BEYOND THE THONG: CONTEXTS, REPRESENTATIONS, AND THE PERFORMANCES OF EROTIC MASCULINITIES IN MALE STRIP SHOW(S) John Paul Staszel A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2017 Committee: Lesa Lockford, Advisor Montana Miller Graduate Faculty Representative Jonathan Chambers Ronald Shields © 2017 John Paul Staszel All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Lesa Lockford, Advisor Male stripping has been a cultural performance of growing interest for scholars and the wider US population for decades. In the1980s the male stripping industry developed as numerous clubs, groups, and agencies materialized, offering various erotic masculine strip performances. As the industry emerged, a pathway developed for the narrative of the male stripper to become a common constituent of today's popular storylines as seen in numerous types of media and entertainment. Over the past few decades, the investigation of sex work has also been a growing area of focus in academic research, particularly the body of scholarship associated with exotic dance. However, research on erotic dance commonly focuses on the female segment of the industry and the issues women confront regarding the industry. Very little has been written about the male stripping industry in relationship to the performance of masculinity, and how the performance of masculinity is constituted beyond a heteronormative and white context. Male strip shows are cultural performances that vary in purpose and meaning, and are best understood as a cultural display that presents the body as a socially interactive text, where performer and spectator have (or develop) an understanding of the interactions and expectations of the show. The erotic theatre of male stripping is highly stylized based on the continuous negotiation of the performers identity as he dances the line located on the continuum between work and play. The work/play engagement of the male stripper takes place in a kind of erotic type of playground, where rules and behaviors are sometimes predetermined and other times fluid and impromptu. In this study, I examine the construction and performance of masculinity in the male iv strip show by exploring variations of masculinity and the ways masculinity is constituted and performed in various contexts. Building on the current discourse about male stripping and gender performance, juxtaposed with close readings of erotic performances on film and television, plus thick descriptions from interviews and personal experience, I explore various constructions of erotic masculine identity, and move toward a critical understanding about the industry as a whole. v I dedicate my dissertation to my wife and son: Erin Paun Staszel Emory Quinn Staszel My previous life of adventure and craziness pales in comparison to the adventures your love, support, comfort and chaos provide. With all my love - Pumpkin and Daddy! vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my beautiful, wonderful and supportive wife Erin Staszel and our son Emory Quinn for pressing me to stay focused with this project and helping me negotiate my time and responsibilities as a father, husband, educator and student. I am humbled and thankful that you both have pushed me to complete this milestone, providing every ounce of understanding, support and guidance along the way. Erin, thank you for participating in the various events, outings, and outlandish encounters my erotic occupation provided. More importantly, thank you for being a critical sounding board, helping to clarify my thoughts and strengthen my ideas throughout this journey. Emory, thank you for being such an amazing, intelligent and energetic son. While I would have appreciated a more structured and sustained sleep schedule, I would not trade a moment of our time for a quicker dissertation process. Equally, I would like to thank my dissertation advisor, Dr. Lesa Lockford, for being so supportive and nurturing in the development of this project. Thank you for helping to clarify my thoughts, strengthening my language and developing many variations of this project. You have been a supporting force from my early class writings, to the content of the performative lecture and analysis for the Women's Studies Certificate, to the development of the final product in my dissertation. Thank you for your patience, sincerity, and openness to my topic, my lifestyles, and my personality. You have been more than an advisor. You are a mentor that has not only strengthened my academic work, but has influenced my overall character. I would not be the educator, performer and overall person that I am today if it was not for you playing such an important part in my personal and academic journey. I would also like to thank Dr. Montana Miller for being such a positive motivating force and friend throughout this process. Thank you for being so interested in and supportive of my vii project and early ideas of how I wanted to develop my dissertation. I value those early moments of mentorship as we carved out our academic relationship, but I hold most dearly to all of the other conversations about life, love, friendship, struggle, strife and success. From the classroom, to your office, to long walks and abridged visits, I will always treasure your dedication to your students, your work and your passions. Your ability to negotiate extremes in achieving your work/life balance is a quality I strive to achieve. Thank you for being you. I would also like to thank the remainder of my committee Dr. Ron Shields and Dr. Jonathan Chambers. Thank you both for serving as readers on my committee. Additionally, thank you for your diverse approaches to pedagogy, the unique topics in your classes and the critically engaging content throughout my graduate studies. Jonathan, thank you for being so open and supportive in my development as a physical performer and director, and tolerating my eclectic approaches as I carved my path through the thicket of physical and devised theatre. The productions that you served as faculty advisor have been foundational markers as I continue to refine my physical style and approach to ensemble building and directing. Ron, thank you for finding a place in various operas and allowing me the space to experiment with movement and emotion. Each opportunity was exceptionally special allowing me to dabble in an art form that I have had little exposure. You planted a seed for a growing passion toward more classical sounds. I would also like to thank the men of the stripping industry included in this study that willingly provided numerous hours on this project. Your time in the lengthy interviews as well as all of our time in the clubs and on the road have been experiences that I will always remember. Without you, I would not have the same understanding and experiences of the industry and the performance of masculinity that the business requires. My dissertation would not have developed in quite the same ways. Thank you for sharing your time, your energy, your stories, and your laughter as we remembered our experiences and made sense of the craziness we participated in viii when we were performing our erotic personas. I will miss those long nights that we shared together playing and being someone other than our usual day-to-day selves, and all those unique moments that still produce immediate laughter. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends. Mom and dad, thank you for sticking by my side at a safe distance through this journey. It has been an uphill struggle over the years but all of your support and hard work have helped me manage the chaos that I call life. While this chapter of my life closes, I hope you see all that it has created. I have completed more than a degree and a study. I have closed the door on a former lifestyle and occupation and opened a new one with a loving life, a promising career, and your first grandchild. If it was not for your help, I never would have been able to juggle or manage all of my responsibilities. To my in-laws, Mark and Neetie Paun, thank you for being so open and supportive to my unique approaches to performance, my topic of study, and all of the crazy experiences that your daughter and I have encountered. Thank you for all of the help and assistance you have provided as I worked to complete this project. If it were not for all of your encouragement toward Erin and me as we carve out our own way as parents, professionals, and performers, we would not have such a wonderful and abundant life. To my brother Joey, thank you for being a sounding board and allowing me to vent about various issues throughout life. I have enjoyed sharing our professional and academic adventures together and look forward to the many journeys ahead. Jim Overly, Mark Vaitkus, and Earl Tucker thank you for all of those long conversations in the wee hours of the morning discussing my evening antics, the progress of my academic study, and the various other topics that allowed me to keep my sanity as I managed the many responsibilities as a doctoral student. Jim, some special thanks for your time with copy editing sections of this project, and helping to develop certain ideas. I hope you enjoy seeing your influence in the project. Matthew Lamb, thank you for being my first friend and enduring ix companion during our doctoral programs. Thank you for not only the support and humor, but sharing in various moments of personal struggle and triumph. Equally, thank you for inviting me into your classroom, conference presentations, and publications.