'We had to get the clients to release the men': How these women manage male strippers, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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'We had to get the clients to release the men': How these women manage male strippers

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By ARETHA LOH from HER WORLD

Ask Ms Kong Yen Lin and Ms Julie Lo what they do for a living and they will say they are party planners.

"It is far too intimidating to tell others we are the bosses of male strippers," says Ms Kong with a laugh, even though that is exactly what they are.

The 27-year-olds, who look like they could be your best friends from university or colleagues from the marketing department, started Wicked Favors in 2013 after Ms Lo realised she could make a living out of her organising skills, which she had put to good use planning a few bachelorette parties for friends.

While Wicked Favors is a party-planning business, it concentrates on providing the one thing most customers come a-knocking for - male stripper.

Ms Kong recalls the first time they auditioned a stripper, likening it to a case of the blind leading the blind.

"We didn't know what to expect and the stripper didn't really know what to do. He was trying to come off as sexy, but it felt too intimate, which left me half giggly and half horrified," says Ms Kong.

"Julie was just horrified."

Ms Kong says they've even had to "rescue" their strippers on a few occasions.

"The clients didn't want to let the guys go, and being newbies, they were eager to please, so they didn't leave," she says.

"We had to be the bad guys and call the clients to tell them to release the men."

Today, the ex-schoolmates from Singapore Management University manage five freelance strippers, all of whom are in their 20s and hold full-time jobs.

The 30-minute routine they each perform includes dancing, stripping to their underwear to music that they select themselves - be it Bollywood, pop, R&B or electronic dance music - and carrying the bride-to-be or birthday girl in their arms.

On average, they get 20 to 30 requests for strippers each month. There have been weekends when they get up to 10 requests, which means the guys have to do back-to-back gigs from 8pm to midnight - the hours they usually perform.

"Thanks to movies such as Magic Mike (2012) and Magic Mike XXL (2015), women are increasingly open to the idea of hiring a stripper, and more men are willing to take on stripping as a part-time job," says Ms Kong.

TOUCHING

She makes it clear to clients that they are not allowed to take photos or videos of the men. Touching their torso is fine but not anywhere else.

The two women are constantly looking out for spunky men to add to their stable of male performers. They trawl online forums for men who advertise their stripping services.

Potential candidates then have a face-to-face interview with the duo.

"We make sure they aren't applying for perverse reasons, like getting easy access to hordes of women," says Ms Kong.

"Most of the time, thankfully, they just do it for the money."

When asked how lucrative the job is, Ms Kong is only willing to disclose that each stripper earns "a few hundred dollars" per gig, excluding attractive tips (one of her guys received close to $800 in tips in a single show).

More importantly, the stripper wannabes need to move like Magic Mike. To prove they have what it takes, each applicant, who has made it through the first two rounds of interviews (that determine they look presentable and are in it for valid reasons), then performs a striptease for Ms Lo and Ms Kong in a hotel room, which the women book for a day.

"It is really a test to see if they have the guts to be a stripper," says Ms Kong, who usually takes on the role of the bride-to-be at these auditions.

"We also give them pointers, such as, 'Don't just stand there swinging your hips, it's boring' and 'You're too close for comfort, give us more space.'"

Asked if they have ever been hit on by the men, and the answer is a resounding no.

"They see us as their bosses - nothing more," says Ms Kong. "Plus, it is usually the guys who are taken aback by how straightforward we are."

Ms Kong states that part of their job is being a gatekeeper; they have to weed out inappropriate requests that involve overtly sexual activity.

Some clients want the strippers to provide "extra services" that involve sexual activity.

When that happens, "we just have to state clearly that the strippers are performers and nothing more. They are there purely for (the clients') entertainment and are not obliged to accede to every demand," says Ms Kong.

"Thankfully, our guys are professional enough to finish their routine," says Ms Lo. "Even when things get 'dangerous'."


This article first appeared in the October 2015 issue of Her World. Her World, Singapore's No. 1 women's magazine, is now available in both print and digital formats. Log on to www.herworldplus.com to subscribe.

Stripper stories

SHE WHIPPED ME 
AND IT HURT


I was hired by a woman for her birthday party. When I turned up, it was just her and a few friends.

"As I was preparing to start my routine, her friends went to the bathroom and stayed in there while the woman pulled out a toy whip.

"She flashed a mischievous grin, said, 'Let's get started' and proceeded to whip me. It hurt and I kept telling her to stop, but she didn't.

"To distract her, I started my routine. Wrong move - she took it as a sign to get physical and started sliding her hands from my chest to my nether regions.

"I kept nudging her away and finished the dance before making my exit."

- Steve*


SHE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP REMOVE MY BELT

"A woman's friend requested for a stripper, saying it was a long-time dream of hers to have one at her birthday party.

"During my routine, when she saw me struggling to unbuckle my belt, she volunteered to give me a helping hand or rather, mouth.

"It surprised me that she did this in front of her family members (who egged her on), but nothing shocked me more than when the over-enthusiastic birthday girl suddenly grabbed my hand and shoved it down her clothes.

"I stayed anyway, as I always make it a point to finish my routine. After the 30 minutes were up, I left, drenched in cold sweat."

- Eric*


BACKACHE FROM LIFTING PLUS-SIZE BRIDE

"I am 1.8m tall and quite fit, so lifting women (which is part of the routine) is usually a piece of cake for me.

"For one particular party of six, however, everyone was plus-size.

"I went ahead and did an overenthusiastic lift with the bride-to-be. As I did so, I felt and heard a crack. It was my back. Not wanting to embarrass her, I quickly moved on to the next person in the group.

"The ladies texted Julie and Yen Lin after the party, saying they had a fantastic time. But I had a terrible backache for days after."

- Xander

*

*Their names have been changed.

Uncategorisedbachelorette party