TV Review | Strip (Paramount+) - Future of the Force

The hottest ladies, the hottest town, the hottest reality show on TV as Strip dances its way onto Paramount+.

The Paramount+ reality series, Strip, most certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Or bottle of champagne. Or bottle of Tequila. It follows a bunch of ladies who perform nightly at one of Las Vegas’ hottest strip clubs, Crazy Horse III. As you would expect, the series contains scenes that are not suitable for children or those who are easily offended. But it is a surprising series. It doesn’t only focus on the ladies and their nighttime activities. It also focuses on their outside lives, and their friendships with one another. Although it most certainly is a cut-throat business and can get extremely bitchy, it also shows the women banding together at times. And will open many eyes along the way.

*Contributors: Amber, Londyn, Christina, Natalie, Malibu and Baby.*

PARAMOUNT+ HAS A SPOOKY OCTOBER IN STORE!

THE SERIES DETAILS

Welcome to Las Vegas-home of Crazy Horse III, the hottest strip club in the world, where the top girls can make six figures in a single night. Strip is a sensational new series set in the high-stakes world of high-end strip clubs. From the dressing room to the stage, from the party lounge to the lucrative VIP rooms, it’s a world of fierce competition, eye-popping outfits, and mind-blowing dancing.

For these women, stripping isn’t just a way to make ends meet, it’s a profession, an art form, and a cornerstone of the Vegas economy. The series will follow a main cast of twelve women onstage, backstage, and outside the club, all determined to be the best in the business. Strip is your new reality box set addiction.

THOUGHTS

Although the series does contain some moments that are certainly adult-rated, including bad language, it also gives us a unique insight into these women’s lives. In the first episode, we meet a newbie who claims she has danced for years. In reality, she has danced for two weeks. Some may believe that this white lie won’t come back to haunt her. You’d be wrong. In this kind of town and in this kind of industry, you’ll get found out rather quickly. And she does, showing that despite thinking the job would be easy, it most certainly isn’t.

Many of these women have been performing and honing their routines for several years. By doing this, they can maximize their earning potential. While pole dancing may see them earn a living, it is the VIP rooms where their money is earned. We take a look behind the curtain at what goes on in the VIP rooms. And our eyes can’t help but widen at what we discover. Not the lap dancing or partying but the amount people spend to gain access to the rooms. To you or me, these amounts are mind-blowing. To the customers, they are what’s expected of them and they pay willingly.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

We get an insight into these women’s lives away from the club. We discover how much money one performer has spent to keep herself in top condition. The surgical enhancements, the nip and tucks here and there. All because she is approaching old age…at 37. To us, that is relatively young. For these ladies, it is the twilight years of her career. To keep herself ahead in the game, this lady has spent fortunes to keep herself near the top. She also shows her caring side as she takes the newbie under her wing and gives her some advice about her career. Not that it makes much difference.

One performer is an immigrant who splits her time between Las Vegas and Miami doing her chosen profession. She is doing this for her son, who lives and goes to school in Miami. She does what she does to provide a better life for him than she had at his age. At the same time, she is also torn between staying in Miami permanently or moving to Vegas full-time. Our hearts go out to this woman as she struggles with her decision. She wants what is best for her child, to provide for him, and to be in a place of relative safety. We see what goes on off the pole and away from the VIP rooms.

BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT

One of the ladies is set upon increasing the size of her backside. The procedure is called a Brazilian Butt Lift and is something she has been wanting for several years. Of course, the procedure is expensive and so she is saving her earnings until she can comfortably afford the operation. She also hasn’t told her parents about her career choice. Her parents, especially her father won’t be happy with what she does, as they were Persian by birth before emigrating to the United States. Her father even stopped talking to her for months before due to his disapproval of her getting a tattoo.

All this leads to a meeting between mother and daughter over dinner. As the meal starts, the subject of the butt lift is raised. Her mother doesn’t want her to undergo the procedure, saying she doesn’t need it while her daughter wants it to boost her self-confidence. Inevitably, the subject of her career choice rears its head. And here, our hearts our in our mouths. Will her mother understand her choice of career? Or will she tear her daughter a new one, demanding that she quit and get another job? The answer is up in the air.

MONEY

The sums of money these women can earn are eye-watering. We see what cars they drive during the to-camera conversations. And we can’t believe what we are seeing. Many of the cars these ladies are driving, we can only dream about owning ourselves. But these ladies have worked for their money. They have earned every penny. And they are not ashamed to show it off. It isn’t all about themselves though. We do get to see the ladies taking part in a charity car wash as well as see them visit bars as they promote Crazy Horse III and try and tempt people to come in.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For a show you’d expect to see scantily clad women and see lots of nudity and flesh, you will be surprised. While we do see them scantily clad at times, it is the revealing look at their lives away from the club that impresses. We forget sometimes that these women perform in a strip club and make their money by using what god and their mother gave them. We actually get to see them as they should be. As human beings, working for a living like the rest of us. Just because their job is different from one that is considered to be acceptable shouldn’t demean them. Too many times these ladies are viewed as nothing but sex objects. We forget that underneath the glam and make-up is a person trying to make their way in the world.

*Contributors Malibu, Gabriella and Santanna*

NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT

The peek behind the curtain, the look at their lives outside of the industry opens our eyes somewhat. We discover that they have the same problems we do in their everyday lives. They may be well paid but they have to work hard to earn their money. They have the same bills to pay as us. And this look at their normal lives is enlightening. Some of the stories we hear are sad, some are enjoyable and some will pull at our heartstrings.

Anyone going into this expecting sex and nudity will be sorely disappointed as this isn’t what the show is all about. It shows us the inner workings of Crazy Horse III and more importantly, it shows us a more human side than we expect. Strip not only describes what these women do for a living, but it also describes the area in which they work in Las Vegas. And is an enjoyable look at an industry we sometimes look down on.