In last Tuesday’s Springfield News Sun, local downtown bar, Voodoo Moon, proposed a plan to turn its upper bar area into a gentleman’s club, called Jazzy G’s Gentleman’s Club. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the article is the headline itself, “City warns Springfield business about opening ‘gentleman’s club.’” Looking back at Margaret Atwood’s use of Scales and Tails in her novel, The Year of the Flood, some similarities can be drawn between the two. As Atwood sets up in the novel, these clubs are similarly used for the benefit of the male customer. To my knowledge, there is not equivalent to Jazzy G’s yet in Springfield, and there was no male equivalent for a woman’s enjoyment in the novel. In the article, owner of Voodoo Moon, Renea Turner said she “is providing her establishment to test this concept, which she feels could draw new investments to downtown Springfield.” This draws an eerily similarity to Scales and Tails in the fact that these businesses, for the pleasure of men, are created as “revenue-generating” projects, in the hopes that these places will bring in more business. In Atwood’s novel, Scales and Tails isn’t necessarily viewed as “revenue-generating,” but it is customer-generating, pulling its customers from the local Painball arena. It is interesting to note that Voodoo Moon announced their plans over Facebook in February, with the Springfield News Sun article being published in early April. The city does not allow, due to the CI-1 Zoning Classification restriction, which Voodoo Moon does not have, for Voodoo Moon to operate an “adult business.” The Facebook post, now unavailable on their page, detailed some plans, which included a description of the club as including “VIP/private dances.” In this example in particular, parallels can be drawn directly to Scales and Tails. Those who came to Scales and Tails, especially those of “higher cliental,” were treated to better activities and better women. Most of these men were participants in the Painball arena, and were viewed as these higher cliental. Due to the language of the article and Turner, it seems like Jazzy G’s will be used to draw in those with differing backgrounds, like the customers of Scales and Tails, potentially with a focus on the more wealthy of Springfield. Although there isn’t a direct parallel to be drawn directly here, Voodoo Moon is directly across the street from a prison, which relates back to the potential cliental, like those from the Painball arena, that might come to Jazzy G’s. When thinking about the portrayal of the employees at Scales and Tails, it is important to point out that these women view their act as a portrayal of themselves and their talent, a.k.a. their art. Main character Ren participates in a trapeze act at Scales and Tails, and refers to herself as one of the more “respected” female workers. According to the article, there would be no nudity, and that there are bigger cities where “women are seen as ‘art’ and there are clothes performances by women.” The Facebook post also detailed a plan for its women employees to be “lingerie-fitted waitresses.” As with Scales and Tails, these women are wearing outfits for the benefit of their male cliental. Although these women at Scales and Tails outfits are also fitted for the purpose of safety against sexually transmitted diseases, they also have a focus on highlighting the female body. The article detailed an explanation of what constitutes an “adult business” in Springfield as “any sexually oriented business which focuses upon sexual activities and/or anatomical areas in conducting a business for adult entertainment.” Examples include “adult cabaret, adult arcades or adult book stores.” In the future, Voodoo Moon hopes to host “burlesque, drag shows and other performances.” Toward the end of the article, Turner said that she believed Springfield is “in need of revitalization and change.” She later goes on to say that Springfield “will bring something new to downtown.” Compared to the experiences of the main characters in The Year of the Flood, it seems like Scales and Tails was created for the benefit of bringing something “new” to the area, with a focus not only on pleasure, but art as well. The CorpSeCorps dominated the world in The Year of the Flood and the Scales and Tails establishment was one way in which to “revitalize” and “change” the area. Now, Jazzy G’s seeks to do the same, and, potentially draw a Wittenberg crowd to it.
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Dr. PolakWrangler of the attendant ne'er-do-wells. Archives
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