New York Strip Clubs: Kalim A. Bhatti for The New York Times
We were startled when he told us about the job, sure, but not deeply surprised. Sam has always found his own path. And he has never been much for workaday jobs. Neither operating the dishwasher at the food court sushi stand nor clearing tables at his dining hall held his interest, and he left both gigs after an unhappy semester.
Welcome to the working week, sang Elvis Costello. Oh, I know it don’t thrill you, I hope it don’t kill you.
As a little boy, Sam once asked me: “Dad, is there a job where you get paid a lot and don’t do much work?”
Being paid $15 an hour to sit around naked is one option. That’s nearly twice as much as most other student jobs. And it’s not like he’s dancing at Chippendale’s.
“There’s a difference between nude and nakedness,” says Charles Garoian, the director of the university’s visual arts program. Context is vital: a stripper is naked to arouse prurient urges, while a nude model is there to unleash an artist’s creativity.