment of an adult nature. Premises licences are tailored to the activities that will be offered by each venue, using a clearly defined operating schedule. This sets out how lap dancing clubs will comply with the 4 objectives of the Licensing Act.

Solent then go onto talk about how hard it is for local residents and concerned local authorities to prevent clubs from springing up everywhere. Its another lie as Bill Martland wrote in response to a similar allegation....

This again is simply untrue. Concerns about need or whether a new club is appropriate for a local community are, first and foremost, considered under the local planning regime. Local authorities have almost unbounded discretion to grant or reject an application. In considering planning permissions, they also have the ability to adopt local plans setting out policies in respect of certain types of licensed premises, including lap dancing clubs. Additionally, nightclubs are categorised a 'sui generis' under the Use Classes Order in planning legislation. This ensures that any operator wishing to turn their premises into a nightclub must undergo a fully consultative planning permission process. Obtaining planning permission is by far the biggest hurdle operators face when opening a new lap dancing club. Many applications are flatly refused at planning stage.

In addition, the Licensing Act 2003 introduced a right for residents to oppose an application, complain about an existing operator and call for a review of a licence. Contrary to what is claimed by the Fawcett Society, this right is not restricted to those living within 100m of an outlet. The Act does not define any vicinity; residents need only demonstrate that they are affected by an application or outlet. Local residents are able to object to any application on the grounds that it does not meet one or more of the four licensing objectives. Local authorities can only take such objections into account. It is not in the local authorities' power to refuse an application on the grounds of subjective moral objections.

This was a very significant change from the previous 1964 Act. A single objection can halt a licence application in its tracks and a single complaint can lead to the revocation of the licence. By way of example, in a recent case in Durham, a Council ignored objections from local residents and theMagistrates Court reversed their decision, showing how effective and influential local complaints can be.

The reality is that planning and licensing restrictions give local authorities and local communities full powers of consultation, complaint and control.

Who found the 'high levels of sexual and financial exploitation' in lapdancing clubs? Where is the reference for this assertion? Maybe we'll see something later.... 

Its so cool to see Chas Dacke lecturing the Council on Gender Equality and how unlawful harassment of women is wrong, especially when it was the Solent Feminist Network that made a habit of standing outside clubs screaming and shouting at anyone that went inside them...

Ahhh, now we see where they are getting their 'lapdancing horror' evidence from....its The Holsopple Report. I have to say that what SFN have written and attributed to Holsopple is accurate, however what Chas Dacke omits is that Holsopple is a 20 year old study of clubs in America and has no relevance to Portsmouth in 2012.

I think the thing about Philip Kolvin QC that they should be mindful of is that he successfully represented Urban Tiger in Bristol and ensured they got their licence to trade...

I only included this so that you can see how poorly the whole document was presented. Quite frankly I would be embarrassed to submit something so amateurish. It looks to me like the Solent Feminist Networks submission was put together in about half an hour and treats the Council with contempt as it lectures them about their duties to society and gender equality.

That said, there is only one reason that I could imagine that something as shoddy as this was submitted and that is because SFN think that the 'Nil Cap' is a done deal.

In summary, the arguments are poorly thought out, fail to address the issues adequately, were largely lifted from Object and as a result cannot be taken seriously by Portsmouth Council. If this ends up court and Portsmouth hold this submission up as the basis of their Nil Cap decision, they will be laughed out of court and somewhat poorer as a result...

Fascist Mailshots In Portsmouth

I want you to imagine that you are sitting in your living room, maybe you're watching a film a reading a book or maybe you're wondering exactly how you're going to meet this months mortgage payments and eat at the same time. But a noise from the front door distracts you, so you get up and investigate and see a sheet of paper on the doormat. You pick it up and see that it is a mailshot.....

You see that you have been sent something by an anonymous group of fascists that are trying to make you frightened of something that exists in your town. The anonymous group wants this thing to be closed down and are so desperate to get your support that they assign all sorts of horrors to its existence, such as crime and foreigners (the usual suspects for fascists).

Now I bet you think I am talking about the kind of thing that right wing mentalists write about mosques, but actually I am not, although the modus operandi is identical. No, what I talking about is that a fascist group in Portsmouth have once again been posting anonymous letters through peoples front doors in an effort to get 'Elegance', one of the cities lapdancing clubs closed down.

Here it is below......

This is the kind of thing that the National Front used to do in the 1970's so as to raise popular support against asian owned corner shops or anything that was owned/operated/associated with people that weren't white. Its interesting that such a tactic has been resurrected by a new generation of fascist scumbags. That said it is not surprising, every time a prohibitionist makes a comment in a lapdancing related related article on Portsmouth.co.uk, they get shot down in flames by other contributors that don't share their obsessive hatred of dancers, clubs and their owners. Mailshots can't be argued with as such and that is why we are lucky to have been sent the above photo.

Lets look at the lies.....

'........Strip clubs have proven links with crime, prostitution and sex-trafficking.........'.

Really?

I invite the author to provide the evidence and by evidence I mean something that would be acceptable in a Court of Law, as opposed to the twisted mind of a bigot. There is no link, nether has there been any study that suggests a link between clubs and gender based violence or crime or prostitution or sex trafficking.

Do you notice how the mailshot is anonymous? This is because the author told lies and they don't want to get caught out because they lack the substance to stand by what they wrote. In fact their idea of open democracy is to skulk around at night, posting spittle flecked hatred through peoples front doors...

In other words, not only are they fascists, but they're cowards as well.

Starstreak Missiles in Bow - 'Its Becoming A Saga Now'.

I know that this blog is about strippers and striptease, but I just couldn't help keeping track of the whole Olympic missile affair and its impact on the boroughs politics. Lots of blogs are commenting about this and of course 'East London Lines' are as well, so I thought I would provide you all with a good update of peoples views and thoughts. But first however, I have noted that a number of people have produced photoshopped pictures of what  it would look like of the missiles were actually launched. Most of what I have seen is fairly lame, so this is my attempt below....

The army test the ground to air capability of Starstreak on Lutfurs Merc.......

So what's the latest in the situation....


Well Brian Whelan, the resident that first raised the issue in the media, is apparently being evicted from his home. Clearly this shouldn't be that upsetting to him because he expressed concerns about the age of the soldiers that will be managing the missiles.....

”They look younger than me, and I’m not yet 30″, said Mr Whelan. “Surely you run a test like the real thing? It’s a disgrace.” 

Not really sure what point the soon to be homeless Brian is trying to make here. How old the soldiers look is of no relevance and his comment is essentially ageist. In terms of a test......what did he have in mnd? 

Someone flying an airliner at roof top level over the borough?

Anyway, apparently this is only the beginning of organised resistance as their was another meeting booked on 9th May at St Pauls. Before you get confused, its the St Pauls on St Stephens Road, not the cathedral.

Chris Nineham from the Stop the War Coalition, is another local resident who sees this as a great channel to raise their media profile. He believes that its a class issue and that the 'militarisation' of London represents a 'show of bravado' by Britain's ruling class, not a response to any credible terrorist threat.

Elly Badcock, Limehouse resident and member of the Counter Olympics Network said that the missiles were essentially a message to local working class residents that 'you may live in London, but the games are not for you'. Well a million more tickets are due to be released for sale this week, so Londoners still have a chance to get to the event, but  they'll have to take their chances with the rest of the world, because this is after all a world event...

I don't think that missiles are being used as a social threat statement by the authorities, that said its easy to see how conspiracy twats could fold these views into their arguments. Let's face it, every anti-something group in England are going to find an angle in this story and use it to bolster their campaign profile. 

Actually, Object recently made a statement linking the locations of missiles to the proximity of lap dancing clubs in the borough. In an emotional statement, Object CEO Anna Van Heeswijk said that the missiles 'objectified every women in the East End of London' and noted the fact that the missiles are shaped like penises 'that fly around and kill when they inevitably slip beyond control, just like men do all of the time, like when they fall out of lapdancing clubs and sexually harass women riding past on their bicycles'. Anna argued that the phallic shape of the missiles was 'an explicitly patriachal statement' and demanded that 'weapons of a more inclusive nature' be designed.*

Charlie Dacke of the Solent Feminist Network stated that she has walked past a Rapier Missile Battery and had been subject to a barrage of sexually harassing comments from the soldiers and all of time the batteries commanding officer just looked on laughed.*

Apparently residents of Blackheath have taken a different view of the whole thing, they are looking at having some Rapier Missiles planted right in the middle of the borough and they thinks its cool. Probably because they're so middle class and aren't likely to be hit by any flaming wreckage.

In summary, everyone that wants to be anyone is now on the bandwagon and that's why I why I think the clubs are safe from Tower Hamlets until after the summer at least.

* Actually they didn't say anything like that at all, I just wanted to make you smile...

*  She didn't say that actually, I was just being amusing...

Freedom of Speech - Solent Feminist Network Style

Without free speech no search for truth is possible... no discovery of truth is useful.
Charles Bradlaugh

Its been a bitterly contested battle in Portsmouth between club owners and the Solent Feminist Network and the lengths that Chas Dacke and pals will go to, to ensure they get their own way was illustrated at a recent council hearing.

Chas Dacke commented about it actually....

If you ignore Chas' childish comments, you can see that some dancers attended the hearing in order that their views could be heard. You would think that for the sake of fairness that all parties would welcome input from the people whose futures are under threat....

......Sadly no way could that be allowed to happen and we are lucky that WiggleMaria brought this story into the public domain. That said, Chas Dacke must have started working on her response almost immediately...

So it was Chas Dacke that tried to silence the girls by telling the Council how to run their meeting...

So basically it seems that Charlie 'really wanted' to hear what the dancers that had been 'wheeled out' had to say, but sadly procedures hadn't been followed and maybe dancers should keep quiet. Clearly Chas didn't want to hear what the dancers had to say too badly, because she tried to object to their freedom of speech with her in depth knowledge of procedure.

In summary, a bad tactical error of Charlie Dackes part, because it means that articles such as this can be written that make her look like a fascist.

Portsmouth Dancers Speak Out - 3

Now we have worked out the financial cost of Objects vision, lets return to the human cost and another dancer from Portsmouth speaks out....

To whom it may concern,

I have been a lap dancer for quite some time now. I work in Portsmouth as I live here and it would be inconvenient for me to travel to other cities on regular basis (however this would happen if you shut the strip clubs in Portsmouth). I am a student at University of Portsmouth and as most people know the tuition fees are high as well as the accommodation and the life is hard when you cannot get support from your parents or the government. Being a lap dancer made my education possible, because working as a bar staff or having any other job wouldn't provide for all the expenses I have. Also I choose how many nights and hours to work so I can still attend the lectures during daytime.

If the strip clubs in Portsmouth shut that would make everything so difficult. I will most probably have to go work in other cities doing the same job, it won't stop me. If I do not have this job this means I have to drop university wasting all that time and efforts I've put in so far. I don't even want to think about this possibility because it would be ridiculous. I think of myself as a smart and intelligent girl. I am not embarrassed from my job because I don't think it is something bad or that it harms anyone. Men come to strip clubs for fun and they know there is nothing else they can get except from a dance, which does not even include any form of physical contact.

I like my job not only because of the financial part but also because I meet so many different people and enjoy some nice conversation. I've learnt so many new things, broadened my knowledge on different topics, this is something that I've never imagined or expected before I started doing this job and perhaps no one would understand that until they actually get involved in this job ... any may be this is the reason everyone judge us even though they don't know what is really going on ...

I can confirm and declare that none of the girls I've met since I've been doing this job are forced to do it. It is our own choice and we all have our reasons to do it. Even some of the girls are happily married with kids and they do this job because the hours and financial part are convenient. Girls support their families or just their children due to different circumstances, others do it to support their education or just for a bit of extra money. The important thing is that we all want to be lap dancers and this is our full or part time job. If we lose our jobs in Portsmouth won't stop us being lap dancers most of us will just move to work in other strip clubs in the country but it will just make it so inconvenient.

Please save out jobs, we like what we are doing, we are not forced to do it, strip clubs don't harm anyone and our jobs are important for us!!!

Best regards,

Its a good letter and once again illustrates the lies and outright hysteria that play an integral part in so many Object and locally Solent Feminist Network Campaigns.

Portsmouth Dancers Speak Out - 2

  I think its time for another testimony from a dancer in Portsmouth. As before I am keeping the contribution anonymous and as before, what we see is someone that simply wishes to survive.

I have now been a lap dancer for coming up four years, and I can confidently say that in that time it has changed me into a more relaxed and confident person. I have tried a variety of jobs prior to dancing, including office work, retail and sales, bar supervision, none of which I ever felt happy and suited to, hence why I was forever looking to change jobs.

When I decided to becomes lap dancer it was days after I started my first shift that I began to feel more at home. Within a few weeks I'd noticed a massive change in my life, I was earning good money, my confidence had boosted, I had more self esteem, I'd made great friends and I didn't come home feeling stressed and pressurised like I did in my previous jobs, as for the first time I could finally work at my own pace.

People make a lot of bad assumptions of what lap dancing clubs are like, but as a dancer myself I can assure you that none of it is true. It is 100 per cent safe, clean, security is high and we never experience the fights, violence and drug use that happens on a daily basis in a typical night club. It's simply a place where a man or women or group of people will go to escape the stress of everyday life in a chilled out and friendly environment.

If the council decide to shut us down, it will put hundreds of girls that have worked hard to support their life out of a job, we will probably have to resort to job seekers allowance as employment will not fall at into our hands for some time, which in theory will cost our country more money.

In the time I have been a lap dancer, I have earned money which I've adapted my lifestyle to. I can finally pay for bills without a struggle, I can finally run a car that doesn't break down every week and can finally put some money into a savings account so in the future I have enough to support my children and put a deposit on a mortgage, rather than living off benefits as most 9-5 jobs only pay a basic wage.

Since having this job I have cleared my debts, not behind on any payments and not ended up in debt. As I did with my previous jobs as it simply wasn't enough money. Us women are NOT being exploited at our work place, we do this job out of choice.

We have the option to stay or go. I am the kind of person that will just hand in my notice if I'm not happy somewhere, no questions asked. But seeing as I've now been a self employed dancer for four years that must be telling the public something. I am happy and I'd live to continue this job. Please think about how many unemployed people there will be of you choose to shut us down.

The writer makes a very good point when she talks about the people making bad assumptions about clubs. Bad assumptions or value judgements are the curse of humanity, our predisposition toward judging those that we decide are in some ways different has caused misery, pain and anguish throughout history. Maybe I am being naive, but I really thought that in this apparently enlightened age we had moved forward and could find it in our hearts to accept and tolerate people that are different.

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe that there are enough people in the world that are happy to think for themselves and do the right thing...

Portsmouth Dancers Speak Out - 1

Object are very keen for everyone to read the testimonies of ex-dancers, StrippingTheIllusion is equally keen for you to read the views of dancers that are still working and want to stay that way. I have little doubt that Object, the Solent Feminist Network and Charlie Dacke will say that what you are about to read has been faked or coerced. Let me say now that I am happy to state that the following testimony is legitimate voluntary and verifiable. 

Finally, I have decided to keep the testimonies anonymous, largely due to the possibility that extremists will use the information to intimidate or abuse the people that have decided to speak out. Please read this article to understand what other dancers have been through...

Finally, understand that these are the voices that Charlie Dacke of the Solent Feminist Network wanted silenced....

Dear Chair,

I am very disappointed with the decision of Portsmouth Council to implement new rules to clubs or even worse the closure of some clubs and threats of closure. In my time at working at the club industry, I can only say that I have always been treated with the utmost respect, I have also observed the same treatment afforded to the other young women.

There is certainly no coercing in any way, shape or form. The place is secure and at the end of the shift, all the young women are escorted to their cars by security staff and not left until they are in their car and the doors are locked.

Speaking for myself, I find the venue and atmosphere very safe and great fun. My father once told me that if the job stops being fun, stop doing the job. The closure of the club will not only stop the enjoyment of working because there will be no place to work but also be a massive cut of income not only for me but to other girls and the bouncer, bar staff and the management team.

Let me be candid; I am a young woman looking to put myself through University without being saddled with debt, scrounging off the state or my parents. My mother and my father, a Sales Director of his own Company, are fully aware of my part time occupation. Having checked the Venue for themselves, they are more than satisfied everything is above board and legal.

The attitude of the Council flies in the face of the 1968 Theatres Act and the abolition of the Lord Chamberlain as censor. Our performances are no more than titillation; no different to Benny Hill shows, Carry On films, imagine Gerald Thomas, Director of the Carry On’s, asking Sid James to keep his distance from Barbara Windsor. Ridiculous.

Please reconsider and reverse your decision and allow us to legally earn some money and have a laugh at the same time.

Tremendous Support from iPhone Users...

For every moment of triumph, for every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled.
Hunter S. Thompson

Just as long as its not our souls.
Chasmal




I find much gratification in the support that I get for writing this blog. That said I am overwhelmed by the support that I have received from people concerned about the situation in Portsmouth. Since I started my coverage I have received 1002 page views, in fact yesterday was an all time record with 335 views in one day.


Sometime tonight StrippingTheIllusion will receive its 5000th visitor, which is not bad for a blog that started in January. In fact whoever makes a comment that they are the 5000th visitor, will win a highly limited edition StrippingTheIllusion 'Robot Face' T Shirt.


There is something else that I have been very pleased about and that is the sheer volume of support that I have had from dancers in Portsmouth. Of the 1002 page views this week, 258 were from dancers. How do I know this? Because Blogger records the device that views the site and dancers are the only people that visit using iPhones, iPads and Macs. In fact  dancers are the only people I know with iPhones, iPads and Macs.


The amount of support I have been getting from Portsmouth tells me that a lot of people have been made to be very frightened about their jobs and their futures. So I have to ask Charlie Dacke, Solent Feminist Network and Object of they really think that the fear they have created is worth while.


While they ponder their response, below is an updated world map which illustrates the global coverage of this blog...

This week has seen repeated page viewings from America, Australia, Russia, France, Germany, Brazil, Thailand, Iran and Ireland. So the eyes of the world are on Portsmouth at the moment and I imagine they have also concluded that Charlie Dacke can't spell.


Once again thank you very much and if you think that things look grim...


"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds"  

Orison Swett Marden - Don't have a clue who this person is actually....