Naked Truth: Strip Clubs, Democracy, and a Christian Right

Appendix 13. Reality and Myth: What Neighbors Say about Exotic Dance Clubs

| 283 A P P E N D I X 13 Reality and Myth: What Neighbors Say about Exotic Dance Clubs Summary of a Case Study in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 2001 The City of Charlotte, North Carolina, granted five M.A.L. Entertainment clubs eight-year zoning amortizations to relocate. M.A.L. Entertainment requested zoning variances for these establishments by presenting the results of several studies: neighborhood perceptions, crime analysis, and economic impact. An anthropological, qualitative case study reported the perspectives of resident and business neighbors of three of the five exotic dance clubs—Twin Peaks, VIP Showgirls, and Temptations—chosen to reflect different kinds of economically developed neighborhoods. The research goal was to provide information on the extent and quality of residents’ and business operators’ perceptions of the impact of the exotic dance club on the neighborhood quality of life and what takes place at and around the club. The City of Charlotte zoning regulations refer to a 1,000-foot radius as a measure of neighborhood, so structured interviews were conducted within this radius of each of three exotic dance clubs, eliciting respondents’ firsthand knowledge of the club’s positive, neutral, or negative effects on the neighborhood quality of life. Questions were both open-ended (permitting any kind of answer) and close-ended (fixed alternatives). Neighbors were asked the reasons for their opinions about the impact of the local club. In addition, the investigator observed three exotic dance clubs during both daytime and nighttime hours of operation. Managers and six dancers in each business were interviewed about their perceptions of what takes place at and around the club and the neighbors’ reactions to the club. Reports about exotic dance clubs in the Charlotte Observer newspaper were examined to obtain historical background for the case study. Out of ninety-one interviews with three exotic dance club neighboring residents and business operators, eighteen dancers and three managers, there were no reports of adverse secondary effects—crime or property depreciation —as a result of the presence of these adult entertainment establishments. Two male businessmen objected to the exotic dance clubs but offered no evidence that they harmed the neighborhood’s quality of life. A car lot owner complained about “those places”: a billiard hall behind his lot that had drunkenness , brawling, and murder, and an exotic dance club, a few doors down the street from his business. He claimed some people had parked in his lot, cluttered it with beer bottles, and collided with one of his cars. As a result, he was forced to put a railing around his lot. Another objector said that exotic dance 284 | appendix 13 clubs are sinful. Some residents and business operators were not, as a matter of cultural “taste,” favorably disposed toward exotic dance clubs. Several business operators in the exotic dance club neighborhoods commented on the positive benefits of being proximate to adult entertainment enterprises. The clubs attracted customers who became their clients, and the clubs’ employees themselves were clients. Some businesses found a club advantageous as a landmark to find their establishments. Many locals said the problems that exist in the neighborhoods of exotic dance clubs are over-development of the neighborhood area, congestion, noise, high employee turnover, and too many poor people in the vicinity. Interview Schedule for Neighbors of Exotic Dance Clubs Introduction: I am Dr. Judith Lynne Hanna, a senior researcher from the University of Maryland. I am conducting research on people’s views of the quality of life in their neighborhood. I have published books and articles on this subject. Here is my card. I am interested in your opinions. What you say will be treated as anonymous in the research report unless you would like to be identified. I would be happy to let you know when a report of the study is available. Name of club Interviewee Name Resident Business Address Phone e-mail Date Time Gender Ethnicity Contextual Information Not available Refusal Other Part i. 1. How long have you lived [worked] in this neighborhood (area within walking distance)? Less than 1 year 1–2 years more than 3 years other | 285 Reality and Myth 2. In your opinion, in the period during which you’ve lived [been involved with a business] in this neighborhood, has the quality of life in the neighborhood changed? 2a. In what way? 3. In your opinion, have businesses in this neighborhood impacted its quality of life...