P-Valley: The Humanization of the Exotic Dancer

Like most professions seen as “sex work”, exotic dancing has long been met with stigma and reproach.

Disclaimer: This story may contain spoilers for the STARZ series P-Valley.

Like most professions seen as “sex work”, exotic dancing has long been met with stigma and reproach. The way in which sex workers are perceived in our society is regularly a double folded topic. On one hand, the numerous jobs filed under sex work provides consumers, of all genders, a sort of gratification, intrigue, and escapism. On the other, the nature of the work itself, no matter which profession, causes sex workers to be ladened with all sorts of demeaning and sexist stereotypes that leave the women doing the work to be shamed, objectified, and taken advantage of. Exotic dancing is no different.

When it comes to anything concerning the female body, the rhetoric concerning it often becomes demeaning, bleak, and superficial when represented through the male-gaze.

However, recent stories told from the perspective of female directors and creators, like Golden-Globe nominated Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, the saucy Twitter-thread inspired film Zola starring Taylour Paige and Riley Keough, and STARZ’s Drama adapted series P-Valley, all take the bygone narratives that have been used to dehumanize sex workers, to redefine and take ownership of the stories of women at the center of these trades.

P-Valley, adapted from the play titled Pussy Valley by playwright Katori Hall, is set in the Mississippi Delta and centers on a group of women that dance at a popular strip club known as The Pynk, under the attentive eye of the flamboyant owner Uncle Clifford.

With its complex characters, stunning cinematography, and gripping storytelling P-Valley, which has already been renewed for a second season, truly reshapes the idea of what it means to be an exotic dancer.

One especially poignant way in which the show does this is by highlighting the women behind the work. Themes such as grief, motherhood, and domestic violence, among a multitude of others, are interwoven dynamically throughout the cast of characters and are portrayed in a distinct and resonating way through each of them.

With its complex characters, stunning cinematography, and gripping storytelling P-Valley, which has already been renewed for a second season, truly reshapes the idea of what it means to be an exotic dancer.

Despite their varying backgrounds, traumas, and personalities all of the women strive for something beyond the stage that they master. From Autumn Night, played by Elarica Johnson, and the mystery surrounding her tumultuous past, to Mercedes, played by Brandee Evans, as she seeks to retire from The Pynk and build something advantageous for herself and others in her community.

As the show proves, though being an exotic dancer or stripper comes with plenty of narrow-minded judgments and demeaning preconceptions, it hardly serves as a hindrance in success later on for those who take on the role.

Uncle Clifford is sure to bestow his dancers with words of wisdom and rules that are meant to uplift rather than oppress. We hear these rules reiterated numerous times throughout the series. “Let this place be your stepping stone, not your tombstone,” is easily the one used most to push dancers to consider what’s lies beyond The Pynk for them.

It’s a refreshing and optimistic reminder that being an exotic dancer doesn’t have to place one in a box or limit all the things you can become or accomplish in life. Some of the most notable entertainers in our culture, like Cardi B and Lady Gaga, even male entertainers like Channing Tatum, speak to this.

In P-Valley, all the women are disrespected and condemned in some way throughout their community but they are also revered and respected for their allure, ingenuity, and craft. The creators showcase that it’s possible for these women to pave their own way despite whatever struggles they might endure as a direct or indirect result of their choice of work or womanhood alone.

A refreshing aspect of P-Valley that should also be noted is its adequate representation of ALL women. The non-binary representation through the character of Uncle Clifford, played by Picco Annan, offers an abundance of complexities that many tv-shows and films still fail to give LGBTQIA+ characters. Aside from acting as the determined and tough-love administering owner/den mother of The Pynk, Uncle Clifford’s maternal instincts towards her dancers are further deepened by her own struggles with her identity, a blossoming relationship, and crippling debt that could close The Pynk for good.

In addition to this, P-Valley excels exceptionally at showing exotic dancing for what it is: an Art. While it’s easy for many to judge women for their choice to pole dance, very few would be able to accomplish half of the beauty, grace, and excitement that these women offer through their craft. Interestingly enough, the show makes sure to highlight how the men that attempt to shame women for using their bodies for compensation are often the same ones that offer their money to objectify them. Sure enough, it also reinforces that these women deserve each and every dollar and then some just by the show of strength and endurance that they must hone in order to execute their performances.

Aside from masterfully catching the dancers in action as they flaunt their individual styles on camera, the choice to turn up the dancers’ mics to emphasize their heavy and labored breathing is a genius one that displays just how much exertion it takes for them to pull off something so stunning but arguably death-defying. Putting the labor and danger it takes for these women to maneuver a pole while making it look effortless in the forefront gives the viewer no choice but to feel a sense of respect and awe towards them. Overall though, it demonstrates how pole dancing actually offers a sort of power and control that each character is lacking in their lives outside of the club.

With so much talk recently about what is considered female empowerment and what’s not when it comes to the exposure and use of women’s bodies for entertainment, P-Valley speaks for itself on the topic. Therefore, if someone still has a hard time understanding how women can exhibit empowerment for themselves and other women while putting their bodies on display for all to see, do them a favor and direct them to P-Valley.

*P-Valley airs Sundays on STARZ.