Louisiana State Rep. Kenneth Havard is under fire this week for a measure that would have required strippers in Louisiana to be no older than 28 and weigh no more than 160 pounds. The amendment was . . . well . . . stripped from the bill after objections.
The story was broken by Capitol reporter Melinda Deslatte via Twitter during the discussion of a bill to raise the age minimum for strippers to 21. Deslatte reported that Havard reportedly proposed his amendment as a joke but state Rep. Julie Stokes, a Kenner Republican, was outraged by the suggestion. Deslatte says that Stokes said that she had “never been more repulsed to be a part” of the Legislature. Having lived in Louisiana. I am a bit surprised that this was the worst such moment. I was living in the state when state Rep. Carl Gunter questioned the need for an exception for incest in abortion limits because “Inbreeding is how we get championship horses.”
Notably, such a limitation would have barred the most famous stripped on Bourdon Street: Chris Owens, who danced for over 50 years.
The bill was unanimously approved. As a result, older, Rubenesque strippers may still find employment on Bourbon Street.
@ Darren Smith, who asks, “Is there anything politicians do not want to control and regulate?”
Answer: Yes. Themselves. Other than that, not really. The underlying philosophy of most politicians is, “By dint of winning an election where 90% of the issues on which I will legislate were never discussed, I feel justified in legislating every aspect of every citizen’s life.”
And, as Rep. Harvard might add, “There ain’t hardly no business more worth stickin’ my nose into than people who shake their business in front of other people’s noses.” 😉
Professor Turley: “DeSlatte” ≠ “Desolate”. LMAO.
BUT, the quote you gave from Rep. Stokes is even better if you include more of it: From the WaPo write-up:
“Looking over this body, I’ve never been more repulsed to be a part of it.” Really?!?! I mean, the obviously feigned pearl-clutching by politicians is always hilarious when one considers all of the things it has done that must have somehow repulsed her LESS. But, “Looking over this BODY…” Criminy!
Yes, an outrage. Clearly there should be a height requirement linked up to weight. Like no more than 6’0″, 160 lbs.
As they say in France: “Porkwa?”
I detest political correctness. But is this the citizens of Louisiana taxes at work. I still all these clowns spend too much time in our State Houses and at the Capital building in Washington. The less they are there. the less damage they can do!
Paul – All in for that law. No more mud slinging protections. Every politician should be liable to the public, if their caught lying.
I’m all for that. lol
I think every married couple should be liable to the other if they lie. They lie, automatic divorce. So, the first time the wife asks “How do I look in this dress?” And the husband lies, it is all over.
Oh, and to clarify, “LA County” stands for “Los Angeles County” in CA. I forget ya’ll aren’t all in CA.
Paul – that would be like a dystopia for politicians. Political offices would stand empty The Day After.
We can only dream…
If people only knew the savage intensity with which Balanchine pressured his ballerinas to be thin. He’s the one who spear headed the move towards frail dancers who paradoxically also had to be athletic enough to fly. Happily, the trend appears to be towards a bit more athletic form today.
Performing arts is an intensely competitive business, whether you’re an exotic dancer or Prima Ballerina. You are supposed to embody the director’s ideal human form. For stripping, the requirements are a bit cruder with less appreciation for art.
Of course he was joking. Of course it was a boorish thing to say from an apparent striper connoisseur. And of course the state should stay completely out of regulating the minimum age for strippers over 18.
I’ve long felt that we need to decide on a single age of majority for everything. If you’re old enough to get married and have a kid, you’re old enough to rent a car, buy a glass of wine, etc. So pick one and stick to it.
With all the potholed streets, kids living in poverty, and failures in our education system, THIS Is what they choose to spend their time, resources, and money on?
Speaking of how much money flows out of government, in other news, LA County recently announced that it spends close to a billion dollars annually , just in the county alone, on the homeless, with 40% of funding going to mental health and addiction services. Seriously, every local and state government has more pressing issues than this to deal with.
How about a law that says if an elected politician is caught lying, on anything, he is ousted from office.
There should be a law that male strippers be over 6 ft tall and not gay. 🙂
There should be a law that ugly fat old thinned haired legislators should be fined, for complaining about the same issues he lacks. lmao!
http://www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/1-rubio-640×445.jpg
Well that’s just common sense. A fat old stripper just doesn’t work for me. Smart man!
On second thought, how about a Board of Artist Licensing of Exotic Dancers?
I think there should be a BMI limit. There is an artistic component to all this (according to the SC).
18 up and out.
That is a saying which many Americans need to think about. An 18 year old can vote. They can go to war. They can probably breed and have babies. They can enter college.
Why would you limit their right to be a stripper? To take away a woman’s right to show some bare arse or chest level booby is worse than taking away their right to bear arms or to arm bears.
Now, on the other hand. Not allowing an old dog to come out on stage and gross people out who are out for a good time is something which Louisiana should regulate. Trump and Hillary should weigh in on this issue.
Age 28 is too low an age. A 160 llbs is too fat to be on stage, unless the stripper is seven feet tall.
Randy Newman produced and sang a song many years ago entitled “Louisiana”. Google that.
Once again, government gets involved and messes up the entire affair. How about this. If the dancer is above 18, what does it matter? I don’t see a legitimate state interest in anything otherwise. If Mr. Havard likes his strippers to be thin and young, there are many porn sites that can accommodate his interests. Let the market dictate the matter.
Is there anything politicians do not want to control and regulate?
She’s upset by this but she doesn’t mind when the state tells women that they should just shut up and die without the access to proper health care or legislates medical decisions for women and their doctors. Talk about sound and fury over nothing!
How about no ugly porkers for state representatives! No stripper would go near that thinned haired pot bellied toilet jockey anyway and he shouldn’t worry himself over it.
160 lbs? Unless the stripper is a guy, that sounds rather plump. Which is okay, if that’s your thing…just sayin’.