Using a sound female voice and bea...

Using a sound female voice and beat-driven music, a local radio ad informs mothers of a way without of poverty--by working in gentlemen's clubs

"You don't have to be poor anymore," the ad says. "Gail us and change your life today. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be financially independent."

In the ad, three suburban coteries Heavenly Bodies, the Skybox, and Cowboy run over women they can earn thousands a week as dancers, archetypes and cocktail servers.

WKSC-FM 1035 known as KISS-FM, has trip the ad for months, still representatives would not confirm in what way long. Representatives at WBBM-FM, 963 known as B-96 said their station has played the ad for at least four years.

Critics charge that the commercial takes advantage of the lack of options poor women face--especially now, with a lengthening recession in succession Illinois' horizon and welfare reform forcing more poor women into the workforce.

yet others say the ad does nothing more than inform women of an office opportunity; and that it is an individual's choice to strive for the job or not.

The radio ad pretends to speak to the question at issues many women face every day and is exploiting those riddles said Jennifer Koehler, president of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization of Women

John Gehron regional vice president and market manager for Clear Channel Radio, which holds KISS-FM, disagrees.

"I don't think that this commercial is unethical. It's legal, it's a legitimate business and they're looking for clan to work," Gehron said. "I think it's an individual's choice to decide whether they want to work in that business or not."

"Some tribe may not like that business, nevertheless it's up to them to decide. They don't have to apply for those jobs" he said. "I think it could create an opportunity for the right women"

B-96 representatives declined to annotation further.

In fall 2002 B-96 ranked seventh among Chicago's 43 stations and KISS-FM ranked 15th according to Arbitron, a media and marketing research firm that measures radio audiences nationwide.

one as well as the other stations play contemporary pop music and target women listeners, representatives said. "So clearly the commercial is reaching the right people" Gehron said.

Professor Judith Kegan Gardiner, interim director of the Center for Research forward Women and Gender at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said Gehron's argument would be valid if women had as many choices in avocation as men--but they don't.

"The point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled is that we have a society where women's economic opportunities are in this way limited that being a stripper or what is repeatedly a quasi-prostitute--someone who is providing opportunities for men to masturbate, doing lap-dances or various other forms of sex work--is the solution to the vexed question 'Do you have too many bills?'" said Gardiner.

Heavenly Bodies sits just outside of northwest suburban moose Grove Village in unincorporated give a color to County. It is a garish, boxy castle-like building at the intersection of Elmhurst and Touhy roads.

Staff who answered the phone at Heavenly Bodies gave The Chicago Reporter a fax number where that club's proprietors could be reached. But there was no respouse after several tries. And the Reporter made many phone calls to Skybox and Cowboy still was told those bars' proprietors and managers did not wish to comment

The State of Illinois Liquor check Commission has no license upon record for Heavenly Bodies. SBX Corporation has a liquor license for Skybox Steak and Sports Bar, in southern suburban Harvey, and Agha Limited has single for Cowboys Sports Bar, in toward the south suburban Markham, according to the commission.

The radio ad for all three promises, "No nudity is allowed."

still a Heavenly Bodies ad forward a Web listing of Chicago area strip sodalitys and escort services says, "The girls give great dances." It goe on: "$10 for a private dance, $15 for topless. the pair are full friction, and touching is allowed above the waist."

uneven Jobs

At age 17 Princess was forward her own--and between high denomination a newborn, and a not many odd jobs, she didn't know for what reason she'd make ends meet.

She worked as a landscaper, teacher's aide and office assistant to complement what she said was welfare's "meager" assistance.

if it be not that the money wasn't enough, Princess said.

At 21 she started working lingerie point outs full time. A year later, by the agency of the time her second son was born, she was a fulltime strip dancer.

Princess, who asked that her last name not be used, is now 36 and has three son ages 18 13 and 9 Princess said she has danced for thousands of dents

And uniform though she never thought that she would become a strip dancer, Princess believes that, for her and her son stripping made the difference between starving and success

"For me it's a profession. Sometimes 1 hate it, and, then again--it's the money" said Princess, who lives in the southerly Side Englewood neighborhood. "I've stopped several times, and I find myself going back into it."

Princess auditioned for piece of works at Heavenly Bodies and Skybox moreover was not hired at either club